GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2128, 21 April 1914, Page 10

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

■The walnut crop of Banks Peninsula this year shows a considerable shortage, and the ravages of the blight still seems to make the crop smaller year by year. This year the nuts are abnormally Ecarce, and where a tree produced a sack last year the yield this' year is only one quarter of that quantity. There is. plenty of inquiry for the nuts, asthe shortage seems to be general, and it is fully expected growers will secure -anything up to Bd. per lb'.'for all they can gather. ' The attempts made to keep the blight in check seem to.have failed, and each' year more trees' are affected, until now it extends in ■ every quarter of the district.

"We have records which prove that the exploitation of child labour in dairying centres is still prevalent. Itong hours lit toil before and'after school leave no space for the glamour of youth, and the future of the children is , enormously prejudiced by' robbing them of the educational ' advantages which, though provided at great cost to tho State, they cannot avail themselves of owing to the lassitude that accompanies their hours in'school."—From tho annual report, presented to the Education Board by the Inspectors of Schools at the annual meeting of the Education Board held at Napier on Thursday. .

A case of Stunner apples, picked last year, from the orchard of Mr Shirtliff, Kodwood's Valley, and kept in Air. G. Mercer's (Bridge,; Street, Nelson) refrigerating chamber since June, 1913, wore taken out on Friday. The apples, although no special care was taken as regards the temperature, were quite good, but slightly shrivelled (says the Nelson "Colonist"). They were of an excellent colour, firm in texturo, and a fine flavour. . , •

Tho output of the Taihane Co-opera-tive Dairy Company for the month of March was 40,9921b., an increase of 11 2001b. on the quantity manufactured iii the corresponding month last • year. Payments for butter-fat for tho month -totalled £1618 7s, Bd., the biggest cheque being £63. , . •

The balance:sheet M of, the Wairarapa branch of the" New Zealand Fanners' Union snows receipts for the year amounting to £483 12s. 6d., and cxpenditu'ro £39'6 Is. IS. ' From a disease linoirn among farmers as tho deadly "wooden tongue," s£r. J. Crabb, a saddler, recently died at, Haverford West, j?embrokeshire. How he contracted the' disease, is unknown, but it is .supposed .that in. his work he must" have- bandied harness wlvch had been used on a , horse which had died from "wooden tongue.' . This disease (technically called actinomycosis) is common among cattle, and is occasionally,: though rarely,. _ found in horses. Its occurrence in. a human being is exceedingly rare. The effect is a stiffening of the tongue until the organ reaobes a condition-which tho word "wooden" graphically expresses.— "Daily Mail."

,In' Cljina—that strange country from whence come the poll-taxed people—some flgricultural methods are 1000 years oldsome 'even older. Bit different fi-om the up-to-date New Zealand-farmer, who uses theieasy Tunning, sturdy, Bichmond Oil Ensine. ■■ Good for your place, too. Get particulars from Albert J. Parton, Plumber; Carterton.—Advt, : • ■ ■• ■ . •