TEE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



The following is extracted from a letter 

 written by Mr. Frank F. Churchill, 

 M.L.A,, to the Editor : — 



Since I saw you recently and mentioned 

 that the Pa.y)alu)n was in full seed at the 

 Botanic Gardens, Durban, it has been 

 found growing on the road-side near Hill- 

 crest. Eight mouths ago my attention 

 was called by Mr. Bennett to a fine stool 

 of grass unlike the native grasses. We 

 watched it during the winter, during 

 which it kept its green colour and soft- 

 ness, and now that it is in seed we have 

 been able to get it indentified by Mr. 

 Wood as Paspalu/n dilataiu.m 



Seemingly it takes to this country, h'hI 

 here, where there is little frost, it keeps 

 green in winter on dry sites, wliich will 

 make it valuable. I may add horses eat 

 ii. very readily. The seed I got from 

 Government has now come up well, and 

 the rows are full. 



ANALYSIS OF HAY. 



The hay, reports Mr. F. B. Guthrie, New 

 South Wales, of which the following 

 is a complete analysis, was supplied from 



the WoUonghar Experimental Farm, Rich- 

 mond River : - 



Moisture ... ... ... IQ-.V) 



Total albumenoids ... ... lt)'31 



Soluble albumenoids ... 1,38 



Insoluble albumenoids 8 9.3 



Digestible fibre ... ... 29 % 



Woody fibre ... ... ... 27 9.T 



Total ash ... ... ... {V^l 



Soluble ash ... ... \-M 



Insoluble ash ... - ... 2 05 



Amide compounds, chlorophyl, 



&c. (by difEerence) ... 14 8tj 



Total nitrogen ... 2"r)i) 



Nitrogen in amide compounds, &c. ... 101 



100 00 



I subjoin an analysis of hay from 

 meadow-grass i name unknown'' of English 

 source, which will afford a comparison of 

 the value of these fodders. From this it 

 will be seen that the amounts of total 

 albumenoids, and of digestible fibre, which 

 are the chief factors in determining the 

 feeding value of the hay, are very similar, 

 with a slight advantage in favour of the 

 paspalwn hay. The solubility of the 

 fibre, albuncnoids, and mineral matter 

 being, moreover, greater than with the 

 English hay. The most stiiking pecu- 

 liarity is, however, the comparatively 

 large amount of nitrogenous matter other 

 than albtimenoids. The nitrogen in these 



combinations is of comparatively no feed- 

 ing value. 

 Analysis of Hay from Meadow 



Grass. 



Moisture 14'00 



Soluble albumenoids ... ... '"f^ 



Insoluble albumenoids... ... 7'89 



Digestible fibre ... ••• 28'68 



Woody fibre ... ... ■•• 22'92 



SoluMe ash ... 2-20 



Insoluble ash ... .•• •■■ •i"6t> 



Amides, &c. (by difference) ... 18'G7 

 Total nitrogen ... — 1'54 

 Nitrogen in amides, &c... ... '12 



The paspalum hay compares very 

 favourably with ordinary hay, containing 

 a larger proportion of digestible and 

 nourishing material. 



If both analyses are calculated to dry 

 substance, it will be found that the pas- 

 paluin hay shov.-s the higher albumenoip 

 content, the amount of digestible fibre 

 being almost identical. 



Hatal Estates, 



THE report of the directors of the Natal 

 Estates, Limited, submitted at the 

 sixth aonual meeting of shareholders, 

 stated that the accounts to May 3 1st, 1901, 

 show a net profit of ,£1,5()G 8s. Ud., which 

 is mainly owing to the fact during the 

 period covered by the accounts an unpre- 

 cedented drought prevailed in Natal. The 

 prolonged state of hostilities in South 

 Africa has also militated against the in- 

 terests of the company, the cost of labour 

 and transport having been abnormally 

 high. The available balance, including 

 £;$,748 4s. lOd. brought forward from last 

 account, is £5,254 13s. 9d., out of which 

 it is proposed to distribute a dividend at 

 the rate of G per cent, for the year, thus 

 absorbing £4,500, and leaving a balance to 

 carry forward of £754 13s 9d, 



ProGlammtiott re Trout, 



ON the 25th November a proclamation 

 was issued forbidding fishing, the 

 ca])ture or killing of fish in any of the 

 undermentioned portions of the said 

 rivers : — The Umvoti River from Mr. 

 G-^ekie's farm down to the second fall ; 

 all of the Edendale River above the Eden- 

 dale Falls ; the Ipolela River from its 

 source down to the Trappist Monastery, 

 Reichenau. 



