GENERAL FARM MEWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 17, 15 October 1907, Page 2

GENERAL FARM MEWS.

lho general backwardness, of the season with reference to cereal and other crops has been commented upon, at somo length in fur. Dominion, writes our Wairarapa correspondent. It was stated, however, in some quarters that there was not- much- chance of oats and chaff'rising higher in price this season, and a3 there is a possibility that farmers might be led away by unintentional'incorrect prophecies, • our representative interviewed Messrs. Keelings and Wyn-Will;am, tho ,T-?v " knmvn Masterton produce ; merchants. We do not think that oats and chaff have seen their highest this season;" said Mr. Keeling: '■In'fact,-wo aro of the opinion that oaten sheaf, chaff will' rise much higher in! price, and that before very long. Enquiries for this class of produce are increasing, and we think that, before many-weeks hare elapsed, tho prico for oaten chaff on' trucks will be fully £6 per ton. It appears wiat Marlborough supplies are pretty well'cleaned out, and the quantity held in tho district by merchants and farmers is something under 800 tons. A largo amount of this-stuff' is required for homo consumption, and th,ere cannot bo much left for export. Wairarapa is in an almost worse condition, and .13 it will be'fully four months before the new crops come in prices aro certain to rise."- Mr.-Jiceling said that his firm had been informed that the' Australian market was very firm, with inouiries for tho iSLew Zealand oats and fodder.- It would appear that importations from Australia wore at an end.'- It w.is almost certain that there would be' a pronounced rise in the' price of oats, which' would oe intensified unless thero was a distinct' change in tho weather conditions., Another • contributing' factor to tho shortage was the inability of the farmer to get into tho fields, owing to tho rains. Tho consequence was that farmers, ! who had a hundred acres in last year, have' been able to sow only Half that area this year. ". ..-.:., Owing to the continued Wet weather, growers .of early potatoes (says our Pahiatua correspondent) havo suffered considerable loss in this district as largo areas havo rotted in tho ground. ' ' Mr.. R. J. 'Dagg,'who' was nominated as a judge, for , the Dunodin A. and P. Show draught horse section, • by ' tho Masterton Association, on Saturday, is" considered by local fanners to be ono of tho most'expert judges of draughts in tho! Wairarapa. Tho Duiicdiii Association aro fortunate in securing liis nomination for this important: section. .'"','.'.' Masterton breeders are,likely to be strongly represented at outside shows during the coming season, according to tho opinion of a prominent settler expressed to the Dominion correspondent on Saturday. Docking, operations (jsays tho '.'Wairarapa Ago") are in full swing in. the' Fcrnridgo district, .the percentage of lambs .beiiig about DO. In other parts, of the. district the percentage, has : risen as high, as' 110, -but the' bad weather on tho Fornridge:has militated against a ln'gh percentage. There will arrive in Now Zealand in.about a fortnight (says tho "Otago Daily, Times") a notablo, purchase effected in Scotland on behalf of Mr. R. Irving, of Clinton. The purchase consists of tho powerful Clydesdale stallion Silver Crest (12358). The horse was brod by Mr. Andrew Muir, Hcads'muir, Carluke,' and his sire was the noted Lanark, premium horse Acme (10485). Tho dam is flora Everard, a maro of exceptionally good breeding, by tho groat Sir Everard (5363). Silver Crest'- was foaled in '1902, and has a notable career in the showyard. Ho won prizes as a yearling, as a two and three-year-old, and he was a premium horse in 1906 and 1907. Ho is described as a horse of great size and substance, arid as ho is exceptionally .well bred he ought to make'his mark. The September milk supply to the-Kongo-• kokako cheeso- factory was 65,0991b. of milk," against 40,5591b. received during the. corresponding month of 1900. Tho company .has, decided to mako an advance of 9d. per. lb. of butter-fat on the September supplies. Tho Mangamahoo farmers are considering tho advisableness of raising a £500 loan with a-£,for £ subsidy from tho Government, in order to metal the-road leading from'the district to Alfredton. This district is badly roadod owing to tho groat difficulty in obtaining, metal. At the. present timo in-an-other portion of Mangamahoo, at To Eapua,thero has been a slip, of sixteen chains of road into tho river, making that piece of tho thoroughfare impassabloior at least a month.: Men are now engaged in constructing a temporary deviation. Meanwhile, the Pohunui farmers aro : placed at considerable inconvenience owing .to'the: fact that .they, aro practically shut out from civilisation. .: .:.-