THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



drinks. It is probably on that account Native 

 labour is so scarce. It is a continual 1,'rievancu 

 abo.it here that the Natives are so undesirous 

 of work. Notwithstanding the droiiiiht and 

 locusis in tlie early part of the season, we can 

 safely say there has not been so snccessFnl an 

 agricultural crop for some years ; uspicially 

 can this be said of the crops a httle hi;,'her 

 up-country. 'I hey are looking splendid. Five 

 or six cases of horsesickness have been reported, 

 consequently an early f lost is anxiously awaited, 

 the disease being more prevalent here during 

 the months of >Iarch and April. Otherwise 

 stock in general is looking well, and are f lee 

 from disease. Rivers and springs contain more 

 water just now than they have done during the 

 whole of summer. 



A Hitter, Magistrate. 



STANGER, 21st March.— During the last 

 week we have had two or three good soaring 



rains. The young locusts are still very much in 

 evidence. liuckily for tea planters the locust 

 seem to dislike the taste of tea ; they also 

 eschew tobacco, and very rarely interfere wnh 

 mabele and sweet potatoes ; hence the crops 

 planted by the Natives in this District consist; 

 chiefly of these two articles of food, ilie 

 weather has been much cooler ; in the morn- 

 ings and evenings a little extra clothing is not 

 out of place. The grass is good and plentiful, 

 the cattle look sleek and well. I have heard of 

 no case of horsesickness within the last four- 

 teen days. 1 have heard of several cases of 

 doo-s beinff attacked by the maggot or bot tiy. 

 Inl'egard to the editorial footnote to my report 



of March Hth, 1901, I have seen Mr. , who 



stat-.s that he placed the maggot or bot <.n his 

 arm, and saw it penetrate the skin but felt 

 nothing. 



A. J. S. Mabitz, Acting Magistrate. 



Cattle Reports for 1900- 



By John T 



THE foUuwiug arc abridg'ed articles 

 froiu tlu' " Jjivc Stock JouniaL 

 Almaiiack " for lUOl : — 



Shorthorns ix lOOO. 

 The changes of fashion in all matters, 

 of taste have always acconipauiccl the 

 steps of civilization. Shorthorn breeding- 

 has not escaped the varying fancies of the 

 public. In the early part of the century, 

 during the days of the Col lings, pnre 

 blood was in great demand, and liigh 

 prices Avere paid for the best specimens 

 of the Brampton and Ketion herds. Thirty 

 years later the fashion for show specimens 

 began to set in. The Croftons were 

 among the earliest to feed animals 

 specially for exhibition ; they were 

 followed in later yars by Messrs. 

 Bates, Booth, DongUis, and Towneloy. 

 After tlie middk- of the century, 

 and for the next tive-and-tweiity 

 years, line-ln'eeding again became the pre- 

 vailing taste of the day ; extreme prices 

 were paid for the finest examples of Bates 

 and Booth blood. During the last quarter 

 of the century we find the show-ring 

 again becoming the leader of fashion, and 

 has continued to the present time. This, 

 douljtless, has arisen from the deteroration 

 of those strictly line-bred specimens where 



Phornton. 



merit has not been studied, as well as from 

 the ditaculty many breeders found in 

 mastering line.> of pedigree ; milking pro- 

 perties had likewise been neglected. There 

 is, however, evidence lately of some de- 

 mand again for ihe old pure strains, pro- 

 vided thev do not fail in individual merit. 

 The demand from South America for 

 fine specimens of the breed for improving 

 the stock reared on large estaucuis has led 

 to the very costly purchases during the 

 last season for show-yard animals. The 

 1 nitcd States and Canada have also lat- . 

 terly gone for show animals, whereas for- 

 merly great prices were paid for the purest 

 Bates pedigrees. 



Uevons in VM). 

 The closing year of the century did 

 not wiUicss any remarkable events in con- 

 nection with the Devon breed of cattle. 

 The shows were fairly well supported, 

 though one would like to see a larger 

 number of new exhibitors, to take the 

 place of those who retire from the arena 

 of friendly competition ; one or two herds 

 liave been dispersed, when good specimens 

 have commanded good prices. A few 

 animals have been sold for exportation, 

 notably a couple to South Africa, and it 

 is hoped that this may be the beginning 

 of a demand for the breed in our new col- 



