200 



THE AORICULTUBAL JOTJlINAL. 



Market Reports. 



(Responsibility for the accuracy of the Statements and Opinions oj the following Reports rests 



the respective contributors. ) 



MARITZBURG.— Messrs. W. H. Walker & 

 Co. -write : — The market all round remains 

 quiet. The dry season has now set in, and 

 farmers are, in many instances, sending in their 

 grain. Although some of them are loud in 

 their assertion that the crop in many distii ts is 

 far from heavy, others are equally certain that 

 there will be a heavy crop generally. Of course, 

 locality has much to do with condition and 

 quality. 



Mealies. — The market is very uncertai' , and 

 prices have fluctuated between 4^. 6d. and 1*. 

 per KWlb. ; however, farmers are ready and 

 willing to sell at 129. per muid. 



Forage. — Small quantities coming forward. 

 Some samples have been down to 5s. 9d. and 6s. 

 per lOOlbs. ; others have realised 10s. 6d. and 

 13b. 9d. per 100! bs. 



//ay.— From Is. 2d. to 2s. 7d. per lOOlbs. ; 

 bedding from 4s. to 10s. per load. 



Potatoes. — Early Rose, from 9s. to l7s. 6d. per 

 lOOlbs. ; Magnum Bonum, from 8s. 6d. to 16s. 9d. 

 per lOOlbs. ; Red Roughs from 7s to 15s. 6d. per 

 lOOlbs. ; Flour Ball?, 43. 6d. to lis. per 1001b. ; 

 Sweet potatoes, from 3s. to 7s. 6d. per sack. 



Mabele. — There is a considerable area under 

 cultivat on this season, and large quantities 

 are now coming forward, with the result that 

 there h a fall in price ; 6s. to 7s. 6d. per lOOlbs. 

 is now accepted for good samples. 



Buckwheat. — From 9s. 6d. to lis. per lOOlbs. 



Tobacco. — About Is. per lb. 



Piimphins. — From Is. 6d. to 7s. 3d. per dozen. 



Onions.— From 42s. 8d. to 45s lOd. per lOOlbs. 



Eggs. — Prices are still high, ranging from 

 2s. Id. to 3s. 6d. per dozen. 



Butter. — Several samples have been as low as 

 lOd. and Is. Id. per I'l. ; better quality from 

 Is. 5d. to 28. 4d. per lb. 



Pijult)-y.—Fov/\s, from Is. 3d. ta 6s. 9J. each ; 

 ducks, from 5s. to 8s. 3d. per pair : turkeys 

 (cocks). 13s. 6d. to 16s. 9d. each , (hens), 6s. 61. 

 to 7s, 6d. each. 



Sundries.— Mutton, from 3d. to 9d per lb ; 

 pork, from 4d, to 9d. per lb. ; ham, 6d. per lb. ; 

 bacon, 3d. to 6d. per lb. 



Vcgetuhlns. — Briniials, beans, beetroot, cab- 

 bages, carrots, chillies, cauliflowers, celery, 

 lettuce, onions, tomatoes, aod turnips comprise 

 the varieties sold daily. 



Fruit.— Apples, bananas, guavaTs, lemons, 

 mandarins, naartjes, oianges and pineapples are 

 disposed of d ilv by the marketmaster. 

 Wood.—¥iom 8id. to Is, I'd. per lOU lbs. 



DURBAN.— Mr, W. H. Edmonds, Box 44, 

 writes ; — 



(?enemZ.— Business is fairly brisk all round 



though the difficulty of railing anything up- 

 country remains as bad as ever. 



J/ea^ies.— Things are somewhat quiet again in 

 this staple. A fortnight ago large enquiries were 

 being made, but the difficulty in securing parcels 

 at reasonable rates appears to have frightened 

 away buyers. At all events, business is confined 

 to hand-to-mouth basis and quotaiions are easy 

 again. Eleven shillings per bag is about the 

 average figure paid for the coast crop. Growers, 

 however, are selling to speculators on the spot 

 at a price well under this. 



Potaioe.s.— Rates are h gh still, and are likely 

 to keep so until the arrival of large supplies ot 

 Australian potatoes. The Uoloiiial article is 

 bound to be afEected by importations, though 

 perhaps not to any great extent, as up-eount y 

 growers now have the Johannesburg market to 

 themselves, as well as the differential rates in 

 their favour. 



Mabele.— This is being freely offered, and 

 prices are easy. With a falling market quota- 

 tions are only nominal. 



Hay is a good supply, but the quality hitherto 

 is below that of late years. 



/?m?j.— Cape ports are now closed on account 

 of plaou^, and importers have to rely solely on 

 South°American and Australian bran. A good 

 rise may be looked on as certain ere long, as 

 quota ions are even now at cost and somewhat 

 below. The market varies from 6s. 6d. to 7s bd, 

 per lOOlbs., according to quality. 



Onions.— Fa.mim rates for this useful vege- 

 table have prevailed for some weeks, and it will 

 be some time before things are easier. In any 

 case the duty of Id. per lb. will always keep 

 prices high. The duty amounts to more than 

 100 per cent, on the prime cost of onions at port 

 of shipment. 



In Bremen (Germany) a cold store is being 

 erected for horseflesh. 



In 1773 an underground stable was discovered 

 in the parish of Orcop, in Hertfordshire ihis 

 retreat was used as a hiding-place for stolen 

 horses by three professional horse-stealers, who 

 were caught in the stable and lodged in Hereford 

 Gaol. 



There are 141 steamers engaged in the frozen 

 produce trade with Australia, New Zealand, and 

 the River Plate. These steamers have a total 

 capacity of 7.001,400 tons. There are 1.7 refri- 

 gerating stores in London, with a capacity for 

 1,590,000 carcases. 



