ON THE LAND

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 4593, 20 May 1922, Page 4

ON THE LAND

NEWS, VIEWS, COMMENTS. Otago orchardists are now picking the last of the late apples and a start has been made with the priming of the sone-fruit trees. We have just been shown a sample of ore from the new find at Pukemaori (says the Western Star, Otago). It is supposed to contain copper and gold, but until it is assayed nothing definite can be said about it. Thousands of acres of sand dunes arc covered with lupins in the Foxton district. Tho lupins have prevented the dirft of sand, but they have, also provided a sanctuary for hundreds of rabbits. Upon oxamining his experimental half-acre of artichokes, a Dannevirke farmer finds they are bearing a crop about doublo the weight of the same area in potatoes. They are much more easily grown and are not sub-, joct to blight. Tho pigs will be turn-' jed in on them to fatten next month. Farmers aro stated to be sending lambs in large numbers to tho freezing works in Southland. Graziers aro taking advantage of tho high price that is ruling. A couple of season ago dairymen found it extremely hard to get grazing at 4s per week per cow. As there is a phenomenal growth of winter feed this season plenty of grazing is offering at from Is to Is 6d per week A remarkably dry and mild autumn has been experienced in Marlborough. It has been all in favour of the stock owners, a good growth of feed having been maintained, but now tho pastures are going off, and the catch crops aro languishing. It was stated at the Assessment Court in Wanganui that a certain farm was suitable for stock-dealing purposes. “Have you ever known of anyone who has made his fortune at stock dealing?” asked Mr Fletcher. The witness said he knew of one farmerw ho was doing well out of it at the present time. “I would like to see him,” commented Mr Fletclior.

Mr Robert Kennedy, of Drummond, the well-known breeder of Invercargill, has sold several of his best Clydesdale mares to Australian buyers, and these will be shipped by tho Paloqna from Bluff to Melbourne. For ono of his mares he received 300 guineas, which shows the good deman guineas, which sows the good demand there is for well-bred Clydeslales in Victoria at the present time. A difficulty that New Zealand producers are faced with was mentioned by Mr E. A. Campbell to the Farmers’ Union Conference. He said that tho freight fiom Argentine to the Homo markets was -Jd to hi less than from New Zealand. If they could get that equalised they would then bo able to compete on equal terms with Argentine. Says the Stratford correspondent of tho Taranaki Herald: The season continues to he a wonderful one for tho flo wof milk to the factories, many of which are receiving 25 to 30 per cent more than they received last year. It does not make lOd per lb for butterfat as satisfying as Is 9d, hut it helps financially, and also psychologically. The owner of a Tory Channel sheep farm met with a serious loss lately. Upon paying a visit to his property, after an absence of some time, the sight of numerous mangled sheep lying in all directions met his eyes, and, oil a tally being taken, it was found that between three and four hundred of his flock had been worried to death by dogs. The farmer tramped tho hills for two days, gun in hand, searching for the marauders, but failed to discover them.

Mr E. C. Shepherd, a retired pioneer settler of the Waikato, who returned from one of his periodical visits to his old district, says that he is full of admiration for some of the young fellows who are making tTTe best of a bad job and sticking to the land. “Take it from me,” lie said, “that the men who stick to their [and aro going to come out on top.” Land went far too high, but the pendulum lias swung in the other direction, and now it has gone too low. Despite the slump many farmers are still making farming pay, but they have to work hard and use their brains as they have never done before. Land wTTI again rise in price to its proper level; it won’t stay at slump prices. At the annual meetings of suppliers to the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company Lid (Waikato), Mr E. C. Banks, a director, stated that as far as could be judged the suppliers would receive in all about Is 3d or Is 3}d per lb. Next season the amount should be about Is 6d, but dairy farmers should not expect a bigger rate than that in the future. The Argentine had proved a vital competitor to New Zealand in the beef trade, and there was quite a likelihood that it would also tecome a serious rival in the butter trade, though at prosent New Zealand’s high standard of efficiency throughout the dairying industry gavo the Dominion a long lead.