JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12849, 6 July 1907, Page 12

JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

A Gore newspnper boasted the other day of a mammoth carrot grown in the district tluit measured 18 inches round and ■weighed 4Jib. It was described as fit for a fo*xl for a Carbine, and if that was so theiro is on view at th© offices of Messrs Goo. G. Stead anu Go. a cariot that would make a good meal for a Clydesdale. It is a Champion Yellow, and measures 21 inchos round, and weighs no Ices than Biib. ft wae crown by Mr Everest, of McFaduVn's road, St. Albans, who also produced on his placo this season 300 sacks per acre- of hollow crown parsnips, nMK>t of which weri? shipped to the North Island for table purposes. •'lt v. ill be disappointing to ail ■wellwishers of the <.»:ry inds.'strr to learn (viys tho- 'New Zealand Times'.) tliat tho elatK'rate basic; of srttli'ir.-ent oon-sul-eied and to by 01 employes on ih.- one hand and certain rcpresentativcj of employers on th«- otl:tr, is nv-.v coniiuerfi unsatisfautcry to one of tho partke. It is tiii,.viajbiw at pr.tont to aieurtain the txatt pfj-iitio'.i, but o: this we are a&eure.lI—ail1 —ail amiialli: settlement is improb.ibl*. and tho mutter will have to be dealt with by the Arbitration Court Tin- failure of the negotiations, which have Iten going on for sroree time, i most uutorttmato. as -..<; euinlojeoe union had refused to be le-J by the

nose by rabid partisans and themselves drow tip most reasonable demands — demands which any fair-rnindod body of farmers wouid concede with pleasure. In connection with tho position which has'arisen, ito cannot but believe that the Tarauaki Dairymen's Club -woulu have done hotter by leaving representation of the emplojere' interests to ..-»* National Daily Association than constituting themselves an employers' union. It is to bo hoped all reasonable endeavours to conciliate the parties wi.il be made before legal remeuy is rviSorteU to." The representative of one of tho" foreign wool-buy ing firms has informed the \\ airarapa correspondent cf ti: A '".New Zealand Times' that faisier-o may now expect a cycle of <.lopro.*.o:i and low prices. Depression, he ttai<v alwaye runs in cycles, and it invariably oommenoes with tho iren industry, a. u> which it touencs every otluv. - pnxnut. Notwithstanding the g.e>at shipbuilding programme whi«:h is now gving on in different parts of tho world, iron has fallen in price everywhere, and the depression is reflecting ittelf in tho price of wool. The drop in wool daring tho past year has boen from a penny to a penny-halfpenny per rxnm.l, and in some cases 1:0 per cent. ; hides have fallen a penny, and there has alsj boen a drop in the price of sheepskins. la effect, tho agent says that now is tho time for the wool king* of New Zealand to prepare for a rainy day. It may be added that there may bo some ulterior reason lor the statements, but satisfaction may bo expressed (adds tiio "Times") that tho wool kings should be well able to stand the depression. It is to be hopol, however, that if there is any depression it will not become too pronounced for tho woltaro of the population. • Chatham Island farmers have of late years sent over a considerable number of etoro pigs. Tin's year the pigs ire being kepi and fed upon potatoes, which aro not only too low in price to rnako shipping profitable, but tho crops are badly damaged by rain and blight. No doubt tho pigs will come over later on as fats.