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THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



The Lion's River Agricuiturai Society. 



PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL REPORT. 



I (HE following is the Annual Report of 

 the President of the above Society, 

 Mr. M. A. Sutton :— 



The past year has been notable as one 

 of the driest seasons experienced in this 

 District ; 1878 was a more trying year, 

 but the streams this last season were, I 

 think, lower than in 1878, and many re- 

 mained dry for a longer period ; the 

 country requires u good deal of rain to 

 place the springs on a stronger footing, 

 and to counteract the dry seasons of the 

 last few years. We hardly remember 

 what a flood looks like, and although I 

 fear farmers would now And it interfered 

 greatly with their ploughing and weeding 

 work, I think all will agree with me that 

 a wet season is needed. 



The result of the dry weather in this 

 district is mainly to be seen in the failure 

 of many of the potato crops, and a very 

 much lower return per acre on the mealie 

 crops than was at one time hoped for. 



The war still goes on, but there are 

 signs that the end is steadily drawing 

 nearer, and while we, in this District, 

 have cause to be thankful that we are 

 living in a state of peace, we hope to 

 see the whole of South Africa once more 

 peaceful and prosperous. 1 hardly expect 

 to see this come about all at once, it is 

 more likely to be gradual, and little by 

 little, and if this is the case, it will pro- 

 bably enable business relations to be re- 

 sumed with the least difficulty, and the 

 various problems of transport, food, &c., 

 be met with more ease than if there was 

 a sudden end of hostilities. 



South Africa has now a white popula- 

 tion vastly greater than it had two years 

 ago, and it seems to me is likely to hold 

 that population. Naturally it becomes the 

 duty of farmers to endeavour to supply, 

 as far as possible, the wants of this in 

 creased number of inha))itants. This will 

 take a long time, but when the country 

 gets more settled, and the lands iu the 

 Transvaal Colony and the Orange River 

 Colony can be worked to advantage, we 

 shall, I think, see production creep up to 

 consumers' demands, and importation 

 cease in a like proportion. The pressure 

 on the country is now shown in the de- 



mand for small or medium-sized farms 

 near the railway, and ihe high price of 

 land in such positions. I cannot help 

 thinking those prices will not hold, or 

 rather that it will not be easy to get those 

 high prices in a few years time. T do not 

 think we shall have a serious slump in 

 farm produce, but we shall have to face 

 competition in a more enlightened form 

 than heretofore, and it will have to be 

 met by care, enterprise, and forethought. 



This District has not shown itself back- 

 ward in enterprise, and farmers here may 

 congratulate themselves on having had 

 some few years of prosperity, in which 

 they have been able to accumulate a- little 

 capital, which is absolutely necessary if 

 much is to be done quickly and to the 

 best advantage. 



Tlie work of the Society has been going 

 on steadily, and our last show, in spite of 

 the bad weather in the afternoon, was 

 very well attended. The exhibits of horses 

 were the principal feature, and many 

 classes drew large entries. This was 

 mainly owing to the liberality of those 

 who gave us special prizes, the bulk of 

 the specials going to the horse classes. 

 An etfort has been made during the past 

 year to get the Showyard into shape, and 

 I had hoped by this time to have seen 

 pernuuient cattle kraals erected, and the 

 yard completed ; the Government, how- 

 ever, have decided to build a new bridge 

 over the Umgeui, and the Society is 

 awaiting a reply as to the position of the 

 new bridge, so as to get the road and ap- 

 proaches arranged, and be in a position to 

 put fences, kraals, &c., where they shall 

 not require to be removed. 



The Hall has proved itself a wise in- 

 vestment, and has proved none too large 

 for the requirements of the District. So 

 goon as the Government can give us a 

 definite answer regarding the new bridge, 

 it will be wise to get the Showyard com- 

 pleted, and at the same time it will be 

 well to provide a stove in the Hall 

 kitchen, and have some plain shelving 

 and tables erected in the kitchen and 

 pantry. 



I have thought that, provided the 

 ground could be spared, an effort should 



