DEPARTMENT'S ANNUAL REPORT

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 320, 6 October 1908, Page 5

DEPARTMENT'S ANNUAL REPORT

INTERESTING REVIEW. • NEW DEPARTURES HINTED AT. The sixteenth annual report of the Department of Agriculture was presented to Parliament yesterday afternoon. .' Progress: Made. , The introductory chapter by the Secretary for Agriculture, Mr. J. D. Ritchie, undor date of last July, 1 points out that the number of holdings over one acre in extent increased by .'1029 during the year. [This increase is slightly less than the average increase of, .the last eight years, for in that period the total increase has been 10,581.1 The increase is duo both to subdivision or ■lar."v. estates' and to settlement of Crown lanus. The report states that the urea under occupation increased during the year by . .155,805 acres. But there ,was a much greater increase ,in the area actually cultivated— namely, an increase of 515,514 acres. These figures show the distribution of the increases . Increase. Acres. Corn and pulse ... . ... ... 32,456 Green'crops ... ... ... ... 64,999 Sown grasses on ploughed land ... 143,076 ■ '...' „ . unploughed land 266,698 ■ Orchards, gardens, plantations, etc. 11,032 The Predominant Industry. . AVlien ,the secretary goes on to refer to the total proceeds of the fanning efforts of the Dominion,'he gets into big figures. He estimates'the-total'value, of New Zealand's agricultural, pastoral, dairy, and hemp products for the year ended September 30, 1907, at £25,000,000, of which £17,000,475 worth ;was exported. The farm, produce used locally was therefore worth £7,999,525.' The wool used locally weighed 6,000,0001b5. The sheep and lambs . used locally numbered 2,250,000. . From these'figures'it : would'ap-pear-that New Zealanders (including babies) eat 21 sheep or lambs each every year, and wear out-61bs. of wool. The actual, c'onsumption of beef, pork, etc., are not stated, but the report estimates, that "the consumption of grain, butter, cheese, and other products is also probably greater per head of the population than in any other country." The exports other than farm products being only estimated at ■ £2,687,098, it follows .that, the farm products are 86.35 per cent, of the whole of New Zealand's exports. Tho total exports increased'on .the year,, by £2,132,723, and the farm .produce exports'by! £2,030,397.

The Crops. . .. . 7 The secretary - states'.; '/that: '. "On tho • whole the harvest has been' well up' to. tho average in yield per acre. The area in wheat, • however, was greatly circumscribed, owing' chiefly to dry weather during the ploughing and sowing period, ind 'also to , the. general trend in the agricultural districts towards sheep-farming, ;the legislation regarding the import duty on' wheat having -little or no' effect." - ' ' ■•' ; .... • •A'reference to the drought and fires and their effect on stock for winterfeed, concludes. . with the romark that "the vital importance of preserving stocks for fodder for winter use has, however) been emphasised, andy .as. a consequence, many inquiries are received for information,regarding the making of ensilags and crops suitable/for preserving by this process. A leaflet on the subject will be issued shortly. - The Sheep.

. Tho prolific lambing of 1906 was exceeded in. 1907, tho average increase being 68 per cent, for merinos and.B9 per. cent. foi; v other . classes. . There' was - a low-mortality;' and a reduced .'slaughter, especially of wothers, and under 'these circumstances, tlie, increase recorded, in"'the official "returns ' shows that "tho removal of the sheep 'rate.has'not been followed by/such an-increase in the! sheep returns as to support tho ■ suggestion that .the tax had : been to'any considerable extent evaded." ... ■ The Vanishing Merino. "The decre'ase ' merino flocks con-' tinues, and.intensifies the difficulty,'of 'maintaining the production of half-bred wool and mutton 'and lamb of: the fine quality for which the Dominion has been : famed. Wool of half-bred quality,. combing staple, and .lustrous colour, ..has been less affected than any other class of-cross-bred. wool by the recent adverse'movements of the market,, and it is year by,year becoming scarcer. In' the.meat-market, too, the demand for small mutton of fino at: a substantia] premium in price, is unsatisfied. Without merino ewes as a for the halfbred flocks there will be, greater need than, ever for the' exercise of care and intelligence in sheep-breeding, not only in stud flocks, but also iii the standing flocks of' the runs and farms. •" N ' . Where North Sheep-owners are Lax. ■ "The quality of the lambs exported .has fluctuated with the conditions, of weather and'feed. The early (milk) lambs were good; after,'weaning came a period of light weights and poor condition; and after the rains had revived the pastures and. fodder-crops tho quality was excellent; but 'at., this period the export was almost-entirely; 'from the South Island. If the. North Island is to contribute to.the lamb-export trade in proportion to the dimensions of its flocks, the cul: tivation of suitable food for fattening ; must be systematically undertaken. ; Smaller Mutton Wanted. ' "No improvement in the quality of tho mutton exported can bo recorded, nor can ariy .be expected while the best of.tho stock are sent away' as lambs. ' Soino improveriierit is desirable in the breed of the sheep in those districts,, particularly in the worth Island/ whero the export necessarily consists chiofly of mutton. The demand of the Brit-. ™ consumer is for a. small, well-fed carcass, and the difference in .price between such and heavy coarso sheep has been very marked throughout the year., "Prices.■ of lamb' have been, maintained at a very satisfactory level, and mutton has sold fairly well, though tending lower at time of writing. Thus, despite the reduction of about one-half in the prico of wool and pelts compared with last season, farmers have received good prices , for their fat stock." Trifling with an Evil. _ As to tho flooding of the' markets with inferior rams unfit for' breeding, tho secretary says:—'!Tho.position is one which calls for serious attention. A great many of theso inferior rams are from flocks registered' by one or another of the sheep-breeders' associations. There have even been cases during tho year in which sheep from some of tho most highly reputed stud flocks havo come under this adverse criticism. A num- • ber of these, inferior sheep have been exported to Australia,' with the result that the reputation of . New Zealand sheep as a wholel is injured. . . The remedy is in a rigid inspection, before shearing) of every registered flock and a drastic culling of every sheep which does not conform to the type of the breed of which, tho flock consists. Tho Sheep-breeders' Association (South Island branch) has during the year recognised the necessity of this step, done no more towards carrying tho principle into practico than to inspect the registered flocks of ono breed in tho past season, and resolve upon tho inspection of the flocks of ono other breed during the ensuing year. The North Island branch will go no" further • than to inspect sheep upon transfer. These decisions are trifling with tho evil, which at such a rate will require a generation to eradicate. • . . ' . The initiation of inspection of Btnd flocks in tho South Island'has brought about a voluminous controversy regarding tho system. It is significant that tho antagonism does not proceed from owners of flocks of tho breed (Border Leicester) 'which has been inspected this year.. The principal objection, that different' breeders have different ideas of type, might bo overcome by the appointment, o for each breed, of judges holding different views (where such exist) as to type", and the

flockowner to have the option of selecting any one from the list of judges of his breed to inspect his flock. All sheep passed by tho inspectors should receive a distinctive mark." In this connection the report refers to the flock ram glassed at shows as a dircct encouragement of the degenerate, which should at once be abandoned. Cood Brooding Flock. "The high price of breeding-ewes for several years past has encouraged a good many farmers to give some attention to breeding their own ewes instead of depending upon purchasing them at the autumn sales. If this movement. continues, and extends, and is wisely conducted it will result in a very desirable improvement in farm flocks. In the past too much heed has been paid to passing fancies in sheep-breeding; first one breed and then another being preferred, and none adhered to; the consequence being seen in -the mongrel character of many of the small flocks.. This can only be remedied by culling the standing ewe flock to as uniform a standard as possible, eliminating every owe with any trace of down cross, or which has borne a lamb to a down ram, and usiug thoroughly weil-bied rams of uniform character. Speculators Lose. "At the'beginning of the season large numbers of store sheop were bought by speculators, for delivery at various periods aftor shearing. The demand was inactive, and heavy losses were made on these sheep, many of which from the North Island, Marlborough, and Nelson travelled to the extreme south of tho South Island without finding buyers. The imports from Chatham Island to Canterbury, too, were larger than in any previous season. Despite the drought the number of sheep boiled down was little above the normal. A Dipping Suggestion. "Inefficient dipping is still too prevalent; and the law is in many cases entirely evaded, the dipping material being blamed when the presenco of vermin in the sheep is detected. A 'dip brand,' to be placed on each sheep as it enters the dip, would enable owners to asjoriain whether any of their sheep had escaped dipping." ' Angora Coats. "The flocks at Bickerstaffe (North Auckland) and Motuara Island (Queen Charlotte Sound) have made good'progress. The progeny of the. second and wiird crosses of the 'Angora from'the common goat show a satisfactory approach to the. mohair type, and :tho fleeco is assuming a commercial value. The efficiency of the goats, both pure and crossbred; as. destroyers of blackberry, briar, and ipther 'weeds",has .been', proved in many situations, .and there is'a great demand for both sexes for use in breeding'herds for this purpose." -■ ' Tho Wool Clip. "The general opinion regarding the last season's' New Zealand: clip was that there was some improvement in quality, tho proportion of very coarsa wool not being so large. ■ There was a little! improvement in tho preparation of the wool for market, but there is room for much further advance in this respect. The establishment of woolclassing classes in several. districts is a step towards greater efficiency in dealing with tho'farmer's most valuable product. "The loss which is caused to manufacturers by the presence ofjute-fibres in tho wool has led to. exhaustive investigations being made in England and elsewhere with a view to discovering means of obviating tho complaint. Whatever may be the decision arrived at,, it;will certainly .involve thouso of a more costly pack than the jute tare at present in general use. It may bo suggested .that ,in ,the .meantime .the .evil may be mitigated, by. the, present, make of packs .being used 'outside-in' —that is, with the dressed surface of the material, next the wool." Fattening Operations. "The number of sheep and lambs (hoggets) which are in course of fattening in almost all 'parts of the Dominion has never beforo been so large at' this period of tho year. Pastures and roots mado : a marvellous recovery from' tho effects of the summer's drought and tho "large area, of oats, barley, rye, 'etc., sown after - harvest made .rapid growth, while the: winter has been, on tho whole, mild'and lopen. There is pro-,: mise of a good lambing, so that prospects for the ensuing season are highly encouraging." The Meat Trade. S " Beef, in quarters, has'maintained its excellent quality; but in quantity it has been 'closely, approached by.'boned' beef. Tho datter article has beon subjected to vigilant (inspection at Home, as well •as in tho meatworks where it is slaughtered and packed, and no charge of being diseased, has (July) been brought against it; ■ Complaints are made, however, of the method in which some of. the consignments are packed, as tending te an unsightly appearance of tlie meat. Legs and pieces of ' m'utt'oii continue to be largely oxported. The. high price of pork throughout the Dominion and a decline in tho London values have caused a decrease in exports. 1 "A small quantity of carcasses of veal has been consigned to the London market, but the experiment has not had encouraging suits. It is ' stated, however, that' for veal of suitable weight and quality, a remunerative market is open. ; Transport Difficulties. "Trade with' British west-coast ports has been steady, but cannot bo fully developed until more, regular communication is guaranteed. Consignees in Manchester, for example, object both t-o having their goods railed to them from London or Liverpool and to tho delay which occurs in the ships travelling round tho coastal ports. • /.' " The Dominion Veterinarian at Homo has noted and reported upon some of'the defects in delivering and handling consignments of meat, and efforts will be made to have them remedied. Various processes for carrying jmeat long voyages>;in the chillcd state are 'under experiment, with hopeful prospects." 'Rabbits. Tho secretary states that in most districts tho suppression of rabbits has been steadily persevered in, with the result that tho number of'skins oxported decreased by 3,165,069. The position in localities whero trapping is carried on is less satisfactory. A proposal" was mado to introduce tho latter system in the Auckland district, where the rabbits aro confined to a small area, but was opposed bj tho Chief Inspector of Stock and tho inspector for the district. Rabbits had been discovered in a district between Napier and Gisborne under circumstances' which indicated that they were wilfully transported there. They were promptly doalt with. In tho Wellington-Walrarapa district rabbits had almost disappeared. international Institute of Agriculture, ' The'report sets out the aims of tho International Instituto of Agriculture, founded in Rome at-a meeting convened by tho King of Italy, and attended by representatives of forty Governments, and adds:—"After consideration of the report and of much correspondence on the subject it was decidcd that New Zealand should become an adherent of tho institute on the same footing as Canada —that is, having two votes in tho General Committee." Market Prices. A new series of statistics appears in tho secretary's report, showing tho prices 'ruling for Now Zealand produco in London in each week of tho preceding year. These tables will in years to come form an interesting record. They could, not have been started at a more interesting time, because in tho past year there has been such an extraordinary fluctuation in the prices of wool and butter.