Schools op Agriculture and Experiment Stations. 787 



Experiments. — The winter experiments with wheat, oats, and barley 

 promise well. The giound is being prepared for extensive summer crop 

 experiments. Variety tests with maize, beans, cowpeas, and other summer 

 crops will be conducted. 



Horticulture. — The officer in charge of this section reports that the late 

 frosts during the month, unfortunately, killed the whole of a fine crop of 

 plums. 



Various kinds of vegetable seed have been sown during the month. 



(;rootfonteix, middelburc;, cape. 



Climatic. — The maximum shade temperature was 88° F., with a mean 

 maximum of 71.2° F. The absolute minimum temperature was 26.5° F., with 

 a mean minimum of 38.5° F. Rain fell on two days with a total of 1.70 inches 

 for the month. 



Sheep Section. — 175 Black Head Persians were purchased during the month 

 as an addition to our slaughter flock from which the hostel is supplied with 

 meat. 



Mr. G. J. Schuurman examined the; stud sheep at this institution, and 

 passed one Wanganella ram and fifteen ewes and two Tasmanian ewes for the 

 South African Merino .Stud Book. He also examined the special sheep and 

 wool students in their final sheep iudging examination, and passed twelve out 

 of the fourteen entered. 



At the annual stock sale on 25th August sheep realized excellent prices, 

 the top price being £ao<, for a Wanganella ram. 



Shearing operations started on tne 15th September, students only being 

 employed on this work. 



Horticultural Section. — Severe frosts on the 4th and 5th inst. killed the 

 blossoms on the early flowering varieties of fruit trees, demonstrating that 

 the planting of early flowering varieties is a somewhat risky procedure in this 

 area. 



The rainfall of 1.45 inches on the 5th September has to a great extent 

 spoilt the irrigation experiments mentioned in last month's notes. The late 

 flowering trees promise a very fair crop of fruit. 



Farm Section. — Owing to the good rains a very large amount of work has 

 been pushed forward. All land for summer crops, including mangolds, is 

 being prepared. Lucerne crops were irrigated, and the cereal crops are 

 promising exceptionally well. Stocks are also improving in condition 



Chemical Section. — Investigational work was carried out in connection 

 with the suitability of certain calcareous soils for use in making dam walls. 

 Mr. Stead, the Research Chemist, has been appointed to serve on the Drought 

 Commission. 



Coastal Co-operative Experiments. — The manurial and variety experiments 

 with cereals in the Uniondale and Humansdorp districts are very promising, 

 the growth being exceptionally good in the first-mentioned district. Lucerne 

 and numerious other varieties of seed were sown at Hankey and in the Sundays 

 River Valley last month. The germination of seed sown on experimental 

 plots at Hankey (Gamtoos River Valley) was good, and growth strong, whereas 

 the germination in the Sundays River Valley was very disappointing. 



In all there are 268 experimental plots covering 4q acres at seven different 

 farms. 



POTCHEFSTROOM, TRANSVAAL. 



Climatic. — The evaporation for the month of September was very heavy. 

 The weather was overcast on several occasions, followed by desiccating winds. 

 No rain of any value fell until the night of the 27th, when .53 inch was regis- 

 tered. The minimum daily temperature varied from 5q.o° to 30.0°. The 

 absolute maximum shade temperature for the month was 87.5°, which was 

 reached on the 12th and 25th. 



