BY THE WAYSIDE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 102, 11 April 1933, Page 11

BY THE WAYSIDE

TOPICS OF INTEREST. JOTTINGS FROM HERE AND THERE. Reference to the probability of increasing trouble to pastoralists from rabbits has been made in these columns. The following paragraph is from the Australian “Pastoral Review”:—‘‘lt has been reported that large numbers of rabbits in south-west-ern Queensland are dying, being affected with a parasite that is described as a little red flea or bug. Expert opinion is that while the flea itself cannot cause the deaths, it may be introducing diseases causing mortality. An investigation is to be made when specimens are obtained, as some hope is held that the flea may provide a solution of the rabbit problem.” • • • A new fertiliser material, ammoniated peat, has been developed in the laboratories of tho United States Department of Agriculture. According to Chemical Markets, it seems to combine many of the good features of the two familiar types of nitrogen-carrying fertilisers. It has not been developed commercially yet, but chemists of the department say that the manufacturing process is simple and relatively inexpensive, and that the commercial production of ammoniated peat offers opportunity for material saving in freight on fertilisers. Small-scale experiments with plants have given promising results. Anhydrous ammonia is suggested as the source of nitrogen. It may be shipped by tank cars from tho nitrogen-fixation plants to the fertiliser factories. Utilisation of peat for tho preparation of ammoniated peat offers commercial possibilities, the department chemists say, because peat is widely distributed and occurs within short distances of tho principal fertiliser consuming centres. Preparation of air-dried peat is an inexpensive operation, and the addition of ammonia demands merely provision for heat and pressure. Despite the dry season experienced in Canterbury in 1931-32, which was exceedingly trying for plant life, the autumn rains, states tho annual report of tho Selwyn Plantation Board, came sufficiently early to influence reasonably strong second growth. The losses of young trees in establishing plantations were almost normal, and probably 5 per cent, -would cover the failures. An area of 431

acres was planted with 230,725 trees, and 40,625 trees, two and three years old, were distributed to local bodies at trade prices; the season’s planting and tree distribution schemes accounted for 271,350 trees. • • • Over 100,000 bales more wool has been sold this season up to the end of March than last, according to figures for nine months just made available. In addition, a greater proportion of the wool offered was disposed of. It is shown that the total wool offered in the Dominion for the nine months ended March 31 was 593,471 bales; 525,825 bales were sold, compared with 531,618 bales offered and 417,600 bales sold in the previous period. The exports, too, showed a substantial increase, being 620,990 bales for the nine months, compared with 512,000 bales for the corresponding period the previous season. The March exports totalled 160,176 bales, against 129,718 bales in March last year. • • • The “Manchester Daily Dispatch,” which is inclined to take up the “Little England” attitude, had in a leading article in February the words: “Why worry about Dominion dairy farmers and leave Lancashire mill operatives to kick their heels in idleness?” The same journal has printed a letter in which Mr, H. T. B. Drew, Government Publicity Officer, replies to this question. lie says: “Are not the two things related! Last year, as tho result of the fall in her produce prices, New Zealand’s purchases of British manufactures fell away from her 1929 figures by over £10,000,000. If the people of Lancashire had paid for New Zealand butter the price they pay for Danish butter —to-day the difference is 30s per cwt. and it has been considerably higher—more money would have been spent by New Zealand in Lancashire mills, because the people of New Zealand would have had more to spend.” • • * “If the Danish farmer likes to ruin himself by producing bacon at 2/6 a stone —as he is doing—and the Now Zealand farmer is doing likewise by landing his lambs in Smithfield at 5d per lb., it is hard lines that the British farmer should be pulled down with them,” said Mr. J. G. Harris, secretary to the North Yorkshire and South Durham Farmers’ Union, speaking at Northallerton last month-