A SOUTH AUSTRALIAN VISITOR.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11528, 10 March 1903, Page 3

A SOUTH AUSTRALIAN VISITOR.

THE HON. J. V. OT.OGHLIN INTER VIEWED.

OUR AGRICULTURAL AND DAIRYING INDUSTRIES

The Hon. J. V. 0 Logl-in, of South Australia, who was appointed by tlie Government of that State to visit this colony as honorary Commissioner, to enquire into the agricultural and dairying industry, arrived in this city last week. Seen by a representative of " The Press," he gave some impressions of his tour through the colony. For four session- Mr O'Logldiu was chief secretary and leader of the Legislature Council in tho Kingston Ministry, and Ls at present on the staff of the "South Australian Advertiser." He has a.so represented an agricultural constituency in the South Australian Assembly. Mr O'Loghlin explained that the present was his tirst visit to this colony, and that his trip was partly on business and partly on pleasure. Mr Jenkins, the Premier of South Australia, an old colleague and neighbour of Mr O'Lughlin's, hearing of his intended visit to New Zeal—id, and knowing that he was interested in agriculture and dairying, had him appointed an hcnorary Commissioner to enquire into the state of these industries in this colony. Having letters of introduction to MLr Seddon, Sir Joseph Ward, and Sir Robert Stout, Mr O'Loghlin made Wellington his first port of call. From that city he travelled to Pahnerston North, through the Taranaki district, and from New Plymouth by steamer to Auckland. He experienced bad weather at New Plymouth, and though he did not have ;*n opportunity to bee many dairy farms in that district, he saw and talked with a number of farmers and Government inspectors. Whilst in Auckland he was much interested in the electric tiamway system and the new street pavement adopted in connection therewith. In Adelaide at present only horse traction is in use, and although a syndicate has been granted authority to replace it by electric tramways, they had been unsuccessful, owing to the tightni-s of the money market, to raise the necessary capital. That at least was the position when Mr O'Loghlin left South Australia. , He found that at present in Auckland there is not sufficient accommodation by half for the traffic, which lms far and away exceeded anticipations, and appears to be increasing. At Auckland, also, Mr O'Loghlin visited the fruit farm which the Department of Agriculture have taken over for a period, in order to cany out experiments in connection with coping with the codlin moth pest by spraying. Mr W. A. Boucher, one of the Government pomolog.ie_, appeared very sanguine of success, and expressed the opinion by spraying 80 per cent, of clean fruit could be obtained. Mr O'Loghlin next visited the Government farm at Hamilton (Waikato), which has been recently started. He also inspected Mr Day's farm, and saw his herd of Jersey cattle of seventy or eighty head, which. Mr Day claims to be the best herd of this breed of cattle in the colony. Rotorua was next visited, and Mr O'Loghlin returned to Wellington via the Wanganui river, and accompanied Mr Seddon during a part of the jouyiey. Mr O'Loghlin then left for Canterbury, via Nelson and tlie West Coast, seeing the B tiller and Otira Gorges en route. On Friday he visited Lincoln College, and renewed his acquaintance with Mr Lowrie, tho director, who was in charge of a similar institution in South Australia before coming to this colony. Mr O'Loghlin found much to interest him at the College, and also in the district between here and Lincoln. Whilst tbe land in Canterbury is much more productive than in South Australia, it is dearer, 'and he questioned whether the net returns were, very much greater than in his State. Whv-n the cheapness of South Australian land, and the cin-ap system of cultivation was reckon -d, he opii'i.d th-.tt tlie South Australian ir.iv.*.- did itlnioit as well as his CtuiU'i'bury collt-agac. Jr. Smth. Australia land that in Caul.-ihu.y cost from £_5 to £30 per uciv could b- obUtiiitd from £2 to £5 per acre, with almost equal facilities for 'tlie transpcrt of p.oduec- to market. As to economical farming in South . Australia, lie stated that the South Australian farmer could put in and take off a crop for 15s per acre, and he calculated that in Canterbury it cost three or four times that amount. In South Australia this result was arrived' at owing to the use of the "combined harvester" — a machine that strips, threshes, cleans, and bags the grain ready for the niarkttt in one operation. This machine has only come into vogue during the last two or three years, the machine in general, use being a stripper and thresher,. With the latter harvesting only costs from 3s to 4s per acre. In Canterbury, using the reaper and binder-, harvesting must ba more expjnsive. Nevertheless, Mr O'Loghlin is much impressed with tlie productiveness of the Canterbury plains, which he considers as fertile and as well adapted for agriculture as any in the world. Regarrding the dairying industry in this colony, lie cane idea's it is still in its infajiey, and that there is much room for improvement in the -election of herds. He learned in Taranaki that the average price given for cows was between £7 and £8. These animals, he considered, could not be fiust-class. As the industry develops he anticipated that dairy farmers would cull their herds, and get stock worth from £9 to £10 per head*. In the beist distracts and bast farms in Victoria, he pointed out, as much as £12 to £13 per head is given for ■dairy cows. Mr O'Loghlin has also visited Sunnysida Asylum, and saw Dr. 'Devinge's herd ot-Ayisl_re cows, which he thought was a very fine one. He lias also visited the Christchurch Meat Company's freezing works at Islington. Whilst in Wellington he looked over the Gear Company's works. Referring to the recent drought in Australia, he said he had found in some not very well-informe-d circles in this colony, that tlie idea prevailed that the whole of Australia had been affected by the drought, whilst, as a matter of fact, it only affected the outlying pastoral districts—the western districts of New South Wales and Queensland, and the northern districts of South Australia- In the more favoured districts, some of the farmers had done remarkably well. Although the drought has broken up, he ventured the opinion that the price of stock wuuld still continue pretty high in Australia, as it will take some time for the stock to pick up condition. Mr O'Loghlin intends leaving for the South to-morrow, and will visit the cold lakes. During his stay in the colony he has been much indebted to the Premier and Ministens. Government officers, especially those of the Department of Agriculture, for the valuable assistance they have tendered him-