MISCELLANEOUS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 258, 6 November 1897, Page 3 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS.

Opening Creameries on Sundays.— As many of the milk suppliers in Waikato creameries are desirous of having the milk taken on Suncurys and others are against it, Mr Spragg, Manager N.Z. Dairy Association, has addressed a circular to his suppliers containing a list of questions, the answering of which he hopes will lead to an enlightened decision upon this vexed subject. Mr Spragg is evidently desirous of meeting the wishes of the suppliers, and will no doubt act upon the decision of the majority. In this connection a public meeting was held at Cambridge on the 17th to discuss the question of opening the creameries on Sundays, the Mayor, Mr Bach, presiding. After a lengthy discussion in which the Yen. Archdeacon Willis took a part, it was decided, on the motion of Mr Forrest, seconded by Mr Tucker, 'That-the question be left for the milk suppliers to settle,' and the way in which this will be done may be g-athered from the rev. gentleman's closing- remark: That good reason had been shown why the factories should be open on Sundays. The main points elicited were that, with the large individual supplies now sent to the creameries, no adequate means were available at home for dealing with the Sunday's milk; consequently greater labour was entailed by not sending it to the creameries, as well as money loss.—'X.Z. Farmer.'

Orchard and Garden Tests Act.— Our (N.Z. Farmer') Nelson correspondent writes:—'Local fruit growers are very much interested as to whether the petition which Southern orchardists are said to be about to present to Parliament this session will result in any amendment being made to render the Act operative or not. Northern fruit growers may rest assured that the feelings of the Nelson growers are in accord with their own in not wishing for legislation in the direction indicated.' At present orchardists who depend chiefly on their trees for a living are able, by bandaging and spraying, to save all but a very small percentage of fruit, and the moth, which has been here for a good number of years, is not dreaded nearly so much as it was at first.'

The 'N.Z. Farmer' for the current month says: — One of the most noticeable features of the present season has been the extraordinary increase in the milk supplies at most of the Waikato creameries of the Dairy Association, some of them doubling their last season's supply at the same date. This, writes our Hamilton correspondent, argues well for the future of the industry in this .district, and is, no doubt, largely owing to the taking over of the Waikato business by the New Zealand Dairy Association. Settlers are now making their arrangements for the future with full confidence in the permanence of the business. If they choose to keep up the milk supply, and, also, in the good faith of the Dairy Association as regards fair prices and honest treatment, and, certainly, the phenomenal increase in the quantities of milk dealt with, within so short a time of their taking the creameries over, is conclusive proof that it only needs a fair amount of encouragement on the part of the Dairy Association to develop their Waikato business into a very large concern.

Bare Fallows.—Bare fallows (says an English farmer) do not come into our arrangements. They are part of an obsolete system of farming with which we have nothing to do. Foul land may be kept for spring or early summer cleaning, ,and immediately sown with wdiite mustard, 201bs to the acre. If food is wanted for sheep let them have the mustard, but if possible plough it in as soon as it is fully grown, and before it develops seed. Sow mustard again if the land can be spared and again plough it in. If the land is poor it may well be set aside for a series of summer crops of mustard, to be ploughed in, and so store it with fertility once more. If a piece of land, even if fairly clean, is poor and the supply of manure falls short of our requirements, then may we advantageously resort to the mustard, and so prepare it for autumn cropping.