AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 72, 21 September 1912, Page 12

AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

BUTTER GRADING IRREGULAR. The decision of the Hig>h Court in the case of the Woodstock Central Factory against the Commonwealth has caused great rejoicing in tho co-operative oamp (writes "H.M.S." in the Australasian). The company undertook to phow that the regulations under which butter was graded and marked with grade marks wore ultra, vires. It succeeded most completely, and the opponents of Government grading have good reason to proclaim a, victoryeven if it be won on 0, technicality. Compulsory grading has been strenuously opposed by the directors of the co-operative factories for many years. They spoke with almost one voice, through the medium of HlO Coastal Farmers' Go-operative Company, and the voice was loud enough in titato politics to alarm more than one Minister for Agriculture, who, having listened to the pleadings of the dairy experts, made timid advances towards compulsory grading. This pronounced attitude of the ec-operators wae the outcome of a, prejudice against all State interferenco with their business. For years there was no mole unpopular parson in the dairying districts than the expert, unless it wa« the inspector of dairies. Whatever may have been the merits of State grading and marking in New Zealand and elsewhere, these were never brought home to the producers ih New South Wales. The Bygtem was condemned because it was advocated by experts, not because it had been shown to be prejudicial to the interests of the dairy farmers. The greatest indignation was expressed when the Federal Government, practically overrid«>g the State Government, insisted on grading the butter, and no doubt in th© reoent action the Woodstock Company was backed by the full moral and financial influence of the great, co-operative interest. As to the question * whether compulsory grading ia good or bad for the industry, the ruling of the court is, of course, wlenfc, co that the decision is not on what might be the merits of the caae. It simply meant that the Government, was doing by regulation things which could n . ot , b « legally done under the provisions' ? 9? mmerce Act - If the co-operators can hold the ground they have gained, the merits or demerits of the system of grading, as applied to New South Wales butter, will never be decided, since it ia certain that they will never voluntarily submit their butter to grading and marking in order to put the matter to a prnotioaj test. Despite the strong conviction of this large section pf producers there are many factory managers and others Who firmly believe that grading has educative results, and it is unlikely that tlie dispute will be finally settled by the re« cent viotory for the non-graders. A dairy farmer at Manaia, in the ■r>s.A anakl "'at^ct, expects "to be milking 1200 cows this season. Some big" prices were realised for dairy stock at a clearing sale at Norsewood (says the Pahiatua Herald). A Jersey now made £16 7s 6d, which is probably a record price for this district. An Ayr-shire-cross cow made £14 10s, and quite a number 0? cows made from £11 to £12. „r I 4; , W S? "ported at a meeting of the Woodville Cow testing Association that forty-tour farmers in tho district had entered their herds, representing 1283 cows. As the Department only wanted 1000 cowa for the first year, they asked that tho list be closed, which was done. ' To meet ordinary expenses, it was decided to make a special charge of 3d per cow, to be paid in advancs. Recently some Awahuri farmers pufchased dairy cattle from Taranaki district, and a number of them died soon after arrival at Awahuri, it was thought from the change from the cocksfoot pastures to the rich ryegrass lands of Awahuri. But (says the Rangitikei Advocate) the supposition proved wrong. The cattle were railed When too near calving, and the rough train journey and th« fact that some of the animals were not dotrained as soon as they might have been resulted in the mortality. The luckless owners now realise that it would have been much cheaper to have brought the cattle down by road. The lambing bo far (says the Clutha Leader) promises well in this district. From what one hears, farmers will go in much more extensively for lamb-raising next year than they have hitherto done. The advent of thb freezing works has given rise to new interests and possibilities in this connection. Arrangements are well in hand for commencing work on the contemplated experiment area of 300 acres in the Bay of Plenty, where the Government is about to go further into the bush sickness trouble. The land is at present being transferred to the State, and a few additional buildings are to be erected. It i» understood that the intention is to run the experimental area on general dairyfarm lines. The Hawera Co-operative Dairy Co. paid out Is 3j|d per lb to suppliers for butter-fat during the past season. The Kaponga Company paid an average of Is Ud, and (with the bonus) it would total Is 43d for cheese. Butter was made for the first part of the season and cheese in the latter part. In his remarks nt the annual meeting, the chairman stated that the directors were offered 6 l-16d for their cheese output, and many ptsCMe called them fools for not accepting what seemed a very high price. Other compames were offered the same, and one company, which was supposed to contain the brains of Taranaki, signed On the same terms as Kaponga-~consigned at s|d guaranteed without recourse. This other company, hearing that a smaller factory had sold outright at 6|d, considered that they had made an error, and recalled the agent. He immediately offered to buy half their output at 6id, which they accepted. On that half they lost £7000. If Kaponga had sold at 6|d they Would have lost over £4000; if they had accepted the °" er *h e y would have lost over £7000.— Stratford Post. Alarm is being caused among agriculturists by th» appearwioe and rapid spread of potato blight iti South Lincolnshire. One oaueft is the wet weather. South Lincolnshire is one of thft biggest potato-producing district in the kingdom. Last year was one of the best tho farmfers had had, and the natural result is an increased acreage this season. One of the biggest dealers states that the disease has attacked the whole district, very few spots being left free. During thjs week-end so much rain fell that the blight appears to have doubled in, two or three days. He estimates the loss at scores of thousands of pounds. Small holders will be most 'affected. The majority of them grow Up-to-dates, and this ia one of the kinds severejy attacked. To many small holders the disease spells ruin. The effect will he an increase in the price of potatoes. The Ballanca Dairy Company is \9onmgning a portion of its output, and also celling a portion. The price obtained i by the company has not been disclosed, but it is such as to enable the company tq pay 124 d per lb for butter-fat on aoppunt of home-separated cream. The Tararua (Ballance) Cheese Compa-nj bw consigned its output. Thsre was buoyancy in the step and a gleam of satisfaction in the eyes of th* milk suppliers of the Aparim'n Dairy Factory as they perambulated tho street* of Riverton last Saturday (says the Southland News). This factory w«s one of ths few in Southland that took a gambl* on last season's output, and consigned the whole of their cheese instead of celling etraight out to agent*. As a result of their enterprise the suppliers had the satisfaction of pocketing a bonus of something like £1100 over and above the money received during the senton. Hence the buoyancy nnd tho gloam aforesaid. A practical i»nd experienced dniryman advises that ldr of oxide of aino mixed •with loz of vaseline makes nn excellent dressing for cracked or sore teats in cows, uhd n small quantity of it should always be kept within reach. Another useful <lressinar is— Tincture of m.\ rrh, loz • solution of alum, lo?. ; wntkr, 60/. Fer cbronio cheet compUinia, Wood* 1 &Mfc typntjuaiat Cur* U &dj,«-A4&