EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10062, 14 June 1898, Page 3

EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

Weekly Press and Keteree.

WHEAT GROWING IN SOUTHLAND. The sale of cropping leases in connection with the Waimea Estate, in Southland, conducted at Riversdale on the 20th ult. by Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., shows the value that is now being placed upon grain-growing land in the south. The soil is no doubt improving with cultivation, and the fact that £2 6s per acre was given for the- right to take off one crop of wheat is proof of a belief in what the Waimea plains will produce. In this connection it may also be stated that in the western and other districts in Southland the area sown in wheat is increasing rapidly every year It is only a question of draining to make a large portion of the land in Southland produce wheat equal in quality and quantity to that grown in any other part of New Zealand. The sale was a very successful one, competition being keen throughout, and every lot was disposed of under the hammer. 1050 acres of wheat laud was let at rentals ranging from 19s 6d to £2 6s per acre, the average being £110s 9d per acre ; j and 2710 acres oat-growing land brought from 12s to 28s 6d, the average being 19s per acre. The average rent per acre for the j whole 3760 acres was 21s 7d. BUTTER PRESERVATIVES. The following interesting letter, dated April 15th, received by the local branch of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., from their London office has been placed at our disposal:—The question regarding the use of boracic acid and other preservatives in butter, referred to in the Sydney Morning Herald of March Ist, 1898, has also occupied the attention of experts on this side, and for your guidance we append copy of a letter from Messrs Dempster, Peterson, and Co., of Glasgow, in reply to our enquiry addressed to them j in this matter—"ln further reply to your favour, re boric acid in butter, we are of opinion that where pasteurising appliances are used, and also milk coolers, aerators, and refrigeration, there is no use for boric acid nor other preservative matter in the manufacture of butter. In the colonies, at many of the factories which are not yet equipped with the latest scientific appliances for treating milk, " preservitas '* or boric acid is freely used, and at some factories as much as 1% of the powder is distributed throughout the butter. This proportion we consider quite excessive ; and in tests taken recently at one of the beet factories in New Zealand it was found that |% was quite as effective, after holding samples of butter three months, as 1%. Boric or boracic acid is also used in fchie country in the preparation ot thick cream, which is bottled in stone jars, bub the proportion is very small; and while it has effective power in controlling the sweetness of the cream for a matter oi eight to ten daya, it is not perceptible to the taste in the cream. Unfortunately this season the butters from Victoria especially showed a strong flavour from the excessive use of boracic acid, and on more than one occasion we pointed this fault out in our dairy produce reports. We advise all our friends interested in dairying and the manufacture of butter to avoid the use of preservative matter as far as possible. If it is absolutely necessary—and it is sometimes when a factory is insufficiently equipped with pasteurisers and refrigeration—then only the smallest quantity of boric acid should be used." COMPENSATION TOR CONDEMNED ANIMALS. The opening of the public abattoirs at : . Dunedin, and the condemning of several animals on account of disease has raised the question as to who is to bear the loss. A largely attended meeting of farmers, graziers, and butchers was held in Dunedin last week to discuss the position, and it was pointed out that it was., unfair that butchers should be called upon to bear the whole loss of the cattle that'were condemned. It was thought that farmers and graziers should bear one half as they were hi a better position to judge of the state of health of the cattle than were butchers, and the following motion wae proposed—"That the loss ensuing from stock condemned at the abattoirs in Dunedin be borne equally by vendor and purchaser, and no claims be recognised if not made within seven days from the date of purchase."'This preposition was both supported and opposed, the viaws, expressed being varied, and after the opinions of those present had been obtained, it was decided not to take a vote. As we pointed out in our issue of May 11th, there are in connection with various auction marts in Great Britain insurance funds to which sellers and butchers contributed to meet the claims for diseased animals. In connection with the Carlisle Butchers' Insurance association, the butchers .contributed Is per heed of cattle bought, and the sellers 6d per head of cattle sold, but owing to tne number of claims made the funds had proved insufficient, and tha stock-owners were to be asked to contribute Is instead of 6d for each head of cattle sold. In the absence of a proper State system of compensation a mutual arrangement of this kind between the butchers of Dunedin and the farmera and grwiers would seem to be the most Mtufao*

' Tory way in which to arrange for snaring the losses on condemned animals. THE OTAGO WINTER SHOW. This year the season was so unfavourable as to prevent the holding of a winter show in Christchurch, and to some extent it affected the Otago winter show held last week. The number of entries wa* not as large as last year, and there were only a few Canterbury exhibitors represented. There would probably have been more entries from tliis province, as no show was being held here, but the Otago society did not advertise their fixture in the Canterbury papers, owing, we understand, to the accommodation being more limited than last year, as the Industrial Exhibition occupied some of the space in the Agricultural Ha.ll buildings. The exhibits of cheese are always one of the features of tne show, but j the entries were slightly below those of last year, the most notable absentee being the Edendale Dairy Factory. One result of the judging, it was pointed out, which was not a subject of congratulation, especially in the case of export cheese, was that in point of flavour the exhibits, as a whole, compared unfavourably with those at previous exhibitions. Not only in point of flavour, but also in point of colour were the cheeses this I year deficient. And to what extent might be gathered from vie fact that whereas for the previous two years the Wyndha-m factory had secured points which almost repreresented perfection, this year a percent-age of 92£ had been sufficient to gain Mesrs John McNairn and Co.'s challenge cup, value £25. The .winning factory was that of Mataura, and with regard to its exhibit the judges noted that the flavour was a little bitter; that there was a nice body and texture, and that the colour was fairly straight. The following tabulated statement shows the points awarded for each entry, and the •way in which the totals were respectively arrived at; perfection being represented as follows:—Flavour 45, texture and quality 30, colour 15, finish 10; total 100.

In the class for the two best factory-made cheeses there were fifteen entries, and the first prize was gained by Messrs A. M. Dawson and Co., Orepuki, with the best percentage gained by any cheese exhibited at the show —namely, 96 per cent.; while the Mataiira Dairy Factory made a creditable second place with 94£ per cent. In the butter competition for Messrs Nimmo and Blair's challenge shield of 50gs there were ten entries, and the Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company came out jhighpy successful, their exhibits leaving little to be desired in either flavour, colour, or finish. The Company become possessors of the challenge shield, which they have now won for the third time. The judges, in giving their awards, made use of the following figures.—Flavour 45, grain 25, colour 15, salting 10, finish 5; total 100, which represents the attainable marks. The following table will show the marks attained:

The samples of grain and agricultural seed shown appear to have been of a high standard of quality, and it may be mentioned that the first prize sample of sparrowbill oats weighed 531b to the bushel, and the second 52pb, weights that are not often to be met with. A notable feature of the classes for agricultural seeds was a perfect sample if ryegrass seed which weighed no less than 401b to the bushel, which is about the standard weight for oats. A sample of cocksfoot weighed 301b, and it goes without saying that weights like these have not been known in Dunedin before. The judges expressed the opinion that the samples of ryegrass and cocksfoot were the best they had ever seen, and as near to perfection as it was passible 4/ J attain. These exhibits "were shown by Messrs Nimino and Blair, the ryegrass being from Poverty Bay, and the cocksfoot being grown at Akaroa. Some of the samples of seeds shown were somewhat overdressed, but this defect was more noticeable in connection with some of the samples of oats. This complaint had to be made lost year; and as the judges have pointed out good oats have, through the ends being scoured off, been rendered useless for seed purposes.

Dairy Factory. u p « 5 1HO , I o I 134 134 134 1* 13i 134 i 134 'S £ 9 9 9 9 f 94 "5 : i_ 92 914 91 904 90 90 Mataura Seaward Downs, Wyndhani .. Gore Stirling A. M. Dawson & Co., Orepuki Wyndham .. Wyndham (No. 2) .. Seaward Downs, Wyndham (No. 2) .. Stirling (No. 2) •• Inchclutha, Stirling.. Inchclutha, Stirling (No. 2) .. Waikouaiti .. Oniimi, Seacliff — Island, Wyndham ~ Toi Toi, Portrose StirUng (No. 3) Island, Wyndham (No. 2) .. Omimi, Seaclifl (No. 2) 42 41 414! 40 42 39 39 23 28J 274 28 264 284 28 33 36 39 38 36 39 37 35 33 34 36 284 284 26* 27~ 274 27 284 274 28 28 254 124 14 134 u 13i Hi 13 134 w 14 13 10 10 9 ? ! 94 ? 9 89 834 88 874 87 86 854 854 844 84 834

1 ej O g a 33 JL # Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Co. .. Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Co. .. Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Co. .. Taieri and Peninsula Milk . Supply Co. .. Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Co. .. Wyndham Dairy Factory Wyndham Dairy Factory Totara Flat Factory H. Ballantyne .. N.Z. Farmers' Dairy Union «. ~ 424 424 41 40 234 234 234 234 14 14 -134 134 10 10 I 10 [10 5 5 5 5 95 95 93 93 40 404 394 39 39 234 23 234 23 224 134 134 13 13 13 10 94 10 10 10 5 34 92i 91* 90i 89 88 36 23 124 10 44 86