THE FARM INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 35, 5 November 1907, Page 2

THE FARM INDUSTRY.

BEHIND THE SCENES. FLAX SLUMP?- —NO I ' JUST A TRICIC OF THE TRADE. "A slump?— Pooh!" said a strong-minded flaxmiller to a Dominion representative. " The fall is only temporary." You think the price will again go up? "Certainly; and before long too." ■Hqjv do you explain the drop? , "Just a trick of the trade. It's an interesting story, and needs some explaining. You will be aware that a considerable number of our millers some time ago entered into contracts to supply merchants at Home with flax of a fixed grade at a fixed price. The merchants declined to pay on ' points, 1 but only on grade. Now in the past the merchants had shown considerable skill in ■ discriminating between "fair" flax, which had only just squeezed into the fair grade, and flax which had been made for ' good fair, but had just missed that grade, and been tagged as ' fair. 1 There is great difference between the two qualities. The merchants buy- the. best as 'fair,' and resell it as ' good fair,' so that millers, here, when tho contracts were signed, said to their mill hands, ' Rush it through, boys. It's only got to be "fair." ' So they rushed it through. And the merchants at Homo wrote.out and said, 'Herel what's the meaning of. tho poor quality iof flax you're sending- us?,' and the millers replied, 'We'only contracted to send " fair." 1 " 1 How has that caused the slump? "The contracts are ended, and the merchants are taking it out of us. They have manoeuvred for a slump, and frightened the millers. Millers', in their anxietyj will sell at low ,prices to the -local agents, and thoii, when everything is nicely ready, up will go the price of flax." But manila has fallen more than our flax. Can you account for that? "Yes. Much of the, manila now sent is of very inferior quality. It is (like our flax) graded for minimum points." But supplies aro increasing? . " Not much. The sugar cane is taking the place of manila." So you think the flax industry is safe? "I do. So long as tho millers themselves don't kill it. There are millers, however, who have no interest in , the future. They aro exploiting flax for iinmqdate gain on tho high prices, but don't intend to remain in tho business. < They will sell out soon. You watch. You will see lots of mills for sale beforo long." THE TURAKINA FIRE. THE QUESTION OF RE-GRADING. \Mr. James, Toomath, of Wellington, a (laxmiller, has written to the Secretary for Agriculture," stating that lie is informed that tho Turakina's re-conditioned flax is not to bo re-graded, .but will be allowed to be shipped for London without again going through the hands of the gradors,' and without being tagged. He points out that this is contrary to Regulation 19, which, under.a penalty of £25, provides that' "m the case of hemp'>''for 1 export; which, in the opinion- of an.y grader, has" become damaged' or -deteriorated-, after grading and before. shipping, the 'pwner thereof shall, when directed b.v the said grader to do so, submit such-hemp at an appointed grading store-for re-exam-ination, and shall surrender" the grader's certificate issued in respect thereof. If the grade is • altered on re-examination, all charges shall be payable by the owner as in .tlio case of an- original examination.'- 1 The writer of the letter' urges'that it will be detrimental to the industry to allow the re-conditioned hemp to be put upon the London market ungraded and' untagged. ; .SPECIAL GRADING. Oil enquiry at the office of the Secretary for Agriculture we learned that a special kind of tag for this flax -has bceii : decided on. lnstead.of the flax being re-graded 'n ■the usual way, with 110 indication that-ithas been damaged and re-conditioned, it will be simply provided with tags stating that- it is "re-cpnditioned homp. ox Turakina, not graded.-"- The -method of with the flax in this matter rests' at tho Department's discretion, and it is believed the system of tagging decided on will be satisfactory to all parties. '■ TO IMPROVE THE MANAWATU SHOY/. A POLICY-OF PROGRESS. Mr W. F. Jacob, tho president of the Manawatu A. and P. .Association, told a Dominion representative that,£6oo or £700 could easily be spent annually in improving the Manawatn show. "'We want more sheep stalls," ho said, "better horse accommodation, better places for the cattle. Perhaps the need of" more horse-box accommodation is the most urgent.'of all.' Next, we want to encourage riioro interest in the'exhibiting of fanners' stock. ' The farmers never seem to ■take'this matter up very much." ' They are not looking for advertisement, such as the pedigree moil get with their championship? ' - ■ "No. But tho classes would do a great deal of good, nevertheless." Do you aim to lift. up the' status of the Manawatu show—to niako it : the national show ? '

"Well, when the lino is opened up through to Auckland, I think our snow will inwrove. We shall exchange exhibits with -Auckland. Wo shall becomo every year more and more a national show, and we expect our southern exhibits to inereaso! But I do not want to praise my own show too .much. And thero is, you know, the Auckland show, which, mil no doubt ontertain ideas of having also a claim to p'romier honours. HOW TO DO.WEIL WITH PICS. T. B. Terry, in the " Practical Farmer' 1 (American), thus ropl'es to ' queries ' about pigs:— " How many acres of land will it tako to pasture 30 or 40 pigs? Will it do to breed sows at 8 months old? I have an orchard grass sod which I do not think suitablo for pigs; what shall I sow in its placo? Is chopped corn and oats with skimmed milk good feed for pigs?" , In reply to the first question, so much depends on tho richness of the land, kind of feed grown, and the'size of pigs, that no direct reply can bo'given. The propor way to do is to have a good permanent pasture ofheavy sod for sows and pigs to run on in the early part of tho season. It is best to have the sows farrow in small individual pens scattered about this pasture. Tho little pigs should never go on a plank floor. While the pigs are small no great amount of pasture will be needed. By the time tho grass in permanent pasture gets short other fields opening from it should be ready. Ited clover makes line feed by thac time. If it is not fed too closoly it will last along for a good while. I<et tho pigs still have excess to the permanent pasture also It makes a variety. And then tho regular feeding door should he there. Rape, cow peas, etc., are used ill sections whore they do well for big pasture. It may be best at times but unquestionably continued breeding from immature parents tends towards loss of vitality and danger from disease. When you get good, rangy, healthy sows that bring large litters and raise them well, keep them for years. Don't follow ■ tho too common practice of breeding them once or twico ami thou turning them off. Two litters a year and immature breeding stock are largely responsible for the ravages of cholera.

A PAGE li'Oß THE MAN ON THE LAND

THE DAIRY SCHOOL. THE BATTLE OF SITES. WILL IT BE PALMERSTON? A big plum is shortly about to drop . into the lap of some northern town or township in the shape of the proposed dairy school. Some time ago it was linnly believed that Levin was tho owner of tho lucky lap. But the plum still hangs." oil. the ..tree.' Hawera, Stratford, Eltham, New Plymouth, Feilding; and Palmerston North have all had a shake at the treo. without causing the coveted fruit to tumble. At tho Manawatu Show last Friday, the Minister for Agriculture, tho Hon.' B. M'Nab, told a • Dominion reporter that nothing new was decided. in regard to the site or other details, and that, in reality, lie had not gone into the matter with Mr. Singleton (the proposed principal) since that gentleman's return from England. The latest announcement is to the effect that Palmerston North has been finally settled on, and the battle of the -sites is over. This also necessitates an official denial. The Minister for Lands (the Hon; It. 'M'Nab) informed a Dojijxion representative last evening that'there':was no ground for'the statement that the Dairy School was to be established at Palmerston North. Ho said that no site lias yet been decided on. The Cabinet' has still to deal with . the matter. Farming gossip will be quite dull when this lively little topic is disposed of. PALMERSTON NEGOTIATING. WILL'GET THE DAIRY SCHOOL IF— [BY TELECRAPU. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ' ...Palmerstori North, Monday. At the Manawatu Show the Hon.: Mr. M'Nab intimated to Messrs. Jacob' and Cohen that ho was not quite certain of'the position as regards tho offers made some time ago from Palmerston to provide a site for the proposed dairy school. He said that he had boen l?d to believe at a meeting of representative townspeople at which he was present that, in the event of the dairying college being established here, the - suggestion that tho old racecourse'reserve would be handed over to the Government as an endowment was not acceptable. What the Minister now desired to know was whether ho was entitled to lay uefore the Cabinet a proposal embodying the gift; by the A. and.P. Association of sufficient land for the'establishment of the dairy college, furthei- supported by the grant of the old : racecourse reserve as an endowment' for that purpose. The answer, to the questions was that, as far as Mr. Jacob knew, the offer .was still open. Some time ago the residents of the town wore most keen to 1 have tho school established here, and a Bill was passed empowering the Council to hand over a reserve to the Government for the; purpose of'erecting a dairy collcge, providing the same was crected within twelve months. But the college was not eroded.

Chamber of Commerce Take Action. Ail emergency, meeting or the Chamber ot Commerce was held this'afternoon, Mr. j. Jl. Johnston, presiding, when it was urged that the residents of,the town should, through their Council, reaffirm the desira-. bility. of establishing a scientific dairying college in the town, and pointing out that the restricting clauses of the empowering Bill as it now stood, providing that the land offered should be used' within" twelve months of the-passing of the .Act, must embarrass tho. Government if it was' that' Palmerston was the natural centre'for. tho establishment 'ofthe' college. .It" appeared, further, that it did not matter to. us as'ratepayers what the Government used the land offered for, so long as the'end which we had in view was attained. There- was no reason why •' the' restriction': referred-' to. should-not be "entirely'removed,' as tho ratepayers, once having parted with a portion of their reserves, need'not; inquiro as to the destiny of' the v grant so ■ long as the aim was realised, and for that purpose no time should be lost and no stone should be'left unturned to carry'out the - ultimate•• aim 'of' the original proposition by placing' the Minister in the position which lie evidently desired; and permit' him to offer to the Government from'the ,Borough Council and the A. and I\, Association the necessary site; with the grant of the reserve as an endowment for the dairying college. After a short-"discussion, it was unanimously resolved, "That the President and Mr. Cohen wait on the Borough Council tomorrow evening for the purpose of asking them to take into consideration the amending of the Bill relating to the dairy school, and to.vest the reserve,in the Government, subject to the school tyring erected." Councillors Agreeable. In conversation with some' of. the Councillors subsequent-to the meeting, I-learned that they will have 110 objection to the desired'end'being'attained; as they fully comprehend t-ho great advantages to be derived' by the'district'from such a'course.. . OUR DIARY. . WOOL SALES.' ' Wellington.—Nov. 15, Dec. 6, Jan. 17, Feb. 21. . , '. Christcliurch.—Nov. 21, • Dec. 12, Jan. 8, Feb. 4. Auckland. —Nov. 27, Jan. 14, Feb. 18. Diincdin.—Dec. 19, Jan. 23, Feb. 14, March 5. 1 , ' ' ! Timaru. —Nov. 27, Jan. 3, 30, Feb.-27. , Napier. —Dec. 3, Jan. 14, Feb. 19. Gisborne. —Dec. 5, Feb. 20.

SHOWS. : Nov. 6, 7, 8. —Canterbury. Nov. 8, 9.—Waikato (Hamilton). ' ■■, . Nov. 9.—Bay of Islands. Nov. 13, 14.—Wanganui. ' '. Nov. 14.—Courtenay. ; Nov. 14. —Yl'aimate. . Nov. 14. 15.— North Otago. ' Nov. 15.—Otago Central. Nov. 19, 20.—Blenheim. Nov. 20, 21.—Egmont. ' ' . Nov. 20. —Horowhenua (Horticulturul)'. Nov. 20, 21.—Wairarapa. Nov. 21, 22.—Oamaru.. Nov. 2G, 27.—Nelson. Nov. 27, 28.—New Plymouth. Nov. 28, 29.—Otago. Nov. 29, 30.—Auckland. Dec. 5, 6.—Gore: Dec. 10, 11.—Southland. Jan. 25, 26.—Wairoa. Feb.' 4, s.—Feilding. , . Feb. 18,19.—Masterton. ' . Feb. 26.—Woodville. Invercargill.— Dec. 17, Jan. 27, Feb. 11. March 5, 6.—Waikato Central (Cambridge), March 25, 26.—Horowhenua (Horticultural). • , .- April.—Taieri. .

MEETINGS. Agricultural 'Associations, etc. Nelson, second ' Saturday of each month; AVanganui, second and fourth Wednesdays; Mastortqn, second Saturday; Wairarapa, third Friday; Manawatu, second Tuesday.