TBE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



443 



the infection, but investigation in this 

 direction is being pursued. The main 

 experiment conducted during the period 

 reported upon will be discussed at length 

 in the second part of this report, but it 

 may be here stated that everything 

 learned to date concerning the trans- 

 mission of the disease is hopefully in- 

 dicative that the complete withholding of 

 all sheep and goats from a given piece of 

 veld for a period which, while still of 

 uncertain length, is short in terms of 

 seasons, will entirely remove the infec- 

 tion, although ticks in abundance remain. 

 The fact that sheep are again being 

 profitably farmed on some stretches of 

 previously infected veld in the vicinity 

 of Grahamstown lends colour to the view, 

 and to the writer there seems reason to 

 hope that the many hundreds of square 

 miles of territory in the south-east of the 

 Colony now considered useless for small 

 stock will again be lucrative for sheep 

 farming, and that thereby the valuation 

 of the farms will gradually advance to 

 what it was before heartwater became a 



factor with which the occupiers had to 

 reckon. In some sections land is now con- 

 sidered worth only one-half of what it was 

 formerly. Full realisation of this fascina- 

 ting hope would doubtless mean drastic 

 enforcement of harsh legislative enact- 

 ments, and the years may be many before 

 the time is ripe for such. The suggestion 

 may be premature, but the sooner the 

 possibility of ridding the country of the 

 evil is broached the earlier will the public 

 affected come to appreciate the facts that 

 are discovered and to interest themselves 

 in tlie evidence for and against co- 

 operative effort, thus smoothing the way 

 for legislation. Certainly no liarm will 

 have resulted from having been optimistic 

 should some fact be hereafter brought 

 out which renders attempted suppression 

 of the disease in the manner intimated, 

 temporary suspension of grazing small 

 stock, appear an absurdity." 



Altogether Mr. Lounsbury's report 

 covers some sixty-two pages, and is 

 amplified with several appendices, tem- 

 perature charts, and plates. 



Garden Notes for September. 



By W. J, Bell, Florist and Seedsman. 



IN both Coast and Midland Districts 

 gardening will be fairly commenced 

 as soon as the first rains have fallen, and 

 nearly all kinds of vegetable seeds may 

 now )3e sown without shelter, other than 

 some kind of light litter placed over for 

 the night as a protection from possible 

 late frosts. 



This will only be required for such 

 tender seedlings as tomatoes, cucumbers, 

 melons, marrows, capsicuuas, and egg- 

 plants, and should be removed the follow- 

 ing morning, and kept handy for replac- 

 ing in the evenings while frost is feared. 



For the earliest crop cucumbers, mar- 

 rows, and melons may be raised ou a 

 hot bed, well hardened oft', and planted 

 out after the middle of this month, or as 

 soon as danger from frosty nights is over. 

 For a later crop the plants may be raised 

 in a cool frame or in boxes in a sheltered 

 place and planted out in October. After 

 planting out they will require careful 

 shading until established. Cucumbers 

 should not be grown in hot, exposed 



situations, as they require a certain 

 amount of shade during the whole period 

 of growth. 'I'he soil should be kept loose 

 by frequent hoeings, and should be 

 mulched with a good layer of stable dung. 

 Abundant water is neces8;iry in dry 

 weather. 



Early tomatoes, capsicums, and egg- 

 plants may be laised in the same way, 

 and should be pricked out from the boxes 

 into beds as soon as the plants are large 

 enough to handle. Attend carefully to 

 shading and watering till well established. 

 The tomato plants will be large enough 

 in a few weeks for finally planting out 

 where they are required to be grown, 

 when on a damp or dull day they may be 

 taken up with a ball of soil round the 

 roots and planted in rich soil about two 

 feet apart in rows. The Duke of York, 

 Crimson Cushion, Ponderosa, and Perfec- 

 tion are first-rate varieties, and succeed 

 well here. 



For size and flavour the Ponderosa is 

 unequalled by any other tomato grown, 



