AT THE AUSTRALIAN SHOWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 256, 22 July 1908, Page 3

AT THE AUSTRALIAN SHOWS.

MR. J.-M. JOHNSON REPORTS.:' Mr. J. M.. Johnson,- who, as- representative of the Manawatu:A. and P. Association, attended the ■' 'recent' big Australian shows, has ' submitted . an.interestingcomprehensive rfr port';to'the;Ass6ciatipii! ;■ ■' , ' ',■ - Mr.-.Johnson:appears'toiliave been received' as a Manawatu representative "should havo been received,, at every. plqco except : Sydney. But of Sydney .he says "Immediately. ori.arrivalTwas handed complimentary tickets' by-letter from Mr; Somers,' Secretary of the; Royal Agricultural Society, and was requested to call at : his office on; ar : rival at the gr&unds; This I' did," and handed ' in 'toy,j'le'ttervSriff Authority, and -.introduction, . . .togetlie?:with;another' letter from Mr. E; : . D. ■ which, theoffici'al in'the 'office 'Xproniisedi'tov at .once : Hiind to' Mr. ■ &mers-,-but t6ld -mo;it: was impossible': to'see Mr;' Somers, ns lie was engaged. I regret ■ to- say. Mr. Somers did" not-inake.it convenient to extend tho > courtesy of interviews which, as ropresonta'tivo of this Association, ! would i naturally havo; expected; but Ij received, at' tho- handsS.'pf pother "associatiohs in '.' New. ■ South Wales/and .Queensland, where 11 called and inspect®;! thb grounds,'the utmost- kindness arid consideration." ' ■ During'.-tfis'vstay 'in' Australia, Mr: Johri--7 wn'.visited $hp':Sydney,; Brisbane,;-Rocl?hampr, ':^n7..?^ i ,• . aijd: several ( of ,tfie ..other ' smaller "- 'founds—a r total 1 of : twenty-two "'so--. . . cieties' I The Government of New ; South' W^eV' gives all -Av -arid :]?.;societies -of that. .State,lss.; for- every £1. collected;, in mpiribe?sV'?ubscrip,ti<)ns,' : and lOsl for- every;£l ' society-;'can re-' ceiveVjijifre .than;£]ooo..-■ : ,'. . ' "the .'district .courts at;the Syd-. • ney| $oyal; Show;' Mr; '. Johnson says these " .- ■ exhibits"cost the various, districts ;at least \ £200feach • inexpenses. ■' This amount, is col; , . lebtisd-.'by .-.the farmers various A. : and/P. associations,;.tho townspeople-in the ..' yaYjiiis towns;. and public bodies. . . The far- .' mors;-';<lpnatc the "'produce; which,--aft'er; the, . shpw',' M'-spld';'to'^stJ;'.#fttij.tfo^.a»"<(mi > .al-- •. roady. collected, in '4ef raying;-expenses.. -.'The, "• /prize^mpiieyvis;;'£3oo; if. ;there are. four' and '• .under, seven'. distncts : eshibiting;:'and'£4o.Q"if districts'/winning the- prizes: pool them for 'further exhibits.',. At this .• ..''show,-tliere. .were.twelve -entries;. . In the ,New : ■ Zpalarid exhibit/there .was butter-put rip-; in ; tins "and.'glass-''jars'; It was explained 'that '. it was ..put: up in this way "for export to Eastcm'ports.- "V v;,: ' - ••; Thp. Government I Department' makes a big - display,-in-a ,hp built by the . Government. Tho 'Government Stud Farm at : Berry," exhibited' Shorthorns;'- ' Guernseys, ■ Ayrshire's, . Holsteins, Jerseys;; Red Dextor"Kerrys; .and'Hawkssbury. College':exhibited f - their Various stud: pij^y- - At-tho .'sheep pavilion they baa an econo- . mical. way of-feeding sheep. Between 'the 'rows there was a double row of "hurdles,-and the hay or. green - feed was, piit in-between these : hurdles, -and i was thus" available' to two-pens' of - sheep with little waste. NITROGEN NODULES. , SOME ADVICE ON LEGUME INOCULATION. ' Some - on tho work , of ilcgumo in;oculatioh; with : the; bacteria which form ' the . nodules ■ on , the .roots;' of . clover./ and ', other - . legumes; pnd;; from; tlio air, • IS ?' vel ? pf. experiments -.by/thoStates. Department -, of> Agriculture..' . "'ho main facts brought out aro:— J" nodule.formation improves the' chemical composition as well as increases tho , quantity. of a leguminous crop. . . : ... , 2. Lnguminouscrops' with nodules are moro valuable, as: greon' manure, .than leguminous. ' crops lacking nodules, . • . ~3.,Npmatodp:galls, or root, knots resemble : lioaules'- in'i atrpcarance,- : but the.v aro very injurious, and card ; should bo taken not- to r confuse : the two growths. -::: -. 4. It is wisest:to depend on-pure cultures - for, inoculating: purposes.., If 'soil : is. to ho.. - used, however,' great ;Dreeaut.ions should bo . taken :in selecting and j handling the soil to guard ,against: the introduction,.of weeds or 1 plant diseases. 1 • ' i v ':'- ' •■. , AXEMEN'S ASSOCIATION. - An , Elthani.' Press 'Association !V message ' ■ states - ihat. at tho, aruiual meeting l of the New-Zealand:,Axemen's Association on Mon- ' .day night-.theirepprt'showed that 636.'license's -• ' were . issued during tho; year, , and that fort ,three, societies .aro/,.affiliated.Thb l profits on:tha'yoar's' workings were £43.: '.Tne .receipts'for, the year-amouriteci-to i 685 19s. r9d;, ', including gato takirigsfat tlie Christmas, carnival, ..which -wore a record. - ■ Lord -Pluiiicet/ was roTolected patron, - and ' ' tho/fpllowiiig': wero!appointed, j directors':— Messrs. Alf. Ha'nseui F. A. Mooro. T. Eeilly, T. C.-Stanners, W; Stanners, G. W. Taylor, L. Hill. ■ , THE. FARMERS' UNION. , , The. Farmers'-.Union has'lately 'made/very . • great strides .'throughout-the Dominion. .' Elu'- ■ .: t-husiastic - meetings' have been held in many pa.rts, .and new branches are being lormpd, '.-.in;all,directions.;,;:; Among tho in'ore.'recent■ .; branches': formed \arc/ ? thoso at Tadmor and Bi'ighiwater'''(Nelsbii), Pelorus: Soundsj : Martinborough (^ r air*arapa), Marigawcka and-To Kapua ; '(.Vlain. Trunk Lino). ' ' - ; 1 ' WINTER AGRICULTURAL. SCHOOL .: - ThoMVanganui Education* Board, which (h.'.S' ■ ;.been,. displaying; a' : keen"; enthusiasm.' iii /agri- ; cultural matters,, contemplates establishing-, a. .. .winter;:-5ch061,.-at .Elth'am,V wh'erp.. instruction : , will , bo. giveii^jh!,;.agricult\iral. aiid" dairying . . scioricoj-'farm'ers'-.bbok-kebping, : ; etc., ' : arid''>l(3fc-,- ;.. ture3'-will' be; giveh. oii' - vetoriiiai'y ■ and 'other ■ subjects..-;TheV Taratiaki' Executiv'd.- of ,-tlid' Farmers'. Union has.decided to give the move-ment-'its hearty ■support'., ' MEAT FOR PALESTINE. ' • Thel'-British- Consul 'at, Jerusalem, 'says lie ' has;tried ( to induce local' firms to' enter'into • relations with Australia .'with a view , to'the "introduction of frozen meat.'-' ..Meat is:there 'ot .very _inferior. quality, and is sold at very high prices./ I But. the total absence of; all . facilities for cold'.-.stora'go_ renders- such. an' undertaking-- impossible at present. Ho points ■to the great increase of population as . justifying-itradqVenterprise. ' / '. BUSH DISTRICT PASTURES. SAVED BY FOGS. ' Tho -pastures aro not. looking too well at - present, in .the; Bush;.Disliricts:;-(writes"our Wairarapa:'correspondent), -but.; they, -havo ■ been'largely..sa\;ed by : .the';prevalence; of. fog's, . which.'.this season., have .constituted a record \ ia number, and havo served; as,;a, .sort Vof blanket in preventing , the suil from striking . . upon the frost-bitten,grasses...... .. . . - ..- —— 1 ■ LAMBS APPEARINC. Though it;is exceedingly: early' in.. the'. seaBon (says our. Levin correspondent), one or two lambs aro to bo, seen already in this district. A few ; are in evidenco 'on. a farm, at Heathorlea,' and they should command: good prices for tho .tabic,, if . they aro able to Withstand the winter. . ; ' ,• Lambing has alreiady begun in the Feilding district (says,our correspondent). . Mr. Vv. Eeid, of Makino, found two lambs in his . paddock at the end of last week, dropped ' by. two of. his purebred Romncy ewes. The • weather; is i much too cold yet to suit lambing ' . in this district.- • DOCS WORRYING SHEEP. There arc complainings all over tho Feilding district (says our correspondent), of tho worrying of sheep by stray dogs. A number of sheep have already been . worried to ; death. - '■■ -