GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 996, 10 December 1910, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

South African sheep.breeders and the' Government >of the Transvaal are buying heavily in Australia this year, as they believe that they can produce wool equal to any country in tho world. They are not snaring money to test their opinion. :' The Australians. are urging that South. Africa . should reciprocate' 'this freedom of trado' by taking off the prohibition on tho export of ostriches and Angora goats, so . that Australia might prociiro stock to tone up those industries. ■ ■ . - •

Shearing is. about done in the Tinui (Wairarapa) district. Manawa and Tinui stations are reported .to have cut out, and Castlenoint is said .to ,be |.tho only largo shed left to.finish. The following opinion on. the certificate of stallions in : Australia appears in an oversea paper:—"The certification of stallions at chows, to test their soundness, has been ■ so-successful in Australia that the examination of mafes is now: under consideration. -.The leading'shows, have taken the matter up, but so far not any. of the State Governments have. attempted to enforce compulsory certification of either sires or mares. Already hundreds of horses hare been condemned by the veterinarians and thus debarred from entry into the show ground. The weak point is that these unfit animals can still bo offered to the.public." ' ' Americans reckon that mutton will be cheap in the States this year. The .number of pastoral properties now changing hands in East Australia has never , been equalled in the history of the country. ■■■'.:, , At the U.S.A. National Dairy Show this year, Dairy ,Maid of 'Pinehurst, a Guernsey cow, was the. centre of attraction. . Sho is said to be the. champion three-year-old coiv of tho world. Her record .for one year is' 14,5621b. of milk, containing 8601b. of fat, equivalent to. 10031b. of. commercial butter. ■ This year, .as in the year of tho drought-, there is a great-proportion of blooms.(says.the Alfredton correspondent of an -exchange). ' The Utiwai has stolon a march on those settlers who usually shear- late . this year. It has ripened fully a month earlier. A good many wool-growers who havo hitherto had a clear report on their wool will find "seedy" written on their returns. A remarkable, lambing record is given from Oakwood, Queensland, whero 31,509 lambs were marked from 30,732 ewes. . Other high figures have been previously chronicled, up to 105 per centi among 15,000 ewes. Ono flock of five-year-old ewes yielded 118..per cent.

At tho annual Holstcin sale at Lake Mills, Wisconsin, 178 animals were offered. They averaged' 184 dollars. The'highest price was 500 dollars for Geiviua" Lilly Canary. ..Lake'Mills is a great Holstciu centre. , ,;.'' Blowflies are- reported to bo very numerous in the Wairarapa this .year, and thoso who have not shorn their lambs-will, it is said, have cause- for anxiety. •■ ■ ...' '

In Australia tho. highest-priced ram of the year was Dandio Dinniont, sold privately 'to a.' South Australian' flockmaster for 1550 guineas.: ■iSome Australian, shearers are. making :big.'wages,. ..this ;j-ear. 'At_ Cambridge Downs one man shore 257 in one. day, and ; was;hardly'overunder;2po; This is ■lucrativp.wbrk.''at,-24.; shillings 1 per 100 ■head.:i,-i-'-'- ; : :i ''■-. ■' ;-,'.