GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2016, 25 March 1914, Page 10

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

A-milking-record from this district that, will take, some beating has just been officially recognised in tlio grant'"S or.a very fine gold medal of-,the Jersey Breeders' Association of New Zealand to Mr. R. J. Linn, of Normanby. (states the Hawcra' "Star"), lliis was for the record put up by Belinio i p o '- s a sicond C!llvel '» for the IJI2-13 season,. when, under a somiofhcial test, she came out with the splendid total 6f 451.691b: of butter-fat. A,new beef animal has been, produced, lc ls-tho cattleo—the result of twenty' years experimenting with the crossing oi domestic cattle of. various • breeds with the American buffalo. Mr E Hossonßoyd, of.Bobcaygecn, Ontario' was , (says the Canadian "Courier") the originator of the idea, and ho now has a-largo herd of cattlo. • Some show the .white .face of the Hereford, with' the powerful shoulders and neck of the buftalo. Ihe hide is more valuable than tnatof an ordinary fatted steer. -A • North Otago farmer acquired a property-three, years ■ago, and bought a .lino/of young ewes- at 14s. 6d. each. At his clearing, sale, held at.the end pj January-he obtained from 16s. 6d. to 21s.'tor the.same ewes, as well as the profitable--perquisitifs of three crops of wool and tiiree crop's' of lambi;. ■■' The Raglan ."Chronicle , ' says:—"Mr ibdges, df-...AVaitctuna, ; ... has lOnVaTcled-to-.this office a sample of Japanese millet, cut from a crop of sixacres which has been grown on hilly lorn land on his farm. If the-sample is a fair specimen of the whole crop— and we do not dobut that it is—tho area under this plant will give anenorliious' bulk of succulent fodder,. < invaluable for -maintaining the milk yield at this season of the year. Suffolk sheep are not new to Australia, though they have found littlo favour. .The Victorian Agent-General however, while attending the Smithfield (London) fat stock show, was so impressed /with the size of the Suffolk sheep—one pen of three Suffolk lambs, which secured first prize, weighed scwt. and the pen of three Suffolk yearlings which came first, weighed 7 cwt lor. 181b.—that ho communicated with the Victorian Government by cablegram suggesting that he. should be authorised to purchase some Suffolk sheep so. that tho Agricultural. Department might carry out experiments in cross-breeding with them. The authority was given, and two Suffolk rams six yearling -ewes, and' six owe lambs will be -dispatched to Victoria. The yearlings cost £7 per head, the- lambs ±4 per head, and the two rams £21 and ±•15 respectively. According to the Hawera "Star" some creditors in; tho southern portion of laranaki are just now anxious concerning the whereabouts of a dairy farmer, on whose transactions they require more light. Ho was- the - owner of a easehokl and milked'.quite- a fair-sized herd ot cows. He installed milkingmachines and/various farm implements, none of which ho paid for, but secured loans on them protected under bill of sale. Ho recently sold his interest in his lease, together with stock iraplemc"ts>,as a fiouig concern for £1400, HIM deposit being paid. There is a mortgage of .£,so.registered against the lease, so .that tho creditors have onlv a possible interest in £350, and the purchaser, ascertaining the complications, now refuses to complete. Tho farmer, in the meantime, has disap-

A remarkable instance of the fortitude ot an old woman in the back' country not far from Goro is being related to illustrate the hardihood and endurance of the earlier settlers in this Pa rt . of thf world. It is stated that tno _old lady m question was engaged discing a paddock when the horses became startled, the result beinn- that she was thrown from the seat and one ot the discs passing over her cut a deep wound in her thigh. She rose and stopped the horses, but until she noticed .the blood frpm.i.the wound was unaware of her injuries. Procuring a coarse needle and somo strong thread she went unassisted to a, neighbour's place and requested the lady of the house to stitch up the wound.' A remonstrance that the needle was old and rusty was mad) but the sufferer merely suggested that #t should, be dipped in turpentine" in order to' avoid any possibility of poisonin K from the use of such an unantiseptie 'instrument-... Five stitches were made, and three days later the victim of the operation was taking light exercise by grubbing in tho vicinity of her home

.It is understood. that arrangements aro in progress to Rive a considerable hllip to the poultry industry; which has not been receiving over-much attention ot late. Ihe constitution of the. Board' of Agriculture provided for by an Act passed last session .contains the idea that consideration' shall be given to tho poultry industry in connection with the -appointments, and it is probable that a well-known poultry man from Ashburton will bo appointed to a seat on tho board. Further, it is reported •Mi." 1 lloar futurc arrangements' will be made to.have an instructor anpointed for the South Island, in order to develop in that part of the Dominion an industry which has already niado considerable strides, and which,' it i 3 thought, only requires consideration to achrevo a very much-larger measure of development. ■ - .

Mr. Fletcher,,a member of tho US A Senate, and Mr. Moss, a. member of tho House of Representatives, who aro on tho Commission,appointed by President Wilson last summer to study European rural conditions, have introduced •>-n ° th mi scs , P, ractit; a"y 'identical isills. riioy embody the Government's plan lor the creation of a system hero by which any group ( ,f farmers in any Stato.could organise a co-operation bank to issnn bowls ;ukl : to raise funds f or tijriß iniprowiniciit.

The Kexdato (.ttangamaire). Cheese Company, which is the largest choesemakiug institution in tins Pafiiatua district, shipped 300 crates of cheese last weok for' .Lonilmi iwrit.es our Pahiatua correspondent), The approximate value of the consignment is set down at £'1300. Consignments from the il(>pe<lanub (Woorlville. tfiijtrict); factories Inst week totalled 160 crates, each factory ibnvarding 80 crates.'. ■ ' "I have, been' a settler in ttje Norsowood district for the past 20 .years," remarked- a jvoH-knoivn. dairy farmer to. a Dauheyivke "News" reporter ou ■Monday, "bitt I do not rccoliwt. sooji a beautiful''autumn as that'experienced this" year. .-'' There was a -plenteous supply,of grass, stock'generally was in .good condition,' and- the• outlook -for winter was exceptionally, good. Cold weather at this t-iate of the year, was only'detrimental to feed'and stock when accompanied by; wind,-but the- j\ T orse : wqod district todvbee'n very free frofa either damaging element so far.--"We have had a gfaild season, and are delighted with, the results and the prospects- for .-the -winter," he- concluded; ] What is stated to he the first commercial ■ consignment of'nitrate of limei reached .New Zeaknd last ftiorith.. Tills latest nitrogenous naaiiure'contains-13 per cent, of jMtrdgen, and .23-30 per cent, of lime. Hβ makers claim that while 'cheaper than cither nitrate of soda or' sulphate, of .ammonia, it gives bc-tter. results, and is specially suited for.heavy clay laud.- ,