128 



TEE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



Market Reports. 



f Responsilility for the accuracy of the Statements and Opinions oi 

 ' the respective contributors- J 



the following Reports rests with 



MARITZBURG— Messrs. W. H. Walker & 

 Co write :- During the past fortnight there has 

 been an abundance of all farm and garden pro- 

 duce, and taken all round, good prices have been 



Mealies— Some samples have been as low as 

 4s lid per 100]b=., including sack, others have 

 been up to 5s. 4d. and 5s, 6d. per lOOlbs., in- 

 cluding sack. A few new mealies are coming 



^^y^mf/e.- From 4s. 9d. to 12s. Id , and 13s. 3d, 

 per lOOlbs. ^. . ^ i + 



ilai/.— Large quantities disposed ot almoit 

 every day; and prices have been everything 

 between Is. and 3s. 4d. per lOOlbs. Bedding from 

 6s. to 2fis. per load. . , ,, .:i 



Potatoes. Market is now hems better supplied. 

 Early R^se. from 7s. to 15s. 3d. per lOOlbs. ; 

 Beauty of Hebron, from 8s. 3d. to 14s. M per 

 lOOlbs. ; Bed Roughs, from 7s. to 12s, per tOOlbs. ; 

 Up-to dates, from 9s. 9d. to 14s. 3d. per lOOlbs. ; 

 Sweet Potatoes, from Is. 6d. to 5s. 6d. per siick ; 

 Magnum Bonum. from 6s. to 10s. 6d. per 10 lbs. 



Mabele.— l'here have been some samples ot 

 inferior quality, and also some of first rate 

 quality disposed of, and this explains the 

 reason of the great difference m price ; while 

 some samples have been as low as 5s. 3d. per 

 lOOlbs., others hare reached 10s. 6d. and Us. per 

 lOOlbs. , . , 



Buckwheat. -yery scarce, and prices have 

 ranged between 13s. 3d. and 13s 6d. per lOOlbs. 

 (fnions.— From 20s. to 38s. per lOOlbs. 

 Tobacco.— From Is. 5d. to Is 6d. per lb. 

 Lucerne.— From 7d to Is. 2d. per lot. 

 Pumpkins.— From Is. to lis. per dozen. 



—Every morning market bas been well 

 supplied, and prices have fluctuated between 

 9d. and 2s. 2d. per lb. 



2^j^^,, —Prices are almost now prohibitory. 

 Several mornings some samples were down to 

 Is Gd and Is 9d. per dozen ; but when house- 

 wives have been compelled to pay as much as 

 4s 4s 5d., and .5s. 9d. per dozen, one is almost 

 forced to the conclusion that poultry reariog 

 must be a paying speculation. . . „ 



Pq„;^;.„ —Fowls, are now reahsmg from 2^. 

 Gd to 3s. 9d. each ; ducks, from 5s to IDs. M. 

 per pair ; turkeys (cocks), from 8s. 6d. to 14s, Gd. 

 each, hens, Gs.to Gs. 3d. each. 



Pridt.— Apples, bananas, guavas, naartje^!, 

 lemons, limes, oranges, papaws, pears, and pine- 

 apples offered daily. , , , x 



Vegetahles —Beans, beetroot, cabbages, carrots, 

 chillies, lettuce, marrows, onions, pumpkins, 

 rhubarb, tomatoes, and turnips offered daily. 



Smi-'ries. — Beef, from 3 to GJd- ; Pork, 

 2|d to 9d. ; mutton, .3d. to 8d. ; bacon, 4d. to Gd. 

 per lb. ; bam, Gd to lid. per lb. 



Wood.— From 5d. to Ud. per lOOlbs. 

 DURBAN.- Mr. W. H. Edmondp, Box 44, 



writes :— , i xu 



Gmcm^. — Complaints are general as to the 

 slackness of trade, and wholesale parcels are very 

 difficult to move. 



il/e«Zie«.-Things could hardly be much worse 

 than they are in this staple. Reserves of old 

 crop appear to be far heavier than anyone ever 

 anticipated, and in view of the export last season 

 of fully a hundred thousand bags to Cape ports 

 it would seem that the total yield of the old 

 crop was quite sufficient to supply all demands 

 without the necessity of importation. As it is 

 there are now many thousands of bags still in 

 the hat.ds of farmers and speculators which are 

 badly weevily, a-id hardly worth lOs. bag, whereas 

 17s. could easily have been obtained some 

 months back. Something like 150,000 bags of 

 imported mealies have recently been landea at 

 this port, and, meantime, the new Coast crop is 

 pouring in. The yield over the Colony is beheved 

 to have surpassed all records so that the moral for 

 farmers wou'd seem to be " sell at fair market 

 rates," thus ensuring a paying price m 3. goM 

 season like this, and so prevent all possibility ot 

 importation. . 



Potatoes. - The new autumn crop is now 

 coming in freely, and quotations are fast 

 declining from the very high figures late y 

 obtainable. During the first fortaight of Aprl^ 

 203. a bag was an average price, but a big arop 

 occurred recently, and on Saturday last, l^s. ba. 

 was touched on our market. The crop is a 

 splendid one, and io any event will pay tbe 

 grower well. , . ^ 



Mabele.-GooA samples bring 16s. per bag ot 

 2031bs , but as the crop is larger than for many 

 years past, a considerable decline on this figure 

 must be anticipated. 



Other lines are normal and calling tor no 

 special comment. 



Mr A N. Pearson, the Victorian Agricultural 

 Chemist" says :-" The extent to which the soil 

 moXe mly be conserved by sufficient stirring 

 S the surface soil has not yet been fully re- 

 cognised in the dry districts. The difference of 

 eviporation from a soil with the surface stirred 

 and from one not stirred may, in a hot summer, 

 be equivalent to lin. or more rain a month 

 By patting the disc harrow over the stubble 

 immediately after harvest, and harrowing the 

 y^ung growing crop once or twice,.even an old 

 Sdock not^fallowed may. retain sufficient 

 moisture to ensure a substantial crop. 



The New South Wales Dairy Expert has 

 reported to his Minister that he has succeeded 

 [n Sting the micro-organifm which causes 

 '' fisMaess ''in butter. If this proves to be 

 correct it will be good news to Australian dairy- 

 men as on^e the source of the trouble is known 

 ttie search for a cure or for preventive action is 

 much simplified. No doubt many who know of 

 the careful search that has been earned out for 

 rn'ny years in all parts of the world for the 

 "erm in "fishy" butter without success will 

 fusTend judgmUon Mr O'CallaghaiVs r^^^^^^^^^^ 

 pending confirmatory evidence of the correct 

 ness of the same. 



