FARM NOTES.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11010, 6 July 1901, Page 8

FARM NOTES.

The weather turned, cut beautifully fin* after the rain", and keen frosts at night give one thie fesliag that the winter season is now really upon us. There Juas been quite a break in all out-door business, consequent tipon the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, as country people have taken as much interest in it as those in the town. ' .'■■■.' The two latest cabf.es concerning the frozen meat market do not agree, that from the Agent-General quoting mutton lower than the ordinary message, but the general opinion among those interested in the frozen meat trade is that the market is o. little firmer. A trip through to Dunedin shows one that tfesd is not very plentiful, bust stock are looking very well owing to the mildness r of .the season. Turnips appear to be scarce as tcbere are"but few paddocks to 'be seen from the line, and it is said that fat sheep are not very .plentifuli in the south. The smajlness of the entry bl fat sheej at the Dunedin Winter Show is evidence oi this, and had, it not been for tine New Zea> land amd'Australian Land Company's ex hibits this - section of the show would hav< been a very small one indeed. The Acton estate had hard luck in havinj their pen of Shropshire Down cross wetheri disqualified in the class for Down or Dowi cross wethers, under twenty-two month; old. Owing to'the early maturity of tbest sheep one of them had its six teeth up, anc it was considered over age. There is nc doubt, however, as to the age of the sheep and it was admitted afterwards that a mis take 'had bsen made by tbe stewards anc judges. Sheep that have been kept well ii the way that the Acton estate's exhibit; have, mature •'•'eailly, and will frequently show their teeth before the usual time, These sheep were shiown as hoggets last yea: and itfcere is no question as to their age The merino wethers shown by the Totan estate, which took first prize at the Doinedhi Winter Show, were bred by the New Zea land and Australian Land Company at Haka taramea,, and took similar honours at las year's show. ' ' .__ Mr Jokm Miller, member for Stanley ii the South Australian Parliament, is on > visit to New Zealand, having travelled with the other visitors accompanying the Royal party. He has undertaken to enquire into and import upon the 'frozen meat industry, the growth of dairy farming, and the .working of the Act. for the repurchasing and subdivision of targe estates in this colony. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Miller, »nd he was much interested in learning the methods of sheep breeding in Canterbury as applied, to the production of fat lambs and freezing sheep. He was miuch pleased with the class of uheep he saw on the plains as he travelled south from Christchurch. Mr Miller says that they find the Shropshiremerino cross very suitable in South Australia for producinglambs for freezing purposes, afi-d he took a note of the fact that the English Leicester is now so .largely used here for crossing with, the merino. On his way to Dunedin Mr Miller visited the Waikaikalii settlement. The C.C. and D. Company, writing on May 17th, report:—"The Board of Trade, and Customs' refcurns to 11th May evidence an enormous expansion of imports from Undt-ed States, in live cattle, from 113,142 head in 1900 to 154,114 this year, an increase of 40,972 head, more than making up the loss cif Argentina's cattle, which to May 12th Cast year, when the last shipment had come to hand, amounted to 38,562 head, Canada is 2644 head, and other places 272 less than last the total difia* being 506,'baad. United States have, this year, sent live shsep as against 57,515 last, an increase of 86,307, Canada 10,672 this year, and 1810 last, other places 1068 fewer than last • year, the aggregate from all countries being 84,868 less than last year, when Argentina's total was 178,969. In imports of dressed beef, United StatE-s are 162,050 cwt and Denmark 4488 cwt in excess, while Canada is less by 11,380 cwt, and the Continent by 3537 cwt, the total imports being 151,-621 cwt increase over last year. Holland aas sent 89,287 cwt mutton as against 69,792 cwt last, year, and 143,912 cwt pork, falling off -12,311 cwt; Belgium 26,949 ewt pork, 5524 cwt more than 1900; imports of United States pork are 161,123 cwt, an increase of 78,657 cwt, 95 per cent, oyer last year. 4)stend rabbits have gone from 19,174 clrt lasKLyear to 25,877 this; Australasian rabbits»re less by 15,492 cwt, a reduction of 20 psr^^&nt." 23ie saWie circular contains the following p>iragraphV ; r-"'A case of great interest to afl concerned frozen meat trade has just been settled by\arbitratioa. A large parcel of Australian January shipmeot,- was b&agtlt c.i.f. by a Aondon firm, and declined, as tile caarj'ing had; after leaving gone, to nVw Zealand to fill up. By?the terms of the compact aU. disputes were to ba decided by arbitration, aiid th e arbitrators and thrir unipire, \}n, this Case, con-

By? the terms of the compact ax., isputes were to ba decided by arbitration, aad the arbitrators and thrir uiripire, this Case, conpliided that the contract. Vhad not been exeteutEd aa it ought to hawe been, and that the buvei was freed from pis liability. The

zrounde on which t&e oxscition wa*-bMW -M vre not twbCie, and lacking tbese, resciadiag >M AecontracfcSeema, in the present state of th* iiMwkefc,-mos£ fortunate for the buyer, ac vessel toot a vwy aeual route,. sanctioned Vjg by.the custom, of eeveral- year*, in apce wjtfc bills of Jading,' *ci provide' ':.m lot deviation, of route, and- other contui- ?|gj ceneie* quite beyond control. oi shipper?, -■-jgs Other buyers hftveaiioe declined to ac. ,|| cept sheep not brought direct to Lngiand,,,|| and. there is a- probability that a legal d* ,Jg cisioa will be obtained-" . - Messrs Dalgety a*d Co., Limited, report _.;|§ having sold, in conjunction with other"'Tip aeenta, oh account of the executors in «» estate of the late Hon. James Tyson, Fel- '*& ton Estate, situate on the Darling Downs, ;,&■ Queensland, comprising an area of 41,277 '%L acres (more or less) freehold land, together U l r with 30,000 (more or less) sheep, 1000 (more "$ or less) cattle, and 160 (more or less) uorsee, at a satisfactory price, the purchaser being ;;.&. Mr Isaac M. Greeiiaway, of New Zealand. -'iJJ They have also sold, on account Mr P. H. ,jg Davenport, his property known aa Beeabah, ' 3| situate near Nanangd, containing an area of <40 7905 acres freehold land, at a satisfactory price, the purchasers being Messrs Moot* rfk Bros of iiarambah; and in conjunction ■=%■ with other agents, on account of the British iX£ and Australasian Trust and Loan Company, Limited, a portion of their Deandine Estate, .?,§ known as Parkhead, situate near Macalister, ,% containing an ax-ee. of 3502 acres freehold '*• land, at a satisfactory price, the purehasew ■■};■ being Messrs Hiekson Bros., recently -of 'IA , New Zealand. Ths report of the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society, of England, presented >','%. at°the half-yearly meeting on May 22nd, : &* stated that the general result of the past "Jt. year's working was that the total, assets'of S» the Society on December 3lst, 1900, includ- <«; ing invested capital (£17,823), fixtures, fur- */* niture, machinery, country meeting plait, ,-.aj etc., were £31,324, as against £37,419/& ,\- ---the end of 18959, a diminution of nearly ?fv £6100, accounted for as follows :•—JBTOe :Nf {< for depreciation, £3516 deficits of the .in- V/ oome and expenditure accounts, and £1871/:-: difference between the amount added to and -*'\ , that taken from the reserve fund under tie ,/* ! system explained in the report. The* -£'■, ' items, of coU'rse I included the loss of £&tfA\ *{ on the York Show. The members now num- <" ber 10,033, a nominal reduction of 633 from < the total of 10,666 reported to the annivw- -^: s sarv general meeting held on May 22nd l&fc"{r - . year. The diminution was accounted for hj->; the deaths of 204 memb&rs; voluntary te- l ;N signations, 314; and -by the action of tia '& Council under the by-laws as to arrears or i~ absence of addresses, 159. There were , two >V new Governors and 86 new members during • l\ the half year. , -,y.: The schemis bi the Irish Department of -Ij . Agriculture for improving the breeds of/ sheep and piga in Ireland have been i»- -t Mied (says the "Live Stock Journal"). Iα t-<; the first" place, the money to b& provided " by the Department is to depend upon thft*,£ amount provided in aid of tl».:>\ other sobeme by local authorities \S" or other local aonors, as well 'aa V';'; upon the speciall needs c£ the v' locality. The schemes, as far as pos- ',;■ • sible, will be administered by county coni«-<----mittees, subject to the approval of the '$\ Department. The money is to be spast •. Ip chiefly in providing premiums for rams and J boars' under certain conditions as to their ,4" service for other farmers than their owneri, %.';/" and the remainder in prizes for sheep at i^ local shows. Each county committee in to decide upon the breeds of rams to bft 1 '.-'-• selected for their county, but only shearlings, l^ and lambs are to receive premiums, and.' 1 ?;'; only those entered in or eligible for the .Ay respective flock books of their breeds. Each *. - premium shearling ram must serve at least i? fifty ewes, and each ram lamb not less thau'%' twenty, at least half in either case to be, -^ the property of a farmer or farmers other '^; than ttie owner of the ram. No farmer,]^ whose tenement valuation exceeds £50 pef y,* annum is to be entitled to the service ot'Ji >l\ premium ram. No one whose whole flock-jl^ has not been dipped at least twice during '}; the summer is to receive a premium for -a,- j> ram, and the same condition applies to ewes 'if that- will be sewed. The seivice fee ie.-^ not to exceed Is per ewe. The cotidi- "i tions in relation to boars are similar, allowing for necessary differences. • xj Capitalists in the United States evidently «/$ have faith in raising good beef cattle upon business principles with purebred bulls. The;,S| "Kansas City Drover" says the organisation of a syndicate, with a capital of 2,000,000 ''•' dols., to acquire 641,000 acres of ranch 5 I& lands near Pan Handle City, Tex., hae juut^l been completed in Kan&as City. Mr J. \ C. Goodnight, owner of the famous Good- * night ranch, is at the , head of the syndicate,'',/ which includes also fourteen other ranch -,£' owners whose names are not announced. The capital stock represents the value «i the ranches and cattle which these men turn over to the syndicate The 500,000d0l ~*' to be realised from a bond issued is to be used in improving and increasing the stock.^ High grade cows are to be bought, anjf^ only purebred bulls 'will be used on tlijJ L ' ranches. The company intends to do a-i straight ranching business, producing "feei\'^, ers" only, which will be sold to go to conl.V r f growing sections for fattening for mas :^Z tet. . "~^ At the sheep-breeders' annual show , 'j at Sydney the entries show a»i f v, increase over ' last yeai. Messrs Janwj '- Gibson, Tasmania, and W. T. Hors-t fall and S. McCaughey, New South Wales? ' are the prinicipal pnzetakers in the menno seotion. Mr Wallace, New Sout>h Wal«», '*. took all the first prizes and the grand chafflts. % pion prize for Lincolns, Mr R. Cobb, -u.antt«'^ kau, taking four seconds. Mr Cobb also took.' - two seconds and a third lor Romneys. Mtf, Simonds, Tasmania, took the grand cham* '* pion prize for Shropshires. '% At the Sheep Show Mr S. McCaughey,' \ took the Grand Champion piizes for nun > s and ewe in the merino sections, the Championships with Messrs Horsfall Abson. -^