770 



TUB AGklCULTURAL JOURNAL. 



again a crop and as free from 

 rust as the Mapstone. Both, however, 

 take too long to grow — just eiglit months 

 on the land. 1 also grew some winter 

 turf oats supplied by your department. 



In rust, I never saw anything worse. Had 

 I sown Cape on the same land I daresay 

 I should have reaped £40 worth of for- 

 age where I have not 40s. worth of the 

 turf oats. 



Market Reports. 



( Responsibility for the accuracy of the Statements and Opinions of the following Reports rests with 



the respective contributors ) 



MARITZBUEG.-Messrs. W. H. Walker and 

 Co. write : — Nothing of importance to report 

 since our last. There i-i an abundance of 

 general produce disposed of daily on the morn- 

 ing market, ani the genial Market master and 

 his assistants are often at it till nearly noon. Of 

 course, this is now the season for vegetables and 

 fruit, and the varieties, especially of the latter, 

 are increasing every year, [t is only a few years 

 since the Kelsey plum was introduced to this 

 Colony, and now our market garJeners have an 

 enormous quantity to dispose of. All con- 

 noisseurs pn nounce it as one of the most 

 luscious of plums, and asits cultivaHoniseasyno 

 garden should be without some of these plum 

 trees 



Mealies. — Grain is still plentiful, although 

 many of the samples offered are of inferior 

 quality, and prices have fluctuated between 

 4s. lid. and 5s. td per j 00 lbs., including sack. 



i^oragre.— Best samples from 5s to 7s, 9d. per 

 100 Its. 



/7ay.— Some very good samples, notwith- 

 standing the damp weather, are being offered 

 daily, and prices have averaged about 3s 4d. per 

 100 ibs ; bedding from 10s. to 22s. per load. 



Potatoes. — The cry is " Still they come." 

 From the quantitic s brought forward there 

 must be a laige area under cultivation. While 

 some Simples have been as low ss Is., Is. 6d. 

 Is. 9d. and 3s per 100 lbs. , better samples have 

 realised from 4s 6d. to 6s. per 100 lbs. 



Mubeh.—¥vom 4s. Gd. to 9s. 6d. per 100 lbs. 



Beans. — From 4s. to ) Is. per 100 lbs. 



Peas.—Ahoni 93. 3d. per 100 lbs. 



Onions. — Market well supplied, and prices 

 have been everything between lis. and 14s, per 

 100 lbs. 



Pamplcins. — About 38. per doz. 



Wheat. — A few very good samples of wheat 

 have been offered, and have real'sed from 93. to 

 12s. per 100 lbs. 



Poultry. — Prices are now more in favour of 

 the purchaser, aid common fowls have been 

 sold at p ices Tarying between 2s. 2d. and 3s. 6d. 

 each ; ducks from 5s. 2d. to 10s. Gd. per pair ; 

 turkeys, from 3s. Gd. to 14s. 3d. each. 



I'^iftfs. — From lid. to 3s. 5d. per doz. 



Buller. - From 8d. to Is. lid. per lb. 



Su7idries. — Facon from 2d. to 7d. per lb ; ham 

 from 4d, to 9id. ; pork from 5d. to 9d. per lb. ; 

 mutton, from 3d. to yjd. per lb. ; beef, 2id. to 

 4id. per lb. 



Fruit. — Apples, apricots, banana«, grenadillas, 

 lemons, oranges, pineapples, plums, peaches, and 

 papaws. 



Vegetables — Beans, beetroot, cabbages, carrots, 

 cucumbers, lettuce, marrows, peas, potatoes) 

 rhubarb, tomatoes and turnips. 



Fireivood.—¥vom 7d, to Is. IJd., per 100 lbs. 



DURBAN.— Mr. W. H. Edmonds, Box 44, 

 writes : — 



General. — Trade is dull to a degree, and such 

 a small volume of business for the month has no 

 parallel since the war commenced. Inability on 

 the part of the N.G.R. to carry anyihing like 

 adequate tonnage is mainly responsible for the 

 present state of affairs. 



Mealies. — The market is in a condition of 

 collapse, and with the prospect of another re- 

 cord crop any improvement is doubtful. Prices 

 rule about 12s. per muid locally, but buyers will 

 neither speculate nor lay in stocks ; hand to 

 mouth is the order of the day. 



Potatoes. — The foregoing remarks apply also 

 to potatoes. Tr e crop is phenomenal, and as 

 large quantities of the imported article are ttill 

 available, heavy losses and stagnant trade are 

 outstanding features. Prices are nominal and 

 paper quotations n isleading. " Get what you 

 can," is the only possible advice to farmers. 



Seed Potatoes. — The writer would strongly ad- 

 vise farmers who may require seed to buy as 

 early as possible, The market for imported 

 seed is very low in sympathy with table 

 potatoes, and it is more than possible that 

 supplies may not be forthcoming in a few 

 weeks. French Early Rose can be brouglt 

 down to as low as Gs. a case ; they may be some- 

 what large and require cutting, but they are 

 none the less absurdly cheap. 



Forage. — Considerable quantities are being 

 offered and firmers may congratulate them- 

 selves that the rust bogey is in a fair way of 

 being scotched, for a time at any rate. The irn- 

 portation of ihe invaluable Algerian oats is 

 largely responsible for this happy consumma- 

 tion, and it is much to be hoped that sowing on 

 a large scale may be witnessed during the en- 

 suing two months. 



Other lines of p odu.e dull, and with nothing 

 to call for special commtnt. 



Spraying potatoes is said to be responsible for 

 copper poisoning in Portadown, Co. Armagh. 

 This is but a theory, yet should the spraying 

 have been conducted too late or shortly before 

 lifting, it is not impossible that the theory may 

 have some basis in part. The medical authori- 

 ties-are communicating with the Irish Board of 

 Agriculture. 



