DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XL, Issue 5777, 4 March 1912, Page 6

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

FAv'KIUTS I-'UO.M ITS JOIKNAI

cool. STOUAOK yon rum

.\ustrali«n fruitgrowers arc inovitr, iM ,„■• direction of asking tno Commonwealth Covcrmnent to subsidise the shipping companies wimn ari , lo provide cool slurage for the Australian-New Zealand (,-ade They complain badly that ,1^ 'cannot get their New Zealand shipments carried in cool **»™W; This is a move in the right dueclion.—T. W. Kirk. \-[{\VV KM'OKT TKADK. ThLie au. bt- no Uuubt that wiih thorough co-operation amongst ~,-ouers. coupled with proper cool r-irriu.-i- it i« possible to develop pVaCticaMv ine.xhaustibl" markets .or temperate-climate fruits in countries ■is y.-i hardly touched, including Canada and the Inil*.d Stales during iheir ••olT" season. Surely the spirit i.f co-operation will pr o ve as strong simony fruitgrowers as among dairymen. If so. there is no reason why fruitgrowing should not in time ranK with" our foremost industries. Without ht-nrtv co-opt-ratoii the. Inisim-ss will progress like the snail—"sureh" it may be, but oh, how "slow-

X" :—'.!'. W- Kirk. CODLIN MOTH. WritiiJ'-f of. orchard work for March Mr W. 7v. 1 Voucher makes the following rdercnee. to codlin moth :- "I p to the present- time the climatic conditions this season, altu« st generally throughout the Dominion have proved more variable and Unseasonable than those experierrced for several years. In many -districts the season has proved somewhat late for some classes of fruits, so tlmt it is more than probable that such a pest as codlin moth will be on the wing in fair numbers during the early port of March, especi:illx- in the warmer <_listrict_s of the dominion. It- woukl be mlvisable, iheTefore, f°r glowers to keep this pest under observation, and, if necessary, to protect their crops of late \arieties of apples ami pears from infection, for it. has been noticed that whin the early part of the season has been cold and. unreasonable inlection may continue for a longer period Ihan under normal conditions. " FAIUI IMPLEMENTS. In an article dealing with farm iiu pit-men ts, Air I'i-irarotie HoCouncll makes the, following comparisonsl between the products of .British and American workshops : "In making any comparisons 'between Uritish and American or colonial implements, 1 am perhaps treadinty on dulicate Prouivd. Take implements such as n-ay-rakes, turners, tedders, horsehoes, and jnowt'rs ; compare the i>ritish with the others, and the veriest novice in mechanics must confess that the former are far ahead ill the two main pcdnLs—<luraktlity and finish- In many instances the foreign machine is a comparative toy ; and I am' speaking irorn a practical experience of 'both. The American maker gets the credit of supplying a machine that will suit the needs of all customers. Jt is true that, in order to slide competition, he will supply a machine to suit his client's pocket, which in most cases means ' jerry -"building.' As to adaptability, -with the exception of the self-binder, the American implement is still made to suit conditions as they obtain in America, not as they obtain in Britain or New Zealand. They are nearly all made for ligtit work with mule or light-horse traction. The American binder, however, is undoubtedly an excellent machine, and on incalculable boyii to present-day farmers. Yet even in the making of binders the Jiritish maker is coming rapidly to the front." MAXUFAC'ITKIO OF SOFT CHEESE.

A great many applications have been received for the assistance of Miss Davies from all parts i-f the Dominion, from farmers as well as from dairy companies. It is apparently not generally understood that the manufacture of soft or fancy cheese is limited to the supplying of a local demanil. with the exception of one or two varieties, whlcn may be exported ; and tha;. to .establish the business on a payable basis the local demand has, first of all, to be created, un .undertaking which demands some expenditure, l-'ortun. ately, .several ( confer as. notably the Taieri and Peninsula Company, which are in a unique posit ion for introducing such -Uelk'-MCies in lavjje centres of population^ have taken up the business. The so;i;td pioneering work such tirms are able to accom-' plish is the best guar Tiuu- that the consuming- pub'i.c of ;he Dominion will be educated ;,o :»pprechue fancy cheeses and thereby bring ah»i;t the demand which must precede a general system of manirZ.i .-Xi.iv. Jt is not wepected that these special cheeses, which aiv relatively inure costly than the ordinary cheddar of commerce, will JL>e eun-uniea on a large scale. Private makers wouln therefore do weil not to undertake the manufacture of soft cheese until they are sure there will be a sale for it.