THE FRAM INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 85, 3 January 1908, Page 2

THE FRAM INDUSTRY.

' ♦ L , j . - PAGE FOR THE MAN ON THE LAND " ' vv ' — - -

A TALK ON .DRAIN. PLOUGHING,

WHAT THE.FARMERS SAY, WHO \ DRAIN. Every practical fanner m. Manawatu-iniist 1 lmvo discoVel'od.tbat it pays to diain-plough. < Many, doubtless, bavQ.riofc. ; put .that .knowledge into .effect, but practical results by I those who have profitod must .appeal t.o all. i A Feildmg :farmer, who -had . recently ac- ,< qmrod a small holding, and who was found J actively engaged in carrying out draining 1 operations; told our Manawatu correspondent- i< that he thoroughly believed indraming.He. 1 related that lift hail6d from a'small but .for- < tilo looahty m- Canterbury'called-Killincliy,. J where ho ■ owned a SWainp. " Now," as he romarked, " any tool knows; that it pAys to J drain a swamn, but ovefy-■farmer does not. ' recognise the-fact that, it also pays to drain ; the lftnd' m this distriuti-'vHe pointed ,tb a .* splendid .tcn-acrfi field t)f .graSs., winch, ho lmd ( drained previously >to last winter, in-proof- of ..1 •his contention.: .The crop had " been, earlior. and much»heavier : tnan : on-, adjacent- land; ;1 Fortaorly'.ho. had secured . this- services .of, a 1 dram-plough, but at the ;preSent.season thoy are not"so; - easy--to' procure^.owing -to tho I eiigines:'being.- engaged ijar,.",6tner- work. Anxious, however, to push,'on the 'draining,. ; ho - was aperiiiig ..tronchfcs.. : ; lhto .' some .' ho .1 .was . putting tiulher j gathered up from: th 6 ;i fields;:'and . in : others -.pipes- -were .vised. ; vHe j . found;the timber : rely suitable for t-he.drains, 1 arid-,6veh:,when.-it Was riot sound 'lit'.-answered; I .tho. purpose' fdiv a.numbcr;of-years.', It is j cheap, : arid:-,.there ; is. the - further advantage .J ■that in :-biisli ;c6imtry y6U':.nre -cl6S.ring -tho. J land, at ;;tiio' same ,tirt6A-VPipes ; of Course, : •.{ ■were, preferable;- as;,wheii;- otide laid,they-were; , 1 there-practically for. all: tiine. . Butythe chief £ dr^a^'.te-(bhej ! 4 price!..of' pipes j-aiid tho -fcost: of opening arid' < closingi tho .idrains:: 'Hb ; wouj.d - hot say that - he .preferred the .plough, especially iii : rough.. { country .-alt-hough lie had seeti it. .used several I s : tihies wliere .timber .ti'as aShthe/efigille ; t ■ and . tho' ploiigli. could iW'ind rih.'.dnd;,6fltv.be-. tw^en>-thc! : io|S.|&nd ; stUmJjs; i, ' ■ 'Another farmer, speaking on' ! the same"siibt ■' jeot',..pointed;out.that.iiiiaMvell-drairied/field ) teed camej.awav.mucli".earlier.^inHheispriiigi'. Hb had not; tried .a i .drain-ploughj r but had ® , -used was spread; ovor the; fields,*.-arid.' with the: as- J sistanee; of •/ some-: logs, -ii rid- timber -arid - the: '5 topsoil, a. permanent drain' was constructed.. ,1 : _ The- writer.; also 'knows of• another farmer J in! ithe iColyton district, who'igoesiin largely '•?' fordrain4ploughing, - Sftd:: 6v'ei*y; : J»e&r • adds ;; acres: and. acres ,to< th 6 arfeii; of drained' land .upon his-, farm.- Good results have followed; ■ .arid-as a : few- more months: wilh see'the heat ' • andi- burden -oi the.'' dairying;, over h for/ ithe.': i! present it-;riiight tbe/.'advisablo i.for' ' E thosevwhoj have, riot ■ given draining: serious, i' consideration, to make;their 'first :Gxperimori.t ' The ;resuljt'vwill : :"o.e'rtaiiilyi beiCticour6ging. :

'.V, = I

"' . . A. LEAD. : ■ is . A Kimbbltoii farriVor,' in the coitfse'of con-: ■ vorsation with our Manawatu representative ' the otlifih 'day, suggested*'that' th6"G6vei'ri-' oncourfigo the r children: itfettd* j irig Stateischools'to'ilidulgd in'tree planting^ ■ The: matter coiild bo easily, takbn up in connection., with' the school gardens., It wan ■ pointed 'out that' ah*cady.;' : Kimbolt'on'; school c had raado a- move in this dircetioiV,, and '.the 1 . children. received' every' oijcourageirient ; from: j !. the committee. The 'schciho. 1 could; lie:.easily worked'if-the'Depai'tiiiont 'of ' Agriculture ' would supply to' the children -the class '■ tree best adapted fof : the various localities. The fArmer\add6d' ; j;hat this practice Was carried'but'in ' Switzerland, and 'some 600,000 trees .ware s supplied ! ''to the; children! every, : ■ year;: /Bed^^^g'-'a'ii^rW^'o'rtiw; 7 ■ 1 tlib additional 'piirposo ,of ' : providiit'g shelter ; , woultTbe served; Every,' 'oji this. Coast' > • knows well : lhia!t sheltpiv>i?!Vessential -if . the f [ stock aro'to be' properly s cared for during tlip , •! winter, yet,'•'■with'tallithoi& / past iexperioiiceS 1 in this respect,Jt.is iis.tonislnng to,'hote-h'o\v.' •' ' few. ■ farais are,,'fortified ■■ with .'. anything- like - 1 ' sufficient shelter.",Slielter. almostVdbes; away £ with the necessity' of providing' covers for ■■ stock. ' . ( ■ : :•' • 1 , ■■ , t

NOTES FROM THE SOUTH. t

.Our .Woodbury' correspondent" writes] Prospects seeni to indicate a good Harvest, J hut more ' raiu.. will . b'o .welcome.... I drove ] through tlio Mayfield aiid.Mount.Somcrs di?-, ( tricts _ a few'days ago,. and found' the want s .of'rain very, marked.. Oat? crops,';a few. 1 inches io height,'were apparently ready for :i . cutting. Near'Mayfield a paddock-of oats 'j : was already stooked,,-and few ; promise more j than twenty-live bushels to the acre.' Early s turnips have come' up..'in"a,: very disjointed, t : fashion—more!sorrel than turnips.- The dry 1 . weather, has delayed 'the sowing- of -the-main crop, and a, couple .of day,'s rain would he. f of great assistance. Some . of, the'farmers 1 are talking of putting in the stripper to 1 collect .the oat : ,crop, .instead of; harvesting" 1 . in '. the ; usual 'way.. .'.Along . thevAshburton c George, and towards . Hakatere. and Clont -f Ilills,: feed is still plentiful, and the crops 1 look well, ('though ..near the' -strearn • callod^ the Stour the oats are rather yellow, ; and ' would'.; derive-'"great. 'tionefit' 'from a heavy 1 rainfall. : In. thei Woodbury,-.Kakaliu, and 1 Geraldinc districts thero is .'nothing in■' par- 1 tieular at , which to grumble. In Kakahu' the corn crops aro rather short, but with, favourable weather for harvesting the yield will be good.; and. near ..Woodbury. I. noticed - an oat- crop which'should'go '60 bushels to ; the acre. In-certain: placos;feed is getting scarce, but ; the; sheep, taken all round,: aro looking well, and tlio .-wool, clip has. been satisfactory, . .Tho ,outlook , for the orchards . is very good. There .appear to bo a plentiful ■ supply of apricots and poaches. Plums arc ■ not quite'so prosperous, but,thero is a" nicc even crop! of apples. •• Pears aro rather thin ill places', but," as a wholo, orchard prospects are good. Small birds have increased to an 1 alarming extbnt, flocks of. sparrows haunting - every' field -' of ripening grain, 'and!'thrushes aiid blackbirdsl -raiding the currants and ' other, bush fruit, as soon as it shows colour. ■' If not-checked,,the small bin! pest will cauße' ' much moro damage in ' Canterbury than , tho! ' rabbit; which is here well under, control! ' ! j

PROFITABLE DEAL IN SHEEP. :

' At the Waverlcy saleyards a pen of ewes ' and a'few. lambs were bought by a dairyman '{ . during the winter, when feed was scarce, , for 3s. each. Thcv improved wonderfully, . grew a good, fleece, aiid have now been sold I for 17s. ;4d. each,..'.lambs-"in." These nuni- ■ bored only about forty. : Still', it was a nice 1 , little, deal, for. the second owner. '

. THE SHEARERS' DISPUTE. i

The farmers and shebpowners' in the Kin;- 1 bolton. district (telegraphs our Feilding cor- ! respondent) ' will hold a meeting on Satur- j day noxt to: consider'urgent matters in con- | nection with, the Shearers' Union demands; J . T : — I

UPS AND DOWNS. !

THE LEVEL OF PRICES. In a review article yesterday the "Foilding Star" says:—"Tho farming community in this district are coming out of their spring troubles much moro satisfactorily than was anticipated somo two months ago, for to-day every prospect appears' to bo pleasing for P the man on'thbiand. Truo, wool has had a ' neck-breaking fall, but it must bo romein- S bcrcd that it went up previously to a dizzy j hoight, and. none of our pastoralists cropkecl t their' necks in .watching tho pricos climbing i up, like an Amorican skyscraper." "Up like i a rockot, down like a stick" is peculiar' to markets, but Feilding's district does not I live by wool alone. There are other things, c and whilst dairymen are getting good ro- 1' turns for their butter fat, growers of grain s aro smiling at the upward tendency of rates for their prcduco of the soil. Shearing has ■ been successful, haymaking is of the best j possible nature, the harvest prospects are 0 bright, and,, to uso an apt colloquialism, t 'Everything in tho garden is lovely' for I tho o.noniaz of the new year.'" V

THE LAND HUNGER.

sow; IsOTES B1 A RAJLBLfitJ «/ T!; or ei;»w a , block-i,of.-',.Government: land (vi rites , 0ur,,... Travelling Correspondent) y ?" lc ' l >'■ -Wi-..opened ;-;y for-..v,- 1,-selectionun-der jtho Bush .and .>S\va.n)j) Lands ii Act. If anything wis ,needed: to show What ahugo Ramble i.tho land ballot is, this land furnishes a ease, 111 point. Now..tllera wire any amount of bbna fido settlors-ahxious to securo a-sfce-tMA, who were uulucky Jit tbo: ballot/ -while •there ivero.. several speculators—ono cannot icall, thom, anything, drew the'lucky marble., .What.;has-bfißii- the l ;result;P i on« cafe L thtis ;ction 'iad-boon, hold : only: two years, twenty,,acrfcs of bush -wore felled,' and tho goodwill- was sold for £400. . Anothef Section,.-upon.,.whioh - no ■'improvements • had been, made, yas. sold again for £250.: .There are other: parallel instancoS. . .Somo of.' these speculative selectors Wore meiVWith just suffi- ; contv to.-pay! ; the first«half-yq&r's 'renty >and ftith.no experience as> farmers- • ' '■ ■ No 'doubt .this land" hunger -' is '"a'-knotty-ipftiiitji Still,-it«would; seehii.more .-in keeping: with,-.tho nature.. of:,.things-';that.-those' who have ( bo6iV , brought: up. to ..farming' , should havo the preforehefi., i Wo .hear a lot now.v ,days ,of ; : [jrefoienCe.,,./It, seems' td.tme:: .that ; ipraferel.icfe.tb ,C good line. : vAt j'tho ;.same arid tailors, soldiers - and, sailorsj and wharf lumpers ,vho mako goodfartiiers; bceailso I have known them personally:'-If therfi is -tho tjreat hxinger for lafid.whicll is said to exist, Why not take the- bull by-tho horns," do:the bold thing, ; and let all land and leases; <be sold at auction; no doubt income.caseS-pur" Chasers would gne too high & 'price, but in jmost.i instances .-this would rsOon ;rifcht'-it-'' self. The-iGovornmdnt would-vccrtaimy :get iviihat-ivhich'- iio.vp: ; gde&: objectionable -lalid gamblers. ~. ..;» ... il well Tdmomber tho day when the Kairanga Block near. Palfnorston was sold.:: It- Wassold' Uiidcr - the. hammer,, arid - ha 3' 'bceiv one of. the-greatest- successes- of> the cnulitry. /What a ntdto of exciteWimt-tlie. audienco gbt into 'When'-a'tfcorner, section, with standing bush)- .jusfr-outsideythe 'Palmersion BfiroUgh botmdary, was run-up to £4 il6s- and«£4'-1765 (id., - aiid .finally ;knocked dOwii ftt-£s' per afrre.-. .'Such. ai-price Jiad. never been -heard of before. tho'buyor was a wiso m&n; He iV&s, 1 and is Still),m the Police Force, aiid. when-he': wishes- to retird .ho has ono of .tho' best .farms in the .Paifilerstou.''District upon' Which he tali'end Ink days

A GLOOMY FORECAST.

Feathorstons'- harvest ,-. yield(wlto&'our ■Featherston correspondent) ; this season a will -show a • fallin";-oif of 50 per roentgen that of ,last season, duo to -the'long .&hd': early .spell of •dfy---wi;athpi ; i;:\ • \jy)\i#(■?.>;... ■"'''y-■■V-.-V . y». —Ti'.i :

WAIRARAPA NOTES. '

; Although: tlioro • .18 nothing- very,, remarkable, excopt poorness 111 quality, -111 nearly all ~ oat .crops ill the • Wairarapi; Aii-exeoptibri is provided 'in ,a> small..crop, grown*by Mr. all round was particularly good, and -some* of the shoavos ,cut..soven. foot In lengthi'ilio recent,rams m the. Wairnrapa. have apt:,been of any , porceptible benefit, to the district. Hie whole ,area-iil the, South WairA-' riipa .is .very -dry,-:< t the-...'gfsfss'v is' - almost ; a goldeh, yellow, and ■ CVCrythuif! continues" 1 to bo sunbaked::, ;/. ,The,.milk . supply Vat all, tbff factories.-;-in, diminishing.^',: