ON THE LAND

Feilding Star, Volume 9, Issue 3645, 13 February 1932, Page 6

ON THE LAND

NEWS, VIEWS AND COMMENTS

Pork Marketing Scheme Arrangements have been made by the Now Zealand Co-operative Pig Marketing Association to give all its products handled on the market by Empire Dairies Ltd.

Brighter Pastoral Outlook Evidence oi tlie improved earning capacity of Australian pastoral com pariies consequent on tlio recovery in wool prices, is afforded by the decision of YYiiichoombe, Carson, Ltd., Sydney, to declare an interim halfyearly dividend at the rate of (i per cent, per annum. Though the industry is. still suffering from excessive costs, there is certainly greater stability in the trade, and the higlier prices betug paid at auction wiM swell Die commission earnings of lie selling organisations. In the pnvious fair tho directors of AY ill' li combe did not pay an interim dividend.

Staling Ryegrass Crop The certification officers of the Department of Agriculture at present engaged in Hayke’s Bay liave branded and sealed 10.360 sacks of Hawke's Bay certified' perennial ryegrass seed since they commenced operations early last month. These sacks are result cf harvesting some 2SCO acres. In all there wore. 475)5 acres entered for certification, so it will be seen that the majority of this wont has been completed.

Mint as Pioson Food. Tlie Director-General of Agriculture, Dr. C. J. Reakes, questioned regarding tho death of cattle on the trail in Queensland through feeding on mint, said there are a large number of plants which grow in Australia and do not grow in New Zealand. While poisonous properties have been attributed to allied plants in Australia, tlio New Zealand Department of Agriculture, ha-s no absolutely definite evidence of poisoning occurring ns tho result of cattle eating plants ol the true mint family. Tlie Deportment has no information of plants of the mint family causing poisoning of cattle in New Zesaland Say# “Jarkeroo.” A number of station owners ha vo this season sold their annual drafts of four and five year olds privately (it satisfactory prices. This is quite an easy matter fur a sheepman who Ims built up a reputation with his annual draft for blackface breeding. .1 was talking to a well known Central Hawke’s Bay spar titiji owner recently, who stated that ho had had literally dezen of inquiries for his sheep which he had cold privately at a very satisfactory figures last week. The farmer who does this runs the risk of missing a possible ring market, but ho is able to show liis sheep to far better advantage on bis own property than after a drive to tlie yards. Method of Moulting. A fowl usually starts moulting on her head first, followed by the neck, breast, Huff, thighs and back. Then the wings moult, and a little later the tail; the latter, however, are completely renewed several weeks before tlie wing feathers.

Otagon Turnip Crops

Tturnip crops appear to be doing particularly well in all parts of tlie province, says tlio Otago Daily Times. Fears of the usual recurrence of club root in tlio crops have been expressed by farmers, but careful manuring and the avoidance of the free use of superphosphate as well as the sowing of varieties reputed to be reeistent to the disease have boon carried out this season.

Inquiry for Southdowns. A private inquiry lias been made to a Southland business man from the Malay States to see if he could procure a small shipment of Southdown ewes as an experiment. If they turned out well tlie Ala-lay syndicate could do with anywhere up to a thousand. There is no liettcr paying business for New Zealand farmers than exporting stud stock of any kind. AVe cannot hope to ship extensively, but as a sideline the export trade in live stock docs not receive the attention warranted by its possibilities.