294 



TEE AGBiCtJLTUilAL jOVBl^Al. 



IVlapstcne Oats. 



TN his annual report, Mr. G. R. Richards, 

 i the outgoing President of the Mooi 

 River Farmers' Association, said : — All the 

 old varieties of oats continue to be more 

 or less useless for i)hinting, owing to the 

 certainty of their rusting at certain stages 

 of their growth, but it is a matter for con- 

 gratulation to record that the " Mapstoue 

 oat " seed, distributed by the Department 

 of Agriculture this season to various 



members of the Association, has proved 

 itself to be as good in its rust and frost re- 

 sisting powers as the old winter oat even 

 was at its best. I am of opinion from my 

 own experiments that we have here an 

 oat which will serve us for some years to 

 coiue as a green fodder plant, thus filling 

 a blank which has existed for some time 

 past. 



Mealie Roots. 



NUMBERS 1, 2, and 3 are surface roots, 

 or food gatherers ; 4, 5, and 6 are 

 subsoil roots. 



The fourth biennial report of the Kansas 

 State Board of Agriculture gives the 

 following description of the position and 

 distribution of the corn roots in the soil 

 to a depth of A^ti., and indicates the 

 office of each class and their orderly 

 arrangement and development at a certain 

 time for a certain work. The seed roots 

 sustain the bud until the first green leaf 

 appears. The first roots then follow, and 

 seek the surface soil, which first feels the 

 sun's warmth. These are in turn sup- 



planted by the first roots that radiate from 

 the butt end of the stalk like the ribs 

 of an umbrella from the shaft, and spread 

 out on a lower level, usually .5in. to lOin 

 below the surface, and often exceed 8ft. 

 in length. These first circle roots are the 

 main food gatherers, and send out 

 numerous fibrous branches, in the direc- 

 tion where water and food are most 

 abundant and temperature most favour- 



able. The second and subsequent circle 

 roots developing one after another as the 

 plant increases in height, and the soil is 

 warmed to a greater depth, seek the sub- 

 soil, and rarely spread out on the surface. 

 Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5 show such roots, 

 which were followed to a depth of 

 4^ft , with no terminal point in sight. 



Disposal of Mealies m 



ON the 28th ulto. a petition, signed by 

 forty farmers of the Lion's River 

 Division respecting the disposal of 

 mealies, was sent to the Hon. Minister 

 of Agriculture. The petitioners state 

 that they are reaping mealie crops of 

 from 500 to 1,500 bags, and they ask the 

 Government to suggest to the Military 

 Authorities the advisability of giving 

 army horses and mules in Natal a daily 

 ration of mealies. They further state 

 that through the Johannesburg market 

 being closed they cannot find buyers. 



The Minister of Agriculture regarded 

 the petition with favour, and in his 

 minute on the subject pointed out the 

 saving in cost which would result from 

 partly substituting the feeding of oats by 

 mealies. The A.A.G. Supplies, on the 

 matter being brought before him, re- 

 quested information as to the price re- 

 quired and the quantity available. His 

 reply has been communicated to the 

 petitioners. 



