746 Agriculture in South Africa. [dec, 



climates of the Empire, but we should be in a better position 

 to encourage a large interchange of products of the soil of all 

 parts of His Majesty's dominions. 



"At the same time, through ignorance of the wants of the 

 people of our Colonies, there is being lost to the Mother 

 Country much trade which goes to merchants in foreign coun- 

 tries, entirely owing to their greater enterprise in acquiring 

 a knowledge of the Colonial requirements, both as to the 

 goods themselves and the packing, which, in the case of 

 plants, seeds, fresh and preserved fruit, and eggs, has become 

 quite a fine art with some of the Continental nations." 



Packing of Goods. — As an example bearing on the question 

 of packing, it is mentioned that while there is great confidence 

 in English seeds, yet in many instances the orders for plants 

 and trees go to France or other parts of the Continent of 

 Europe, because it is believed that the details of packing this 

 class of goods will receive more careful attention than in 

 England. 



Pedigree Live Stock. — In South Africa, as in our other 

 Colonies, there is a considerable, and, it is believed, a grow- 

 ing market for pedigree live stock. The results of the 

 breeding enterprises at the Government farms in the four 

 Colonies have been so highly appreciated t'hat the stock distri- 

 buted from these centres is doing important pioneer work in 

 opening up fresh territory for pure-bred cattle, sheep, and 

 pigs. The desirability of nursing this profitable demand for 

 British stock is obvious. It is natural to expect that this 

 country should be looked to mainly to supply the animals 

 requisite for the grading up of the studs, herds, and flocks of 

 the African Colonies, but everything possible should be done 

 to attract representative stock-owners to Great Britain. 



With the object of encouraging and facilitating commercial 

 intercourse between the Mother Country and the Colonies, 

 Lord Blyth suggests that agricultural and breed societies at 

 home should make visitors from our dominions abroad, who 

 are leading officials— such as managers, secretaries, and 

 superintendents of Colonial societies — honorary members, not 

 only for the time of their visit to England, but also during 

 their term of office, for by this means our visitors would be 

 brought directly into touch with the breeders in the United 

 Kingdom of the classes of animals needed in the Colonies. 



