FARMING TOPICS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 66, 10 December 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

FARMING TOPICS

Subscription To Union

At a special meeting of the Hawke's Bay executive of the Farmers’ Union in IVaipukiirau last weekend, the subject of ainalgaiiiations was discussed. Mr. C. H. Watson, Waipukurau, urging the need for t’ai'inei’s to support their union, aptly remarked that the union had not sulfieient funds behind it. Il was au organization more scattered than any other in New Zealand in its membership and it covered the most important industry yet it was being conducted on a subscription which was less than a shop-girl paid into her union.

Onion Growers' Returns. "All growers of onions lor sale are required to make, on or before Decembei 10. a return of area planted. Forms fur this purpose may be obtained from departmental officers in Palmerston North, Wellington” (and in other centres). By authority. Director of the I* lelds Division." This public notice was rather short. To my knowledge it first appeared on Monday, "December 5. Shearing At Home. . n . The comment upon shearing in Britain given below is that, of the editor of a leading farm paper (here. A notable feature now developing there is that shearing is becoming one of the farm jobs, to be carried through by the regular bands. With New Zealand's great nocks it would be a sorry day for farmers here' if they had to cope with the task. Yet if we do not somehow train learners, we may be forced to that a generation be The Home situation is thus described: Nowadays you don’t see many of the old-fashioned gangs of shearers with their captains at their head, touring a country to hand-shear the Hocks. Most of this work is done by machine and the job is generally done by the shepherd and his assistants. However, I came across a family of old-fashioned handshearers the other day who were shearing out a well-known Dorset Horn flock. There were four in this gang, the father, Walter Phillips (well over 70) and his three sons. This family have been shearers for over 150 years and nearly always the family have been able to supply their own gang. Working Bullocks. . For a recent stock sale in Woodville, the advertisement of entries carried this unusual line: “Eight working bullocks,

with yokes and rolling gear.’ In the pioneering development of this country the working bullocks played an honourable part But in these motorized days thev are seldom seen, and this is so even in the bush, their last stronghold. Giant tractors there have largely displacea them.