AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 61, 9 September 1905, Page 12

AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

A settler at OpaJd, Wairarapa, who lately purchased an expensive seed-drill, had an unfortunate experience, according to the local Times. On the tiret time of using, the horses bolted and completely wrecked the instrument bofore a grain of seed had been sown, and the team itself nearly went over a precipice. Mr. George Welch, a Wairarapa settler, who returned from Rotorua last week, reports that the northern, season is little if anything in advance of that in this part of the island, the same wintry indications appearing all along the line. The 'Bruce Herald Teports that lambing is pretty general .throughout the d*istrict, and sowing in most forms is well advanced. Owing to the exceptionally dry weather, turnip ground is very hard and difficult to work up, Winter-sown crops aro now showing •■up well in South Canterbury (cays ithe Christchurch Press). A good area is being again put in grain crops this yeaT, but a much larger area is being 6own in oa/ta than in wheat, it being oonsidered that oats are likely to pay best next year. , On the Victorian dairy industry, the Australasian writes.:— The- output of butter in .tho chief centres of production is steadily increasing, but 6ome weeks must elapse before the dairying campaign is in full swing. In tho Western district grass is " short, but it is in a healthy .growing condition, and will come, on rapidly with tho advent of warmer weather. Favourable ■reports (writes the Australasian of the 2nd inst.) continue to be received in reference , to. crop conditions •in all parts of Victoria. The spring is .not coming in too rapidly, which is a, good sign, and the showers which fall frequently prevent a ibaking ofi ithe surface soil, which might be detrimental to the young cereal crops. The really critical period has yet to be passed through, but if average weather cpnditions prevail, there ds no reason to apprehend danger. A T« Whifcx correspondent writes to the Wairarapa Daily Times : — As a Tesult of the .recent heavy rains which fell during Friday night, the Ruamahanga, on Saturday night, was bank high, and on Sunday was still Tunning pretty full. Lambing is well forward nere, and I •hear of but few losses. Grass has grown wonderfully during last month. Stock are looking well, and things generally are pointing .to a good season. Although the lambing season in this county is not yet, general (says the Ashburton theTe is already a good 6p_ rinkling of young lambs in the various districts adjacent to the beach. About •the middle of next month the season on the dry lands will be at its height, and, judging by the present condition of the breeding ewes, taken as a whole, and' the spring already flotioeabile in. the grass pastures, there is every reason" to expect a succeGsful lambing providing the weather proves favourable. ' The splendid growth in "the Malleo and the north-west (says the Aiißtralasian) ii 3 surprising even experienced settlers, and the man who would now ask " Is the Mallee worth saving" would be looked upon aa a fit inmate for a lunatic asylum. Considerable numbers of stock have been Bent fromvthe southern {o the northern districts this yfear, and they have« fattened rapidly. Mallee settlers have more confidence than ever before in the stability of .their district, and very few now evince a desire to leave for elsewhere. Rain (writes the Hastings correspondent of the Hawkes.Bay Herald) has put a stop to all farming operations. Many farmers have not completed sowing their oat crops yet, although in most cases the 'land has been prepared for months past. No sooner 1 do they go on the land with the/ seed than more rain falls, and the seed has to be taken home again. In spite of the bad weather, it is said that the lambing this eeaeon is the most promising we have had for several years. The percentage is high, and the lambs unusually strong and forward. The Upper Opaki correspondent of tha Wairnrajsa D.iily Times, reports warm and abundant rains with a heavy thuntbrstorm ac a variation. Owing to the wet fitlte of the ground, very little grain has been put in, but a considerable area is already under the plough awaiting favourable weather. The lambing season, though late, gives eveiy promise of big percentages. Few deaths are reported so far, and t'<\<* recent Tains will ha,ve little effect on young lambs in the timbered country. The shelter obtained from logs and stumps is invaluable at this dm© of the year,- for .not only are stock protected, but the grass also, from the cold southerly winds. Ths Warracknnbeal correspondent of tho Australasian reports that the Tabbif- ' trappers in some parts of the district numbers of domestic cats that have gone wild. Some of these'attain a large size, and are very ferocious when caught. As the skins of the animals are a marketable commodity, the trappers sustain no loss by catching them. As the cats live in the burrows, seamingly in perfect amity with the rightful occupants, it is aeeumed that they do not kill rabbits, but if the burrows were cleared out it would be found that there wero very few young Tabbits in the burrow. Another writer says. that cats can keep rabbits completely under, but "unfortunately, the trappers found that catsktna wot© moro valuable than rabbitskins, and this proved fatal to the cats." The value of observation (says the Carterton Leader) is illustrated by an experience of the secretary of a .local dairy company, who was. watching a butter grader making his awards in an other district. The test appeared to be, principally by tasting. "First grade?" remarked the secretary to the grader when that officer had finished one test. " Aye— yes— fiTst grade,' .replied t'ho grader. " Second grade," 6aid the secretary, with a note of interrogation' in his voice as the grader finished off another Jot of butter. " Oh— aye— yes, second grade," answered .the grader. "That's first grade," said the secretary, confidently, as tho grader disposed m another lot. " Why— yes it is," admitted the grader, looking at the secretary with astonishment, mingkd with respect. "Second grade, apain," remarked the secretary, regretfully, as the grader left another sample. " M'phn— but how tho dickerm do you know*" asked tho grader, with some show of resentment. "Oh, observation — just 006ervation," replied the secretary. "I notice you swallow the firs*, grade; the second grade— well, you spat it out." Ths suitability of Queensland pine for butt-or boxea 'is .the subject of a report to the Minister for Agriculture by Mr. G. S. Thomson, the Queensland Government dairy export. The report contains the following conclusions : — '1. Tho charges against Queensland pine fo r butter boxes have been disproved by practical and scientific examination, and the results show that the pine is admirably adapt?d for tho export butter trade. 2. Practical tests carried out at the Queensland meat export works, Pinkeba, were of groat severity, and any weakness in the pine would have been conveyed to the butter before the expiry of the investigation. 3. A searching examination of export .butter, conducted by tho grading inspectors of the Department of Agriculture, has not revealed tho slightest^ suspicion that tho wood contains injurious properties. 4. The best reault6 in experiments were obtained from wood treated with parafM]wax and single parchment."