102 



THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



spreads by self sowing. A nutritious 

 fodder and pasture grass ; one of the most 

 valuable we possess, in rich land it will 

 produce very heavy crops of: the richest 

 character, and will afford five or six 

 cuttings in the year. As a pasture grass 

 it is first-class, being even richer in 

 nutritious properties that the much- 

 valued perennial rye grass. It will give 



the best results on rich, moist land, but 

 will do fairly on any soil, and should 

 form part of all pasture mixtures. Two 

 to three bushels will sow an acre." 

 Further reference to this grass will be 

 found under the heading of corre- 

 spondence." 



Applications for seed should be directed 

 to the Commissioner of Agriculture. 



Paspaium Diiatatum, 



THE following, extracted from a personal 

 letter to the Editor by Mr. Medley 

 Wood, A.L.S., will be read with interest : 

 — " I have just returned from a visit to 

 Newcastle, and have brought with me a 

 good lot of roots of ' Paspaluni Dilatatum,' 

 which have been planted and will be well 

 looked after. I find that this grass in 

 that phice is not uncommon, but is always 

 found in watercourses or on the edge of 

 tliem. This may be due to the fact that 



the seeds, after heavy rains, are washed 

 down by the rush of water, or that - if, as 

 it is said, the seed is somewhat difficult of 

 germination— the damp soil by the edges 

 of the little streams is more favourable 

 for this purpose than the dried ground 

 away from the watercourses. I have also 

 a little seed which I shall try in the spring 

 when the rains come. I find also that 

 this grass is more plentiful about the 

 village than I had thought." 



District Reports. 



NKANDHLA District, 11th April.— Ihe fall 

 of raia during M.rch was very heavy, with in- 

 cessant thick mists almost daily, which has been 

 very bad for the health in the District, Bad 

 colds and bronchitis have been prevalent, as well 

 as three cases ot enteric fever amongst the 

 Euroreai s The crops are beginning to ripen, 

 and there promises to be a good harvest. No 

 locusts huve been reported in the Di.«trict. One 

 horse, the property of Mr. Hyslop, died on the 

 8th iLstant from hots, otherwise all stock is 

 lookina well, and no diseases have been re- 



ported. 



(J. C. FoxoN, Magistrate. 



STANGER, IGth Apri'.-The weather has 

 been exceptionally mild and pleasant lately, 

 copious showers of rain bavins? faUen at inter- 

 vals. The mealieand mabele crop promises to 

 be a record one. Planters & re now busy reaping, 



and in one case, that of Messrs. E & Son, 



the \ ield of mabele, oif a field of 120 acres is 

 expected to exceed I'J muids to the acre. T his 

 crop I am informed, has been snatched up by a 

 Port lilizabelh firm at 2()s. per muid, delivered 

 at the nearest railway station. Although this is 

 an exceptionally heavy return, still it maj .[^^ 

 taken as an indication of the conditi n of the 

 crops generally in this Divisic-n. Sugarcane has 

 now entirely recovered from tbe drought in the 



early part of the season, and it is anticipated 

 that the crop will be a full one. If the natives 

 on the North Coast were more industi lous, there 

 is no reason why they should not be an inde- 

 pendent and u'ealthy community. But it is 

 almi st impossible to buy a bag of mabele Ircm 

 a native, as they seem to have gauaed to a 

 nicety the minimum of cultivation necessary to 

 carry them through the year. Locusts do not 

 touch mabele, and therefore there is no excuse 

 for not puttiug in more. There is no restric- 

 tion as to acreage in the majority of cases, yet 

 only sufficitnt for bare necessities is planted. 

 Instead of cultivating sufficient to be able to 

 meet their rents out of the return, native tenants 

 are content to go on in the same old style, and 

 when their rents fall due, it means a Court case, 

 in many instances doubling the onyinal amount 

 in aciual feen, before a final settlement is niade. 

 In many cases tha unfortunate landlord loses 

 out of pocket expenses as well as the rent, as 

 the tenant has nothing, will not cultivate, nor 

 work. The eno is ejectment, and the defendant 

 moves on to another farm, where the same pro- 

 cess is gone Ifirough. 



A. J. S. Maritz, 

 Acting Magistrate. 



PORT SHEPSTONE, 20th ApriL — Since 

 writmg my last report we have had iwo cases of 



