FARM AND DAIRY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7387, 13 February 1902, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

The weather during the past seven days has again been most satisfactory for all kinds of harvesting and summer work on the farm. There was not a large amount of bush felled this last season, but for such as there was there have been good opportunities for burning.

There is plenty of labour on offer for harvest work this year in the Ell«smere district (says the Lyttelton Times), a large percentage of Australians having come across for this purpose.

The comparative shortage of fat sheep for butchers' purposes in Canterbury (says the Christchurch Press) is causing consignments to be sent down from the North Island, and those thab have arrived so far have sold well. A line of 400 heavy Romney cross wethers made 16a Id to 17s 3d' at Addington last week, and 238 very prime Lincoln cross ewes brought 13a to 14s. It is also reported that some 30,000 store sheep have been purchased in the North Island to be sent down to Canterbury this autumn.

The potato crops in the Oamaru district (says the Mail) are suffering considerably from an attack of blight. This is what is known as the greenfly, and is found thickly upon the shaws, which, as a result of the attack, wither away prematurely before tho tubers are properly developed. It is feared that the yield will be greatly diminished.

Tasmanian agriculturists have splendid orops to harvest this year, and, in fact, such a season as the present is unusual, even in Tasmania.

The current price in the Argentine for a 13001b steer for export ia now £6 10s, as against £8 last year, and 1321b Lincoln wethers were 12s as agaiost 17s last year.

ARGENTINE CENSUS.

Alluding to the improvement of cattlebreeding in Argentina, in an address to cattle-men at the Pan-American Exhibition, Lieutenant-Colonel Juan S. Attwell said the census of 1888 showed that there were then 18,000,000 bead ol criollo, or native cattle, which were reduced to 14,000,000, according to the census of 1895, while the mestizo, or improved cattle, increased during the same period from 3,400,000 to 5,000,000, and the thoroughbreds increased from 38,000 to 72,000. The milch cows and the oxen for service increased also from 1,000,000 to nearly 3,000,000. It could be safely Baid that the improvement had continued even at a higher rate from 1895 to 1901. The figures for 1899, he added, showed that the imports ot fine cattle for breeding purposes that year amounted in all to 2187 head, divided among Shorthorns, Herefords, AberdeenAngus, and Jerseys. All fine cattle came in free of duty. Regarding the improvement in sheep-raising, the lecturer said it had exceeded that of cattle-raising. Thus, while in 1888 there were 24,320,000 head of criollo sheep, in 1895 there were 17,900,000, and the mestizo or improved sheep in* creased during the same period from 42,000,000 to 56,000,000. The imported pure-bred sheep, including rams, in 1888 were 381,012, and in 1895 they were 385,314. The importation of rams for breeding purposes has gone on decreasing, and while in 1896, for instance, 112,000 were imported, in 1899 not half this number were imported, showing that many of the rams needed are now raised in the country. In 1899 the imports of pure-bred sheep were as follows: — 8,935, Lincoln; 391, Hampshire ; 284. Shropshire ; 502, Rambouillet ; 74, Oxford Down, 30, Leicester ; and 2,311, Mestizo Lincoln.

THE OANTERBUEY HARVEST.

TakiDg advantage of the favourable harvest weather, rapid strides have (writes the Leeston correspondent of the Christoburch Press) been made in gathering in the harvest. The coops are turning out; satisfactorily, sonsidering the season. The grain is yielding much better than appearances war. ranted. Several lines of barley have been threshed, yielding from 60 to 70 bushels, while other paddocks have threshed out from 30 to 40 per acre. Oats are also yielding very well per acre, averaginggfrom 40 to 50 bushels ; several farmers- have threshed paddocks yielding 60 to 70 bushels. Peas are turning out even better than any other crop. Mr H. M. Hsty, Leeston, has threshed two paddocks of partridge peas which yielded 59 and 57, bushels ber acre. Mr T. Dixon has

threshed a paddock of Prussian blue peas which yielded 55 bushels.