552 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



1916 totalling- 26,594 tons, while only 6118 tons were supplied, about 

 95 per cent, of which was absorbed principally by the Districts of 

 Malmesbury, Paarl, Cape, Caledon, and Stellenbosch, the demand 

 from other centres of the Union remaining- very much as in former 

 years. In how far the applications were affected by the high price of 

 grain and of artificial fertilizers cannot be gauged, but every effort 

 was made to allot the g-uano as fairly as possible and to g-uard against 

 inflated individual orders. Over 544,000 eggs were collected, while 

 a rise in the seal skin market brought a reuewal of sealing operations, 

 which resulted in 878 skins being- obtained nnd shipped to London; 

 they fetched very satisfactory prices. The net profit derived from 

 the Guano Islands in 1916 was £19,663. 



Similar conditions to those which prevailed during the previous 

 year affected the yield of guano in 1917-18, the total being 6965 tons. 

 The demand as usual exceeded the supply, and the guano was disposed 

 of by allotment as before, but two changes were made in the sale of it. 

 Owing to the necessity for growing as much wheat and other grain 

 and potatoes as possible the use of guano was restricted to those crops, 

 and with a view to preventing inflated applications and ensuring its 

 use for the specified crops only the applications received from the 

 chief consuming- districts were, with the assistance of magistrates and 

 field cornets, carefully scrutinized and after revision dealt with in 

 the ordinary way. Nearly all the guano was sent to districts in the 

 south-west of the Cape Province. In conseouence of mortality among 

 penguins it was decided to confine the collection of eggs to Dassen 

 Island only, the number obtained in 1917 being 410,400, for which 

 £2137. 10s. was paid. Sealing operations, in view of the rise in the 

 market for skins and oil, were proceeded with, resulting in 7015 skins 

 and 3846 gallons of oil for the year, the skins beiner sold in London at 

 prices varying from 31s. 2d. to 37s. 6d. each. The year's working 

 resulted in a profit (exclusive of free issues and services) of £37,120. 

 In order to augment the supply of fertilizers, of which there was a 

 serious shortage in the country, arrang-ements were entered into for 

 collecting from certain islands what is known as " riddlings," that is 

 the rubbish (nests, etc.) taken out of the guano collections in the 

 process of cleaning, which, though not of course as valuable as guano, 

 was useful for vines, fruit trees, and other permanent crops, and 

 helped to relieve the situation. A quantity of approximately 4000 

 tons of guano phosphate from Cape Cross, in the South-West Pro- 

 tectorate, was purchased from a syndicate, who had previously been in 

 the habit of shipping it to Europe, for £9. 10s. per ton f.o.b. Cape- 

 town. Then, also, a deposit upon Bird Island was investigated in 

 the hope that it miffht be useful as a fertilizer, but upon analysis it 

 was found to be of little manurial value. 



Grain Division. 



This division is entrusted with the grading- of grain, etc., 

 exported from the Union. 



The grading of maize in 1914-15 continued to give satisfaction in 

 essential particulars both t<» buyers ovei-sea and to shippers, the 

 quantity of maize exported during the year being 1,156.247 bags, arid 

 the exports of oats (1914) totalling 83,357 bags. A small quantity of 

 barley was shipped, this being the first occasion of bnrley in any 



