Tit^ aQUIculturAl journal. 



ago, and is still in tlie Location. Stock in 

 this Division is free from disease^ and in fair 

 condition. 



Walter H. Acutt, Magistrate. 



HOWIOK, 10th September.— The tempera- 

 ture during the past fortnight has been un- 

 usually even, the maxfinum being 92 deg. m 

 !)th iiistaii'. and the niininrain 40 dig, leg's- 

 lered on 28th and 29th ultimo. The general 

 a6])ect of the country has been eonsiUer ibly 

 improved by the late rains. The gra.ss con- 

 tinues to spring rapidly, and there is already 

 enough for horses, sheep, and goats, and there 

 \\ill soon be sufficient for cattle. On the 5th, 

 (itli. and 9th instant, O.-'IO inches of rain fell, 

 but its effect is counteracted to some extent by 

 the hot winds which continually prevail from 

 the north. The farmers of the dietr'ct are al- 

 ready conimeTi'cing to plant their crops, and, if 

 the .sers'-n continues as favourably as it has 

 (ommincrd. they will have a good yield. The 

 fruit trees are everywhere coining into blossom, 

 ai'.d seem to be doing well, esjiecially where 

 irrigation is possible. The lambing s:asoin has 

 now commenced, and, if fine weather and a.bun- 

 dant o-ra^s are conducive to suoee-e, the farm- 

 ers' flocks will be greatly augmented. 



J. W. Ceoss, Magistrate. 



NEW HAITOVTEE, 9tli Septema^er.^Spring 

 has now fairly set in. The weather, so far, is 

 all that can be desired, as far as agriculture 

 is eorcevned, the hot days we have had being 

 invariably followed by good rain's. Stmok is 

 picking up in condition. There is a good mar- 

 ket for goats in the Division both amons Euro- 

 peans and natives. The prices for full-grown 

 goats range from 15s. to 30s. 



A. l^iTTET?, Magistrate. 



NKANDHLA. 31st Augu.st.— Heavy rain 

 fell throughout the District on the 24bh and 

 25th instant, which has done no end of good. 

 The young grass is springing up well, and the 

 country is already beginning to look quite 

 green. Since the rain the weather has been 

 a good deal wanner. 1 am ]ileased to say 

 that tlie lungsi^kness during the month has 

 been on the decrease, several berds having been 

 released from quarantine. The deaith rate so 

 far has been very small, and the disease ap- 

 pears to lie in a very mild form. During the 

 rain on the 2.5th instant a large number of 

 fiheep died from cold, one man losing 150 out 

 of some 700. In many parts of the district 

 the natives are putting in their early gardens. 

 At the beginning of the month the Boers 

 raided .several mares and foals, and a few 

 head of cattle from the natives, but since the 

 troops moved to the Transvaial border all has 

 been quiet. The health of the district has 

 been fairly good. A large swarm of locusts 

 was seen near the Ntingwe on the 20th inst. 



C. C. FoxON, Magistrate. 



>jQU l'LI, ZULULAND, 31st August.— The 

 past month has witnessed a decided change in 

 the weaiber condutions; the early jxirt of it 

 was dry and cold^ with an occasional frost, but 

 on the 24th and 25th we had a heavy and 

 continuous fall of rain, since when the weather 

 h&e. be^'ome decidedly mild and spring-like. 

 The country, which, under the continuance of 

 tlie dry weather, w«s wearing a most dejected 

 appearance, has now assumed a much more 

 cheerful aspect, and those portions which had 

 been burnt have put on a decidedly verdant 

 aiipcara-iee. In coasequence of the poor graz- 

 iiii^- during the past month or two stock have 

 bw-ome poor, and the recent heavy rains bave 

 caused a mimber of deaths among the poorer 

 of tiiem. Lungsickness appears to be slightly 

 on the wane now tharf: the newly-appointed 

 Stock Inspector has got matters well in hand, 

 and has been able to properly supervise the 

 iKolalion and treatment of infecfted herds. At 

 tlie present period of the year matters agri- 

 cultural are at a standstill, but a continuance 

 of the early rains will witness the commence- 

 ment of ploughing. The health of the District 

 is, generally speaking, very good. 



C. HiGNETT, Magistrate. 



RICiHMOXD, 9th September.— The weather 

 is now gradually becoming warmer with the 

 apj.r,, aching s^irnig, and the country around 

 has to a great extent lost the dry and wintry 

 .ippearance which was so noticeable a fortnight 

 since ; this is owing to the laih, wliii h has 

 beuun rather earlier this year than is usuil, 

 aiul which, though we have only had two 

 slight falls, has caused the grass to spring, and 

 the whole country to look fresh and green. 

 Oi this fai t the locusts ajniear to have received 

 early Intel ligeine. as the neighbourhood was 

 visited on Sunday, 1st instant, by a large 

 llieht of the same. As far as I am able to 

 judge, however, they did no damage, although 

 It would have been quite pos^i'ble for them 

 to have done considerable injury to fruit trees, 

 numbers of wh'.ch were covered with bio som. 

 :\Iv experience of the early flights of locusts, 

 however, has been that they feed prin ipally 

 en the young grass, niid do not interfere to any 

 extent with any young crops, which at the 

 t'ine are only 'just appearing. Horses and 

 cattle are benefiting from the young grass, 

 which is springing all over this part of the 

 coun'ry. Judging by the appeaiance cf all 

 fruit trees, there shciiild be a larg.- crop of 

 fruit, provided the weather does not become 

 too dry. 



J. P. Wallee, Magistrate. 



UBOMBO, 31st August. — During the past 

 month the 'weather has been exceptionally 

 p'easant ; a miniinum temperature of 49 

 degrees and maximum temperature of 85 

 degrees being registered. The rainfall was 

 2.225 inches, and natives in the vic'nity of the 

 Magistna/cy have been advised officially to 

 start planting forthwitli, and not to wait as 



