244 Journal of the Department of Agriculturi^. 



7. Boue meal need not be fed all the year round, since this would 

 be too expensive. It should be supplied when the craving is at its 

 worst. This will be found to be during the dry season, in the spring 

 and early summer, before the heavy rains set in. After the rains 

 the craving may almost disappear for some time, ])ut it may return 

 towards autumn. 



During the winter bone meal feeding is not so necessary, although 

 craving may be present to some extent. This is because any carcasses 

 of small animals, which you have failed to find, are not so poisonous 

 as in summer. But if you miss much carcass jnaterial it will be 

 necessary to feed bone meal all the year round. If you keep your 

 farm as clean as possible all the year round it will only be necessary 

 to give bone meal during that part of the summer when craving is at 

 its worst. If you could only manage to keep your farm perfectly 

 free from all carcass material you would not need to feed bone meal 

 at all. 



8. By carrying out the bone meal feeding according to the 

 scheme detailed here, i.e. 



(a) feeding only to bone-eaters and not to the entire herd ; 



(6) reducing the ration when the craving stops : 



(c) feeding only during certain seasons of the year; 



you will find the cost comparatively low and you will be able to afford 

 i1, especially as the improved condition of your cattle will itself 

 recompense you. 



9. Itemember that on the experimental farm of Armoedsvlakte 

 the losses from lamziekte amounted to 30 per cent, of all the cattle 

 in 1914, but that in 1919, when the system of control here described 

 was first introduced, the losses fell to less than 2 per cent. The 

 system has therefore been tried and found effective. If the system 

 is carried out metJiodicalbj it will be found much less troublesome 

 than it appears at first sight. 



10. As last injunction, remember the first paragraph: — Clean 

 ijour farm and keep it clean. 



Export of Grain, etc. 



Pressure on space, combined with the present small export of 

 grain, etc., requires the suspension of the statistical table under the 

 above head x^i^blished in the past two issues of the Journal. The 

 position on the 31st March, 1920, was given on page 217 of the May, 

 1920, Journal. Returns for April, 1920, show there were shipped 275 

 bags mealie meal, 145 bags lucerne seed, 430 bags beans, and 672 

 bags millet. The stocks on hand at all ports on 30th April was (in 

 bags): Maize, 642; maize meal, 1424; and beans, 911. 



Do not lose your copy of the Journal. A full index will be sent 

 subscribers every six months. The Journal will prove a useful book 

 of reference to every farmer. In time it will be a valuable com- 

 pendium of advice and infomiation on farming in South Africa. 



