GENERAL FARMING ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3057, 19 April 1917, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING ITEMS

A Masterton stock-buyer, in (conversation with a .reporter, stated that cattle had fattened better in tho district this year than last. This lie attributed to the drought having cleaned up the pastures a year or two' ago. Lambs have' also doii" better off their mothers this year than in forme, years. • As the result of various 'conferences of cheese factory representatives, arranged lately by the National Dairy Association, a strong, deputation wiil wait on the Minister in regard to the butter-fat tax, probably about the end of the week. The delegates appointed in tho WairaTapa and Manawatu are: Messrs.' Fisher (Carterton), Yule -(Feathers ton), Bell (Eketahuna), Brechin (Pahiatua), MacFarlane (Riyerbank Dairy Co., Woodville), Jewell (Palmerston. North), Spiers (Manawatu Line) j Delegates from Da'nnevirke, Wanganui, Taranaki, and Waikato districts will also be present, which will there-

fore make the deputation.' representative of the North Island.

At a recent meeting of the Eketahuna County Council, when a oiroular from the chairman of the Efficiency Board was under discussion, a councillor mentioned that while labour unions had a representative appearing before •tho Military Service Board, appealing on behalf of its members drawn in the ballot, tho Farmers' Union was doing; nothing at all in tho way of supporting appeals in tho fanning industry, which was the most important industry at the moment, Somo farmers were now being taken who should not bo taken. It was eventually decided that tho local branch of the Fanners' Union be. rcoommended to 'make representations to the ©xeoutive that an official representative of tho fanners should be present at sittings of the Military Service Board in tho interests of farmers.

There was a fair mortality in the district among lambs this autumn (says the Gisborue "Times").' This is 1 attributed to the exceptionally wet summer experienced, which lias mads tho grass rank and full of moisture, tliis having a detrimental effect upon lambs.