NOTES BY THE WAY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22392, 4 May 1938, Page 8

NOTES BY THE WAY

THE SEASON Though early frosts are not welcome as a rule they are this year, as it may mean—and actually has so far —an end of the rain for a brief period. Canterbury has rarely had such a consistently wet season. Some districts have escaped with little more than a normal fall, this being more the case on the coastal areas towards the north. As an instance of the precipitation south of that quarter, Christchurch recorded figures for the first four months of the year of no less than 10A inches, as against 7j inches for the corresponding period last year. Such a rainfall in what is ordinarily the driest part of the year indicates that if the normal winter and spring fall is to take place, 1938 will provide a record rainfall year. In effect, the four usual dry months of the year have provided only a little less than half the annual average of about ?4ln. The frequent rains have delayed ploughing and cultivation work, and it is feared that the wheat acreage will be further affected. Much of the heavy wheat growing land is so saturated that it will be some time before teams or tractors can get on to it, and most farmers look to having their ground prepared early in May. On the lighter land in North Canterbury teams were again engaged working up the ground on Monday, but no ploughing was to be seen by the writer to be in progress. The rainfall here, however, was much less than in the middle part of the province. Very little surface water is to be seen about the flats, although there are evidences that all the rain wanted for some time has fallen. The frosts which commenced with this week started some farmers to start carting out hay to their hoggets. As a rule it .is difficult to get hoggets to take to dry feed when there is plenty of grass about, but that has not been the case this year. Apparently the sheep are as sick of the rank, wet pasture as their owners are of its effects. One farmer told the writer that he had never seen hoggets feed the hay so avidly as they did when he carted some out at the week-end. There may be a line here to help in analysing the causes of parasitic trouble this year, and at the same time suggest a remedy or an alleviative. As stated in the article by Dr. Franklin on Saturday's farm, page, the exceptionally wet April brought with it a pronounced recurrence of sheep losses, and his advice that dry feed be given if possible is supported by the experience of the farmers instanced.

"MUCH WORSE OFF" A visitor to Hawke's Bay last week told the writer that as far as climatic adversities were concerned, the Canterbury farmer had little to complain about compared with farmers in the flooded Esk Valley of Hawke's Bay. He said that the scene of devastation was indescribable. It is no exaggeration to say that a number of farmers are completely ruined. Silt to a depth varying 'frcrn 2ft to Bft covers miles of farm lands. This silt has penetrated the homes of many people, making any attempt at cleaning up a heart-break-ing job. There is not a fence m the miles of devastated country that has not been dsmaged, many of them completey flattened and covered in feet of silt. No estimate yet is possible of the amount of damage, but the whole area presents such a scene that in many cases farms must have been made practically useless. Few Stock are to be seen lying dead, but it " assumed that they have been washed out to sea or buried in the collapsea buildings to which they probably went for shelter. There was no warning of the disaster, and many farm?™ only time to get their families to safety without giving any attention to their stock.

SHEARING RATES Apparently the Australian shearers are taking a line out ot the book of their New Zealand colleagues, on the principle of expecting in proportion to the steepness of their requests. Australian flockowners are faced with another idtmand for an increase in rates. The claims Seek a shearing rate of 50s per 100 (instead of 35s as at present), with an increase in other rates in very similar proportion. A 40working week is also sought for all classes of pastoral labour, including shearing and station, Work, with preference of employment to members 01 the union, and many other conditions which are considered to be either impracticable or unreasonable by the Graziers' Association, which has circularised the 11,000 graziers on whom the claims have been made, witn a view to united action being taken to oppose the demand, when submitted to the Arbitration Court for investigation.

MORE DRY FEED With advice from every quarter that the best preventive of sheep troubles is dry feed it can surely be expected that farmers will pay more attention to this important part of their practice. No country in the world is so well equipped for providing hay as New Zealand. The regular rainfall ensures a good growth, and after the first month of spring the weather can generally be relied upon to favour harvesting processes. It has been abundantly shown that such fodders as lucerne —much the best of all hay materials—can be grown on 80 per cent, of the province's cultivable lands. Lucerne does not like cold and swampy conditions, nor flourish on land with a cement-like subsoil, but it will grow on practically every other, type, including the lightest of soils. A variety of it is actually growing at present on stabilised sea sand. The suggestion that it is critical in its soil requirements is a theory of 15 or 20 years ago. Land that has failed to grow the crop has frequently shown by investigation that the cause has been the ignoring of cardinal necessi-

ties, such as inoculation, or in using land which is destitute of lime. These causes can be eliminated and have been to a very large extent in Canterbury—in effect, inhospitable soils can be made to grow lucerne. The need for hay and the healthy appearance of the numerous lucerne stands to be seen in various parts of North Canterbury prompt the thought that in this plant lies the solution of the problem of providing more dry feed for stock. The writer knows of some stands which have been down a number of years, and which as a result of adequate liming and proper attention are still providing four or five cuts in the season, with an average dried hay result of more than a ton a cut. The weight naturally depends largely on the season. A moist one like the present has been all In favour of heavy yields. The trouble about many of the stands is that they are too small to provide 'anything more than an assistance in winter feeding, whereas they could be made the main source of it. Four tons an acre of hay off a 20-acre paddock would secure the substantial quantity of 80 tons, and as sheep can be carried along in a reasonable chaff condition on 21b daily the capacity of such a reserve should remove any misgivings by owners of ordinary-sized flocks. The certainty of the lucerne crop once it is properly established, the heavy weight of feed it produces in a season, the freedom from the heavy labour costs inseparable from the production of annual crops, and the absence in New Zealand of any pest trouble place lucerne far ahead of anything known in our farm practice for the provision of hay. These facts should prompt farmers to make more provision lor its growth and so secure a reduction of the serious stock troubles which the experts tell us is due to an inadequate supply of dry feed.

BUTTER PRICES

POSITION IN LONDON

(MOM ODS OWa COBMtrOUDBWT.)

LONDON, April 8. Prospects for the maintenance of rates in excess of the guaranteed price for New Zealand butter remain good. After a slight decline, prices have again advanced to practically 120s per cwt during the last week, and the market is firm.

Continental supplies are now increasing with the approach of summer and the abnormally fine spring, but it is not expected that the market will be flooded. The continued incidence of foot-and-mouth disease both in Britain and on the Continent should have an influence in limiting available supplies. Although more colonial butter has been received into store lately stocks are still below the figure for this time last year. Consumption continues to be good. Actually, retail prices are lower than the wholesale rates justify. Butter is generally being sold over the counter at Is Id and Is 2d per lb. This is the result of price-cutting by the multiple stores, which have forced the ordinary retailer to come into line, even though there is practically no profit at these rates while butter is selling at its present level. If there is any further upward movement a rise in retail prices is inevitable. . The latest cabled quotation is ( 128s to 129s.per cwt.

POWDERY SCAB

VICTORIAN CROPS AFFECTED

Powdery (or corky) scab, which it was alleged by Victorian growing interests some years ago existed in New Zealand potato crops, and which was the excuse for imposing the embargo on Now Zealand potatoes, is now prevalent in parts of the stkte. Growers have been interviewing the Minister over the matter, and the dscussion indicated that the disease in Victorian potatoes is not regarded by the authorities with the horror that marked their disapproval of the New Zealand tubers, allegedly similarly affected. The Minister said that an assert on "that the department had prevented growers from marketing their potatoes was Incorrect. The department had arranged for the growers whose potatoes were affected to sell their potatoes to Government institutions, where the peelings could be incinerated. In JjMo the 372 tons of Beech Forest table potatoes in question were sold through the department to Government institutions at £5 8s- 6d a ton. The institutions had paid the same price for these potatoes that tenderers offered to supply other potatoes for. Smalt potatoes from the affected areas were not allowed to be sold for seed and used in clean districts. An assertion that "no compensation was paid to growers. and»they were officially informed that they must not grow potatoes on their farms for five years." was also incorrect. The farmers were officially advised not to plant potatoes on the same piece of land where corky scab had been discovered, and they were advised that they could plant potatoes on other parts of their farms, and to use "clean, approved seed. The farmers were advised to sow down the land where affected potatoes were previously grown. The department was endeavouring to clean up the disease in Beech Forest, and confine it to as small an area as possible, and prevent It spreading to clean districts. Potatoes from corky scab-affected districts in Tasmania were not allowed into Victoria, and potatoes from Beech Forest similarly affected were not allowed to be marketed indiscriminately in Victoria. Last week some potatoes arriving from Tasmania affected with corky scab had to be destroyed or removed from the state. In the meantime the New Zealand position has been completely surrendered. This country's potatoes cannot go to any state in the Commonwealth.

Farmers In the Amuri and Waikari counties are becoming concerned at the slow progress of the road works in the Weka Pass. The original road had many sharp bends and grades, and the scheme to improve it was one of the soundest conceived in ,the many projects of road improvement, that have been launched. However, the progress of the work has been very slow, and the hopes that it would be completed before the winter will fall far short of realisation. At one point the alteration necessitates the cutting away of half the width of the old road, which compels the very careful night driving of cars. This is a danger point to drivers unacquainted with the road or the work in progress, and there is a general wish that the completion of this section be expedited.

On account of the trotting meeting, the commencement of the sale of sheep at Addington Market to-day will be earlier than usual. The fat lamb sale will start at 10 o'clock, and the fat sheep at 10.30, the store lambs at 10.30, and the store ewes immediately after.

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