576 



THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



Market Reports, 



r Responsibility for the accuracy of the Statements and Opinions oj the following Reports rests with 



the respective contributors ) 



MARITZBURG.— Messrs. W. H. Walker and 

 Co write:— There comes the pleasing intelli- 

 gerce from all parts of tbe Colony that it is 

 years since we experienced soch abundant rains ; 

 in fact, farmers are loud in asserting that we are 

 having one of the old-fashioned seasons, and 

 spring comes dancing along in all her beauty 

 and glory. Although reports come from some , 

 parts of the Colony that the average rainfall for 

 October was below the average for ihe last 25 

 years, in some districts tbe rainfall has been 

 quite phenomenal. Now that permits are more 

 plentiful, Natal will soon be denuded of her 

 refugee popalation, and many merchants are 

 looking forward to a re /ival of trade when that 

 long-expected evi it— i'le opening up of Johan- 

 nesburg— will hf ve been accomplished. 



Mealies.— A few orders have been booked dur- 

 ing the past fortnight for up-country, but as the 

 N.G.R, bas all its work to cope with ordinary 

 goods traffic and military supplies, perLiits to 

 forward large parcels oi' grain a-e difficult to 

 obtain. The average price per muid during the 

 past fortnight has been from 12s, t© 12s. 6d. 



Forage— §>ome very fair samples have been 

 disposed of lately at prices varying between 6s. 

 and 10s, per lOOlbs. 



—From Is. 3d. to 3s. lOd. per lOOlbs ; bed 

 ding, according to size of load. 



Pototoes.— This article is still scarce nothwith- 

 standihg the favourable spring, and prices have 

 averaged between 18s. 6d., 23s. 6d., and 29s. per 

 lOOlbs. for good table varieties ; however, others 

 have been as low as 6s., 9s. 3d. and 10s. 3d. per 

 lOOlbs. ; sweet potatoes from Is. 6d, to 3s. 6d. 

 per sack. 



Mabele.— From 5s. to IGs. per lOOlbs., the 

 former price representing the bastard variety 

 known amongst natives by the name of 'mgeba. 



Pumphins.—Yvova 4s. 5d. to 5s 6d. per doz. 



Oniow.s.— From lOs. 3d. to 29s. 3d, per lOOlbs. 



^mns.— From 7s. 3d. to 15s. per lOl^lbs. 



Butter— ^ome samples were as low as 9d. and 

 lOd. per lb. ; others realised from Is. 4d. to 

 Is. 9d., and 2s. per lb. 



Eggs. — The lowest price realised was 9d. per 

 doz., the highest 2s. per doz. 



Poultry. — Common fowls from Is. to 5s. 

 each. ; ducks from 4s. 6d to 24s. per pair ; 

 turkeys, 16s. 6d. each, 



Sundries.— M-uiion from 3d. to Is. O^d. per 

 lb. ; pork from 3d. to lOd per lb. ; rabbits from 

 Is', yd. to 3s. each ; bacori from 4id. to lOd. per 

 lb. ; ham from 7d. to lO^d. per lb. ; wheat, 14s. 

 per lOOlbs. ; fish from Is. 3d. to 2s. 9d. each, ac- 

 cording to size. 



[, j.jiit, — Very few varieties ofEering at present. 

 Bananas, lemons, naartjes, oranges, papaws, 

 and pineapples find ready purchasers. 



Vegetables. — Beans, beetroot, cabbages, carrots > 

 lettuce, celery, onions, leeks, tomatoes, and 

 rhubarb disposed of every morning. 



Wood. — Some rough stumps sold at 3d. per 

 lOOlbs. ; firewood from 9d. to Is. 2d. per lOOlbs. 



DURBAN.— Mr, W. H. Edmonds, Box 44 



writes : — 



General. — Business is somewhat dull of late, 

 and Cape ports are obtaining a large share of the 

 trade with the United States, of which Natal has 

 had almost a monopoly. 



Mealies.— T!he market is very quiet, and 

 though the undercurrent is firm, yet orders are 

 small, while stocks are large. Coast grain is 

 worth I2s. bag ; up-country a shilling more. 



i^oj-afire —Very fair quantities are now being 

 brought to market, which is a most gratifying 

 sign, and calculated to be worth scores of thou- 

 sands of pounds to the Colony in the near 

 future. Algerian seed is beyond all question 

 the variety for the farmer, and the bulk of the 

 forage now being reaped is from this particular 



Mahele. —Khoui 20s. per bag is being paid to 

 the grower locally, and supplies are small. 



Potatoes.— A. few new ones are now making an 

 appearance, and from all accounts the prospects 

 are exceedingly good owing to the favourable 

 weather. The market continues to be supplied 

 by importations— mainly from France. 



A correspondent thinks the following instance 

 of good jumping by a bullock may be of interest. 

 It is quoted from an Australian paper. A 

 " mob " of bullocks in tbe cattle yards was 

 being drafted from one pen to another, the 

 dividing partitions of which are 7ft. 6 in. high, 

 when one of the bullocks jumped the partition 

 neatly. 



The rabbit section of the New Zealand De- 

 partment of Agriculture employed in 1899, 44 

 inspectors, 37 agents, and 5 caretakers of fences, 

 the salaries of whom amounted altogether to 

 £17,000 a year. The total expenses of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture in that year were 

 £60,000, the larger portion of which was thus 

 distributed : — Experimental stations, £3,000 ; 

 dairy schools, £1,500 ; cool storage for dairy 

 produce, £7,000 ; grading butter, &c., £1,200 : 

 collection of statistics, £4,000 ; inspection of 

 vineyards, £800 ; compensation for cattle des- 

 troyed £2,000. The total salaries paid that 

 year amounted to £22,600, but that included the 

 pay of 10 vets., 13 clerks and cadets in Welling- 

 ton, biologists, dairy instructors, fruit inspectors, 

 graders of butter, &c., and many others. 

 £17,000 was the cost of stock inspectors and 

 agents, whilst the sheep rate and fees for 

 registering brands &c„ bring in about £20,000 

 per annum. 



