JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13101, 28 April 1908, Page 9

JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

A Wairarapa dairy farmer, who dried his cows off some six weeks ago after they had eaten all his winter feed and all the grass in his paddocks, was three weeks before he could persuade any ono to depasture the herd till the spring He takes himself as an example, and states that with bad seasons it is impossible for a man to pay £l"per annum per acre rent. It was all right when things were good, but in any cose there was not enough to come and go upon. With a mild winter he thought that he would just about pull through, and pay his rent, but he considered that times would be rather hard, both for himself and the storekeeper, till the middle of the spring.

Mr S. Standen, of the Mana-watu district, who juogod Ayrshires at the Sydney- hhow, uxjd a "Dominion" reporter tlia-t as a ciase this breed was ~ettor tihan the best representatives in New Zealand, except in regard to tho "tail" oi the exhibit, 'i'lus "tail" was a very bug one, as many of the entries were sent there solely for ssxle purposes. The same applied to other breeds. Jerseys, Mr JStandcn stated, wero superior as a class to tihe beet -.ew Zealand exhibits, and showed great improvements since bis visit two years ago. Mr h'umden saw the secretary of .the Sydney Association regarding tiie matter of judges' expenses, some correspondence about which passed between the Sydney Association and the Manawatu Association last year, and there is every probability of a satisfactory arrangomont resulting. At present the Sydney Association pays steamer expenses only, whereas the Manawatu Association on each occasion. Australian judges have been imported has paid full expenses amounting to £30 and over.

Our North Canterbury correspondent writes as follows :—That the latter part or the seaeon has beem favourable to the growth of inangelwurzels is proved by specimens of these roots grown by Mr John Leek, of Southbrook, which were shown at the New Zealand Farmers' store at Rangiora yesterday, one of the yellow roots weighing 561b. The long redß shown were heavy roots, but did not reach the weight mentioned

Saturday's "Oamaru Mail" says :— From an agricultural point of view the country never looked better at tlus season of tihe year than it does a* tho present time. On all hands the prospects are reassuring, and farmers are fast recovering from the hardships imposed on them by the late drought. Certainly in most parts of the district more mm could yet be done with, os what has fallen so far has not sufficed to thoroughly wet the soil. What would most effectually soak the subsoil would be a good fall of snow. Grass is still growing in abundance, and tho winter crops of Dun oats and Cape barley are coming away well, so that it may be said that there is every appearance of tHnetre being no scarcity of winter feed. One or two keen frosts have already been experienced, but the evil .effects have not been very nuairked, owing to the warmth of the ground i Stock are in good condition.