THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



453 



deiuiuul for these seetls beiug far beyoDcl 

 the supplj'. This inauifestatiou of favour 

 is most gratifying, for, with fescue, it 

 promises to change our disparaged lands 

 iu the north from iheir reputed 1)ari'en- 

 ness, for on such lands this and other 

 native grasses are rapidly replacing exotic 

 species. In many districts there are now 

 indigenous grass pasturages, and at last 

 farmers are beginning to believe tliat the 



time-honom-ed practice of reploughing 

 every three or four years may be no 

 longer necessary." 



IrrigatiOHm 



IN the next issue will be reproduced a 

 report by Colonel Corbett, the Irriga- 

 tion Expert, on " The position and pro- 

 spects of Irrigation in Natal." 



District 



BULWER, 19th September.— There was more 

 ram last fortnight. On the 10th it, was a soak- 

 ingwetday, remarkable lor its warmth, theie 

 being no cold winds accompanying it, though 

 the Berg was well covered with snow. Rain 

 also fell on the 13th, 14th and 15th instant, but 

 this Wis accompanied by cutting cold winds. 

 To-day we are having a gentle drizzle. The 

 soil is now thoroughly soaked, and farmers and 

 natives are busy ploughing and picking. While 

 on Branch Court duty the other day I was sur- 

 prised to find the grass so backwaad m some 

 parts of the Division. All round Bulwer and 

 the Umkomazaaa District there is abundance of 

 young grass for all kinds of stock, but else- 

 where it IS only just beginning to spring, and it 

 will be some weeks before there is a plentiful 

 supply. Ewes are lambing down fast, and 

 judging from the quantity of lambs running 

 with ti e ewes Irom a casual observance, the 

 percentage will be good. The stock sale held 

 on the 13th instant at Bulwer by Mr. J. Finlay 

 - Alexander did not prove very successful It 

 rained all day, which prevented many buyers 

 Irom attending. Stock to the amount of £108 

 was sold. Prices ruled very much lower than 

 expecttd. Bulls sold for £14 and £15 per head : 

 cows from £12 to £14 per head ; oxen £16 per 

 Head One fine lot of slaughter oxen failed to 

 reach the reserve <sf £24 per head. Most of the 

 stock was in poor condition, which, probably, had 

 a good deal to do with the low prices. The 

 serious outbreak of rinderpest in East Griqua- 

 land, though a considerable distance from the 

 borders of this division, is giving considerable 

 anxiety to the farmers in the Division. The 

 border is now well guarded to prevent the en- 

 trance of horned cattle from the infected artas 

 in terms of the proclamation which appeared in 

 the Government GazeUe on the 10th instant. 

 I he border fence between Natal and the Cape 

 Colony, I understand, is still in good order, and 

 Will be of considerable assistance in preventing 

 cattle being brought through from East Griqua- 

 iand to this Division. Many herds of cattle 

 escaped the rinderpest plague in tbis Division 

 ■when tbe disease passed through the Colony, 

 and I am afraid if we have a second visitation 

 of the plague these herds may be the fir.'it lo 

 suffer. There have been no more fresh ca-es of 

 lungsickness on the farm Fairacres. of Miller 

 Bros., but the herd is not free of the disease. 



Reports. 



There are still several lungers, so called, m the 

 herds, and the quarantine has been further ex- 

 tended. All other kinds of stock, as far as I 

 know, are free from disease. 



H. W. Boast, Magistrate. 



HO WICK, 24th September.— During the last 

 fortnight the north winds have not been so pre- 

 valent, but it has been very cold, with rain 

 falling on 10 days out of the 14, with the result 

 that during that period 2 83 inches of rain fell, 

 the maximum temperature being 87, and the 

 minimum 38 degrees. On the night of the 19th 

 instant there was a fall of snow on the hills 

 near the Dargle, with the result that many 

 lambs died from the effects of the cold. There 

 is now sufficient green grass for all classes of 

 stock, and such an early spring has not been ex- 

 perienced for many years. Farmers are now 

 preparing their lands for planting. A large 

 swarm of locusts visited Howick lately, but 

 passed on without doing any damage. 



J. W. Cross, Magistrate. 



IXOPO, 12th September. — Welcome rains 

 have recently fallen, and the grass now looks 

 lovely and green, and cultivation has started. 

 Sheep stealing, I regret to say, seems on the in- 

 crease, and there are about ten natives in gaol 

 awaiting trial upon the charges of sheep or goat- 

 stealing, and they will be dealt with by a Judge 

 of the Native High Court on the iiOth instant. 

 On the 28th instant the farmers hold a meeting 

 to nominate a civil detective, and it is to be 

 hoped that the gentleman selected will be as 

 successful in detecting thieves as Messis. D. 

 Hulley and Gold are in East Griqualand. 



Frank E. Foxon, Magistrate. 



NDWANDWE, 12th September.— Rain fell 

 during August on two separate dates, giving a 

 total fall of 2 32 inches, and this has brought the 

 grass on so as to afford splendid feed for a.11 

 kinds of stock. Lungsickntss still exists in 

 several parts of my District, but, owing to pre- 

 cautions taken, has not spread from the scene of 

 the first outbreaks, which were traceable, in 

 nearly every instance, to cattle looted from tke 

 enemy ia the Vryheid District, and sold or paid 



