The Daily Times, in its commercial columns, draws attention to what it terms the reprehensible practice of mix ing sound oats with Inferior grades to fill South African contracts, and points out, that If this is not discontinued we shall posaibly lose the best of the South African trade, This would be sound i advice under ordinary circumstances, I but between the Bluif and North Can terbury there is not a sufficiency of good sound oats to fill one steamer. We must therefore continue as wc are do ing or lose nearly everything, Southern oats are a poor sample this season, and In this and oilier districts to the north the rain affected the condition of the crop considerably, but not to such an extent as was anticipated. If South Africa requires oats from New Zealand it must take what the colony lus to give, for wecannot do butter. Bat after all the sample all over is not so bad ae it is made out to be. Oats that were threshed early may be a little soft and a good many have sprouted, but these will reach South Africa in fairly good condition, and will be more acceptable to a discriminating horse than the shells that are Bent to South Africa from Aus tralia. The oats grown in tills and the Canterbury districts this year are a good sample so far as plumpness is con cerned. 'J'he fault lies, as we have said, In the fact tlmt they are discolored by the rain and to some extent sprouted, but they arc not on that account made much the worse for horse feed. At all fivouta the colony cannot do better, and with South Africa eliminated there would be absolutely no market for this cereal. What then csn merchants do but till their orders with the best tlipy can get? With cm the grain should reach South Africa in as good condition as it leaves the colony, and if it does the War Office will have very little cause for complaint. The urgency of maintaining the reputation of the colony (or the good quality of its pn ■ ducts le not ovc rlookcd, but there Is r.o help for what is b?ing done. 