FARM and DAIRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 7 November 1925, Page 18

FARM and DAIRY

NOTES.

After a short stay at Honolulu, Mr W J Poison writes to the Farmers’ Weekly: “But all sorts of farming are practised oh these fortunate isles. On one of the islands a man grows Hereford cattle, and supplies the Honolulu ' market at 20 cents a pound for all he can produce. His last lot of /0 steei s were 22 months old, and averaged 580 lbs. Think of that fellow New Zealand farmers—a steady market at lOd per lb for baby beef going close to 600! This is not a fairy tale. Mr Rowlands, the Australian and New Zealand manager of Testy and Co., who is on his way home to London to assume higher responsibilities, will vouch for the accuracy of' this statement. But the Hawaiian method of fattening is still more interesting. These bullocks came off 75 acres of land laid down in alternative rows of some giant which I have forgotten the name of and paspalum grass, and it took the .farmer and his herders some time to find the cattle in the crop. There was feed enough there to fatten several more lots of cattle. I need not say that this farmer was not interested m the subject of rural finance.”

At Te Kaha, on the East-Coast of Auckland, between Gisborne and the East Cape, a substantial dairy factoij has been erected under somewhat nove conditions. The district to be served by the factory is populated entirely by Maoris, the only ‘resident European being the schoolmaster and his family. / The native owners of the land have cooperated and built an up-to-date dairy factory equipped with all modern machinery, and also a residence, necessary offices, etc. The whole ot the work has been accomplished by the native owners without outside help of an\ sort, except that of the supervisor and director, Mr W. E. YVylde. The building is of reinforced concrete, and, as showing the spirit of the native not leers, the grouncl upon which it 16 erected was cleared, the foundation of the building made, and the walls built to a height of eight feet within a fortnight. There were 40 natives employed, in gangs, under the control of then chief Waikura, and no better example of co-operation has ever been furnished in New’ Zealand than the building ot the Te Kaha Hairy Factory.

Writing of a trip to Ireland, Dr. Kelly, of Dunedin, says" of the Dublin Horse Show that in point of attendance it was said to be the most successful show ever held in Ireland. Some 90,000 people had gone through the turnstiles. The prices paid for thoroughbred stock were higher than had ever b.een previously realised. He met many New Zealanders at the show, and yhqy, naturally enough, were delighted to meet each other. He accidentally ran across ex-Chief Detective Herbert and Mrs Herbert, and the pleasure of the meeting was mutual. Earlier in the year Dr. Kelly had met ex-Chief Detective Herbert in Florence. Amongst other Dunedin people he met at the show were Mrs S. Spain, of Earnscleugh.

High prices ruled at the Jersey sale at Walton (Waikato) last week, when Messsr Mears Bros.’ herd was submitted by the Farmers’ Auctioneering Company. Top price was realised for an imported cow, Goodwood Ruby, for which Mr F. W. W alter, of V aitoa, paid 400 guineas. This cow’s heifer calf was taken by the same buyer for 70 guineas He also secured another cow, Fox’s Freda, and her calf, paying 220 guineas for the cow and 50 guineas for the calf. A striking feature of the sale was the high price paid for this season’s calves, which averaged, 30 guineas.

State Hospital, Newington, New South Wales, recently sold the .young Berkshire sow Newington Hone to Mr C. H. Weston, New Plymouth (N.Z.). This sow is by Polegate Master, dam Prince’s Jean, by Wilmot Prince. After her arrival in New Zealand, Hone farrowed a very nice litter by Coralulup Tassy.

The success of Mr C. ‘G. Lyon's splendid cow Molly 6th of Banyule, which gained the championship in the Jersey section at the late Melbourne Royal Show, and her outstanding performance in the last Victorian Government Herd Test (12,4971 b millc and 6T3lb butter-fat in 273 days) will be particularly pleasing to Messrs J. Duffield and 'Sons, Palmwoods (Q.), proprietors of the Brook Lodge herd, of pedigree Jerseys. Their head sire, The Ace of Banyule, born October, 1920._ is a son of Molly 6th, by Milkmaid’s Chief of Banyule, which they purchased from Messrs Lyon and Kerr, Heidelberg (V.), in 1921. He is descended from heavy-producing ancestry, and obviously he possesses the ability to transmit his inherent qualities to his progeny. The first three of his heifers, none of which was over two years and three months old, submitted to official test in Queensland, yielded 3631 b butter-fat, 3311 b butter-fat, and 2921 b butter-fat in 273 days. The Ace of Banyule should do much to improve the Jersey stock in northern State.

PIONEER IN DAIRYING

DEATH. OF MR HENRY REYNOLDS

A London correspondent writes to the Otago Daily Times: “His many friends both in New Zealand and in this country will regret to hear of the death on September 19 of Henry Reynolds, of 10 de Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, and formerly of the Waikato. The late Mr Reynolds was one of the pioneers of the dairying industry in New Zealand. About the year 1880, as farm produce and cattle were almost unsaleable, he started a butter factory at Pukekura. For a long time there was nothing but loss, but as a forlorn hope Mr Reynolds came to England with two consignments of frozen butter, and; to his joy, it was as good as when it left the factory. Later on circumstances compelled him to sell his interest in the firm of Messrs Reynolds and Company. Ltd., and, acting for Messrs Lovell and Christmas, he went to the Argentine, and was . the pioneer of dairying there. He had sold his land near Hamilton, in the Waikato, and he bought land in the Argentine. Last year he retired from active work, and returned to England. He died very suddenly from heart failure.”

ROADSIDE TREES. An association called the Forest League has conceived the idea of lining the main southern road with trees from Sydney to Goulburn. With this object in view it is writing to councils along the route suggesting that they should take the work in hand. There can be no doubt of the enhanced comfort of travelling along a road which is tree-bordered. This is particularly noticeable on some of the country roads where the fields adjoining the road have been cleared for wheat, but a stretch of trees has been left alongside the carriageway. The traveller proceeds through a leafy avenue which not only is a pleasure to the eye, but also affords protection from winds and heat. The practice of destroying native trees along the roadside has now been discontinued, but unfortunately it prevailed when the main roads were laid down, so that in every direction from Sydney the main highways have been stripped bare. It is possible that if the councils would take a share in the project the Main Roads Board might also do its part. While the provision of a dustless or rutless surface for traffic is a first consideration in roadmaking, the amenities of the road cannot be overlooked. AUSTR ALI A N HINTERLAND. DESERT LIKE SAHARA. Mr David Davies, of the South Wales Daily Post, told a Perth pressman that parts of the desert along the Great Western r ailway resembled the Sahara, and other parts looked like the Moroccan desert and Great Salt Lake desert of Utah. Mr Davies said he had seen admirable specimens of Australian fruit in England, but what was served on the railway led him to believe that the best was exported and the remainder kept for home consumption. Tinned milk on the train was so thin that he could almost see the bottom of the jug.

MURRAY (VIC.) VALLEY. MAY SUPPORT 10,000,000 PEOPLE. CREATING THE GREAT LAKE. At a function in Albury recently. Sir John McWhae, formerly Agent-General for Victoria, said that there was a wonderful future before the- Murray Valley. No part of the Empire would have better prospects when the great lake at Albury was formed by the completion of the Hume weir. In a few years’ time they would possess the greatest artificial conservation of water fin the world. Jjt would he 70 miles long. That, with the making of the river navigable, would revolutionise the Murray Valley, which should he able to support a population of, 10,000,000 or perhaps more. The Murray was about the same length as the Yangtse Kiang in China. Irrigation on that river supported countless millions, and the Murray should do even better. Australia would increase in population and wealth in proportion to the steps that were taken to conserve the waters of the great rivers, and to nnpiy this water to irrigation. \ leading ...london banker had told him that if his institution were to extend business to Australia it would concentrate on the Murrav Valiev.

INDIAN AGRICULTU RE

DEVELOPMENT OF DA Hi YIN

TRAINING LANDOWNERS’ SONS

There is a fine system of agricultural colleges throughout the provinces ol India and the sons of native landowners are instructed in the cultivation 1 of their ancestral acres on the most modern lines. The work being done in the colleges was described by Dr. H. E. Anuett, a member of the Indian Agricultural Service, who arrived at Auckland from Sydney by the .vtaunganui. Dr. Annett, who has held the post of principal in several of the institutions, will spend some months in New Zealand visiting the Government experimental farms and investigating agricultural methods. Every province in India had one of the colleges and they accepted as students only the sons of landowners, as it is felt they were the only ones (who would go back, on the land and make use of their instructin'!!. Thej would not, for instance,, take members of the writer class, who generally sought positions in the Government service, or Brahmins, who, by reason of their religion, would not engage in tildag of laud. The colleges were finely equipped, and the laboratories were equal to anything in the colleges of Europe The colleges had been responsible for putting out better varieties of seeds for the farmers and bad introduced better farming implements. In a good many parts of tb.e country the. holdings averaged from" 5 to It) acres, although in some cases a man might have as much as 60 acres. Most of the limners needed only a plough and a pair of bullocks, and their implements were generally of the more primitive kind. Ploughs and <1 rills of a better type had been introduced, but there was a problem associated with this movement, for when the farmer got a new plough he required better food. The natives, owing to their religious beliefs, would not .slaughter the old useless cattle and, as a result, the country was filled with old animals which ate up much valuable food. Dairying is a. specialty with the Indian agricultural colleges, and a lot is being done in this direction. Dr. Annett said there was urgent need for better methods, as there was a dearth of good milk. It was remarkable that while other foodstuffs were cheap in comparison with European prices, milk was considerably dearer, 2s to 2s 6d a gallon being a common price for pure milk. The native fanners did a certain amount of separating and turned the cream into ghee, a native butter, from which the water content was withdrawn, this being used for cooking. A Dane had established a buttermaking business, taking milk from native farmers, separating and returning the skimmed milk to the suppliers He was now making large quantities of the best butter obtainable in India and distributing it as a tinned product.

IN VICTORIA. SOLDIER. SETTLERS. \ —— REAPPRAISEMENT OF FARMS. The State Government, it was announced recently, intends to take immediate steps towards the reappraisement of the farms of the soldier settlers on the Murrumbidgee irrigation areas with the object of affording relief. ’ . , About 12 farms will be reappraised. These reappraisements will be taken as a. standard for the rest of the farms. By this method it is contended that the work can be carried out expeditiously. Soldier settlers not satisfied with the revolution of their properties may appeal to Mr Justice Pike, who will be asked by the Government to hear the appeals. The Minister for Agriculture (Mr Dunn) pronoses to visit the area towards the end of this month, when he will meet the civilian settlers in a round-table conference with a view to seeing whether relief can he afforded to them in accordance with the. promises made by the Premier in his policy speech. , The Premier promised the soldier settlers that he would honour the report framed by the committee of inquiry re-o-ardinc tlie soldier settlers in the area. "The liabilities to the Irrigation Commission and the Crown, it is stated, amount to £1,729.629. The. time for payment has arrived, and it is alleged that there is no possibility of discharging the whole liability.

FARMERS. ARTISANS, .MERCHANTS

Next to the scholar, pride of place m the social scale is given to the farmer (says a writer in the Australasian). U is estimated that SO per cent, of the population live in the,countless villages of the land, from which the people go out in the daytime to cultivate their fields. On the Great Plain of North China, where we first lived, in a district of 5000 square miles, there is i population estimated at six million people (equivalent to the entires population, of Australia). Almost every inch ot t.be available land, is cultivated, and a farmer will raise a family on three acres of land. The implements used take us back to Biblical times; the wooden plough, with an iron point to the ploughshare; the earthen threshingfloor on which the grain is rolled out

"Vsith stone rollers, or beaten out with flails'; and the wooden shovel with which the threshed grain is thrown into tlu* air, so that the chaff may be winnowed out by the wind. And yet agricultural . experts agree that, except in the selection of better stocks, we have very little to teach the Chinese farmer concerning the production of the maximum amount of produce off a small patch of land. He has learnt by experience the value of rotation of crops and the art of ,manuring.

FARMS TN SOUTHERN FRANCE

And now I must, tell you of the beautiful farm steadings in Southern France (writes a traveller recently in that lovely country. One saw in the midst of green meadows a great group of buildings like a small village of mellowed brick with red roofs, and all quite close together —not quite like the Norman farms, but still having the barns and stablings apparently much closer than wo do in Australia. From an artistic point the idea could not be bet-tered-and was a constant delight to us passing by. One tiling more I must say about the forests. .1 was told that many that we saw' were preserves for shooting, and when I tell you that the roads through them were absolutely purple with hen (tier, you can imagine how beautiful they looked. All the cattle vve saw in .Southern France were white and might have been put there to add to the beauty of the landscape. ’Pigs we saw, too, in any number and great flocks of geese. In several places women in the villages were - grinding coffee out in their gardens; they seem, like us, to dr lots of their work out of doors; and I must say sunflowers abounded of the very big kind, which we use for poultry, also phlox and dahlias. Curiously enough, not many churches came to our view, except a very 'fine cathedral at Bonny, and, I forgot, to say that all the farm-houses and a great many houses in the towns have outside staircases to the fir,st floor. Some cov cred, but the nfajority uncovered. Wo noticed, too, that far from seeing a great many dark French people most of the people we saw in this part of the world were quite fair, blue-eyed, more like Scotch people than English, on account of high cheek bones, but certainly not like our accepted ideal of the French. Of course, in Marseilles, being a seaport town, probably a good deal intermixed with other nations, the people we saw were extremely dark.

NEW ZEALAND HONEY

The past season ’s honey production in New Zealand shows a considerable increase over that of the previous year, and marks the ‘highest point yet reach-, ml in the Dominion. The organised export of honey commenced in 1914 -under the control of a co-operative society formed b-v the .producers, 93 tons bein' 1 ; exported in that year. The amount available for export has rapidly increased, the increase'being very marked during the past season, when the amount produced for export was 780 tons. The mount exported in 1924 was 537 tons, making an increase in exports of 243 tons, of an approximate value of £12.000.

Over and above the export, an amount, of about 1000 tons lias gone into local consumption, making the total production for last season 1780 tons, of a value of £89,000.

Of the amount exported in 1925, 45J tons were produced in the North Island and 829 tons in the South Island. It is expected that with an average season for 1920 the exportable surplus will be in the. vicinity of 1.000 tons. In view of New Zealand’s increasing production every effort, is being made to extend markets. With this object a packing and distributing depot for Central Europe is being opened at Wiesbaden. Agencies have been established at Singapore and Hong Kong, and it is exported that with the development of these outlets the present increased production wjll be absorbed without any undue congestion of the market in Britain.