GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 687, 11 December 1909, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Hip Minister fbr.Agriculture, Commerce,' and lonnsts, has received advico,' from tho Army Council, London, of-contracts for tho supply °. f , ! ncal r, al ' <l foi'nge- t o ' the troops in South .iirica,'.tenders for which close on January ■ " .'"Hi. 10 .ipspechvely. Forms of tender, con- ; particulars ..of contracts, may bo obtained on application to. the Director, CommDrce and rouristf Division, Public Trust Building, Wellington. ■■■,•:.•' . Has any farmer ever experienced a year wherein no ono predicted that it was "going to bo an unusual ly hot summer"?' This year wo nrp told that.: an unusual abundance of- cab-bage-treo. flowers is noticed. The Maoris say it.indicates a: hot.summer." It seems to be tho usual thing.to saddle "Poor Maori" with all-'thcso, curious httlo fictions.' ' ■■■•./ /..Tho/ Prime./'Atinister has. consented to' be pah-oii of the South' Taranaki Winter Show, and has intimated that he will endeavour to be present nt,the opening show'ia-June next. ' Mr -o- L °; 'BjdwiU, of Pihauten, has had a ffi^I 001 ■■? this Ho has. shorn « Eatoner. sheep, which havd produced an avoragollyield/of 111b; soz. of. wool. ' At cur--fpnt 'ra(,es. this is equal.to' about .thirteen shillings worth of : wool per head;-The 205, bales he i ;has ] for. tho market ought to bring in considerably more.than .£IOOO in revenue. /; //It is now-mentioned as probablo 'that three A Zealand breeders of sheep will tako stock to tho. international show in Argentina, bpenyis ? n ; T Junt ' 3 " ext - They are Mr; Ernest Short (Eomneys), Mr.- ,E.. Perry . (Lincolns), and\:Jlr..-W.;,11. Wyboarne (Lincolns)./ An overland ./return- trip across America is also contemplated. :; i. :. : ..,.''..:' •-Ai T^r ?" alc ! firmer suggests: as a "'solution of. .tlio;pig-prico" trouble that buyers of bacon.ers be. asked to classify, the pigs and pay 4d. per, pound for top-fed,, 3d. ,for medium, ahd' 2d. for bad. -Ho thinks this would improve the chss;of.'animals:produced. .;■/• ■■■■~. • Some'indication of the amount of cropping for;' winter feed- to be dono 'in- dairying districts is Given by, the."Hawera Star," which says, that maize appears to again be a. popular crop, and will Occupy a larger.atea.- Turnips and; mangolds will again occupy increased areas, this' -being/.chiefly consequent ■ oh■■•'■, tho . new forms/that have been brought-in for■' dairyingj which .-were previously/ussd for pastoral pur-' poses. : Another factor'is that; farms are being more/closely'stocked,. -,50.. that- more cropping is imperative Oat crops for hay are now being out, 'and' ensilage and haymaking, operations T/ill,shortly commence, the paddocks now showing air,-excellent;growth. >, ; - .; : A. Masterton authority says that buyer's es-timate-that the sale'' of ."wool in /New Zealand this',season mil not; be far short'.' of 300,000 bales. Last year, about'so per. cent, of New Zealand-grown'wool was ; sold within the : Dominion, and this/year,-the/percentage'has advanced .to-between .60 and,7o. .In Australia, /too, : about 70 per cent, of tho wool " gi'owu is sold .locally. ■.■'. ;/'.;.': • : . : --'.--.'-'-'-"'"- ...Mr.;Little, a farmer at Bnnnythor'pe, is on«. of .-■ the ./favoured / few . who escapo the; potato' blight. -Tho.ugh situated iniv neighbourhood affected; by,.blight,, ho. .has not: had. a. sign: ot. the'/diseaso in his crops the last four, ssasous.' -. Ho attributes ..this immunity from attack-to; tho fact/of his not having sown on the same ground, successively."'• He has 'grown all 'leading ivaneties'of.ipotatbes, and puts' no faith in the, claim. that. one has greater blightresisting, qualities than, another. / ':":'•'■ :' ■ / : .; .Tho/Warea-Cheese; I'actory is/now/makingabout. 23 cbeeses'a day,-and thei Newell Road Factory, about .'l7. daily,: each.weighing from ,701b. ; ;t0, 75ib.'/;/;/;/ ///. ;>:','//: / • ; .,/•, '■■ :Tho/Sorith : TarnnaKi Winter. Show .buildings ;at ; rHaW'3ra willvbo erected on freehold land, not.'oh/.leasehold as:/was,'.at.,first .proposed. ,' ' "The.Auckland A : . /and/P. ;Association (says an exchange) ./certainly./errs .on- -tho side of liberality, for/eyery/'iiiPmbbi'-rPver ia thousand -pis - provided; with free, luncheon on show day. So/: niany took - advantage, of the .opportunity; .at: tho: last .show,,that many of the judges and 1 , stcwards.';had,/tb...content themselves .with', a ;gbod gam: at/the, tablecloths,'/..■:. ,/ :■'/•'/' /" ;

-.Prdm'.ircpprfs;:'.which :,are in..circulation'.";in .'Tar'anakijiiwriies your travelling ' correspondent, : the district'ftarroirfy;; escaped Hhb.disastor, of/a [strike" employees.''!■■"The 1 ,one : . of the" 'men,, 'Seventy /hours ;a/tveek, and ,'no day"'off. -It : was too. 'much'-for us,' so : ,'we hold meetings, and. the. result : was*-jthiit everything was in' reiidinesa for,a general strike,.'/which would have'.taken .place, ; this'Jime';';; Particulars ...of the ..luovembnt-leaked ; :ont, ■'however, ■'and inauthority .conceded-; us,a;day off per .week. This tended''to thel situation, but-still we are not receiving: the ;,wages; .we should receive for -'-.the work.";; ■•■' Op'r.. infornjant,' who was. afirst assistant,-'.'was receiving £2 10s." per-wcek, according •'to. his 'statement,, .while .others' lower down;.,on •• the ' scale. •he said,. wero ,beine paid M -and;jep:,Ss.;:pef-week; ;. ./. X':: .£;-/;'■..

-A milk-stirring to prevent' the creanv-f roni -rising to the top of the milk has been' patented, by a.young' man.riaihed : Sewell, a .former resident' of the ,'Wairarapa,: and: a' Hv,.:.Hopkirky..of',.HaweTa.',. The stirrers : are something,-like:, ship propellers,., and -they are jilaccdin operation by.avweight.'wbrking bn'a pulley...: At .the present •-time,;:many .farmers go through the laborious task: of .getting up several' times.at night, and stirring•,the-inilk with -a stick.- . Well-stirred milk > usually- returnsvthe.'highest everything .else' being .equal. '..' : ';''v!'':'/ : .-'':'" '■•.'.■• ;. ,»'>y.,W.. '■'• :: ... ■