EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9386, 9 April 1896, Page 6

EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

"Weekly Press and Referee," (April 2), "VEGETATION DEBASES ACT."'

This is the title of a bill recently passed by the Victorian Parliament, its object being to deal with insect and fungoid pests. The Act provides that any district wishing to avail itself of its provisions have only to apply to the Minister of Agriculture, praying him to have an order in Council' passed proclaiming the boundaries of their respective districts. As soon as a district is proclaimed, the fruit growers proceed to elect their local committee of control, which will elect their district inspector, whose business will be to see that the provisions of the Act, regarding spraying and cleaning trees, are carried into effect. Why not have such an Act passed in New Zealand ? Something will have to be done if we are to attain to any eminence as fruit producers. AERATE YOUR MILK. It is stated by the Portland Guardian (Victoria) that notwithstanding the excessively hot weather recently experienced in JKictoria, not a single gallon of milk sent to the Cobrico-Cheddar Cheese Factory was spoiled by the weather. This was entirely due to cleanliness and the use of aerators. If

we are not mistaken one .of the provisions of our own Dairy Act is that aerators shall be used by those farmers who supply creameries with milk. The enforcement of such a clause would have a most beneficial effect.

EGGS TO ENGLAND AND BACK AGAIN. ] Mr G. Besant, with a view to ascertain how long infertile eggs would keep, sent a box packed with such eggs to London per Aotea in November last. The box has returned to' Wellington, and when opened the eggs were found to be quite eatable, thus establishing beyond a doubt that eggs can be successfully sent to the home market. Mr Henderson of the same city.it will be remembered, «ent a small shipment to London, whietopioved a success as well. LUCERNE GROWING. We published some local facts relating to this splendid fodder plant in our last issue which should set dairy farmers and others thinking. The following extract from the Australasian would show how the growth of lucerne is extending in Australia. It looks likely to become the fodder plant of these colonies. For some years past the leading seedsmen of Melbourne have had a difficulty in supplying the demand for seed, one seedsman alone having already cold this season to their customers fifteen tons of Lucerne seed. Land intended for this crop should now be broken up, ploughed deeply and subsoiled, and allowed to lie exposed to wind and weather till August next.

THOSE WRETCHED SPAKROW3. The committee of the Bsllarat A. and P. Association have come to the conclusion that active steps must be taken to deal with, this pest. At a meeting held by that body the chairman stated that he had recently seen 100,000 sparrows on twenty acres of land. The meeting determined that it would pay farmers to submit to a tax of 6d in the £ for the purpose of getting rid of the pest. It is quite tims that drastic measures should b» adopted, It would be impossible te

exterminate the small birds, and it is well that this is so. Just fancy 100,000 sparrows in twenty acres of weeds in seed, such as hogweed, thistles, &c, &c. The birds muet, however, be kept in bounds. United and compulsory action must be taken if any good results are to be accomplished. These remarks apply with equal force to New Zealand, as to Australia. WOOL : THE REVI rAT, OF 1895. We have to hand a report prepared by Messrs Goldsbrough, Mort and Co., Ltd., as a supplement to the Australasian PastoralUts' Review. The whole question of the wool trade is exhaustively dealt with. The | following are a few extracts which should be cheerful reading to all interested in the business of wool raising:—"A year of revival after a period of depression and declining values, extending almost uninterruptedly from the close of 1889, the wool trade has experienced during the past year a revival which, although it has not re-established prices at the level existing prior to the commencement of the fall, nor yet the mean values of the past ten years, has at least made a substantial move in that direction, and has rather more than effaced the retrogression of the preceding three , years. At the date of our last annual review when the unprecedentedly low level of values awakened much discussion as to over production, we published statistics relating to the accumulation of stocks, and the world's supply of wool, which lent no support to the contention that these were the principal factors in the depression then existing. The statistical position did not appear oppressive, nor prejudicial to the immediate participation of the industry in a trade revival which appeared impending, and together with the immediate position of the United States trade, justified our anticipations of an early recovery in the values of wool." The report goes on to say that one of the principal factors in the rise has been the great demand from the United States, the extent of which may fairly be gauged by the following figures copied from the Boston Commercial Bulletin. The imports to United States for ten months ending October : — Wool in pounds in 1894, 83,223,270 ; 1895, 211,057,038. Wool goods in dollar value: 1894, 13,981,398 dollars; 1895, 49,899,717 dollars. Notwithstanding this increased demand, says the Bradford

Observer, holders remained sceptical as to the permanency of the advancing demand, and woolstaplers wete, as late as May last, doing

their utmost to clear out their old stocks to prepare for the new clip. Many sales were made at 9|cl, and even some at 9J,d, with

the anticipation that after the long depression the new wool would be bought very cheaply, and that the new clip would recoup the sellers for their losses on the old. The end of May, saya the same paper, was indeed a phenomenal tiuie. Although, at that moment we had an increase in our local exports to America for the five months oE nearly £2,000,000, and spinners and manufacturers were getting busier every day, there was on the parfc of wooldealers a unanimity of obstinacy in the belief that wool must keep low, that was surprisibgto us at the time, and we were at times tfempted to put down our failure to comprehend it to our want of practical knowledge of the trade. We have since come to the conclusion that, even in the wool trade, lookers on sometimes see most of the game. "In four weeks Lincoln hoggets went from lOd to 14£ d, or an advance of 45 per cent. During July and part of August there was a slight reaction to 14d, which was, however, succeeded another smart advance to which probably did not cover more than three weeks." Under the heading "Progress of the Advance," the report goes on to say, " Following the advance of 10d, at the London sales of July last, a further rise of 10 to 15 per cent was established in September,, which was to be the highest point of the year. This level was barely maintained at the sixth series, and a comparison of the rates current at the close of the year compared with those of December, 1894. showed an improvement of about 20 per cent, The report concludes with voluminous statistics relating to the clips of the various colonies, the shipments and the future prospects of the industry. POULTRY AND EGGS FOR MARKETAXD EXPORT. This is the title of a pamphlet written by Mr J. A. Henderson and published by the Agricultural Department. As its title indicates it is devoted to instructions to fanners and others, pointing out new and improved methods of poultry-keeping. Mr Hendeimm pays little heed to the breeding of fancy poultry, his main object being to encourage farmers to breed the most profitable poultry, not only for export but for the production of eggs as,well, and so combined will pay best when made to form part of a mixed system of farming. Our author strongly urges the formation of societies for the improvement of poultry, as regards ,egg-laying and table qualities. The instructions given are plainly put and practical. The subject matter is treated under forty headings. We agree with the statement that poultry farming on a large scale seldom succeeds. The keeping of poultry is far more likely to be a success if made part of a system of mixed farming. Coming to the gist of the question before us, viz., "Profits of Poultry Keeping," the following figures are given, which many of our readers will doubtless judge as to their accuracy from their own experience. A farmer who keep 3 fifty fowls at liberty—say Minorca-. Langshans—when in fall swing, his accounts might be something like the following, taking Wellington prices as a" standard: — ' . : ■ . ■ - . . £ s a. d. Yield of egffs for the year—say 580 dozen at Iβ (an average of about 140 per head) .. 29 0 0 Twenty-five hens sold in autumn at Is 6d each .. .. .. .. 117 6 Tiventy-fire cockerels, sold at four; months old, in November or December, at 2s •aoh .. .m ». •■• 210 0 33 7 6 Less cost of keep (specified) ~ — 10 7 6 Net profit .... .. „ 23 0 0 One shilling per dozen may be considered too high an average price for all the year round. Our author, however, puts his case in such a way as to show it is quite possible to secure this high average. An index would have proved a useful addition to tiie pamphlet.

There is no medicine ao often needed in every home and so admirably adapted to the pnrposes for which it is intended, as Chamberlain's Pain Balm. Hardly a vreek passes but some member of the family has need of it. A toothache or headache may be cured by ife. A touch of rheumatism or neuralgia quieted. The eevere pain ot a burn or scald promptly relieved and the sore healed in much less time than when medicine has to be sent for. A sprain may be promptly treated before inflammation eete in, which ensures a cure in about one-third of the time otherwise required. Cuts and bruises should receive immediate treatment before the parts become swollen, which can only be done when Pain Balm is kept at hand. A sore throat may be cored before it becomes serious. A troublesome corn may be removed by applying it twice a day for a week or two. A lame back may be cured and several days of valnahle time saved or a pain in the side or chest relieved without paying a doctor's bill, * Procure a bottle at once and yon will never regret it. For sale by Wallace and Co., Chemists, Chrietchurch.