T HE AGRICULTURAL JOU RN A L. 



District 



HOWICK, 7th May— Up to the present no 

 frost has fallen in this Division, though it ma.i 

 be expected any time as the weather is getting: 

 very cold. The absence of frost has greatly 

 benefited the late mealie crop, though, I a. u 

 so ry to say, the yield will not be more than 

 about half, as compared with other seasons, 

 owing to the drought at planting time. How- 

 ever, I believe the m^bele crop will come up to 

 the average of past seasons, as this class of pro- 

 duce can do with less rain than mealies do. 

 D uring the month of April the rainfall was 3.57 

 inches. That which fell in February and March 

 greatly assisted in bringing on the grass for the 

 purposes of haymaking. Most of the farmers 

 have finished cutting their hay, which is better 

 than in any previous year owing to its being cut 

 so green, thanks to the late rains. Tons upon 

 tons of this class of fodder are bsing sent to 

 other parts of the Colony from here, and are 

 commanding a good priie. The maximum 

 temperature d ring the past month was 87 deg., 

 and the minimum during the same perioi was 

 42 deg., registered on the 30th ult. According to 

 the ra'n gauge kept at this Magistracy, I am 

 able to give the rainfuU during 18119, 1900. and 

 the first four months of this year, viz., 25.17 in 

 1899, 20.84 in 190O, and 16 10 up to the 30th 

 April this year, which shows that though the 

 fall last year was less than the previous one, 

 that of the past four months has almost equalled 

 that of the whole of last year. The much- 

 dreaded horsesickness made its appearance 

 during last month throughout the Division, 

 carrying o£E many valuable animals, but it 

 is anticipated this disease will disappear on 

 the advent of frost. Many horses are suffer- 

 ing from strangles, but as this disease is 

 prevalent mostly among young stock not many 

 have succumbed to it. Cattle are in the p nk of 

 condition, and are still commanding gooJ prices, 

 and, as far as I know, lungsicknef-s only exists 

 on one farm in this Division. Sheep also are 

 doing well ; a few flocks are infected with scab. 

 Frr the information of those who indulge in 

 trout fishing, I would remind them that the 

 close season commences on the 15th i^st. 



J. W. Cross, Magistrate. 



NEW HANOVER, 7th May.-The weather 

 has been dry and cool since the last heavy rains. 

 The dreaded horsesickness has made its appear- 

 ance and has claimed and is still claiming many 

 victims. It appeared on some farms where it 

 has never been heard of before. Many of the 

 cases reported are, however, of horses brought 

 down from the front which are bought up by 

 the farmers in troops of ten to forty on the 

 Maritzburg sales, at an average price of £5 per 

 horse. The mortality among them is great, and 

 as a rule only about 50 per cent are saved. In 

 my opinion farmers who buy later in the winter 

 will do better, the climate then being more 

 similar to the up-country climate. 



A. Bitter, Magistrate. 



Re/ifortsm 



NKANDHLA, 30th April.— The fall of rain 

 during the month has been small. The weather 

 has been very pleasant, and the nights are be- 

 ginning to get very cold. A large comet was 

 visible in the east on the 25th, at 5 a.m. The 

 Natives are beginning to reap their crops, but 

 in places the mealies are very backward. No 

 locusts have been reported in the District. 

 Several horses died of horsesickness, mostly 

 belonging to the Military. Lungsickness broke 

 out amongst the cattle belonging to the Messrs. 

 Havermann, surrendered burghers. These 

 cattle have all been inoculated, and, so far, no 

 deaths have taken place ; this herd has been 

 isolated. I regret to say the transport oxen 

 with the troops still have lungsickness amongst 

 them. There is a large amount of captured stock 

 in the District at the present time. Things, 

 generally, during the month have been mosti 

 disturbed here in consequence of the lively 

 movements of the Boers along the border. 

 The Nkandhla Rifle Association wai called out 

 during the month. I am glad to say all the 

 Europeans have recovered from enteiic fcver, 

 and the health of the District has been a great 

 deal better during the month. 



C. C. FoxoN, Magistrate. 



NQUTU, 30th April— During the month there 

 has been a great deal of horsesickness amoogst 

 the horses in this District, anl very many have 

 died. As a rule the disease does not hold much 

 sway in this District, so that the present season 

 must be regarded as exceptional. Two fresh 

 outbreaks of lungsickness have occurred during 

 the month amongst oxen which were comman- 

 deered by the Military, and discharged with a 

 return pass to this District, otherwise the 

 disease has been successfully confined to the 

 herds which were already infected and isolated. 

 Typical early winter weather has prevailed 

 throughout the month, and the rainfall was just 

 sulRcient to keep the grazing going. The 

 country i-s now assuming a grey appearance 

 owing to the grass commencing lo " go off," 

 another sign that winter is fast approaching. 

 The springs and streams about the District are 

 still running strongly, thanks to the late heavy 

 rains of the past month. Crops are fast ripen- 

 ing, and the coming month should see the bulk 

 of the Native crops (the only crops in the Dis- 

 trict) reaped. The health of the residents, both 

 European and Native, is good. 



C. HiGNETT, Magistrate. 



UMLALAZI, 4th May.— Since my last report 

 we have experienced very variable and un- 

 healthy weather. The mortality amongst 

 Natives has been exceptionally high, death 

 being due almost entirely to malarial dysentery 

 and malarial fever, The older men state that 

 for some years past the seasons here have been 

 getting more unhealthy, and more similar to 

 those near the Lower Umfolozi Lake Districts, 

 adjoining this District. In more than one in- 



