THE 



AGRICULTURAL 



JOURNAL. 



629 



has again been attacked, but so far 1 have 

 not noticed any rust on the Mapstone, 

 which is now in seed. iVfter all, I hope 

 to secure some seed. I purposely had the 

 two kinds of oats almost side by side, and 



consider the test a very fair one. From 

 my experience, I would say Mapstone 

 oats are rust resisting — not rust proof , and 

 the chances are in favour of getting a crop 

 if sown at the right time. 



Alexandra Agricultural Society m 



AT the annual meeting of the Alexandra 

 Agricultural Society, held at Umzinto 

 on November IGth, the President (Mr. 

 John Kirkman, J. P.), presented the fol- 

 lowing report, which is taken from the 

 Mercury, and somewhat abbreviated : — 



During the year we have had visits 

 from two experts : Mr. Rouillard, an agri- 

 cultural chemist, who gave us 'a most 

 valuable lecture, which appeared in the 

 Mercury ; and Mr. Fuller, Government 

 Entomologist, who also came, at my in- 

 vitation, to lecture on insect pests and 

 fruit culture. The weather was not 

 favourable to the carrying out of that 

 gentleman's intention, but I may say 

 that a promise was given that he would 

 come here again. His report to the 

 Government has just been sent me, and 

 nothing, in my opinion, has appeared in 

 the way of Government reports which is 

 of more value. I strongly advise every 

 member to apply for copies, for it is full of 

 interesting information, and it is a plea- 

 sure to congratulate Government on such 

 a result. 



Our only function, the Show, was a 

 pleasant success. The entries in produce, 

 horses, and cattle were not as numerous 

 as in former years, but other entries were 

 in considerable excess, making a total of 

 670. Manufactures and sugar were good, 

 and, as regards the latter, it was pleasant 

 to find so many of our Victoria friends 

 competing. In the poultry exhibit we 

 were all most agreeably surprised, for the 

 advance all through the section was most 

 marked. The l)enetit of the show-cages, 

 kindly lent us by the Durban Club, was 

 so great that you will not hesitate, I am 

 sure, to purchase similar cages for our 

 own use in future. Tea and coffee ex- 

 hibits were both good, and you will be 

 glad to hear, as regards tea, that new gar- 

 dens are now being started. Sir Ben- 

 jamin Greenacre's kindness in sending a 



superb exhibition of ferns, for inspection, 

 was much appreciated, and members will 

 agree with me that it is good for all of us 

 to look forward to the sweet by-and-by, 

 when we shall retire from the hard toil of 

 agriculture, and join Sir Benjamin and 

 others in the pleasures derived from the 

 culture of Nature's most beautiful gems. 

 As regards our fruit exhibition, I must 

 warn members of the danger of becoming 

 conceited, and I suggest that we look upon 

 the compliments so liberally paid us 

 purely as a spur to make us strive for 

 better and better. The presence of Mr. 

 Polkinghorne, president of the Victoria 

 County Association, was gratifying to al) 

 of us. 



The labour question is extremely 

 serious. For a long period now we have 

 been unable to indent for Indians. The 

 reason is one which can be removed, and 

 we look forward to the prompt action of 

 the new Board. Native labour is in a 

 worse state still. There really exists no 

 necessity for natives to work for money, 

 unless for luxuries, and fines for fighting. 

 Prior to rinderpest, the lobola had to be 

 paid before marriage, and to raise money 

 to buy cattle, and to pay off debts to 

 friends for help in so doing, was the chief 

 reason of natives turning out for work. 

 Now they lobola on tick. If the Supreme 

 Chief were to declare his determination to 

 allow no marriage unless the native code 

 were strictly carried out, and to plainly tell 

 all the natives that the word " equivalent," 

 in Section 178, Law 19, of '91, meant 

 money at a fair I'ate of value for lobola : 

 or money's worth in legalised long-dated 

 and short-dated bills, recoverable at 

 nuiturity, if needful, by Government, 

 under Section 12, Act 40, of '96, without 

 cost to the woman's kraal ; and with 

 labour in the P.W.D. as a contingency : 

 tlien all talk about poll-tax, native passes, 

 or registration fees might drop. Old and 



