FARM and DAIRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 20 December 1924, Page 11

FARM and DAIRY

NOTES BY THE WAY. | Addressing 1 the members of the Farmers’ Union and of the local Chamber- of Commerce at Hastings, Professor G. S. Periy, of Victoria College,' urged that a ' first-class Agricultural College in some rural district should he established.’ in the Noi-fth Island, thus laying the foundation of a large agricultural institution, Which, in the course of time, would be entirely independent of Victoria College, with Which it, would be connected norfiinally rather than actually. He had heard people talk glibly of agricultural colleges and of research studies, blit- the public did not realise the size these institutions would have to be if they were to be of any value. Then the college must have a reasonably-sized staff of teachers, each specially equipped to instruct in his line, so--that even at the beginning the college would require a 'staff, which cost money, as well as buildings and equipment." It could therefore be seen that a lot of pioirey would he required even for a small start.’ As for research work, the farmers ; had) little- idea of the money it entailed, and if they were not prepared to ixieOt that expense' it would be better to leave it alone, because they would be sick of it in five years, and the results would be slow in

coming. Referring to the college courses, Professor Perm said there would be the “degree course” for turning out men for teaching and research work or as Specialists; the diploma course suited men who intended to take up farming for themselves, and the short courses for special instruction in dairying, •agriculture, managership of butter factories and so forth. In order to carry bn this adequately there would have to be a capable staff of instructors. Regarding terms, the proposal the professor considered the soundest was tP‘ run .terms of seven months, as in the 'university, to give technical and scientific instruction and practical instruction in the more difficult farm operations, but not in the simple every-day work carried out on farms generally. Tn the .summer the students would be. expected to get out on to farms and Work at the -ordinary routine, where they could gather far more practical knowledge than they could get "on a college farm. Thirty-four shorthorn hulls imported from Great Britain averaged 11,600 dollars in' Buenos Aires in September. The highest price was 40,000 dollars, which was paid for Oluny Rosewood Prince, a roan, calved March 30, 1923, bred by Lady Cathcart, Oluny Castle, Scotland. Other good prices were 30,060 dollars and 20,000 dollars. At the Smithfield meat'market it has been officially recommended that retail prices for this week should remain practically Unchanged, except in the case of New Zealand lambs, which is to be .advanced One penny a jiound. The superintendent of the market says that it rests with the consumer to buy with the -same keenness’' as that with which the retailer buys ?from the wholesaler.

A milking shorthorn hull, Sorbrook Summertime, was sold in England recently for 650giis. He is by Foxhill Springtime (whose dam gave 16,0401bs milk in 332 days), and his dam, Foggathorpe Primrose, won numerous prizes and had a record of 15,0811bs of milk in 316 days. At this sale 67 bulls averaged £Bl ss, and 76 females averaged £4B 10s. A three-year-oid Friesian cow, Haydon Favourite, with .a record of 14,479 lbs milk with her first calf, realised 1500 guineas at auction, at Exeter (England). A young bull out of tbe 2000-gallon cow Petrdnella sold for 340 guineas and a son of Hay-don Favourite made. 290 guineas. English papers notice the sale to Mr W. M. Black, Coldstream, Victoria, of the Clydesdale mare Queen o’ the Ring, by Du mire Footprint, a champion, and the dam of some champions, at. 290 guineas. The sale tok place at Seaham Harbour, Durham, at the disposal of a draft of 21 head from Mr D. D. Murray’s stud, the average price for which was £54 7s. Queen of the Law. a three-year-old daughter of Queen o’ the Ring, made 174 guineas. “At every centre in the north which I visited.” said the Queensland Minister 'for Agriculture (Mr Gillies) recently, “there is evidence of considerable progress since my last visit 18 months ago. Splendid seasons are being ex-j perienced everywhere. The timber industry on the tableland is simply booming, 2G2 teams and motor vehicles being engaged hauling logs to the stations and sidings along the two scrub railways, and railway facilities are he-* ing taxed to the utmost to provide transport, for logs and sawn timber. The dairying industry is making progress, while the directors of the new bacon factory at Mareeba, are extending the works t-q cope with the pig supply. Large areas are being planted with maize. In the sugar areas a general air of prosperity prevails. Good crops are being harvested, and all the mills are working to capacity. It was strongly urged by Mr W. Scarff at the last meeting of the Heathcote Comity Council that every endeavour should be made to clear the county roads and tbe boundary roads from wandering cattle and horses. Mr Scarff said that during the blizzard last Sunday night, when it was very difficult to see any distance ahead, he encountered several mobs of cattle, and horses, and in the road through Heathcote Valley a bad accident might easily i happen should a car collide with a cow i or a horse. The ranger reported that lie was making a close inspection of the county and had already issued a number of warnings. Regarding the clearing of Imndarv roads, the council decided to seek the co-operation of the Citv Council in the matter. Considerable amusement- was caused

at the presentation ceremony at Oeo over the error made in the weight of the root crop grown by the Oeo school pupils which won the Stuart "Wilson Cap. which was quoted in the leading agricultural paper in New Zealand as being - 1382 tons. It was argued that nothing occuring of late put Oeo on tlie map as had this omission cf the decimal point l>pfore the last figure, an omission which naturally made the yield ten times what it- actually was. People will lie asking—for the par is hound to be seen in papers outside New Zealand —what sort of a wonder place is the Dominion and what Oeo? It must be a super place and they will perhaps wonder why the fanners of such a district continue to pull teats in a dairy shed when the land oan yield such a bountiful harvest. So much cap come out of so little an omission. While talking about crops at Oeo on Tuesday, fanners present were swapping exnerienres and results. Years gone by said one cf the old settlers, we grew some great crops, long before the days cf competition. These crops were’grown on bush land taken up on the Oeo road. They were much heavier than most grc.wn and the results are ascribed to the fact that we did not burn too much. He added that he believed much harm was done by too prodigal bush burning, in that it consumed much valuable constituents of the soil, such as for instance the natural potash supply.

XEW ZEALAND DAIRYING. NOTICE IN AMERICA. Iliat a wonderful 'amount of attention and interest- in many parts of the world is now concentrated fn New Zealand as a dairy producing country is shown by literature just to hand. Two whole pages are devoted to New Zealand in the leading dairy organ of "Wisconsin. This article was inspired by the visit through America of the overseas delegation of the Dairy Control Board, Messrs Grounds, Motion and 1 hacker, who are shortly to return to New Zealand. This article in the Wisconsin paper outlines, for the benefit of American dairymen, some of the attainments of New Zealand farmers, and says: “Any country which has been able to, develop in a few decades from a very little output to the foremost produce exporter* in the world is a live wire. ' The New Zealanders are in this business to stay. First, the country is naturally ‘fitted for cows, and secondly these dairymen have decided to have the most perfect cooperative marketing organisation in the , world, because they wish to place their products anywhere and everywhere that can possibly pay the best price.”

STUD STOCK FOR SOUTH AMERICA. A LARGE SHIPMENT DESPATCHED It is interesting to note that the export trade with South American countries has already keen stimulated as a result o.f the- successful representation of New Zealand sheep at the recent International Stock Exposition at Palermo, Argentina. A large shipment, consisting of Roriiney rams and ewes Corriedale and Lincoln rams, was despatched to Uruguay and Argentine by the s.s. Tainui last week. Included in the shipment were many excellent rams. Quite a number of interested breeders came down to Wellington to see the stock shipped. Ten rams are placed' jn each crate, in which they are kept and fed until they arrive at their destination, which in the case of Uruguay is 21 days, and the Argentine 23 days. The shipment referred to, which was forwarded- by Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., comprised selections made from the following studs: — Romney rams. —Messrs G. E. Allen, Master-ton: Q. Donald, Featherston; W. H. Buick and Son, Masterton; C. Wagland, -Masterton.' Romney ewes.—Messrs Q. Donald, W. H. Buick and Son, and C. Wagland.

Lincoln rams.—-Messrs A. E. Anderson, Clareville- AY- Howard Booth. Carterton; A. D. McMaster, Featherston. Corriedale rains. —Mr H. T. Little, North Canterbury. The shipment “comprised 106 head altogether. Ip view cif the fact that South. American panels to hand by the last mail indicated that there was practically no demand for imported English sheep offered at recent sales, the increased demand for New Zealand .sheep should prove cf great astisfaction to breeders here. The .same firm also, report having shipped 375 Border Leicester rams by the s.s. Moeraki to an Australian client. This record shipment of rams was selected front- the well-known flocks iii Otago.' NEAY ZEALAND DAIRY PRODUCE. THE BIG CHEESE.

Writing to the Star under date October 31, Mr R. E. C. Dowling encloses a copy of a circular issued by the firm who bought the big Ngaere chfeese. It is quoted below. Mr Dowling says: “I am enclosing herewith a pamphlet issued by Messrs David Greig and Co., the large London grocery firm. The pamphlet explains itself, and I thought might interest some of your readers, as I understand This cheese they are advertising was made in South Taranaki. I quite endorse their remarks about the quality of the cheese, as we had some of it for tea to-night. The firms near us all seem to stock New Zealand cheese, and we never have any difficulty in obtaining it. New Zealand butter, however, seems scarce, -as I have repeatedly asked for it at different shops, but have never ..been able to obtain it in this part of London.” I The circular is as follows: ‘‘This cheese, one o.f the largest ever made, weighed nearly 17cwt. An ordinary! cheese weighs about ffewt, so that this cheese is equal in size to 21 ordinary cheeses. It was made in New Zealand especially for exhibition purposes, and created extraordinary interest when shown at Wembley. Nearly five feet in height and three feet six inches across, special care had to be taken so that the large bulk did not bulge at the | bottom. In transport it was enclosed in a huge metal sheath, held together 'with nuts and bolts, and required very expert handling. For such a large cheese the quality was really fine, and shows how good all New Zealand cheese can he. New Zealand is cheese maker-in-chief to the British Empire. This small community of only 1,500.000 people supply the 45.000,000 in the British Isles with most of the cheese they require. This, in itself, is very remarkable. The majority of people do not realise how dependent we are on our colonies for most of the food we eat. If the ships stopped coming for a week the prices would soar, if for a month famine would quickly bold us. Be a little curious as: to whore the food you eat comes from—ask the country of origin. Wo paid Is 7.1(1 per lb for this cheese, but you can buy a piece at the rate of Is ’per lb.”

BOYS’ AND GI BPS’ CLUBS. A much appreciated concert in aid of the funds of the Boys’ and Girls' Clubs in North Taranaki was organised by the local Fanners’ Union in Omata. recently and proved a great success. A capital programme was contributed by New Plymouth artists, and at the conclusion the prizegiving took place. Speaking later of the development of the club movement, Mr. Bidline said he felt that farmers hardlv realised the vast amount of good work that .was being accomplished through these clubs, and the value it was. even to the fanners themselves, ii showing them what could bo done U the best conditions were provided. Ti was because lie realised the value o' the work to the whole Dominion that be asked the backing of farmers. The Omata Fanners’ Union was, he knew whole-heartedly supporting the move ment. as tTie organisation of that evening’s entertainment went to show Y ith such supnort the movement would spread throughout the province and from there throughout thr rest of the Dominion. “fine thing essential to "Vow Zealand’s prosperity is successful eo-n'r-ul tural education,” said Mr. Ridling,