GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 807, 3 May 1910, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Tho Tawhia cheese factory at Martinborough up to the end of March had produced H per cent, more cheese than lor tho corresponding period of last year. It is expected that most, of the cream : eries of tho Cheltenham Dairy Company will continue to run rieht through the winter. ■ The first big shipment of. wheat for the season is at present being loaded at Timaru for London. It. consists of almost 30,000 sacks of second-grade wheat. Part of the shipment is already sold, and part is' being sent Homo as a specula- ■ tivo venture., Mr. Andrew Young, of Ashburton, has grown a splendid crop of.turnips at Carter's Terrace, Tinwald, which ho has disposed of at M per acre, the purchaser having to remove the turnips in a limited time. The stock markets, at Tβ Kuiti are reported to be still very good, as many as 2000 head-of'cattle, besides sheep and pigs, being frequently offered in the town's large saleyards., . An exchange states that some Nelson people living within half a .mile of tho ■J.'o Kuiti, on the; Main Trunk-line, have Ircen very successful with hop growing. Last season their output was purchased by an Auckland brewer, and the.price paid was far in advance of that paid for the Nelson production. A meeting of. representatives of the various dairy companies of tho Manawatu district, says the Feilding "Star," has been held in I'almerston, for the purpose of regulating tho selling price of butter, [t is stated that though one man reiused to join tho combine, it was decided to set. up a committee to fix the selling price uich month, and stop underselling amongst tho companies. ; Tho farmers of Nelhven and surround- . ing districts have already guaranteed threo hundred cows, and there is evory probability, that the Ashburton Central Dairy-Company will erect a creamery in the Methven district. The-present dry weather.is beßinriinfr, to, tell on.the pastures in the district, says : the'J)uusandel correspondent of a Ohristehurcr- paper '.and' a good day's rain is badly wanted to freshen,.up the leed und allow farmers to -ploiujh grass land. Under the present conditions, it is practically iuiDossiblo .to - break up frass laud, the ground being extremely ard, and even if ploughed, it would bo out' of the question to cultivate the soil to niaku a 'decent seed-bed. i'arnwjrA uiu pushing on with their stubblo and fallow land, and this .week will see wheat-sowing started. Potatoes are coming out of the gn.und iu a bad state, blight being pre,yifient.... . ,-■. i-'V-stf-ric? f-'.c**-,-•■■ 'Mr. E. Sullivan, of' Pahiatua, has'disposed of his pwperty some 1000 odd acres, at Kohinui, to Mr. James Faulkner, of Waugaehu. There were twenty students at the opening of the TaihiiTjo wooT-clnSsing classes last Thursday., : afternoon. -The farmers iu attendance were so' well pleased with the lesson they received ironi Mr. Cahill that it is anticipated the. class will soon grow to a membership of forty. . , Mr. Nottagc, Government Poinologist, is at present naymi; a visit'to' tho Mas-, terton district, and. intends ■ to give a public demonstration of' spraying . fruit ti«es in Masterton at an'early dato:- • ' Mr. • Wm. Gadsby, of Manutahi (near Hawera) lias purchased the goodwill of 1000 acres of native leasehold in the King Country, near Tβ Kuiti, at .£7 par acre. Tho property, says an .exchange, is on'.y partly improved, but is good tliraj-sheep country. Mr. Gadsby is a "Lincoln Stud" master, so-one may form a fair criterion ol his opinion of this district when he himself is- so satisfied as. to pay the price that I am-informed ho has. The fifth annual report of the Taranaki Branch of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Association states that the .association took .£121)4 in premium payments during the year, which was only SSi ahead of lust year's takings. Insurance liability at the close of the year (March 31) amounted to i'l!)8,C0O, against J519i,103 -at the close of the previous year. Policies to the number of 723 average .£202. Fire losses for the year 'were only .£lB 1(13. Tho cash reserve is iS«B 3s. 2d., being .£909,135. 7d. in advance of tho previous year. Premium notes in force amounted to .£9138 17s. 7d. at the close, of the year, an increase of .£O3l 7s. 4d., The directors were satisfiod with the past year's operations, and thought *the outlook good. Their clients had the satisfaction of, having tho rates on ■■ first-class risks reduced from 10s. to Ss. per cent., and they. expected to make a further reduction during this -year.

The advisability of establishing freezing works at Balclutha was considered on I'riday at a meeting of tho Olutha Brunch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union. The project -\yas enthusiastically taken up and a committee of about twenty members was appointed to obtain all necessary information, and call a public meeting. Generally speaking, the proposal is being very strongly supported, and it is hoped in the Chitha district that.the establishment of the works is only a question of time.