ON THE LAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 4369, 13 October 1916, Page 7

ON THE LAND.

CHEESE PRODUCTION* OUTLOOK FOR TILE FACTORIES, Lata reports from the country districts confirm the opinion that the production of cheese miring the present season is going to he substantially in excess of fast youths production owing to the stimulus given the factories by tlio very high prices. Most of tile factories having dual plants are stated to be concentrating their attention on the manufacture of cheese, wLioli offers a better return than butter, even at tho present high values of that article. Cheese is coming into the stores quickly, and apparently there is sorno ground for anxiety wiffh regard to shipping facilities, 'The Government have not been able to give assurances on this point, and the present indications are that there will be less refrigerating spa t“e available this season than there, was last season, when the output of tho cheese factories was smaller.

Tho shortage of rennet reported after the loss of a large quantity oi that article on tho Tongariro does not appear to have affected cheese production to any appreciable extent. Tho factories have been able to make temporary arrangements in cases w&ere tho shortage was serious, and they are not embarrassed by having to pay high prices for fresh supplies of rennet while cheese commands its present high price. The experiment mado by the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture in the use of pepsin as a substitute for rennet is not yet complete. Th- cheese manuiactured by tho use of pepsin, in the Koupokonui factory, SoutJa Taranaki, is under observation, and its condition up to tho present tinio ts considered entirely satisfactory. But the Departmental officers .will not give a final decision regarding the suitability of pepsin for cheese production until ” the experimental lot, has been examined 1 at maturity.

THE SHEEP FLOCKS. FINAL RETURNS. 'The interim returns published on June 29 showed a decrease of the total number of sheep in the Dominion of 293,553, as compared with iLe previous year. The final return, now published in the journal of the Department of Agriculture shows that the real decrease is only 3d,244. Breeding ewes are not involved mtliis decrease, and it is very satisfying to note that these show an increase over last year of 298,942 m Hock breeding ewes, while stud breeding ewes show an increase of 15,000. The small total decrease can be accounted for by tino drought conditions which prevailed in parts of the Dominion last year, and hut for this drought there is good reason to believe that an increase would have been shown. Canterbury and the northern portion of Otago sufferedparticularly, and Canterbury this year shows a total decrease of 571, 300, while Otago shows a total decrease of 54,969. All the other districts show a more or less well marked increase. MEAT PRICES. NO NEWS OF INCREASE VEE Tho Minister in charge of the. Imperial -Meat Purchase Branch (the Hon, W. D. S. MacDonald) lias no news vet of auv increase in the prices for New Zealand meat for the coming ex no it season, lie received a, trie gram on the subject from tho High Commissioner last week, hut. ,1 stated simply that nothing definite had been decided. Mr. MacDonald stated some days ago that tho vv'nole position .had been put very clearly to the Board of 'Prado at Home, and he was daily expecting advice. He said, however, that no application for increased prices had been made -hy tho New Zealand Government, Mr. MacDonald states also that he has had no more news about the commandeering of wool, either at Home or in New Zealand.

high-priced apple crops. Owing to the smallness of due apple crop remarkable prices have been paid at auction sales of the fruit in. ,K,ent. Some of the best growths of the year m the Weald area have realised up to and beyond £SO per acre, a. London buyer paying £290 for live acres at Etchinghill and £SOO for ten acres at Cloudburst. .Nine acres at Sandhurst realised £SOO, while £BOO was paid for twenty-eight acres ol apples, pears, plums, and damsons at Mai den ' A lot of twelve and a half acres, apples and plums, at Haddock Wood, •brought £OBS, and forty-six acres at Yalding £I4OO. NOTES. Freezing works in New Zealand will begin next season’s operations with clean floors, as before that time, unless something untoward! happens, the whole of tiro present stocks in store will hav 0 been shipped Home. Sueli was the statement made by tlio Minister of Agriculture to an Auckland “Star’’ reporter. Mr MacDonald said there was, according to the latest returns, 130,084 carcases of mutton and lamb in cold storage in the North Island, and 58,462 earcases of beef. The southern figures were 396,089 carcases of mutton and lamb, and 20,061 carcases of beef. Tine total for both- islands was 625, 073 and 84,523. The shipping arranged for will clear more than, half the meat in. store almost immediately, while the whole will bo taken awaj before the end! of the present year. Hawke’s Bay are reported, says a Napier correspondent, to have agreed to the shearer’s demand for 25s per hundred for shearing., Mr- .10. G. Allen, of 'Masterton, has disposed of his champion .Romney Marsh ram Westminister 111, which lias won eleven championships in the Dominion-, to Mr. T. Smith, of Evendale, Tasmania. The supplies of milk to the Wairaraua butter and cheese factories are much in excess of the supplies at tine same period last year.