LAND STOCK & CROPS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 155, 12 April 1928, Page 6

LAND STOCK & CROPS

NOTES AND COMMENT. (By "The Tramp.") It is stated that young draught horses are difficult to obtain in the Waimate district at present. There are plenty of horses about eight years old offering, but it is the younger animals that are wanted. The reduction in draught horse breeding of late years, it can now be seen, was carried too far. Of course, it could not be seen that there was going to be a revival of wheat growing, nor that the wool and fat lamb markets were going to be so good ,which means the breaking up of ground for feed crops as well as grain.

The dairyman who is desirous of building up a first-class herd must certainly select the best females as well as males for breeding purposes, and weed out the poorer individuals. The only way to do this intelligently is) to keep production records of his cows, the milk of which must be regularly weighed and tested. Such a test can be easily made without the expenditure of much time or trouble, and it is a highly interesting task as well as a profitable oiie. Every dairyman should join a herd testing association which does the testing for a small fee, and the records are then official and accepted without question.

At ,the annual meeting of the New Zealand Sheep breeders' Association held last week a complaint was made that the association was slipping back. Tins was stated to be due to the fact that the societies formed t 6 represent particular breeds, were Working separately, and if a few more breed societies n ere formed there would be practically nothing left to maintain, the . Sheepbreeders' Association. It was admitted that it was only right that each breed society should control its own breed, but there should be only one flock book, an arrangement that would be much cheaper.

It was decided at the meeting, that !the council be recommended, to see what could be done to have all the societies concentrated as far as possible in one book. This is a matter, however desirable, that is likely to ficulf to bring about. The breeds that are now represented by separate societies are Roiuney Marsh, Lineolns, Corriedales, Eyelands, and Southdowns, so that they represent the bulk of the stud sheep breeds in the Dominion, although not all the flocks of the above particular breeds are entered in the separate (lock books, some still being registered in the New Zealand Sheepbreeders' Association's Flock Book.

There has been great all-round activity in I stock markets in the North Island during the past week, the only weak section being weaner heifers. In sheep lines there is still an unsatisfied demand for breeding ewes, and prices are hardening. Ewe and' wether lambs have also been in good demand, and ewe lambs have been selling up to 255. Good wether lambs have been selling at up to £1 Is.

The output of fruit in the Haveloek district is really something out of the ordinary, and at the present time, it is impossible to judge adequately the dimensions of the output of fruit from the Haveloek North orchards;. in fact, nearly all the commercial, orchards of Hawke's Bay have had a phenomenal output. The growers of Haveloek North are really amazed themselves at the quantity that is coming forward to the case. The quality as well as the quantity, is causing great jubilation, and growers are, fully appreciative of the timely rains that resulted in well-filled and well-grown fruit rich in colour. Pears and apples particularly are both prime in order.

In the course of his address at Mastertoir Mr W. J.,Poison, Dominion President of the Farmers' Union, said that for many years he had been fighting for an agricultural bank for farmers. Outside his own organisation he had received little assistance from any class or section, but he was glad to say that they now had a scheme of rural finance on the Statute Book. It was not all that he could wish for, but it was a great deal better than nothing, and could be made of the very greatest value to the farmers of the country if sympathetically administered and properly understood. He went on to contend that the scheme was marred to a serious extent by the refusal of the Government to back the rural credit securities with a.State guarantee. The State, he maintained, was fully responsible for these securities, and if it had given Its' guarantee' could have issued the bonds at perhaps 98£ instead of 94*. It would then have been possible to "let farmers have advances i per cent. cheaper. Mr Poison repeated in some detail his recent protest against the provision for making intermediate credit advances to

Everything in nature has its. uses. Shakespeare tells us that there are "sermons in stones, and good in everything.". Nevertheless, one finds it hand to find a use for weeds.. However,, a scientific expert, writing in the "NewYork Outlook," accords high praise to this form of vegetation, which, he says, are the wound dressers of the soil. "Wherever man or nature makes, a scar, the vigorous coarse-fibred, weeds find' out the spot, and straightway mend the injury. Hated and much objurgated, the weed, of whatever breed, is one of the most useful forces in nature. The farmer regards it as a foe, the gardener as a nuisance. In truth, it is a friend that persists, regardless of ill-treatment, and attempts at extirpation. Soil, to preserve its strength, must be protected with some sort of nature covering, otherwise the rains reach it or wash it away, the precious particles of "mould that make it reproductive. Man neglects this factor in his dealings with the earth. Ploughed fields are allowed to go uncovered after the crop is harvested. Washouts are left to take care of themselves. So is burned-over land. In all these enstances great damage results, and much more would follow but for the energy of the weed family.'

The High Commissioner has received a report and an account sales regarding the first consignment of New Zealand tobacco to reach England .Early f November the s.s. Port Melbourne brought four cases, amounting in all toX Of tobacco grown m he Nelson district It was consigned by Messis Buxton and Co., on behalf efthe^ Nelson Tobacco Growers' Association to the Brgh Commissioner, who was reonested by the Government to consult ??«• Imperial Economic Committee on Se subject, before proceeding to sell

tho consignment. The Imperial Institute made a report on the question of moisture, nicotine content, and smoking qualities, and afterwards the produce was taken' by a well known firm of brokers. From this firm, which has* gone to a great deal of trouble to assist the Government and the growers, the High Commissioner has now received a report to the effect that as to one parcel of fine cured leaf: Quality, very fair, rather brittle in places due to uneven curing; colour, good, but more care should be exercised to keep out green leaf; flavour excellent, "the best colonial tobacco we have tested and closely approximates a medium grade of Virginia leaf"; combustion, perfect. Packing showed a serious fault. Grade would blendi well with Virginia, leaf for cigarette tobacco, and properly cured and packed in good condition should fetch Is lOd to 2s. per lb. e.i.if., London warehouse. Another parcel of flue cured leaf was unsatisfactory in quality, faulty in colour, rank and coarse in flavour, good combustion, but faulty packing; would fetch. 9d to Is j per Jb. Generally air cured leaf was of sound quality and fair flavour and excellent combustion. Packing generally i susceptible of much improvement.