229 



reaped. Mr. Mitchell informed me that he got 

 as niuclias 18 bao:s to the acre, and this too, ft-oni 

 land on which no ra;uuu-d had been used, lie 

 stated that next year he intended usinij basic 

 slao-, and hoped, if all went well, to reap 25 bags 

 to the acre. The soil about there appears to be 

 exceptionally rich. The cattle reported by me 

 some time since, a8 suspected of being infected 

 with rinderpest, were found to have eiten some 

 poisonous herb. ,0n the whole horsesici< ness 

 has not been severe this season. At present I 

 know of no disease amongst stock in this Division. 

 The rainfall for May was 105 inches, the highest 

 temperature 81 degs., and the lowest 51 dtgs. 



P. Hugo, Magistrate. 



UBOMBO, 5th June.— Some bitterly cold 

 Wfathur vva*i experienced during the ])ast, nuinth 

 The niinunum t^mperalure rcgiwiured being 

 48i degs., and 80 degs. the maximum Tlie cold 

 was iniensilied by south winds, llainfall was 

 rO'J of an inch. The native crops, especially on 

 the mountain, north and south of the Mkn/,i 

 River, have turned out verx much better than 

 anticipated. Larger quantities of mealies and 

 mabele have been reaped than during the past 

 two years, and green mealies are still being 

 eaten everywhere. Only one calf, out of sfcjck 

 in the district, is known to have died, and 

 merely from gallsicknes-i. 



A. R. R. TuRNBULL, Magistrate. 



Importations of Sugar Cane. 



AT the ordinary meeting of tlie Inanda 

 Agricultural Association, held on 

 the 12th instant, the convenor of the 

 Cane Plants Committee (Mr. Leonard 

 Acutt) reported that the Committee had 

 visited Mr. James's estate, and inspected 

 the samples of canes importetl hy tlic 

 Agricultural Department, at the re- 

 quest of the Association. The cane 

 from_ Honolulu arrived in the best 

 condition, and there were two varieties 

 now growing, and looking well. One 

 box only came from Honolulu, and 

 in this the canes were sealed at 

 the end with paraffin candle wax, and 

 wrapped in paper, and, as these came in 

 so much better condition than those from 

 - other countries, the Committee recom- 

 niended that in future, when canes were 

 imported, it should be an instruction to 

 pack them in this way. From the Bar- 

 badoes, two wardian cases were received, 

 and only one plant showed any signs of 

 hfe, and there was a small weak stool re- 

 sulting from this. The canes were too 

 young to form an opinion on, but Mr. 

 James informed them that it was a large 

 cane. From Queensland there were three 

 varieties living— a cane resembling 'TJold 

 Dust," four stools; a cane resembling 

 Green Natal," one stool; and a cane like 

 Louiser," six stools. From Demerara, 

 which was the first cane to arrive, they 

 had seven varieties — one like "Green 

 Natal," two stools; one a light'green, five 

 stools; which were all in "arrow" ; a very 

 fine cane which impressed the Committee, 

 two stools; a cane like "Bois Eouge," in 



appearance, with which they were un- 

 favourably impressed, but which might 

 prove a good variety, 10 stools; a rich 

 dark cane, very hardy looking; two 

 varieties resembling the "Queen" cane, 

 but not so large, and a light-coloured 

 cane, like the lightest of "Green Natal" ; 

 a large cane resembling the "Queen," 

 three stools. There was enough of cane 

 of all varieties to complete the planting of 

 one acre, which the Committee proposed 

 to ask Mr. James to do when the weather 

 was_ seasonable, and not to distribute any 

 during the coming season. The wardian 

 case was generally considered the best 

 mode of packing, but of the three cases 

 removed only six eyes germinated. The 

 result of the experiment; having regard 

 to the exceptionally dry season, must be 

 regarded as satisfactory, and the Com- 

 mittee urged the Association to ask the 

 Government to arrange for further im- 

 portations from as many countries as 

 possible. No cases were received from 

 Louisiana, and the Committee cnnsidei-od 

 it in the highest degree iuipoi-tant that 

 they should receive some from that 

 country, the climate being, like our own, 

 rather rigorous for sugar cane, and the 

 Agricultural Department there in a state 

 of great eiflcieney. The Committee 

 pointed out that, although the result of 

 importing cane in this manner was satis- 

 factory, and was likely to be more so with 

 succeeding importation, the process was 

 rather too slow for restocking our planta- 

 tions, and that, pending the establishment 

 of our own experimental station,the em- 



