AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 23, 28 January 1911, Page 14

AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

FARM APPRENTICE SCHOOLS. A scheme whioh could be profitably folio wed. by New Zealand has been instl tuted by the New South Wales Agricultural Department. Thk is the establish., ment of a. new class of school called farm apprentice schools. The Sydney Mail says the schools were opened at Yanco, Cowra, Grafton, Glen Innes, Raymondterrace, a»d Dural. At the first of these a number of lads ranging from sixteen to twenty years of age wul receive practical instruction in irrigation, more especially with regard to the gradng and preparation ot land for water, and in the "duty" of water on different classes of fruit treei., grape vines, lucerne, and other fodder orops which may be deemed tamable enough for thiß intensive cultivation. At Lowra the lads will get a thoroughly practical training for one year in whaeatgrpwmg aud sheep-breeding. Afc Gtarton mixed farming suitable to a sub-tropical distriot will be taught, and at Glen Innes mixed farming of the class usually pursued m Great Britain. At the Hunter River Viticultural station, near Raymond-ter-race, lads will be trained in all the details of nursery work, with special reference to grattmg vinos on phylloxera-resistant Btocks. At Dural a small number of lads have already been taken for practical instruction in fruit-growing, and they are taught every operntiou connected with the making and renewing pf a citrus orchard. Ihis class of training school has been instituted to fill a gap which has been long felt, the object being to train lads as farm labourers. Practical instruction only will be given, a lee of only £5 being charged for a year s instruction, as it is recognised that the right class of lade, who alone will be taken at these schools, will be able to earn their board and lodging after the | first six months' apprenticeship and unprofitable work. The accommodation at Wagga is being extended to provide for j sixty students, which is the utmost number than can reoeive both theoretical and practical instruction on a farm of that size. The Taranaki Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Pramers' Union has decided to forward the following remit, carried at a recent conference, to agricultural and pastoral societies in Taranaki for their consideration:—"That in conjunction with the testing of dairy stook for stud purposes a hera book be kept, and stock eligible to be placed therein shall be cows giving not less than 3001bs of butter-fat for the season, and bulls whose dam and grand-dam on tho sire side hay© prnduoed 3001b but-ter-fat for the season. The Eltham Co-operative Dairy Company proposes to widen its powers. Among other things, it is proposed to make provision for entering into partnership with any other persons or companies m any business, the objects of whioh are altogether or in part similar to those oi the company. It is also proposed "to lend moneys to such persons and o» such seouritiea and terms as may seem expedient to the company in general meeting, and_ in particular to members and others having dealings with tho company." The following interesting item is given by the Okaiawa correspondent of tha Hawera Star: —"Perhaps among no section of the community are there so many chances of doing a neighbour a good turn than among the farming one. There are so many things liable to happen, to a farmer whioh would render a little help invaluable, and it is a very rare occurrence where this help is not torthcoraing A local settler recently had the misfortune to meet with an accident which incapacitated him just when he had started ensilage-making. The neighbours, however, came irom near and far, assisted with the milking, took tho milk to the factory, and completed the ensilagjß-mak-jng. The willingness with which thesso little kindnesses are shown render them ! all the more pleasing." The only satisfactory method of eradicating the Oahfornian thistle is Baid to be to keep it cut close to the ground, never allowmg it to develop leaves. The root system should not be broken up by the Plough. If this plan is adopted, the thistle will practically be killed in a season, but the work must be (systematically done—cutting being necessary about every ten days. It must never be neglected, as it the plants are allowed to grow their roots will obtain a nsw lease of life, and muoh of the former work will be undone. A novel method' of cutting down treea has btson devised by a Berlin inventor. It consists m the use of a fine steel wire, which is looped about the tree, and sawed back and forth by an electric motor. The heat generated is sufficient to bura a thin, kerb through tha wood. A tree twenty inches in diameter can be feJled in six minutes. The charred butt of the tree may easily be marked with chalk, and the charcoal layer is co thin that it does not bide any decay or other defects in the wood. S The London correspondent of the Pastorahst's Review writes:—'The trade P^?6^? l"6,^ 1100 a £ain concerned about the | World's Meat Trust." I had better quote from the Chronicle:—"lt is stated that tji& most important firms in Argentine and in New Zealand are included in j the deal, and that the largest plants and ranches in both oountrios are absorbed for tho purpose ol making the strongest combination ever known. The reports 1 state that the firms in South America and New Zealand which are joining the trust are amongst the biggest shippers of meat, ,to Europe." tynat i s happening in ArI gentina we all know, but the news about I the New Zealand firms and works being included m the combination, is worth looking into. All this is soeculative, and it it is being done, negotiations are, ot course, proceeding very privately. I One obviouß reflection occurs, viz, j that it is extremely likely that the Americans are anxious to get hold of the SSbw Zealand trade before shippers there realise the importance of the chilled beet business. The point from which information can be got as to the truth of the papers statement is the directors of~The half-dozen chi&f Now Zealand meat works companies. People here think that the trust would not be abla to tfork in New Zealand. To which the Review says: — | very improbable; the New Zealand Government would never allow it, and would take over Iho freezing industry sooner.' J The quantity of meat poured into the British markets is simply astounding. Apart from the supplies received from the Continent, the following was received uj> to 31st October from various countries .—Frozen mutton, 7,320,213 carcases; frozen lamb,. 5,250,4% carcases; frozen beef, 2,385,394 quarters; chilled beef, 1,478,400 quarters. The imports of mutton from New Zealand increased by 99,000 carcases, and from Australia by 1,401,800 carcases; while the imports from River Plate, etc., decreased 151,687 carcases, the net inorease for the 3easou being 1,349,1X3 carcases. Of lambs the shipments from New Zealand showed an increase of 267,000 carcases and from Australia of 189,600 carcases; while thb Plate shipments decreased by 97,825 carouses, showing a net increase in lamb arrivals of 358,725 carcases. There was also an increase of 233,250 quarters of beef, and of 456,400 quarters chilled beef from River Plate. Professor Watt, of Sydney Uniyerwty, does not agroe with the idea that a boy should go straight to the agricultural oollega from the proparatory school. His experiencp in other lands, he stated, was that if this was done, and the boy went on the land after, in nine cases out of ten he was a failure. If the lad hVs one year's work on a farm before going to the oollege, Professor Watt argued, speaking from his own experience, it greatly strengthened him in his position, and ultimately he became a successful farmer. Ho did not think that any harm would be done by the break in the continuity of study.

"Do you think a secret ballot promotes honesty in elections?" "Can't say that it does," replied the painfully practical poll- | tician. "Tho secrecy of it tempts too ', many men whom you have paid to vote for you to go back on their words." '