The Department op Agriculture during the War. 645 



stock representative of various breeds exhibited > and disposed of 9621 

 inquiries by correspondence, and the Lecturer in Household Science 

 carried out very useful extension work. In addition to the instruction 

 given the 130 students at the schools, the short courses proved to be 

 very popular and were attended by 185 men and women, the 

 attendance increasing* to~300 during the next two years. Cnniorences 

 on poultry-keeping, wheat growing, and other subjects, and likewise 

 the annual stock sales, were well attended, while large numbers of 

 farmers visited the various institutions. 



A number of bulletins were published and articles written for the 

 Press, and despite the depletion of the staffs some very interesting 

 investigations were conducted, also a great many experiments and 

 demonstrations with crops, manures, animal feeding, etc., and a large 

 number of analyses of soils, fertilizers, foodstuffs, etc., were under- 

 taken for farmers. 



The sales of surplus stock during the year realized £7304, and 

 arrangements made for the use of stallions at the institutions were 

 availed of to the extent of 149 mares. The total area of land under 

 cultivation to provide for the live stock maintained and to enable a 

 proper training (suitable for South African conditions) to be given to 

 students was 2810 acres. 



In like manner, though hampered and retarded by the war and 

 the shortage of staff, the many and various branches of work were 

 continued during the ensuing years (1916-17 and 1917-18). An 

 indication of what was accomplished in certain directions is given in 

 the following figures: — 



,, , Inquiries 



replied to. 



1916-17 ... 10,981 

 1917-18 ... 11,377 



The amount of research and experimental work, analyses and 

 reports for farmers, itinerant instruction, etc., continued to increase, 

 the demands on the services of the staff showing a growing apprecia- 

 tion by farmers of the value to be derived from the agricultural 

 schools in the many directions in which practical help was forth- 

 coming from them. Statistics show that during the past five years 

 100,000 persons received advice and as.sistance from the schools eithei- 

 by means of lectures, correspondence, or visits. 



During the two years ended 31st March, 1918, ninety-seven 

 articles were written by the staff'. The arrangements for the use of 

 stud stallions were continued and largely availed of ; the sales of pure- 

 bred stock realized £11,882 in 1916, £17,399 in 1917, and in 1918 

 reached £28,251. 16s. 9d. ; and the area maintained under cultivation 

 was approximately 3120 acres. 



Altogether, evidence was abundant of the influence and value of 

 the agricultural schools and experiment farms connected with them 

 in the agricultural life of the country. The gratifying progress made 

 in agriculture and stock breeding was undoubtedly assisted by the 

 officers of agricultural education, who took an active and leading part 

 th-erein, and had the war not set up many obstacles and difficulties it 

 is certain that the Department's activities would have extended con- 

 siderably further and have contributed in no small degree to the 

 greater development of scientific agriculture in the TTnion, 



