GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 840, 11 June 1910, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Tho Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. T. Mackenzie) is collecting information as to tho condition of tho flax trade, and is shortly to discuss tho situation with tho millers at Palmcrston North. A farmer in tho Longbeach district has already a sprinkling of lambs in his flock. During 1909,'88,000 sheep and lambs woro offered for sale at tho Methvcn yards. The yardings have considerably increased' during tho past few .months, and it is anticipated that the total lor 1910 will bo over 100,000. Tho Willowbridgo district in South Canterbury, which is famous for its potatoes, has sent away about half of this season's crop. Tho settlers have obtained n higher price on truck's at Willowbridgo than they could have got in. Dimcdin! Tho potatoes liavo been sent to Auckland. That it pays to breed'and keep a good quality of cattle is a fact that'is fast thrusting itself upon the attention of the farmers (says the "Eltham Post"). Here is an item of local ne.ivs that may help to hammer tho fact home. Mr.'Jacob Marx sold: 26 weaners, grade Jerseys, at prices ranging from £3 to £4, the average being £3 10s Seeing that they were purchased by a dealer it may safely he assumed that they have again changed hands at a higher price. During its five weeks' operations the l'atea Farmers' Co-operative Freezing Company has made a profit of £105. A farm at Auroa, not the best dairying land of tho Waimate Plains, is reported by a Taranaki exchange to have been recently leased at £2 2s. l>er acre, plus rates and taxes. Something in the nature of a Tccord butter-fat, test has been established by a two-ycai-old Jersey cow, the property of Mr. A. J. Jury, of Glover lfoad. .Air. Jury, according to the local paper, recently had his cows tested hy the manager of tho Hawcra Dairy Company, and one gavo as high as 8.9. Mr. Dunlup (tho manager) having a doubt a second test" was. taken, but this gave a still higher result, 9.7. Tho test was still considered doubtful, so it was resolved to send tho milk to the factory as it.came from tho cow, with the result of an 8.8 test. The manager declared he had never oxperienced anything like this before. Hitherto there has been no uniformity in tho Dominion as regards tho size of cheese crates for the export trade. Different exporters had dit ferent ideas as to tho best size. From Mr. Marx, chairman of tho ' Eltham Box Company, tho Eltham "Argus" learns that as tho result of a conference between representatives of boxmakers thero will shortly bo a standard size in general use, and then the cheese crates will be as uniform in appearance as tho butter boxes are now. Tho unseasonably warm weather has had a marked effect on the pastures throughout tho Waiata district, Taranaki, and grass is growing as if it were spring time. In some gardens in Eltham tho spring bulbs have actually commenced to bloom. Says tho Raetihi correspondent of tho Wanganui "Chronicle": —Several new' settlers have established their homes in tho district, and appear to be perfectly satisfied with/ their lot. Somo of the older settlors have erected fine residences during the season, having experienced a prosperous timo Tho Canterbury A. and P. Association has been .presented, for exhibition purposes, with a sample of wool of un unusual character. Tho wool, which is three years' growth on a RomneyLincoln cross owned by Mr. It. W. Chapman, of the Waiouru station (who presented it to tho association), shows no apparent break between each year's growth, and is about two feet in length. The latest inquiry for New Zealand draught horses (says the "Taranaki News") comes from Canada, from tho new territory of Alberta. Inquiries have come in regard to. freight and prices, and it is'quito possible a trade in draught horses to Vancouver may yet be developed. The Mangawara creamery, Waikato, has closed down after tho best season it has experienced. Tho supply at the time of closing was 3500 gallons .daily, and in November last the figure had run as' high as 8000 gallons. The average test for tho season is stated by the Waikato "Argus" to liavo been about 4,per cent. In tho last test sheet tho highest wa5.5.6, and tho lowest 4.3. It is expected that next year the factory will'run right through tho winter. There is every prospect of a considerable rise in.the price of fat sheep in tho immediate' future (writds "Straggler" in tho "'Weekly Press"). In Canterbury, at least, there has been a great clearance of fat stock off the farms, and • with a small turnip crop only limited supplies will probably bo availablo during the next few months. Further south it is reported that fat sheep are not plentiful, bilt as the turnip crop there is a good one it may be expected that consignments of fat sheep will bo. sent up to Canterbury later on when required. Thero is now not the same proportion of fat sheep turned off in Otago and Southland as was the case a few. years ago. Tho lamb trade has largely extended, and limited the. number of sheep to be carried over. ; At the annual winter sale of draught horses, held in Dunedin last week, prices,- except for a v fcw special animals, wore disappointing. The top price for purebred Clydesdale mares was 125 guineas, for Mr. H. Saunders's mare Graceful Jean, by Baron Graceful— Princess, and the highest-priced geldings brought only £46 to £48, the general run of prices being £30 to £42, and for mares £35 to £45. In view of Mr. Short's successes at Buenos Ayres, it is interesting to note that in the Argentine Flock Book on January 31 last there were 20,178 Lincoln sheep registered, 017 Shropshires, dß(i Koniney Marsh, 270 Leicesters, 00 Hampsliires, and 117 Oxfords, or 22,058 in all. The Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister for Agriculture, state that lie has written to Australia to discover the methods adopted there for employing prison labour in the manufacture of wire-netting. He understood that this article could be turned out in Australia at a cost much below the quotations for the imported brands. Such n system of manufacture hern would not interfere with prison free labour. Wire-netting and subdivision on extensive' lands are needed for the treatment of the grassless lands in Central Otago. Discussing'the South Island Dairy Association's monthly salcri scheme, tuo Hawera "Star" says:—"So far as South Taranaki is concerned it is certain that if a need for a dairy produce exchange existed a few years ago, it exists to-dav. It may be that, the establishment of the winter show in llawcra, by concentrating attention upon this place as a commercial centre for dairying, will assist in the ultimate materialisation of the dairy produce exchange.". The Argentine Herd Book' was commenced in the year 18S8. In 18!)1 it was ceded to tho. Socieclad Jtural Argentina, under whoso control it has since been rigorously continued. In 1001 the inscriptions were 1815 bulls and 5005 cows. These figures have been rapidly increased duriug the nine succeeding years, and at February 28, 11)10, the totals wore:— Shorthorn, 22,177 bulls; 23,1 Hi cows; Herelord, 5192 bulls, 039 cows; AberdeenAngus, 1033 bulls, 1,8!)!) cows; Lincoln Jied, 102 bulls, 1(U cows; lied Poll, 111 bulls, 11 cows; Devon, 2 bulls, 2 cows; total, 20,077 bulls, 31,101 cows. In Canada 32 convictions were obtained in January last for illegal marking and packing ot apples. The apple-growing industry of Ontario and Nova Scotia is attended to closely. 1,750,000 barrels are exported ner annum.