JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13159, 4 July 1908, Page 10

JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

Thursday's "New Zealand Times" s%ys: —The fact of the Government canning expert refusing to award any prizes in tho bottled fruity competition at the Palmcrston show is creating considerable local interest, "and, it is said, the matter is to be considered by tho committee of the A. and P. Association. It is interesting in this connection to recall a remark of the export in question, Mr Jaqnes, when vinwing the bottled fruit in the admirable display of the Kairancta school district. Hβ said it would be a pleasure to award prizes to such exhibits, that was, providing they had, on a close examination, the correct vacuum. For ourmlres we heartily congratulate Mr Jsqaea on thrs stand he took. The fact that many show judges in this country do not always consider merit, but scatter awards broadcast "in order to encourage exhibitors" is a scandal which shows should take a firm stand against, instead of encourapyig by winking at it. Only the other day a remarkable instance of this came under our notice. An exhibitor lost a first award, and with it a points prize. On asking the judge how he could defend his action in pnssjng over the particular animal ho received the following extraordinary reply :—"Oh, yon ought to be satisfied ; Rive one of the local men a chance of getting a ticket!" This giving of awards to defective exhibits —and even, incredible as it may appear, actually championships —is bringing show ••wards into discredit, and if Mr Jvities's example is not followed prize tickets must become of no value as proofs of merit, and show competitions be rendered useless as a means of education.

In connection with Mr W. H. Cruickshank's tour of the Darling Downs. Queensland, with prospective New Zo.iland land buyers, he has booked the passages of the following Wairarapf farmer* hy the Ulimaroa, which will loav-» Wellington on Friday. July lOth: —Mesrrs Farquhnr Gray, of Gray Bros., T-vratnhi: T. McKenzie. Lansdowne: W McKonrie. Manaia: Simon Campbell. Katwf.ivrai: Lance Bra'mortnn, Guy Since. Mastertcn; and Allin A. Cameron. Te Ore Ore. It r understood (says the "Dominion") that the party will bo increased by other fanners from other portions of the Welliriiitun province. The trip nJtogetbcr will occupy about one month.

When schoolboys visit an agricultural show or an" experimental station (says the "Taranaki Herald) they are advised to take notebooks in order to make iiolc«> of tliiniss that interest

them. The advice is good not only jjelpj boys, bat for the fanners Within an hour of leaving th© Wfctsj State Farm the other day several Ta*«J| naki farmers were vainly ondeavouriaa'l to recall the names ot cattle, golds, apples, and so forth, which thejvl? thought they had committed to for furtner use. ;^' There has probably never been »S more open season for tho planting of..£ wiheat crops in June than has beea ty, porienced this year (writes our Kajj*.',*' poi correspondent). It is probable tin*,; crop planted will bo wider in last season. Tho ploughing, harrenr.'i ing, and drilling have been condnctej "!t. without interruption, and conic of seed has commenced io sprout. general idea that thero may be another ? dry season has caused tho farmers hasten the sowing, in order that" ih*l" crop may get tho benefit of what€7ct X rain falls in July and August. g "The farm labour difficulty has le4s to a number of farmers giving up ing crops iv Auckland," declared Mr J/*J Massey, President of the Auckland A."-' and P. Association, at a meeting ye»l Ci terday afternoon. He added: "1 have | given up cropping for that Another speaker, Mr Westney, that up till a year ago he had beentj growing wheat, but owinp to tW-J scarcity of farm labour, and the ou£-p| rageous wages demanded at harveftnj time, he had given it up. £| On two occasions since tho begin.T ning of the year articles have been-:" , published by us (says the "Sydmy.* , Daily Telegraoh") concerning tho plication of the electric current by!' means of a household machine to see4s wheat. The idea came from South\ Australia, and the results reported I there ivero good enough to encourage.' experiments in this State. But it -ijfi not looked upon with a favourablo eye.' by everybody. One gentleman, we arej? informed, when discussing the matter 'J delivered the opinion that it was »;:| reversal of the orders of nature, an'<l, } i that tho curso of the Almighty woulcU'i rest unon anyone who had temerity <" enough to do so sacrilegious a thingvy Possibly ho may be right, adds tb*'T "Telegraph," but it reminds one of the* saving of one tho characters in SirTValter Scott's novels. This man inveighed against the temerity of! people who used a fanning mill for senary ating the chaff from the grain of their? wheat instead of waiting for a favotn>i ing breeze, and humbling themselrc? 5 before the Lord with prayer and fasife ing, because all these trials were eeni\ from above to punish man for his eia-j fulness. < I Mr Thos. Harrison reports the folloir! ing rainfall at Lynton Downs for Junef —June 6th, .09 inch; Bth, .11 inch* 9th, .02 inch; 12th, .08 inch; 17tfc' .11 inch; 18th, .07 inch; 19th, .09 inch? 27th, .39 inch; 29th, .18 inch; 90tb# .07 inch. Total 1.21 inches. |; The American farmer ie being *«*| Eured that ho is prospering exoeeaia&f ly, and that every four seconds, nijmjr; and <day, 1000 dollars clatters into,nil-; gold>-bin. In 1897 "the other of tho world paid the United State? 240 millions sterling, and thiamin*!* paralleled inpouring of foreign made the United States the richertf and busiest nation of ifae world." W that were really the case (comments tu> "North British Agriculturist") it ytm, something surprising that last autamp the richest and busiest notion in tiig*. world had to borrow thirty milliorfl sovereigns at 7 per cent, from tktfM country. It was also rather as Sir Wilfrid Laurier said in tMI Canadian Parliament that within tKI last fonr years no "fewer than 80,OOfa fanners had "pulled up stekee" r MM America and settled in Canada. >|9 The Salisbury district !s and otlMa parts of South Australia to hiMm .been snffering considerably within * cent weeks from the'raids of conntlwl millions of a destructive little JPrnM known as the "lucerne flea." stated that the only proved efFoqtmH remedy is gas lime, applied paddocks affected/ but it is no treating one block of land and leariei: the adjoining blocks alono. TKeflejj is rapaciousj and seems -to a speed which puts the rabbit'out||| the race altogether; so that a luanf paddock is soon absolutely at ";d| mercy of the insects. In the vicuHJjff there are paddocks this year which M(; as bare as a billiard table, as a tmm of the attacks of the pest, and- t&j| plants have been eaten down to Bβ* an extent that their recovery is doubtful. . * .£ The estate of Eilmufr in Skye, whiefc; was bought in 1904 by the Oongcitojb Districta Board for £80,000 with -tiffi view of being out tip into small hoi* ings, and resold to tho occupiers flj| and new, has been turned asddo 'frMH that purpose.- The occupiers haWVaiSa dioated in. tlie plainest terms they do not want to become IMSm cupying otvnurs, and tho Secretary.iq« Scotland has, therefore, been forooawe intimate to them that tihe CongHmw Districts Board will remain the 'jMW prietor of the estate and the teniwiß will hold it as crofters underjfliß. Crofters Act. This shows that the »«■, on the land cannot be forced to *&£|l the ideas of other people as to whaty« best for him. • In the House of Commons inMfljWl Mr Bowerman asked the rh< Board of Trade if his attention h*3 been called to the stattecaent' Messrs Armour and Co., meat pwJHm of Chicago, were calling up £1,000.JW new capital for the purpose of t op* ing in London and the provanc-»s'n , t*| shops for the direct supply of tßfe moat to the consumer, avoiding Smitfe field Markob and tho tolls and ch*rgg! there levied; and would he say wfcevjjjs| he proposed to take any steps by fegjfe latro-: or otherwise, to prevent a tchfAA which would destroy the busine»\'4| English Butchers and meat, sal«sffi(9t| ; who could not compete with Ainerkjtt p-j-ke.-.s permitted to trade on terms. Mr Churchill said he sttv-d from Xlee> e .rs Armour thai |& company had not called up any ep* capital, and that they had no inteafiej of opening retail shops in London* the provinces. Mr Bowerman -a»w it Mr Churchill could state" how butchers' and moat salesmen's be?; nessrs in Smithfiold and elsewhere «»■ already been acquired or financed *"?,■ tho object of obtaining such control** to compel them to sell imported Am** can beef alone? Mr Churchill *» that was a very important qneetw* and he could do more justice/to >M the hon. gentleman woula give M| notice. Sir F. Banbury asked if 'W President of tho Board of Trade -i* tnnded to protect the trade of EngJw , butchers, but of this question «■** was required. . "" j