736 



THE AGRICULTURAL 



JOURNAL. 



the roots, especially in wet -weather, but 

 it does not grow from pieces of root like 

 couch and some of the peas, but given 

 plenty of cultivation and stirring, and a 

 few fine days, and the trouble is over. 



"When the plants are far apart the 

 grass grows into big tussocks, but as soon 



as the spaces are filled up it forms quite 

 as good a turf as any of the other grasses. 



" There can be ro question as to its 

 being an invaluable grass, and it is now 

 being eagerly sought for in this district 

 since it has passed the stage of experi- 

 ment," 



Market RepoHsm 



( ResponsiUlity far the accuracy of the Statements and Opinions of the following Reports rests with 



the respective contributors ) 



MARITZBURG.- Messrs. W. H.Walker and 

 Co. write : — Trade all round practi ally remains 

 the fame as it did a fortnight bick. Notwith- 

 standing the fa^t that the New Year has com- 

 menced, and mary predicted thstits advent wc uld 

 inaugurate a rush of trade. These predictions, 

 unfortunately, have not been realis d, and 

 prices for produce, especially forage, mealies, 

 and potatoes, are the lowest recorded for Janu- 

 ary for a n imber of j^ears 



Mealies. — The average price for meaHes dur- 

 ing the past fortnight has been 5s. 6d. per 100 

 lbs., or lip. per DC uid. 



Forage. Inferior hss been as low as 3s and 

 5s. fid. per 100 lbs , better samples from 6s. to 

 8s. Gd.per 100 lbs. 



i/ay.— Some samples have been as low as 

 2s. 6d! per 100 lb;. ; better quality has reabsed 

 from 4s. 2d to 43. 5d. per 100 lbs ; bedding as 

 high as .-.3s, per load. 



Potatoes.— The market has been abundantly 

 supplied of late, and prices have been as low &s 

 2s. Gd. per 100 lbs., a price which certainly cm- 

 not pay the grower ; but better samples have 

 realised frc m 7s 6d. to 9s. 7d. per 100 lbs. 



Onions. — From 8s. and 9s. to 12^'. per ICOlbs. 



Lucerne. — About 8s. 6d. per 100 lbs. 



Poultnj.— Fowls from 2s. 4d. to 3s. 8 J. each; 

 ducks from 7s. to 8s. per pair. 



Butter.— From 6d. to Is. 9d. per lb. 



^]^9-^- — From Is. 4d. to 3s. 2d. per doz. 



&undrie.i.—Beet 2d. to 4ir). per lb ; mutton 3d. 

 to 8d. per lb. ; pork Gd. to 8d. per lb. ; bacon 5d. 

 to 7d. per lb. ; rabbits, 2s. Gd. lach ; pigeons, 2s. 

 per pair. 



Mubele. — According to quality : while 

 some samples have been as low as 5s , others 

 have realised 8s. and 9s. per 100 lbs. 



Vegetables — Beans, beetroot, cabbages, 

 carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, peas, tomatoes, and 

 turnips, so'd every morning. 



Fruit.— Mvicois, apples, oranges, lemons, 

 grenadillas, pirn apples, and strawberries offered 

 almost daily. 



Fireu-ood.—FvovD. 7d. to Is. 2d., per ICO lbs. 



DURBAN.— Mr. W. H. Edmonds, Box 44, 

 writes : — 



General— Tva.&e is very cull, and there was a 

 pronounced falling ofE during the last fortnight. 



Mealies.- The market r( mains bad, and the 

 weevil is foicing holders into the market. The 

 surplus crop remaining over from last season is 

 Btill heavy, and no relief is visible from any 



quart;er. Up-country farmers ask lis. 6d. per 

 njuid at the station, bub buyers are chary, and 

 onlv acc pt for presen: requirements. 



Potatoes. -The crop is enormous, and no'hing 

 like it has ever beei seen in the Col ny before ; 

 the quality, too, is superb. Quotations are un- 

 rel able, and range between lOs. and 12s. Gd. per 

 bag tor best samplt?s on'y. 



Mnhfle in sm^U demand, and about 20s. per 

 bag is being paid. 



Haij is in request, but the sea'on is not a good 

 one tor harvesting up to the present. Immense 

 quantities will probably be reaped later on. 



Forage. — A good deal is being offtre ', but 

 the local enquiry is small. 



WOOL AND MOHAIR. 



Mr. James Egner writes : — Last Monday 

 when about 800 bales, chiefly from tastGriqua- 

 land, were offered, prices showed an a>'.vance of 

 quite a farthing on previous sales. This was 

 principally due to the reduced freights, owing 

 to the Bucknall line competition. There will 

 probably be one more sale bafore the close of 

 the season. It is gratifying to learn that the 

 prospects in London arc more hopeful notwith- 

 stanOing the large supplies coming forward from 

 Australia and other c juntiies. 



Mohair. This article, which has been practi- 

 cally unsaleable for the last s''x months, is, IJam 

 glad to say, in pjinpathy with wool, having its 

 turn Owing, however, to heavyiaccumulations 

 of stocks, the rise will probably not be notice- 

 able until the present stocks are disposed of. 

 In Port Elizabeth there are over 13,000 baits 

 which have been unsaleable at 8d. per lb., but 

 are now moving off at S^d., and higher. 



The lamentable accident at Sandown, which 

 resulted in the death of Daniel Ulare, appears 

 to offer a warning against the practice, occasion- 

 ally seen at steeplechas ; meetings, of tying the 

 reins together to furnidi a stronger and easier 

 hold. Boa, Clare's mount, came down at the 

 water ; having dropped his hind legs in he 

 failed to recover, crushin.? the unforiunate 

 jockey on whom he fell. It was stated in evi- 

 dence that after the accident the reins were 

 found to be so tiditly knotted that it was diffi- 

 cult to undo the kn t even with a button hook ; 

 frt m which it would seem as though the knot 

 ' had been jerked tight against Boa's withers 

 (which are high) when he threw out his bead m 

 the attempt to recover himself. 



