NOTES BY THE WAY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 24 September 1927, Page 16

NOTES BY THE WAY.

At this time of the season a year ago the prices of New Zealand butter and cheese were: Butter 154 sto 1626, as against 182 s this year. (Danish was soaring far above, and was quoted at 184 s Fast year and 192 s this year). New Zealand cheese shows an equal variation —80s to 86s, compared v ith the present 9Ss to 100 s.

A remarkable conference, to which a Taranaki man, Mr. Alex. Nielson, was invited has recently been held in Sydney, at which fifty-six butter factories were represented by delegates. As was to be expected, a great deal of excellent and useful work was done.

“VYe want to see all the cheese ‘etten,’ so that it will not be stored up and brought out later to compete in the markets. This was what was brought about by control,” said Mr. A. Campbell, when referring to the dairy industry at the Okaiawa smoke concert on Monday. He was putting in a plea for the board when sketching some of their problems during last year. He added that actually it was the industrial disturbances that were at fault..

‘‘lt is very difficult to get football in a district like Okaiawa when the cows begin to come in,” said Mr. A. L. Campbell at Okaiawa on Monday when referring to the delay that occurred in playing off for the Taranaki championship.

“If a farmer sells his calves he gets os but if he keeps them and sells the skin he can get probably 6s each skin.” This was said in reference to the bobby calves by a man who considered more should be paid.

Owing to the nature of the work of a draught horse, he should be steady and easily bandied.

A milking cow will use up 25 per cent, of the nitrogen of its food and give*7s per cent, to manure.

Half of the ration fed to a cow goes towards the production of her milk, and the other half towards the maintenance of the body. So that naturally her yield will depend greatly on the amount and quality of her feed. . Feed is valued by its composition, digestibility, and palatibility. The body requires ingredients such as proteids.

The most important thing in connection with sick animals is to treat them kindly and quietly.

A good udder should be carried well forward and rear, with medium sized teats, squarely set on the four corners of the udder.

As an animal becomes fatter, the percentage of water which its body contains diminishes.

A marked tendency is for factory returns to diminish during the period when the grasses are seeding. To a great extent this can be prevented by farmers growing crops which will be ready to feed off during this period.

Two imported Aberdeen Angus bulls put up at a fair in Sydney each brought 825gns., while others realised 4Uogns., and Shorthorns up to 375 gns. The demand was chiefly for the hardy early maturing blacks so popular in the States and in Canada. The sale was intended to popularise the breed in Australia.

The idea to beautify the surroundings of butter, and cheese factories probably originated in America. In any case it was here where the thought was developed, and the “Beautify Your Surroundings 'Contest'd” instituted. in various districts have been largely responsible for converting neglected factory surroundings into wellkept lawns and gardens. Travelling through various parts of the Dominion one must be struck by the fact that there is an almost unlimited scope lor such a movement among our dairy factories, many of which enjoy the doubtful distinction of being conspicuous by their ugliness of structures and their unsightly surroundings.

Mi ss Lorna Byrne, B.Sc. (Agr.), has assumed duty as organiser ot' the women’s sections in the branches of the Agricultural Bureau of New South Wales, on transfer from the Education Department. Miss Byrne, who is a native of the Tamworth district, graduated in agriculture at Sydney University in 1921, being one of the first two ladies to gain that degree in the State. Since that time she has been engaged in domestic science and rural work at various schools, including a considerable time at the Orange Burn I School. She has always displayed a keen interest in the work of the Agricultural Bureau, and lias taken an active part in several of its conferences in various parts of the State alnd at Haw kes bury College. More recently Miss Byrne lias accompanied the Better Farming Train on its tours and given demonstrations in methods of improving rural homes. WOOL PROSPECTS. Reporting on the Home wool market, a recent commercial paper says : “The principal supplies this series are crossbreds New Zealand is fully represented, and some very good; lines of Victorian comebacks and fine crossbreds are being catalogued almost daily. The demand is particularly keen for good half-breds; in fact anything of 56-58’s quality is fetching extreme prices, and generally 5 per cent, more than last series. " For really choice New Zealand half-breds up to 25d has been paid several times, and

occasionally a fraction more. lho bulk of these wools are selling at 22d to 23d, often making Id more than they would have made last series. Unless we misjudge the future very badly, all available supplies of these wools will be wanted long before the arrival of the next New Zealand clip. Continental buyers are very keen, and so are Bradford topmakers. Medium crossbreds are selling as well as ever.” The situation looks very sound for New Zealand wools, especially the crossbreds. NEW DAIRYING LAND. The Kaitaia Dairy Company has made arrangements to enable a number of the settlers on the gumfields in th© Far North to commence dairying in the coming season. Negotiations have been carried on for some time past, and they were completed at a recent meeting at Houhora. Judge Acheson of the Native Land Court, held a conference with the directors of the company, the outcome being that the Tonerau Native Land Board has arranged to assist native farmers at Te Ivao to embark upon dairying. A motor wagon for the purpose of carrying cream to Awanui lias been provided. It is considered that the new venture will relieve the settlers from the necessity of relying solely on gum production and make them more self-reliant. Arrangements are now complete for 'supplying the dairy: factory with cream early next spring. The importance of the venture lies in the fact that it will increase the production of but-ter-fat in Northland —already it is considerable.

FRUIT FLY IN U.S.A.

An item of news that must he disquieting to growers of fruit all ovei the world is the report of the ravages of the fruit fly which is spreading through the southern United States. It is said to attack oranges, peaches, apples, piunis and guavas.

In regard to the infestation, the assistant (director of the Department of Agriculture states that “the United States Government has quite properly placed quarantines against those countries which are known to be infested by any injurious species of fruit fly. The finding of the infestation of Mexican fruit ffy in Texas places the United States as one of the three countries infested by this particular insect, the other two being Mexico and Central America. With the rather wide range of host fruits attacked by the fly, unless measures are taken at once to exterminate the pest in Texas, it seems reasonable to suppose that we may look forward to quarantines against the United States on account of this pest.”

In view of the importations of Californian fruit to New Zealand it would appear right that precautions should be taken to prevent the introduction of the pest.