11 



In a favourable season, in the Transvaal, two and a half tons 

 per acre is considered a fair crop for the first cutting ; but two tons 

 is probably nearer the average. A second cutting may bring the 

 total yield up to four or even five tons per acre. A crop of four 

 tons per acre from a single cutting was reported in the season 

 1906-07. At the Government Estate, Tzaneen, 5,885 lbs. (2.9 tons) 

 of dry hay was reported as having been obtained from an acre of 

 ground in a single cutting. 



Mr. Wentworth-Sykes (19) records a crop of nearly 3i tons to 

 the acre. Mr. W. M. Struben (24) obtained 152 tons from 63 acres, 

 or a total yield of about 2^ tons per acre, in the season 1915-16 ; 

 this is not a bad return considering the extremely unfavourable 

 nature of the season. ' On 18 of the 63 acres the crop was in- 

 different, owing to weeds, drought, etc. ; from 43 acres we got over 

 two and a half tons per acre." 



COST OF PRODUCTION. 



The cost of production is variously estimated by producers at 

 88. to 12s. per ton in stack, or 20s. per ton baled. One farmer 

 works out the costs as follows : Ploughing, 7s. 6d. per acre ; harrow- 

 ing and rolling, 4s. ; seed and seeding, 4s. ; reaping and curing, 48. ; 

 wire, baling and wagon work, 20s. ; total, 39s. 6d. per acre, carrying 

 say 2 tons. 



Mr. W. M. Struben (24) gives the total cost of production of 

 152 tons of stacked hay from 63 acres, " from time of ploughinar to 

 completion of stacks," at £57 16s., or 7s. 7d. per ton. " That 

 includes cost of ploughing, sowing, seed, mowing, windrowing, 

 cocking, carting, stacking and thatching the stacks, as well as 

 £3 7s. 6d. for wear and tear on machinery, oil, etc. There is no 

 charge for baling, as we did not bale. This crop was grown under 

 very unfavourable conditions. We had excessive rains before 

 ploughing ; and after sowing we had a very hot, dry spell ; in fact 

 the last 5 acres we put in with Teff got burnt up." 



MARKET VALUE. 



The normal price of Teff hay in the Johannesburg market is 

 about 3s. 6d. per 100 lbs. In 1910, six years after the first crop was 

 reaped in the Transvaal, we find " Teff grass " (or, as the Band 

 Daily Mail spelled it for several months, " teft grass ") first quoted 

 in the daily press reports of the Johannesburg morning market. 



The first published quotation I have been able to find was in the 

 Band Daily Mail for May 5th, 1910, though Teff had been sold on 

 the market for some considerable time previous. The only com- 

 ment which ushered the new hay into the produce list was the 

 remark : " Hay was still cheap, and teft grass fetched 48. per 

 100 lbs." 



The following prices were realized from time to time : — 



