LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1456, 11 October 1879, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

A cup will be presented by the Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. to the highest prize-taker in merino sheep at the next Christchurch November show. It arrived last mail. Ifc is & splendid cup, with beautifully-executed New Zealand pastoral subjects engraved on it.

The following is from the Sydney Morning Herald of a late date :— " A number of gentlemen assembled at the Exchange Hotel yesterday afternoon, and witnessed a practical te«t of Mr Edward Naylor's patented system of meat-pi-eserving. It will be remembered that the system was described at length in the Herald I*l days ago, and it is therefore only necessary to allude to it briefly now. Boef or mutton is cufcinto table joints, and partly cooked, after which each joint is successively immersed in pure stearine until it has acquired a firm coat-

ing of that substance impervious to the air, while it re imins intact, and about thrae-quar-tors of an inch in thickness. It has bean proved that m«\at with a coating of this description on it was quite fresh 60 days after ifc was first operated upon. A few smart taps remove the stearine from the joints, which then are as presentable a=i if they bad been just cooked and_ allowed time to cool. The process of pre paring meat for the table is a simple one consisting only of warming up, or rather completing the cooking which wa*J commenced previous to the meat being submerged in the stearine. Provided that the meat can reach the English markets with its coating unbroken, there can be no doubt that it will find acceptance amongst consumers, for there is nothing, when the second cooking procees has been accomplished, to distinguish it from ordinary cooked meat. The joints tested in this instance were legs of mutton preserved for nix weeks by Mr Naylor, who, as far as he has gone, has accomplished a great succobs. Mr Naylor believes that the stearine coverings of the meat will find a prompt sale in England, and that as he dispenses with, tinning in his process, he will be able to land the meat there at a cheaper rate than that usually obtained for the preserved article. It is probable that he will shortly be able to make a trial shipment of some of the meat to England, and also engage in further tests here, promises of support in these directions having been held out to him."

A kia, a bird with which people are not generally familiar, ha* been shown to us (says the Southland News). It is remarkable for its wonderful instiuct, which prompts it to settle on the back of a sheep_ — generally a healthy one — and remain there till the animal becomes exhausted, when it picks a hole in the back of it 3 ptey, and cats the fat on the kidneys. It is common iv tncsfc hilly country, and in some places a good number of sheep have been destroyed by it. Ifc bears a strong resemblance in size and shape to a kaka, but its beak is much larger and it 1 * colour different, the wings being of the sarae|hue as a blue mountain duck. A reward is offered for them by some sheepfarmera.

From correspondence in the London Times we learn that electricity is likely to prove a formidable opponent to steam as a motive power applied to the plough. For some long time past interesting experiments have been made at Sermaize-les-Bains (Marne), France, in the use of electricity as a motive power, and last June an important trial of ploughing by electricity.was accomplished. The motion is conveyed to a drum from the electric machine, and thence by a coil of wire to the plough. There was no stoppage of any kind, but the plough did its work Bteadily, about eight inches deep. The inventor is aM. Felix, owner of a large sugar manufactory at Ser-maize-les-Bains. But it is acknowledged, even by electricians, that it may be years before the new ploughing motor can be brought into profitable practical use."

The Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association intend to offer [at their forthcoming show prizes to the amount of L 602, exclusive of special ones. The assessments for the year 1879-80 on stock depastured on land held under pastoral leases in the Otago ' land district (exclusive of the Invercargill local land district), and on the leases rented under the Land Act, 1877, were payable at the Crown Lands Office, Dunedin, yesterday, the year ending on the Ist October. The amount received was L 40,689 13s 2d,

Greenfield Station (says the Tuapeka Times) has lately, as is usual at the spring-time of the year, has been a busy scene of operations. About 140 horses have been kept in constant work breaking up new ground, and preparing the fallow land for cropping. Fourteen hundred acres of virgin soil have been broken up during the past few months. Mr Smith has sown 2000 acres in turnips this season and has laid down 2000 acres in grass, besides 900 acres in oats and 250 acres in barley.

In 1875, a block of land was sold on deferred payments in the province of Taranaki described as the " Moa Block" The Ranger supplies the Taranaki Waste Lands Board Ibis month with a report showing the value of the improvements made upon the land during the four years it has been occupied, and the figures are certainly very satisfactory as showing the excellent working of the deferred payment system in that part of New Zealand. The Taupeka Times says :— The report suggests to us the question — Why are not tht Rangers or #ome other Government officials in the Otago Provincial District required to furnish reports as to the value of improvements effected on the deferred payment lands. Such reports would be valuable as showing the success of the working of the system, which, we feel satisfied, is progressing in a most satisfactory manner.

A Lunuden correspondent of the South' land News writes of the Waimea railway as follows:—" Firstly comes the question, will the Waimea railway be finished in time to take down our next crops to Dunedin market ? I think it will. The works are being pushed forward with every dispatch. The contractor, with a gang of platelayers, arrived on Saturday. The engine of the company will be here with fifty men in a few days to commence the ballasting, so that a few months' busy times are in store for us. Whilst on this topic I should like to call the attention of those on the look out for farms to the splendid land this railway will open up— second to none in the Province of Otago. Few people are aware of the quantity and quality of the lands in the Waimea Valley, and I predict that in a few more years or so it will become" the garden of Southland. The land Is rich here, and only wants hands to till it.

Spring has fairly set in in the Lumsdeu district, and squatters and farmers are jubilant at the prospect of a good shearing and bountiful harvest.

The Goldfielda Committee ieport to Parliament as follows re Agricultural Lease Regulations of 12th June, 1879 :— " The Committee, having carefully considered the Agricultural Lease Reuulations laid upon the table" of the House on the 17th July, and referred to them as per order of reference under date 18th July, which regulations were proclaimed under the authority of " The Mines Act, 1877." on the 12fch of June lasfc, have to make the following interim report : (1.) That it is very desirable to give the greatest inducements to the miners and residents in goldfielda towns to settle on the waste lands. (2 ) That it ia not shown that the original regulations incorporated in " The Mines Act, 1877," bare worked on the whole unsatisfactorily. (3.) That the Agricultural Lease Eegulations have been largely taken advantage of Jbygoli field residents, because they have not hitherto attempted to compel residence. [4.J That although the Committee recognize an inequality in the price paid by deferred-payment settlers and* agricultural lessees, your Committee would point out that the best lands have always been selected for de-ferred-payment bjopka 5 and further, fcjjatjn fche

opinion of your Committee the inequality should rather be adjusted by a reduction of^the price at present charged for deferred-payment lands. [5] That ifc is extremely undesirable at the present time to impose further restrictions and in creased first charges upon any section of the settlers upon the Crown lands. [6 ] That the Committee therefore recommend that the amended regulations gazetted on fche 12fch June last be cancelled by " Gazette" notice before the 30th instant, or that such other sfceps may be taken which the Government may consider to necessary in order to prevent fche regulations gazetted as aforesaid on the 12th June lasfc from becoming law."

On the 30th inst., Messrs H. Matson and Co., of Christchurch, in conjunction with Messrs Maclean and Stewart, of Timaru, will offer for sale by auction the celebrated Seadown Estate consisting of about 4000 acres, cut up into 30* acre fsrms. We are glad to notice (says an Oamaru contemporary) that the shepherds aa well as tho sheepowners, are beginning to take an intelligent and active interest in the improvement of sheep breeding. The Secretary of the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association requests us to state that the following private prizes are offered by the shepherds in the South Canterbury district :—£Z for tho three best dry Leicester ewes, above 2 tooth ; £2 for the best single dry Leicester ewe, above 2 toofch ; and £1 for the best shorn ram of any long-woolled breed, wool not to exceed 1£ inch in length. Wo shall hope to see these prizes, so liberally offered, well competed for at the forthcoming Show in November.

The following is an extract from a late Home letter in the Auckland Evening Star. Tho paragraph speaks for itself :— " The elements seem to have conspired with other matters to ruin the trade of England this year. I am writing in the month of July, and it is no exaggeration to say that we have scarcely seen the sun this year. The fruit crops, whioh in the blossoming season showed enormous promise are destroyed completely, and in the way of minor fruits, such as gooseberries, there are none. The corn looks yellow and sickly, and even the root crops, which like wet weather, are dying off. There is scarcely any grass, and the absence of sun prevents what there ia being converted into hay. I now have a fire burning in my room (July 16th), and should feel cold without it. The foot and mouth disease is amongst the cattle and the typhoid amongst the swine. At the Royal Agricultural Show the mud was knee deep, and the sheep were dying in their pens. Only last month snow fell in Scotland, and on some of the English hills lambs were killed with the cold 'at the end of June. The farmers are desperate, and quantities of farms are untenanted, and likely to remain so Landlords are looking awfully blue, but see that they must reduoe wages. Those rascals the millers are, however, taking advantage of ifc to run up the price of flour, although ifc is notorious that a bad harvest here is of no consequence as far aa the supplies are concerned.' t Our Timaru correspondent informs na that m that district the country is looking splendid the grass springing beautifully and fch« young crops looking up welL As a sign of the coming departure of fche dull times, our corresponden mentions that there has been a considerable im provement in the price of horses at late sales and a more evident disposition to purchase. '

The Oamsru Mail reports the sale of the famous draught stallion Southland Champion to Mr George Hutchison at 415 guineaß. The name of the district in which he is to travel has not been mentioned. From his appearance and with a knowledge of hia antecedents and pedigree (aays our contemporary), we have no hesitation in pronouncing him to be one of the most valuable stallions in these parts, and wherever he goes he will be au unusually worthy acquisition. The same journal also has the following in reference to a welcome addition to the draught stock of the Colony : — " We to-day inspected the Clydesdale stallion Sir James, which has been imported from Scotland by Mr Treatrail. He is a beautiful bright bay horse, with plenty of bone and hair, grand action, and of good nature and appearance. He is by that justly celebrated stallion Prince of Wales, fche property of Lawrence Drew, Esq , of Merryfcon, and whose fame as a sire has gained a worldwide reputation."

A prominent horse-dealer of Montreal tells a curious story about fche fancy his rats (as he oalls them) have for a change of diet. He keeps a horse, and aoticed lately that he showed aymptoms of lameness in his fore legs. He examined him carefully, but could not discover the cause. On going into the stable one day he, before entering, looked in through the window, when, to his astonishment, he counted eleven rats stuck on the horse's legs suoking the blood. He waited, expecting every moment that the horse would shake them off, but instead of doing this he remained motionless, and seemed to enjoy the strange visitors. A rap on the window sent the rats skurrying off. On examination of the horse's legs he found twenty-two little holes, from eleven of which blood waa flowing. The horse was removed to another stable and soon recovered his sores, but, strange to say, hia appetite has almost failed him ; he refuses oats, and as a consequence has fallen in flesh so much that now he is almost useless.

The N. O. Times reports that owing to the seasonable early rains the crops in every part of the district look remarkably well and promising. It iB said that a large proportion of the area under crop consists of oats and barley. The ordinary rotation may account for this ohange.

After the longest and severest winter that we have had in this district for many years past (says the Dunstan Times) spring has at last dawned, and with it the bleating of lambs on the hills and the bursting of all fruit and other trees into blossom in the gardens. Regarding lambing, despite the many drawbacks to be contended with in the shaps of the long winter referred to, and the scarcity of grass through the innumerable hordes of rabbits that infest the country, we are informed ifc will be a fair average one. The other indications of spring is investing the town and district in a beautiful and pleasing garb. The pink and white blossoms of the almond, peach, . and apricot trees, intermingled with the bright and varied green foliage of the forest trees backed by green hills, make a beautiful whole. The amount of blossom on the fruit trees indicates a plentiful crop.

Oa A ma « ¥, ad / ays : ~ We understand that Mr A. H. Maude has disposed of the late Dr Webster's Balruddery Estate, reoently offered at auction and withdrawn, to Mr John Reid, of Elderalle, at a very satisfactory figure. The estate consists of 16,300 acres of freehold, and 800 acres leasehold land, with 11,000 sheep and improvements. The actual price has not transpired. We arepleased to learn that Balruddery has passed into the hands of one who will turn it to the utmost use, and add to the produc tiyeneea of the district, ■

We observe that some of those who purchased portions of the agricultural land near Gore, at the late sale (says the Mataura Ensign), do not intend to let the grass grow under their feet. Already a number of them have Btarted operations, and are proceeding busily with their ploughing and seeding. We trust the return they will reap in about six months time will amply reward their energy and industry.

A new wheat peat has made its appearance ia some parts of North Carolina, and is fast destroying crops. It is a weed that has sprung up simultaneously with the wheat, and grows to about the same height. Nothing of the kind has ever been seen before, and the people call it Dutch cickle. It has a white bloom on the top and bears numerous pods, each of which contains four seeds.

We have had a good fall of rain, lasting for several days, within the last few weeks, (says our Christchurch correspondent) and the prospects of a good harvest are greatly improved. The farmers are in good spirits, and it is to be hoped that their anticipations will be realised, . as the commercial salvation of their country depends mainly upon a good harvest this year. Spring is upon us, and the whole country is looking beautiful, the trees bursting out into the most delicate shades «f green, and bright colours illuminating the hedges and fields, as well as the well-kept gardens of the citizens.

The wet weather of the past fortnight has delayed the putting in of grain and the planting of potatoes oat.

The farmers on the Northern side of Dunedin do not look on the proposed amalgamation of the Dunedin and Taieri Agricultural Societies with favour. It ia felt that if the annual show is held at Mosgiel it will be unfair to them, as it will entail the sending of exhibits 10 miles extra, without receiving any additional benefit. They think that the Forbury Park is the moat centrally situated place, and that in holding an annual provinoial show the northern districts should be considered as well as the southern. It is the general opinion that the Forbury Show only wants age to make it the recognised leading Bhow, and that it is a retrogade step to move it from the recognised centre of population t© a site which, however good it may be for the district in which it is situated, is certainly out of the way for farmers in the northern districts. Porhaps some of our friends in the southern districts will give us their view of the matter.

Complaints are made by country members of the Otago Agricultural Society that they were not consulted in the drawing up of the programme of this year's meeting. No advertisement calling the meeting to draw up the programme, it appears, was inserted in the papers, and the first intimation oh tamed was the receipt of a copy of the programme. If this is the case reform ib needed somewhere, and we hope that next year there will be no grounds for complaints of a similar nature,

Messrs P. Cunningham and Co., grain merchants, have presented the 'Committee of the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association with a handsome cake basket, valmd at L 5 ss, to be awarded at the forthcoming Bhow to the exhibitor of the best four bushels of wheat. The competition for' this special prize is to be open to growers and dealers.

On every hand favourable reports reach us (says the Ashburton Mail) respecting the condition of the crops. The weather lately for Agricultural operations has ' been simply magnificent. The pastures are looking luxuriant, and the young crops have a fine green healty colour.

Meßßra Bell Brothers (says the Cromwell Argus) have purchased the celebrated Clydesdale horse Marquis of Lome, for service in the Cromwell distriot.

Tree planting is being gone on with vigorously in Balclutha. The Leader says : — -We referred last week to some planting that had just been carried out within the township. We have now to mention that •ince then a row of trees has been planted beside the fence recently erected along the river bank behind the township. It extends to about a mile in length, and in a few years will have a fine appearance. The small paddock adjoining the police camp has also been surrounded with trees. A row has also been planted along both sides of the railway line from the entrance to the township at Glasgow street to Renfrew street, while the whole of the station ground has been Burrounded with young treeß. Several mileß of planting has thus been executed this season, and in a few years the effect will be very fine. There is still plenty of room for a similar amount of this work being undertaken every spring for several years to come.

Acoording to the Hyde correspondent of the Mount Ida Chronicle, the farmers in that district are all business. The many works which were postponed owing to the teverity of the weather are now being prjeeeded with, with all due alacrity.

The Hyde correspondent of the Palmerston and Waikouaiti Herald, writing on the 30vh ult., says :—": — " Most of our farmers have now got in their crops, and on Messrs Trotter Brothers' farm (Whitecliff) the wheat is quite green, and can be seen a good distance off. Of oourse your down-country readers will say, Why, that is nothing ; but I would have them remember that in this part of New Zealand we cannot begin to break up the ground till our more favoured neighbours in the lower country have their crops sown and their wheat over the ground, owing to the severe frosts we experience."

" The squatters," says our Timaru correspondent, "are determined to settle upon prices to meet; the times this comiog shearing season, luttead of 16s 8d per hundred, as flxed laßt year, 15s will be the highest figuro. In the face of tbe low prices ruling for wool this should be considered a rea?onable rate."

The mild winter and fine spring weather we have hitherto had has enabled the farmers throughout the district (says the Olutha Leader) to get in their wheat crops much earlier than last seasion. In most places the crops are looking strong and healthy. Oat sowing is now the order of the day. Tbe farmers anticipate an early and abundant harvest, and a rise of prioe is only required to .complete the pleasant prospect,

The Waikouaiti and Palmerafcon Herald of the 30th inst. says : — "Wo inspected the other day at the shop of Messrs Little Bros., butchers, of this town, some splendid caroases of beef, which tor quality and condi tion could not be excelled anywhere. The bullocks were fattened by Mr Ohas. Reid, of Flag Swamp, and were undoubtedly the fineßt we have yet seen in the distriot, being in appearance beautifully mottled and peculiarly fine in the grain. The carcases were very large, and averaged in weight from 7J to B£cwt.