416 



THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



Market Reports. 



(Responsibility for the accuracy of the Statements and Opinions of the ,foUoiving Reports rests with 



the respective co7itributors ) 



MARITZBURa.— Messrs. W. H. Walker and 

 Co. write : — It is years since we experienced 

 such heavy rains during the month of August 

 as we are having this year. Old colonists will 

 sometimes refer to the August flood, some 

 thirty-five years back ; and some of them refer- 

 ring to that event on Saturday 1 ist, expressed 

 an opinion to the effect that his'ory was about 

 to repeat itself ; however, it is a new experience 

 to hear farmers assert that old land is too wet 

 to plough, and new land is in the pink ff con- 

 dition. Unfortunately locusts a e making their 

 appea'-ance in some diutricts. A large swarm 

 passed over Maritzburg on the 2Gth instant. 

 Mealies fire firming a little, and contrary to the 

 statements of some, a few Districts have better 

 crops of forage than uai predicted. 



Mealies. The average price for grain during 

 the fortnight has been 10s. 6d. per muid, in- 

 cluding sack. 



Hay— Yrom 2^. 9d. to 3s. 9d. per lOOlbs. ; 

 bedding. 15s. to 27s. per load. 



Potatoes— Good eating potatoes have varied 

 between lis. 9 I. and 20s'. 3d. per 1001 bs. ; seed 

 of certain varieties have exchanged hands from 

 5s. 6d. to 9s. per lOOlbs. sweet potatoes, from 

 Is. 9d. to 4*. , d. per sack. 



Beans— Red beans, from lOs. to 14s. per 

 lOOlbs. ; Canadian Wonder, from I83. 3d. to 21s. 

 6d. per lOOlbs. 



Peas.— From 9s. 6d. to 12s. 6d. per lOOlbs. 



Pumpkins.— From 2s. to 8s. per dozen 



Onions —VTom Ga. 8d. to 25s. per lOOlbs. 



31abele. — Stome s mples have been as low as 

 6s. per lOOlbs. ; oihers from 8s. 6d to 10s. per 

 lOOlbs. 



Ji^ggs. — From Is. 3d. to 2s. 4d. per dozen ; geese 

 eggs 3s. 6d. per dozen. 



Poultry. — Common fowls, from 2s. 4d. to 

 4s. 9d. each ; ducks, from 5s, 3d. to 128 6d. per 

 pair ; turkeys. 12;*. to 14s. 6d. each. 



Blotter.— FTom 9d. to 2s. 3d. per lb. 



Sundries. — Mutton, 4d. to lOd, per lb. ; pork, 

 4d. to 8d. per lb. ; bacon, 4d. to 7d. per lb. ; ham, 

 8d. to 104d. per lb. 



Vegetables.— Beans, beetroot, cabbages, carrots, 

 cauliflowers, celery, lettuce, onions, peas, turnips, 

 and tomatoes, at prices to suit all purchasers. 



Fruit. — Bananas, lemons, oranges, loquats, 

 limes, naartjes, and pineapples sold every day. 



Wood.— From 3d. to lid. per 10011)s. 



DURBAN.— Mr. W. H. Edmonds, Box 44, 

 •writes : — 



Gene7'al.— Trade is, on the whole, in a sou d, 

 healthy, condition, and most firms are as busy 

 as it is possible to be. The slow but continuous 

 expansion of business with the 'i'ransvaal is a 

 most encouraging .-ign of the times. 



Mealies. — This staiile, for w eeks past, has been 

 quite a drug in the market, and rates slowly but 

 surely declined, with ap: arently nothing in view 

 to relieve matters. During the last week, how- 

 ever, an upward move has oecurrtd,an'l prices are 

 fully Gd. per bag better. There are enquiries from 



all parts for big parcels, though little actual 

 business has resulted. Rates vary from 10s. 6d. 

 to lis, per bag. 



/'otoioes. — Colonial samples are pretty well 

 finished, as it is quite an event to come across 

 any oq our market. Australians still hold the 

 field at 8s. per case of TOlbs., though supplies of 

 French " Early Rose " are now coming forward 

 in smill quantities. 



Mabele is in considerable demand, and rates 

 are firm. Really good samples command 17s. 

 per bag, with supply unequal to demand. 



i/rt?/.— This article is in dem^nd with small 

 supply. Farmers ask, and readily obtain £3 per 

 ton of 2,000 lbs. at stations up the line. 



Bran.— The Military authorities have bought 

 up heavily this week, and in all probability will 

 clear the entire market bare. A good rise is sure 

 to follow. 



J. RAW & Co's SALES. 



The following Sales were held by Messrs. J . 

 Raw & Co., and the following prices were 

 realised :-0n Saturday, August 10th, at " City 

 Tattersall's," Cow and calf, £18 10s. ; wagon and 

 gear, and 14 oxen, £260 ; 1 horse, 20^ gns. ; 1 

 horse, 20 gns On the same day at Ladysmith, 

 sheep (captured stock) at 7s 3d. per head. 



On behalf of the Imperial Government a sale 

 was held at Eshowe on the 6th August, of cast 

 horses. The following prices were realised :— 

 Ign., £3 5s, 5 gns., 7 gns., £8 15s., £9, £105s., 

 £11 10s., 14 gns., £15 10s., and £17. 



( n Saturday, August 17th, 1901, "CityTatter- 

 salls " : - Oxen, £16 10s., £17 10s., £18, £19; 

 cows, £7 10s., £10, £14 10s. ; horses 6 gns. and 

 13 gns. ; trap harness and 2 horses fetched £81 



The monthly Stock Fair of the Nottingham 

 Road Farmers' Association was held at Notting- 

 ham Road Station, on Wednesday, the 21st 

 ins^ The quantity of stock forward was not 

 large, although prices for cattle still keep up to 

 the average. Mr. R. H. Raw was the auctioneer. 

 Total amount of sale was £700. Following are 

 the prices realised : — Oxen, £19 5s., £20 5s , 

 £21 5s , £22 10s., and £23 5s. ; cows, £17 5s., 

 £19 lO.s, £8, £18 ; one bull, £14 10s. ; heifers, £17, 

 and £16 lOs. ; ewes 16s. , wethers, 22s., 23s„ 

 26s. 61., and 28s. per head ; pigs, 14s., 25s., and 

 50s. ; mealies, 12s. per bag. 



During 1900 the Government factories of the 

 Cape Colony supplied to the llailway Depart- 

 ment 167,276 sleepers. 



In the neighbourhood of the Darling Downs, 

 Queensland, and, indeed, throughout the older 

 eolonies, there are numbei-s of wild cattle. 

 Originally domesticated, through want of care 

 they have strayed, and have become quite wild 

 and useless. As their flesh is good for nothing, 

 they are shot down at every opportunity, the 

 pasture and water they consume being valu- 

 able, and, therefore, begrudged thero. 



