KOTBS FROM THE DIVISIONS. 685 



04rirh Fcatlu'rx. — Auctimis hckl 6tli Miid 7tli Septenit)er. Outstaudiu^u: feature was sale of S20 

 cases Westei'ii Feathers without reserve ; 1700 cases offered, 1000 sold, realizing 

 approximately £81,000. Paris largest buyer, which should pi'omisc well for the future 

 fashions. America demand sinill. Best (|uality white aiirl feniinas remain practically 

 unchanged, seconds and thirds declined Id percent, to 15 per cent., common much 

 cheaper. Byocks, 10 per cent, to l.j per cent, lower : Spadonas. light, very firm ; coloured, 

 easier: Boos, blacks, dral)s, floss, declined 15 percent, to 20 per cent. Next sales, 

 7th February. 



Maize. — South African No. 2, While Flat. Parcel 77s. 6d. to 80s. per quarter offered United 

 Kingdom or Continental Ports. Ln Plata .]fai:i'. — August-September shipments 

 67s. ()d. ; September-Octoljcr shipments, 6(is. 'M\. 



Jfoi:e Meal.— £.18. lOs., possibly £18. 15s. can be olitained. 



Kaffir Corn. — 90s. per quarter offered. 



South African Jieef. — Hinds, 58. ; Fores, 3s. per stone 8 lb. 



Dried Fruit. — [A Renter calile dated 11th September states that dried fruit was selling 

 well. Tlie demand for Gape raisins was good, little remaining unsold. — ACTING 

 Editok.] 



Market Prices for other Produce of Interest to South Africa. 



Cottou.—Awj^wsi future closed at 20-38; September future, highest 21-18; closed 2nd 

 September 18-98. 



( otto)i St'c/I. — Quiet. Bombay to Hull August-September shipments, £14 paid. 



Cotton Seed Oil. — Spot Hull quoted Egyptian crude, 708. : Boml)ay crude, tjOs. 



Edfjs. — English, 45s.; Irish, H8s. to 40s.; Danish, 38s. to 42s.; Ohinese, 31s. to 32s.; Canadian. 

 35s. to 3(5s. per long hundred. 



Bacon.— ^i\\\ controlled. Maximum prices £10. 4s. per cwt. for gi'een Wiltshire sides in 

 bales. 



Porh. — Good market for imported frozen : worth approximately 10s. jier stone. 



NOTES FROM THE DIVISIONS. 



VITICULTURE. 



July being a wet month outside work was handicapped, but August was better, 

 althougli we had a shower nearly every week-end. Many farms in tlie Darling, 

 Malmesbury, Paarl, and Stellenbosch districts were visited on extension work. 

 Thousands of American stocks and scions were disti'ibuted from Constantia, 

 Paarl Viticultiiral Station, and Elsenbvirg. Of the table grapes over fifty 

 varieties were distributed, " Rosaki " and " Gros Colman " being the chief 

 grapes in demand. There was quite a demand for the " Donzillinho de 

 Castallo " and " Donzillinho de Gallego," although really grapes for port wines: 

 on account of their ripening very early and having a pleasant taste, with a 

 faint " Muscadel " flavour, they may yet prove valuable as table grapes for the 

 local market. I should like to draw exporters' attention to the " Barlinka," as 

 there Avas only a small demand for them. This grape is late, and can be left long 

 on the vine. It is known to travel well. On account of its dark colour it has 

 a better chance on the London market than the "Raisin Blanc," which is a 

 white grape, and mostly planted to have something late. Export agents point 

 out, also, in their circulars that our white grapes did not do s© well late in 

 the season because they had to compete with the coloured hot-house grapes. 



The cultivation of vineyards is now in full swing. The pruning was finished 

 early in August. Grafting is also going on. At Elsenburg some grafted vines 

 were stratified in boxes, into which the vines were packed with a mixture of 

 two-thirds sawdust and one-third charcoal. These boxes were placed in a stable, 

 and after three weeks they were nicely callused at the place of union between 

 scion and stock, whereas those stratified in the ordinary way outside showed 

 no gigns of callus. 



