TEE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



581 



other herds under licenses bein? G. Hutchinson, 

 Eiupandbleni, and Sikonyana, Chief Matshana 

 Ra Sitchaguza. Ths pa'-turage is very good 

 just now, and all stock is locking well. Mr. J. 

 A. Cooper, Stock liispeotor, visited the Dis- 

 trict on the 17th inst. The planting of crops 

 is very backward this year in consequence of 

 the disturbed state of the District. Along the 

 border little or no cuiti' ation has been done as 

 yet. I fear, unless the season is a good one for 

 late crops, there will be a starci j' of f oo '. next 

 year. No locusts have been reported. During 

 the month 875 head of cattle, 142 goa s, and 8 

 young horses were brought into the Distiict by 

 natives of the ' ransvaal for p oti ction. With 

 the exception of a few cas< s of dyse ntery (some 

 of which have proved fatal) the health of the 

 District has been good. One man died of ex- 

 posure and cold on the Qudeai. 



C. C FoxoN, Magistrate. 



RICHMOND 8th November.-During the 

 last few days a fair amount of ra n has lallen, 

 and is still tallin.', benefiting all farmin ; ( pera- 

 tions to a great extent. With reference to 

 growing crops — potatoes are looking extremely 

 well, and there is every appearance of their 

 yielding a good harvest. Mealies are only just 

 being planted for the main crop ; thosa which 

 were planted for an early crop arc bad y in- 

 fected with grub. With regard to forage, some 

 fields are attacked badly by rust ; but those 

 oats known as " Algerian " appear to be fairly 

 rust proof. All stock are doing well and in 

 good condition, though there are occasional 

 cases of gall-sickness and spon-ziekte in the 

 District, At the present time most of the 

 farmers in this neighbourhood are busy shearing 

 sheep. Some large swarms of locusts have 

 pasted through the Division lately, but I have 

 not heard that any considerable damage has 

 been done by them. 



J. P. Waller, Magistrate. 



UBOMBO, 1st November.— The warmth of 

 approaching summer was evident during the 

 past month. In spite, however, of near and 

 distant thundering ? and the booming of distant 

 cannon, the rainfall registered was but 1.61 

 inch. The minimum temperature was 48 deg. 

 and 8'j deg, the maximum. Swarms of locusts 

 passed to and from In^wavuma District and 

 this. It is feared these pests will do more 

 damage this season than last ; nevertheless the 

 natives are wide-awake t > the fact that planting 

 Kafir-corn in excess of mealies is more bene 

 ficial to their interests than the locusts'. Along 

 the coast portion of the District mealies are 

 between one and two feet in htight already, and 

 Kafir-corn between six inches and a foot ; on 

 the mountainous portion, patches of mealies 

 are also more forward than the mabele. Stock 

 generally remains healthy throughout the Dis- 

 trict. 



A, R. R. TuKNBULL, Magistrate. 



UMZINTO, 8th November.— During the last 

 fortnight it has rained more or less, nearly every 

 day, and in fact the rainfall for the last six 

 weeks has been very great. We have also had 



frequent heavy thunderstorms, and this one has 

 been, in that respect, more like the old s jas ns 

 in Natal. The country at present looks fresh 

 and a:reen, and the spring has been the bust and 

 earliest, for planting and gardening, that we have 

 had for many years. The sugar-cane looks ex- 

 ceptionally well at present and promises an 

 abundant yield for the coming c ushing season. 

 Pasture lands are at present looking well, at3d 

 stock of all kinds in good condition. No ca.tle 

 sickness of any kind has been reported for some 

 lime. Farmers in the upper Districts are fear- 

 ing another outbreak of the dreaded rinderpest, 

 though it-, is to be hoped it may not again ex- 

 tend far into the Colonv. Locusts have almost 

 disappeared fri m the Division at present, though 

 nccas onal small swarms are seen passing over. 

 Some of the Coast fruit does not promise very 

 well this S( ascn, and the mangos in t^articiilar 

 have been spoiled a good deal by the rains. 

 This alv^ays happens when there are heavy rains 

 during the time the trees are flowering and the 

 fruit forming, and this has been a peculiarly 

 bad season in this respect. Bananas do not 

 suffer in this way, and, consequently, I expect 

 there w.ll be a full crop of summer fruit. The 

 papaw I have never seen in fairer condition 

 nor the fruit in greater perfection. The fruit 

 is very large and of good flavour, and the trets 

 bearing very abundantly. The avocado p' ars 

 have flowered very badly, but it is inipo. sible 

 yet to tell how they may bear. They are 

 generally prejudicially affected by the high 

 winds which have been prevalent of late, and 

 this also applies to the coast peaches, which I 

 expect will be a poor crop this year. It is 

 rather early yet to express any opinion as to 

 the me.dies and other cereal crops, but they 

 look well everywhere, 



J AS. McLaurin, Magistrate, Alexandra. 



WEENEN, 15th November.— In addition to 

 tbe fainfall in the village which registers about 

 125 to date, there have been one or two heavy 

 storms im the District which have not touched 

 the township. A fall of hail on the 6th has 

 caused some damage to the young fruit, and 

 also to the tobacco crop, Orchards are suffering 

 to an increased extent this year from the fruit 

 fly, and no preventive stei.s to cope with this 

 pest, such as the netting in of the trees, aie 

 being taken by the owners. Most of the forage 

 has now been reaped ; and, with a few excep- 

 tions, the crops are good. Algerian oats are 

 particularly well spoken of by those who have 

 tried them. The Weenen-Middleburg road has 

 now been put into efficient repair, but the other 

 roads in the Division are greatly in need of 

 attention from the Public Works Department. 

 Tbe local Superintendent informs me Le is 

 very short-handed at present three of bis gangs 

 having been lent to the Military Authorities. 



C. G. Jackson, Acting Magistrate. 



Mr. Newton, in his " Rural Sports," published 

 in 1867, gave the number of packs of foxhounds 

 in England as fifty -five. There are now 164 

 packs. 



