608 



fluctuated between Is. 3d. and 3s. 4d. per lOOlbs. ; 

 bedding from 4s. 6d. to 20s. 3d. per load. 



Potatoes— The market has been fai ly sup- 

 plied during the past fortnight, and while some 

 samples have varied between 3s. 9d. and 8s. per 

 lOOlbs., others have been sold at 18s. 6d. to 21s. 

 6d. per lOOlbs. ; sweet potatoes from Is. to 6s. 

 per sack. 



31abele. -From 6s. to 7s. 6d. per lOOlbs. 

 Pumpkins, — 9s per doz. 



Beans.— Red beans have been sold at an aver- 

 age of about 12s. 9.1. per lOt lbs. 



Peas.— A quantity of seed peas have been 

 offered, and prices have realise i from 7s. 3d. to 

 to 33s. per ICOlbs. 



Tnbarco.—Yery little offering; one samrle 

 realised 6d. per lb. 



OwioH.s.— Prices have now considerably fallen, 

 and some samples have been disposed of at 8s. 

 to lOs. 3d. per lOOlbs. ; better sa-nples at 13s. 3d, 

 to 14s. 6d. per lOOlbs. 



ZJz<«e?-.— Several mornings butter only realised 

 8d. per lb. ; but good quality butter was sold at 

 from Is. 4d. to Is. 9d. per lb. 



JEggs.— For the time of t he year prices are low, 

 on several occasions Is. Id., Is. 3d., and Is, 6d. 

 being top prices ; the highest figures being from 

 2s. to 2s. 6d. per doz 



PoM/^r?/.— Common fowls from 2s. to 5s. 

 each. ; ducks from 6s. to 9s. per pair ; turkeys, 

 IDs. 3d. to 19s. each. 



Fruit and Vegetables.— yery little fruit offer- 

 ing ; but the market is well stocked every day 

 with almost every description of vegetables. 



Su7Klries.-Beei, 3d. to 7d. per lb ; mutton, 

 5,^d. to lid. per lb. ; pork 3d. to 7|d per lb. ; 

 bacon, 6d. to lOd. per lb. 



IFoorf.— Firewood, chiefly wattle poles, has 

 been sold at prices varjing between 6d. and 

 4d. per lOOlbs. 



DURBAN.— Mr. W. H. Edmonds, Box 44 

 writes : — , j •. 



<Te«e?-aZ.— Business is none too brisk, and it 

 will hardly be possible to look for much ameliora- 

 tion until rail and shipping facilities are granted 

 in fuller measure than now obtains. 



Mealies.— Yhe market is dull, and there in 

 a marked absence of any considerable moves 

 ment. Small parcels continue to go through to 

 to the Rand and elsewhere, but these play as 

 unimportant part in view of the heavy stock- 

 locked up by speculators and others. The 

 market rate is about 12s. per bag, but this is 

 only nominal, and buyers are not eager. 



Forage -Very fair quantities of Algerian 

 forage are being reaped, but the continued wet 

 weather is all against a fair sample, and scarcely 

 any is fit to put into store. The writer has 

 further testimony from farmers as to the splen- 

 did results given by this variety of oat, and it is 

 to be hoped that every farmer in the Colony 

 will plant seme ground this summer, and en- 

 deavour to prevent, if only in a slight measure, 

 the enormous importation of fodder. 



Potatoes. — Importation still supjjlies all de- 

 mand, but the growing crop is coming on well, 

 and new early samples are daily brought to 

 market. Quotations are only nominal. 



This is in great request, and scarcely 

 any is ofEering. 



Mabele.— Good samples are somewhat scarce, 

 and 20s. per bag is readily paid for best qualities. 



CATTLE SALES. 



During this month J. Raw & Co. have held 

 sales of stock at Howick and Mooi River, the 

 former being a private sale of 184 trek and 

 slaughter oxen, which sold in two lots at £17 

 lOs. and £20 per head. 



The Mooi River sale was on account of the 

 Mooi River Farmers' Association, and the prices 

 realised were as follows :— 



Wethers, 19s. 6d. and 27s. each ; oxen at £19 

 and £16 per head ; heifers at £11 10s. each. 

 This was a poor sale, the total amount being 

 £269. ^ , J 



Sales on the Market Square on Saturday 

 mornings during the month have realized : — 

 Cow and calf, £14s.2s,6d, ; cow, £12 5s. ; horses, 

 8} gns. to lOi gns. ; cows and calves, £20, £12 ; 

 cows, £14 10s. ; ©xen, £16 10s. and £19 per head ; 

 horses, ISigns., lOi gns., 16 gns., 36i gns. each. 



WOOL. 



Mr. Egner reports :— The wool market has 

 opened with an advance of quite a pennv on last 

 year's opening of the spring sales. Some allow- 

 ance should be made, however, for at least fd, 

 advance owing to cheaper freights and favour- 

 able exchange. '1 his cheap freight cannot be 

 relied on. It is due to the Bucknall line com- 

 petition, and these favourable rates are only 

 obtainable when the Bucknall line of ships are 

 in port At yesterday's sale light skirted wools 

 brought from 6fd. to 7d., whilst ordinary clips 

 realised from 5|d. to 6!d. There is a sad falling 

 off in quantity, and I also regret to notice a greac 

 strain of cross-bred amongst many of the noted 

 o-ood old clips. Cross-bred wools are difittcult of 

 sale at Houe, and represent 75 per cent, of the 

 quantities offered. My cables from London do 

 not justify even the prices paid for merinos at 

 this end, and the London brokers' repo.-ts by 

 the last mail speak very doubtfully about the 

 future. At the present moment there are avail- 

 able for the next sales not less than 300,000 bales, 

 as against 185,000 for the same period last year. 

 Owing to the rinderpest restrictions, the Maritz- 

 burc wool market may show a very serious 

 falling off, as buyers here rely upon at least 

 2,000 bales from Griqualand East. 



The general idea of those who have heard of 

 wild horses is that the master stallion leads the 

 herd. This is not the case ; he drives them any- 

 where he desires them to go, for fear the mares 

 may escape or be cut out of the band by prowling 

 stallions. The monarch of the herd guards them 

 with as much vigilance as a sheriff guards a 

 squad of prisoners or a shepnerd guards his flock 

 when wolves are hungry and desperate. • . • . • 

 The master stallion allows no males to remain in 

 ihe herd after they have attained the age of one 

 year— seldom are there seen more than halt-a- 

 dozen stallions herding together. They are 

 usually found alone. Occasionally one dashes in 

 and cuts out a mate from one of the large herds. 

 He is soon overtaken, punished, and the mare 

 driven by the victor with terrific speed into the 

 herd. 



