ON THE LAND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 9178, 29 June 1915, Page 8

ON THE LAND.

ITEMS FOR FARMERS.

The, Martinborough paper states that dairy farmers generally arc complaining of the shortage of feed for the winter months, and as high as 2s 9d per hear/per week is being offered for grazing:'■•■■;.-■

Big prices for stock continue to bo realised in the Sydney market. Latest averages are:—Six bullocks, £30 Is 8d; nine,/, £22 15s; seven, £20 19s; nine, £20 6s. Averages for vealers were— 22, £5 4s Id; li, £4 7s. Seven steers averaged £14 2s lOd, 10 £13 16s, 22 £13 ss, .9 £13 3s, and 5 £13.,

A supplier to the Riverbank cheese factory (situated between Pahiatua and Woodville) says that the total price paid for the past season's butter-fat would be about Is 7d per lb. A bonus of 2d per lb of butter-fat was paid out this week to suppliers to this factory, and also the- Woodville cheese factory.

Very little cheese is being made in North Otago at present, as the handfoeding necessary in many cases prejudices the flavour of the milk (says the "North Otago Times'"). Better quality milk is wanted for cheese-making than butter-making, and a* little is doing in either line at present it is Ikely that the wholesale price of cheese will be raised from the current 9d per lb.

The whey-separating plant at Ilexdale (Mangamaire) cheese factory will probably be used for milk separation during ."the off-season this winter, when only a small quantity of milk is available. The high prices ruling for separated cream will make the proposition a payable one. While it is quite feasible "to separate milk every third day, milk kept for a similar period is hardly suitable for cheese.

The manufacture of cheese has been undßr consideration by the Bunnythorpe Dairy Company tor a while past, and last week a meeting* of suppliers was held to consider the installation of cheese-making plant. The matter was fully'discussed, and a decision arrived at to abandon tne proposal. The company at present manufactures butter and" casein, and will continue on these lines.

The Waikato "Times" has a reference to a good gardening achievement by a' former resident of Timaru (Mr H. Whittaker) who is now farming near Hamilton. The paper named says that Mr Whittaker set out 4.00 onion plants on a plot of reclaimed swamp land, 26ft by Bft, and from there he harvested 4301b of good sound onions. Many of the bulbs weighed 21b each. They were of the Giant Rocca and Silver King varieties. •

The Blenheim Co-operative Dairy : Factory Co., Ltd. (says the "Express") announces a further advance of one penny per pound on butter-fat. This brings the "price of butter locally on a level -with other parts of the Dominion. Owing to! the shortage of butter, and the unprecedented season that has been experienced, it is hoped that farmers will show the true- spirit of co-opera-tion-and endeavour, as far as lies in their power, to milk right throughout the winter. The price now being advanced to them for butter-fat, namely, Is 3d per 11), which is understood to be the highest price ever paid in Marlborough for butter-fat'by a butter factory, should in some measure compensate them for xho high price of winter feed.

Australia is millions of pounds better .oS than it was a fortnight ago, by reason of rains which have broken up the drought where it lingered over great stretches of wheat-growing and pastoral country in New South Wales and Victoria..'* Matters were shockingly bad in many places that have benefited by this drought-dispelling downpour. Many farmers and settlers had been obliged to abandon their holdings after suffering disastrous losses. Although late as compared with the autumnal rains in normal years, the falls of the past week have come in time to enable seeding to be done over extensive areas, which could nob otherwise have been dealt with. The situation may now be regarded as saved, and as largely increased areas are this year being put under cultivation, and as high prices are likely .t'oV,rule in the world's .niarkets,-for- fa'good while ahead, there ;i&. a! prospect,:of our, farmers: : being able 'to, get back early a substantial portion of the severe losses they have been compelled to endure in this year of drought.