Schools of Agriculture and Experiment Stations. 785 



AT THE SCHOOLS OF AGRICULTURE AND 

 EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



September, 1920. 



CKDARA, XATAI. 



ilimatic. — The rainfal! for ihv ])eriocl 27th August to 26th September, 

 inclusive, was .63 inches. The mean maximum shade temperature was 72.61° 

 F., and the mean minimum 4<S.4i° F. Th? highest maximum shade temjiera- 

 ture 87.5° F. was registered on 2Qth August, and the lowest minimum 39.0° 

 !■"., on 5th September. Tlic weather has been fine during the greater part of 

 the month. Northorh' winds prevailed, with occasional south-cast winds. 

 Flight rain fell on a few days. 



Crofs. — The oats are making fair growth ; they are slightly affected by 

 rust, and are retarded by the prolonged drought. For the latter reason the 

 vetches are also backward. Paspalum and sheep's burnet are showing up well. 

 The veld grasses are showing green over the burnt-off areas, but badl\ need 

 rain. 



Field Ex-periments. — The cocksfoot grass proved frost resistant during 

 the winter, but is now showing the effects of the drought. Rotthaelia 

 cow.fr easa is maintaining steady growth and resisting the drought very well. 

 Sheep's burnet has proved frost and drought resistant. A course of co-opera- 

 tive experiments carried out over a period of five years has proved the value 

 of cowpeas in a crop rotation. A series of experiments carried out to demon- 

 strate the value of soluble phosphates with and without lime, has provided very 

 useful data, of which details will be published later. 



Stock. — Four calves were born during the month, one Ayrshire heifer from 

 dam iQ years old, two Friesland heifers (twins from F. 13), and one Fries- 

 land bull calf. One case of gallsickness was treated successfully. Grazing 

 is at present very poor; rain is badly needed. A young Friesland bull, 

 " Dunovan John Bull," a grandson of " Admiral Beatty," was purchased for this 

 institution at the Bloemfontein Stud Stock Sales, and it is hoped will prove 

 a valuable addition to the Friesland herd. 



Chonical Laboratory. — The leaves and twigs of three species of bamboo 

 were analysed at the instance of a .'armer who found that they were eaten with 

 great avidity by stock during the winter when little green food is available. 

 The results of the analysis show that the twigs have no great feeding value, 

 but the leaves show up very favourably in this respect. The number of food 

 units present in the leaves and twigs combined is almost identical with the 

 amount found in the same weight of dry matter in ordinary veld grasses 

 growing on this farm. A wild chicory root examined was found to contain 

 an abnormally high percentage of sugars, there being nearly 4g per cent, of 

 sucrose in the dry matter and about 50 per cent, of total sugars. 



Apiculture. — European foulbrood and sacbrood have recently reappeared 

 in some of the weaker rolonies. Dequeening a diseased colony for ten days, 

 and then requeening with a vigorous voung Italian queen is the remedy for 

 Furopean foulbrood now recommended by the American authorities. Italian 

 (jueens, however, are not obtainable in South Africa. Hence, queen rearing 

 from the best stocks in the apiary is being carried out, and the diseased hives 

 will be requeened with young queens of the yellow-banded African race of bees. 

 It will be interesting to note whether dequeening and requeening after an 

 interval will effect a cure under these conditions. 



Students. — There were fifty-seven probationers in residence at Cedara at 

 the beginning of the month. Three were transferred from W inkle Spruit to 

 Cedara. Nine have left, seven of whom secured positions on farms, one was 

 allotted a Government holding, and one was discharged. Fifty-one proba- 

 tioners are in residence at present at Cedara and two at Winkle Spruit. 



