832 Tut: AORICULTURAL JOVUNAL. 



Poultry.— Gommr,n fowls from 23 Id. to 4s. 3d. 

 each ; ducks from 5s. 3d. to 10s. 3d. per pair ; 

 turkeys, from 12s. 9d. to 18 i. 6d. each. 



Eggs.—Yrova Is. 9d. to 3s. lid. per doz. 



B utter. -Yrova. 9d. to 2s. 2d. per lb. 



Abuadance of fruit coming forward 

 daily, comp ising apples, baaana=<, grapes, grena- 

 dillas, lemoDs, pineapples, plums, peaches, and 

 papaws. 



Vegctahlrs—EQdiQS., beatroot, cabbages, cucum- 

 bers, lettuce, marrows, rhubarb, turnips, and 

 tomatoes. 



Simdrks.—Kntion, from 4d. to 9 j. per lb ; 

 pork, from Sjd. to lO-'d. per lb. ; beef, 4id, to 

 Gd. per lb. 



Firewood.— Yvom 6d. to lO^d per 100 lbs. 



DURBAN.— Mr. W. H. Edmonds, Box 44, 

 writes : — 



GewemZ.— Trade continues bad, and things 

 generally have not been so slack since the war 

 commenced. 



Mealies. - This staple is in poor demand, and 

 with weevil forcing holders to part it hardly 

 looks as if any marked improvement were pos- 

 sible. Prices locally to day run about 12s. per 

 muid, with 6d. better for up-country grain. The 

 extraordinary and continued heat is commencing 

 to alFect the growing crops, and ucless rain falls 

 soon, conditions may very quickly be altered as 

 regards the market. 



Potatoes.— A slight imp ovement is manifest, 

 and rates for good samples run about 10s. per 

 muid. With tbe disappearance of the imported 

 article a better demand may be confidently anti- 

 cipated, and farmers will probably realise the 

 advantage any time next month. 



Hay.— 'New season's growth is now putting 

 in an appearance, and a big demand may be 

 looked for this year. 



Oa/s.—-' Algerian^' seed is greatly in request, 

 and this grand oat will go far towards reconcil- 

 ing the farmer to his bad luck of late years. 

 The writer knows of farmers who last season 

 planted two or three bags, are putting in twenty 

 this year. Tt is is as it should te, and within a 

 c®uple of seasons, it is more than possible, im- 

 ported fodders will be merely a memory. 



J. RAW & CO.'S SALES. 

 Dining tliis montli ]\lessrs. .1. Raw and Co., 

 ani'tionccrs, liave conducted stock fairs at 

 IVIooi Kiver, Nottiiigliain Road, and Seven 

 Oaks, a good ninnber of cattle being forward 

 at each. 



At Mooi River on the 12th February prices 

 were as follows :— Wethers 2.5s Gd, 22s Od, 

 2()s Cd, 2(;s eacli ; fat cows, £13, .£1.5, and 

 £17 per head ; trek oxen, £15 10s, £17, and 

 £19 per Jicad ; cows, £13 lOs ; vonng hull, 

 £10; itolcs, £10 and £10 10s. To'tal amount 

 of sale. £002. 



Tlie Nottingham Road Stock Fair, held on 

 the loth instant, was a record sale. Prices 

 v.'crc : — For wethers 21s, 2(is, 20s, 20s 3d, 25s, 

 21s Od each ; rams, 10s, 17s Od, 19s, 13s Od, 27s 

 Gd each ; mixed sheej), Us caeli ; 2-year old 



Devon bull, £20 ; trek and fat oxen, £20, 

 £10, £19, £18, £17, £18 10s, £20 10s, ^^21 

 per head ; cows, £20 5s, £20 15s, £17 10s, 

 £15 10s, £8, £11, £18, £13, £15, £0, £11 12s 

 (id, £12 each ; cows with calves, £16, £17 10s, 

 £17 15s, £10 each ; young oxen, £11, £10 

 15s, £10 7s Cd : heifers, £17 ; bidl, £5 10s ; 

 horses: Stallion "Supreme," 3G guineas; others 

 at 37 J guineas pair, and 20 guineas, 17 guineas, 

 12i guineas, 15J guineas, 10 guineas each ; 

 mules, 12 guineas eaeli ; wagon and gear, £40; 

 buggies, £35 each ; horse hay rake, £5. Total 

 amount of sale, £2,409. 



^rijc Seven Oaks Farmers' Association held 

 their Stock Fair at Seven Oaks on the 25th 

 instant. Plenty of cattle forward, but a good 

 number were unsold. Prices were : — Fat and 

 trek oxen, £17, £15, £10, £24, £17, £15, 

 £19, £21, £16, £17 per head ; cows, £10 ; 

 GOV/ and calf, £15 10s. ; young oxen, £11 ; 

 young bull, £8 10s. Total amount of sale, 

 £469. 



At the sale of stock, etc., held at York on 

 the 20th instant, on account of the estate of 

 the late Mrs. E. Demont, prices ruled as 

 follows : — 



Cows with calves, £18, £20 10s, £14, £19, 

 £22, £21, £20, £20, £25, £20, £13 10s, 

 £26 10s, £27 each ; cows, £20, £25, £22, 

 £10 5s, £14 10s, £20 5s, £17 10s, £17, £15, 

 £10, £19, £24 each ; heifers, £15 10s, £18, 

 £17 10s, £13 each : voung bull, £19 ; young 

 oxen, £13, £13 10s ;*oxen, £16 10s, £i5 10s, 

 £16, £18, £19, £14 per head. Other cattle 

 at the same sale realised : — Young oxen, £12 

 10s per head ; cow, £25 ; horse, 18J guineas. 



The National Stud Farm in Hungary is the 

 largest in the world, and the annual amount 

 spent is £116,000, In Austria there are stud 

 farms that cost £120,000, and sn annual appro- 



Eriation of £40,000 for importing thoroughbred 

 ories from other countries. The fees charged 

 to farmers vary from Is. 8d. to 16s. 8d., and the 

 total amount received for fees amounts to 

 £30,000 per annum, and also £60,000 awarded in 

 premiums for privately owned stallions. In 

 India about 300 stallions are kept by the 

 Government, and their services are given free to 

 selected mares. In England the Government 

 give £5,000 annually in fees and prizes for ap- 

 proved stallions, and also spend enormous sums 

 in buying remounts for the army. 



Mr. Ford describing the muleteer's tiain of 

 pack mules in Spain, says : — " The leadinganimal 

 is furnished wi h a copper bell, having a wooden 

 clapper, to give notice of their march. I he bell 

 is shaped like an ice-mould, is sometimes 2 ft. 

 long, and bangs from the neck, being contrived, 

 as it would seem, to knock the mule's knees as 

 mufh as possible, and to emit the greatest qvan- 

 tity of melancholy sounds, which, according to 

 the pious origin of all bells, were meant to scare 

 away the Etil One. The bearer of all this tin- 

 tiniiabular clatter is chosen for Lis superior 

 docility, and his knack in picking a way. The 

 others follow the leader, and are guided by the 

 sound of his bell when they cannot see him. 



