260 



THE AGBICULTUBAL JOURNAL. 



Feeding Sheep. 



ELSEWHEEE in tins issue will be 

 found a report on the advantage of 

 feeding sheep on hay chaff while green 

 grass is scarce. A Mr. Flower, of One- 

 tree Hill, South xVustralia, is the writer 

 of the report, or ratlier "paper," which 

 was read hy him Ijcfore his local Agricul- 

 tural Society. What he says seems 

 eminently practical, and might be worth 

 essaying in the slieep districts of the 

 Colony. About the quality of the hay 

 nothing is said — whether it is from cul- 

 tivated or indigenous grass. With wind- 

 mill power — unfortunately but rarely 

 possessed in Natal — the chaffing would 

 be a matter of but small difficulty. The 

 "Journal of Agriculture,'' South Austra- 

 lia, from which we take the report, states: 

 "An interesting discussion ensued, Mr. 

 Flower's departure in sheep-feeding 

 being new and somewhat startling to 

 members. With the first appearance of 

 green feed they were aware that sheep 



lost their zest for dry feed, but there was 

 no doul^t that with the scarcity of green 

 grass neither hay nor chaff would be 

 neglected. Members considered Mr. 

 Flower's contention, based as it was on 

 personal and successful tests, was entitled 

 to the serious attention of farmers. In 

 wet weather in particular the waste of 

 hay would bo a draAvback, but with chaff 

 fed as propo-^ed this would not apply. 

 One member is already making prepara- 

 tions to benefit from Mr. Flower's ex- 

 ]ierience, and others will probably follow 

 m the same line. Members calculated 

 that going by Mr. Flowers' figures a flock 

 of 700 sheep each receiving lib. of chaff 

 per day would in four months' time show 

 a minimum profit of £100, taking hay at 

 its present figure. jMr. Flower did not 

 think that a sheep would eat more than 

 Ulbs. of chaff per day if it could get all 

 it wanted." 



Hawick Show. 



ON the 27th ultimo, the Lion's River 

 Society held its Annual Show. Since 

 the inauguration Show of this Society 

 there has been no break. Every year the 

 Show has been a marked improvement 

 on its predecessor. In the fodder section 

 considerable interest was attracted by a 



samplo of sugar-cane grown in the neigh- 

 bourhood, and by some manna grown in 

 the Balgowau district. The driving and 

 riding competitions proved a most attrac- 

 tive feature of the Show. Full descriptive 

 reports were published in the daily press. 



District Reports. 



IXOPO, 18th June.— Since last writing no 

 rain has fallen, but stock look well notwith- 

 stand'ng. In my last report 1 stated I had com- 

 pleted my hut tax collecting, amounting to 

 about £Gj)0(J ; this sum was Tirintcd as X65. The 

 actual ar ouiit paid was £6,483 8s , and the 

 Auditor GeneiaTs report shows that last year 

 this Department conlributed a larger amount of 

 revenue than any other Magistracy. The num- 

 ber of civil and criminal cases have greatly in- 

 creaserl, and I predict a substantial increase in 

 revenue over last year's collection, and yet this 

 is only classed as a second class Magistracy. 



Fkank E. Foxon, 



Magistrate, 



NEWCASTLE. 24th June.— A great many 

 hor-ses have died this season from the usual 

 horsesickness. Lungsickness amongst the cattle 

 in this Division is very bad indeed ; wherever 

 you go you hear of cases. Scab is also very 

 prev'^lent amongst the sheep. The District 

 Veterinary Surgeon and Stock Inspectors are 

 doing good work, and all in their power to stamp 

 the several diseases out, and they deserve great 

 credit for the mann.-r in which the duties are 

 being tarried out 'I he war is to a great extent 

 the cause of much of the spreading of the several 

 diseases. Looted and captured, and generally 

 infected stock is being driven all over the 

 Division. Owners of stock should give notice, as 

 the law requires, when any disease has broken 



