IN THE MANAWATU

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 304, 17 September 1921, Page 10

IN THE MANAWATU

WELCOME RAINS ARRIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR SHEARING From Our Own Correspondent Palmerston North, September IG. During tho latter end of this week some very welcome rains have fallen throughout the Manawatu district, and have done a great deal of good. Owing to the continued dry weather the grass was beginning to go off badly, and if this had continued matters would have been serious; but now that rains have come, the complexion of things is quite altered, and feed will grow at a very rapid rate, as the ground was just in the condition when moisture was all that was required to cause the grass to spring. Rain was also wanted for the early spring sowing, which is almost completed. Down the lino at the end of last week tho paddocks were looking very dry, and many of the cows, which had come in with an abundance of milk, were beginning to go off, and this was causing anxiety both to the owners and the factories. A. run through to the Hawke’s Bay side of the Manawatu Gorge shows that in the Woodville district the grass was fairly holding its own on the stiffer lands there, but the upper end of the bay district was suffering considerably from the drought. It is satisfactory to know that good ranis have also fallen there, and this should ma.it a considerable improvement in iced prosThe store stock markets, however, show no signs of improvement, while fat stock, both sheep and cattle, are a perfect drug. The only demand rarer good dairy cows and heifers coming into profit, and for the?? the demand is particularly keen. At the Palmerston North sale on'Thursday there was a very large entrv of grade Jersey caws and heifere, biod in Taranaki, and there were keenly competed tor. They were as good a Ov O f cows and heifers -as has been got together tor some time, although thev did not come forward in the best condition About 160 of them changed hands. Grode cows in milk brought J’to. £.6, —l, .£26. £29, and .£3O. Springing cows made .£l9. £23, £25, .£25, and £33. Grade twovear old Jersey heifers in milk sold .it PIQ «£25 aC29, and <£33. Grade tv\ ospring tifere A £2O, £2l and£23 10s. Holstein springing heifers made £l2 10£l4 10s., and £l5, and shorthorn springing heifers from £ll to £l5. A visit to a number of farms in various parts of the district emphases the fact that a- considerable improvement has taken place in many of them since, last year. It is evident from the amount of cultivation going ou that more attention is being paid to the supply ot winter food in the shape of roots and green crops, while a fair lucerne has also been put in. The byres all round show a considerable improvement. Nearly all tho sh«ds and yards are row concreted, and most of them are supplied with milking-machines. Ihe number of dairymen who are testing their cows is daily being added to. and the weeding out of unprofitable animals, ami the Letter methods adopted gonorolly. should allow much better results 'tv> got from most *f the dairy farms. According to an official report issued by tho New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, the drop in the price of butter at Homo is no Indication of the price which will rule for this searon’s produce. Tho butter now being sold on the English market, the report states, is not new butter, but the remainder of the stock which was commandeered by tho Imperial Government. Mr. n. M. Campbell, M.P. for Pastings, who has just returned from a visit to England, expresses the opinion that there is no market for New Zealand meat on tho Continent. Tho _ French, he sai4. were managing to be independent. and were coming through all. right, owing to their hard work and thrift. He had heard that the Germans and the Belgians were also working in the same direction. England was all. right, too, if she would only get to work; but things did not. look too hopeful there at present. Air. Campbell stated that England was well cultivated, bnt a lot of the crops had failed owing to the serious drought. He said that there was a vague impression in New Zealand that the farming methods there were prehistoric, but. he nothing to support that idea. The methods were quite up to date. He saw tho latest machinery in operation, and tho ground appeared to be beautifully worked. Although no official announcement has yet been made by the freezing companies as to the prices to be paid for this season's produce, it is persistently staled that the opening price for lambs will be from sd. to 5Jd. per lb. -A Canterbury grower, who was in Palmerston North this week, stated that the price there was likely to bo Gd. per lb. Tn connection witffi the shearers’ demands for higher rates than those granted by the Arbitration Court, tho farmers of the Manawatu district feel , quite confident <«• their ability to do without labour if the demands are not modified. A scheme is on foot by which the growers will work together and assist one another with their shearing. Apparently there are plenty of young farmers who are willing to take on the work at the award rates. This will leave <nly the larger stations to make other arrangements, and as there are not many of them in thi? district it is not expected that any difficulty will l>e experienced in getting through the season.