EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9499, 19 August 1896, Page 2

EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

(" Weekly Press and Referee.")

THE JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL COLONIAL k INSTITUTE. The June number of this periodical contains an abstract of a paper read by Mr Arthur Clavdea on " Our Colonial Food Supplies," which contains statistics of great interest to farmers especially. The author shows how it is that the demand for food supplies outside the United Kingdom has so increased. In 1874 there were 3,830,767 acres under wheat in Great Britain, and in 1894 the wheat acreage had shrunk to 1,930,228 acres, just about one half. While this was so, the population in 1874 was estimated at thirty millions ; to-day it exceeds forty millions. Patting the question in the n»o3t concrete form—with ten million more mouths to feed there is only one half the supply of the " staff , of life." Mr Clayden is evidently of opinion that the future granary of Great Britain will be found in Canadian north-west territories, where wheat growing land is practically limitless and of exhaustless fertility. Areas larger than half a dozen United Kingdoms will probably be brought within from eight to ten days' sail of Liverpool by the proposed new route via Hudson's Bay. By this route some 1291 miles would be saved,"meaning a caving of £1 per ton in wheat and £3 per head in cattle in carriage. Speaking of the meat supplies of the colony Mr Clayden stated that the first consignment of frozen meat reached England in 1882 valued at £19,339 and in 1890 the trade exceeded £1,000,000, and last year 1895, the total Australasian export of frozen meat had grown to 3,000,000 carcases. The consumption of frozen meat had increased to eight per cent of the total beef and mutton consumption, and nearly one fourth of the total mutton supply to Great Britain is imported frozen. Statements such as these which must be regarded in the light of facts, must set every farmer and station owner in the colony thinkiug, there can only be one conclusion arrived at, and that is that each coming year must unfold still greater opposition to the colonial farmer handicapped as he is by distance. There is but one way of coping with this approaching stupendous competition: that is', the production of nothing but the very best which can be produced, coupled with strict grading. Nothing else can enable us to hold our own. • THE FORTOXATX ISLES. The Journal of the Colonial Institute for June contains a paper read by the Hon. W. P. Reeves, Agent-General for New Zealand. The paper is without doubt one of the most charming productions of the kind which has yet appeared in print. It is entirely free from political references, being simply a description of New Zealand, and suggestions for the guidance of tourists. The paper in its entirety is well worth a perusal. MILK AND BtJTTSB BITTIR THAN WINE. People in New Zealand are probably not aware that a large area in the south west of France, once famous for its vineyards, but which have been utterly ruined by the vine louse known as phylloxera, have been converted into pasture lands and that dairy factories have been established on the co-operative principle. The milk is collected morning and evening by the collectors, and the skim milk returned at the same time or feeding pigs. Each factory receives about 31,000 gallons of milk daily, their product being sent off to the Paris market. It is said that these people are happy and prosperous and have no desire to revert to vine growing. DEHORNING CATTLE. This much vexed question has again come into prominence, this time in Dunedin. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has resolved to take action against any person removing the horns from the head of their cattle. We cannot help thinking that they are ill advised in this decision. We do not think that any one would assert that no pain is caused by the removal of the horns of adult cattle. However great the pain may be it can only be temporary, as animals in moat instances commence feeding almost immediately the horns are removed. The removal of the horns removes the power which animals have of goring their fellows, a power which is often unsparingly used. Again, cattle so treated feed more quietly and thrive more rapidly. The castration of bulls and stallions and adult sheep, and the speying of cows, are all extremely painful, and yet no one appears to take any action in the .matter. We hold that any necessary operation with domestic animals cannot be held to be cruelty to animals in the real rendering of the term. Having said so much by way of extenuation, w* have next to consider the best means of avoiding as much as possible the necessity for taking the horns off adult cattle. The more direct method is unquestionably by destroying the horn germ won after the birth of the calf. This can be done by a few applications of caustic, by simply rubbing the bud or root of the horn : this kills the germ. Another method is by breeding off the horns, but this is a work of time. NEW ZEALAND DAIRY ASSOCIATION, AUCKLAND The much vexed question as to the price to be paid for milk, during the coming season appears to have been settled, the Association have issued their scale of payments, which amounts to an average of 2|d per gallon for eight months, the skim-milk to be returned. The following are tho prices :— September 3£d, October and April 3d, November 2|d, December, January, February and March To encourage reasonably large supplies, a bonus of id additional per gallon will be paid to the suppliers at each creamery which receives an average. of two thousand gallons of 3.6% quality milk for each workimg day. A novel and, we think, a most excellent arrangement regarding the testing of milk is proposed. It is that the Colonial Government be requested to appoint a properly qualified expert to control all milk sampling and testing on behalf of milk suppliers to the association, the expenses to be shared equally between the suppliers and the association. We are of opinion that much loss has resulted, not only to suppliers but to the creamery owners as well, for want of properly qualified persons to test the milk as it comes to the factory or creamery. The experiment is worth trying, or each factory should take proper steps to have one at least of- their own hands properly trained in the work. ARBOR DAY. It is a matter for regret that the invitation to plant trees on the day set apart fer that purpose is not more generally .responded to. However, something was done at Hororata, Lyttelton, and New Brighton. Sir John Hall's address to the children at Hororata, on the advantages of planting' trees was doubtless an instructive one ; few settlers in New Zealand have done more in that way than has Sir John. There are districts in Europe which, when denuded of trees, become a wilderness. And there are others which were once deserts, which, when planted with trees became as fertile as they were barren l»efore. It is stated that the children in tbe Swedish schools plant 600,000 trees annually under the guidance of their teachers.: THIS SEASON. The continuous rains of July have put a complete stop to all farm operations. It is reported that a considerable area of the early sown wheat has suffered to such en extent that the land will have to be resown as soon as it can be worked. Hundreds of acres of grass land have been more or less underwater for weeks past. This is not an unmixed evil, tor it is well-known that the grass grub cannot exist for any length of time in soil covered with water. When the warm weather of Spring seta in the growth of grass will be very rapid and plentiful, fturatn arc now anxiously waiting to get

on with the preparation of the soil for the Spring crops of wheat. Cows coming on for calving should liave plenty of good hay and a few root*, and if possible a dry ground to Hβ upon. The early dropped lambs have suffered severely from tbe continuous wet, but where there is shelter the percentage is likely to be a good one, especially on those farms where proper provision has been made for the ewes.