GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1231, 13 September 1911, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Tho rainfall in the Fahautanui district iast month was much below tho average, according to the records of a local farmer! and was not enough to keep the ground sufficiently moist to promote growth with the. increasing heat of the sun. A warm rain is much needed to push along Vegetable growth. Tho export of tailow from New ZeaZealand during August was 705 casks, of which Wellington contributed 27f, Napier 31, and AVanganui 2. The wool exported for the same period was G912 bales, to which total 'Wellington contributed 2031, Napier 721, and Wanganui 181. It is stated, that a farmer at W 7 aikari recently had'to skin 1200 sheep which died of starvation owing to lack of feed in the district. Five or six potato planting machines, ordered from America by Willowbridgo (Otago) fanners, were lost in the steamer Knight of St. George, which was wrecked near Suva recently. . Speaking at the opening of the. Kongotca Dairy Factory last week Mr. F.-B. Groville remarket! that Bi'teeu years ago tho dairymen were getting tijd. per lb. for their butter-fat. Now they were getting Is But the main factor in the indust'ry was always overlooked. The most important matter was the economic production of butter-fat. If the butter-fat was costing them !!d. per lb. to produce, they should aim at producing it for lid. Tho questions of the right- cows anil the right fodders wero the important ones. Oo had, he said, been asked.if lie did not think the price of land was getting too high in Taranaki, and ho said certainly not. lie knew a dairyman in Taranaki' who milked 2-t cows nn 32 acres, who had received ,C3(iO in cash from the factory for his year's butter-fat. If they allowed two-fifths for labour—which was a fair proportion—tho balance would pay interest at the rate of 5 per cent on the land 'valued at .Sl2O per acre.

The dry weather is beginning to have a had effect on feed supplies, and cattle are in poor condition, owing to the scarcity of grass (says a Tnorou correspondent of tho Taihapo "Times"). Bush-fed cattle have, not been affected, as they are able to obtain a fair amount of rough food, which does not fall to the lot of the stock on clear ground. Sheep are maintaining good condition, and sheepfarmors are not suffering any appreciable losses. Lambing is satisfactory and tho percentage ■ is