Schools of Agriculture and Experiment Stations. 881 



AT THE SCHOOLS OF AGRICULTURE AND 

 EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



October, 1920. 



CEDARA, NATAL. 



Climatic. — The rainfall for the month (27th September to 26th October 

 inclusive) was 4.27 inches. The mean maximum temperature was 71.1° F., and 

 the mean minimum 50.o."l° F. The highest maximum temperature, 96.2° F., 

 was registered on 21st October, and the lowest minimum, 40.5° F., on 8th 

 October. Occasional heaA'v mists, following close after hot winds, caused 

 considerable and rapid variations in the temperature. The rains were light 

 and well distributed. 



Crops. — Potatoes (Flourball, Carman, and Up-to-Date) are showing up well 

 and present a healthy appearance, having benefited by the steady rains. Some 

 portions of the oats are well advanced and have formed grain, whilst others 

 are not so well grown owing to the long drought. There thould be an average 

 crop. The pasture grasses, paspalum, fescue, cocksfoot, and sheep's burnet, 

 have shown up well since the advent of the rains. The veld grasses have also 

 responded well and are making good growth. The kikuyu has made a rapid 

 and excellent recoA^ery from the effects of the winter drought and frosts. 



Stock. ^Seven calves were born during the month. All of the beef cows 

 and young stocic have been tnrned out to grass and are doing very well. One 

 Ayrshire bull was received from the Potchefstroom School of Agriculture for 

 use in the Ayrshire herd here. 



Horticulture— MoHi varieties of plums, peaches, and citrus have set their 

 fruit well. Thinning is now in progress. The citrus trees have been sprayed 

 with lime-sulphtjr (immediately after the blossoms fell) as a preventive of 

 fuugous diseases. 



Poultry Section. — The Fourth Poultry Breeders' Conference was held at 

 Cedara on the 4th. Unfortunately the weather was most unfavourable, rain 

 falling practically all day. Nevertheless about ninety people attended from 

 all parts of the Province. The programme included inspection of the poultry 

 plant, an exhibit of various poultry foods and appliances, a set of specimens 

 showing the internal anatomy of the fowl, also the embryology of the chick 

 from the first to the twenty-first day. Mr. J. J. Jordaan, of Glen School of 

 Agriculture, gave a demonstration on the correct method of holding a post- 

 mortem; Mr. T. B. Cross on the correct inethods of administering medicines 

 and the treatment of various diseases. After lunch the Principal lectured on 

 Modern Principles of Breeding, the Entomologist on Poultry Pests, and Mr. A. 

 Bartlett, of Johannesburg, on the Laying Hen. 



Chemical Laboratory. — Filter-press cake is a by-product of the sugar-cane 

 mills, and a sample of this was sent in by a coast firm to ascertain what it 

 was worth as a manure. The sample, as received, had partly dried out, and 

 the results of the analysis are as follows : — 



Moisture, 32.6 per cent. ; organic matter, 47.7 per cent. ; inorganic matter 

 (ash), 19.7 per cent,, (a) including nitrogen, .9 per cent.; (b) includ- 

 ing potash, .7 per cent. ; and phosphoric oxide, 1.2 per cent. 



It will thus be seen that the fertilizing value is not high, but should prove 

 valuable for local use on sandy soils to supply the deficient humus. In other 

 countries it is largely used for manure to prevent, as far as possible, the 

 exhaustion of the cane lands by returning the ingredients taken out of them 

 by the growing crops. A sample of Uba cane tops was submitted by a large 

 cane grower on the coast for analysis to determine their feeding value. The 

 results are : — 



Moisture, 77.2 per cent.; ash, 1.9 per cent.; pure protein, .6 per cent.; 



amides, .1 per cent. ; crude fat, .3 per cent. ; soluble carbohydrates, 



12 pei- cent.; crude fibre, 7.8 per cent. 



