FARM NOTES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume 1, Issue 8, 14 February 1914, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM NOTES.

A local grain merchant mentioned to a SUN representative to-day that the greater portion of the new oats that had come under his notice bore evidence of having been cut -when on the green side. ••.•»•« Recently an experiment was tried of driving over fat lambs from the West Coast to the Canterbury markets. A Greymouth stock agency firm sent a trial shipment of 500 fat lambs. It seems that owing to tutu being very plentiful at Otira, it was necessary to untruek the lambs at Jacksbns in order to let them feed before, getting on to the tutu at the Otira. Then on: arrival at Halpin Creek it was found impossible to truck owing to the absence of loading yards, the result then being that the lambs had to be driven round past Bealey and swum across the Waimakariri, eventually reaching the Cass after a drive of five days.. The Railway. Department is taking up the matter and representations are being made to complete loading yards at Bealey Flat. This accomplished would reduce the drive to 12 miles at least from Otira, or 22 miles from Jacksons, making it possible to drive fat lambs from the Cass to Christchureh in three days. Upon arrival only 10 per cent, were fit for freezing, and the balance were sold as stores at the Darfield yards. s"' A West Coast buyer was operating considerably in the fat sheep pens at the last Addington sale. ■ Among the latest additions, to the membership list of the Canterbury A. and P. Association are Messrs W. J. Clarkson, Rieearton; D. L. Rutherford, Leslie Hills; S. L. Rutherford, Leslie Hills; A. F. Giles, Parnassus; Mesdames D. D. Macfarlane, Lyndon Downs; J. Deans, Coalgate; Misses.V. L. Fleming, Port Levy, and A. E. Rhodes, St. Andrews. . Mr J. A. Henley, Lincoln, has' been elected as an annual member. ,

Australia is becoming quite a good market for NW Zealand Ronineys, and for some considerable time shipments have been going(t>n on behalf of private breeders and dealers. At present the Romneys in Australia are said to be a middling lot, and the Dominion breeders have been discussing the question of sending over a representative shipment. The Council of the Romney Marsh Sheep Breeders' Association some time ago set up a sub-committee to consider a proposal for the Association to arrange for a shipment of some really good rams to the Sydney"sEeep sale at' Easter time. The subcommittee met on the Feilding Show* Grounds qn Tuesday, and" decided that,, jug view .of the? fact that jitere"was,*juclf<& good -market, in "New, for rams this season, the proposal to ship to Australia be dropped this year.\" - -., ,_ Messrs Selwyn,' Gillanders, and Berry--1 man, -'of Canterbury, will be competitors in the light horse classes at the Masterton Show, to be held next week. Writing of the Californian thistle rust in the "Journal of Agriculture," Mr A. H. Cockayne, the Government Biologist, says that the rust may probably prove •valuable iii the control or one of the worst weeds. The fungus which causes the disease is one of the true rusts, and its attacks are restricted to Californian thistle and cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)., .No other plants are subject to infection. Artificial infection of young plants is suggested. I do not entertain for a second the thought that we have approximated the limit of our output from the soil. As a matter of fact, we have just begun to attack the problem. We have not even reached, the end of the pioneering stage, and have only in a very few localities developed conditions where maximum returns may be secured. But we;, have unmistakably, reached the period where we must think, and plan, and. work. We can no longer rely on the bounty of P. Houston, Secretary of Agriculture, U.S.A.