General Farm News.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 4, 30 September 1907, Page 2

General Farm News.

In the dairy produce department, 183,414 boxes-of butter, representing 458Q tons, and 7830 cratos of cheese have passed through tho works. The Stratford Dairy Company's output has been sold for 10Jd. por lb., and that of Elt-ham at a litlo oyer 10 7-16 d. per lb. The two companies will, aggregate about 1400.tons .".The committee of tho Ashbiirton ,Agricultural and Pastoral Association has decided to . include in its show schedule a special'class for'a prize of threo guineas for judging horses by points, the competition to bo open i>o young men between the ages of eighteen and twonty-live."—" Lyttelton Times."

Sir. W. Taylor, manager of tne Riverdalo Dairy Factory, reports that tho cold weather has affected tho milk supply to some extent. At present tho supply is close on 4000 gallons, and from that quantity 58 701b. cheese are made. The company cxpect to receive over 9000 gallons in the flush ot the season under ono roof. The factory is fitted with steam and electric power/and electric light.

The annual report of tho Auckland Farmers' Freezing , Company, states that during tho year 267(3 carcases of mutton and 54,231 carcases of 'lamb have beon slaughtered at the Glasgow Works; whilst 7672 head'of cattle have been dealt with, of which 6218 lioad wero frozen in quarters, and 1454 head wero " boned''' out and exported in crates.

In the poultry sqction 1037 crates or 27,954 lbs. have been frozen during the season, while 412 cases containing 98,880 duck eggs, 2141 cases containing 770,760 hen eggs, 156 tins containing 56,160 hen eggs, or a total of 2709 packages containing 925,800 eggs have been held in cool storage at the Auckland Works, the wholo of tile eggs being usqd for local consumption. The chilling of tho hen eggs proved an unqualified, success, but the duck eggs were not-so satisfactory.

The Taieri Agricultural Society intends to try thei cxperimont of holding its noxt show in April instead of 'n November. The chief, reason is that Taiori pcoplo arc so keen.on "seeing the outside world" that many or them save up all their spare show money for a visit to tho exhibition at Dnncdin, and the local show consequently suffers. It is believed that by changing the date to April a better gate will bo secured. Taiori l'cels rather keenly that, being about tile oldest agricultural society in New Zealand (born in 1360), it is time it owned a show ground of its own. But there is a powerful circumstance against such a consummation: Taiori is cleft by a river, and neither tho pcoplo on the east side nor tho pcoplo on the west side will give up their claim to such an important event'as the annual show. Consequently, tho show is held in alternate, years east and west, and 110110 of tho ingenious people down Taieri way have yet invented a way of carrying tho show ground itself backwards and forwards. Wo rear Taiori must buy two show grounds, and for that reason we wish them . big gate noxt April.

Wellington market gardeners who find the competition of the yollow husbandman in this city an obrtaele to success (in spite of tile Els. per sack for cauliflower) mir;ht try shipping their superfluous output ti the City oi tho Plains. The Lyttdton Times says:—"There is a considerable shortago in the supply of vegetables in uie

Christchurch markets, niul tho prices are unusually high. A gentleman ot considerable experience in' tho vegetable trade told a reporter yesterday that lie was astonished nt tho high prices. Brussels sprouts that last year would have beon thrown .away as. worthless' were now selling at good prices. Turnip tops were bringing lOd. a dozen. cauliflowers cotild not bo obtained in. tho open market under 10s. a dozen. ""Unless tho supply increases," ho said, i" there is a probability of the auctioneers offering ' half-cauliflowers.' "