AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXII, Issue 7412, 1 December 1884, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

intercolonial. The Greytown Chiwre Factory is now vary busy, the supply of milk Wag, «vcn nip to the present time, far in excess of that of last year. On Halt fry last the rp,antlty of milk received from the various farmers, reached the amount of Aio gaU„ri», a* against 316, the highest quantity rent in olle day last year, and it is expected that 6W gallon* per day will shortly la* reached. A shorthorn cow. taken into New Plymouth the other day by Mr F. Botkin, of Bell Block, on being weighed turned the scale at 16221 b. The Mnrton (Wellington) paper regrets io learn that many sheep have died in the neighbourhood of Carnarvon from lungworm, One prominent station holder estimate* his loss in sleep and cattle at a Hi tler (if any) short of JiUtOO. The Wanganui Hairy Factory is making very satisfactory progress. Four hundred ga,l lons of milk are now consumed per day j ami the quantity is increasing. The whole of last season's cheese has been sold at good rates.

The weather has not l>e«n so bright and warm on the average as w. ; expect at this time of the year, but the grain crop* are doing well, and should the »dement# be favourable during the rest of the season a good harvest will result. Grass is very plentiful, and root crops of all kinds are doing well. Shearing has commenced in the early districts from whence come satisfactory reports of the clip. The stock sale by Meitarst Fleming and llodtey, at the Commercial yards, on Saturday afternoon (says the North (H<vjo Times), was largely attended, and very good prices were realised. A largo number of animals changed hands. Mr I). M'Gregora pure-bred mare Princess of Wales was bought by Mr Alexander Thomson for 92g«, Two mares were sold at 39gs each, and one at MU 10a. Mr Luacombe’s two-year-old colt Nobleman was withdrawn at 45gs, The brood mare Bell, by Young Hero, with foal at foot by Young Banker, was sold for 77|gs. On account of Mr T. Duncan an Ayrshire bull was sold for 10gs, and a nice yearling boll oat of Young Violet brought figs. On account of Mr James Colder, a three-year-old Ayrshire bull, Prince, was withdrawn at 2Sgs. A yearling heifer (Young Lady) at 23gs, Fancy at 22ig«, and one at UOga, were bought by Mr Alex. Thompson. Yearling bulls and heifers brought fair prizes. On account of Daniel M'Gregor, one three-year-old Ayrshire bull, bjr Cooks' Charlie, brought 20g». Ono very nice yearling bull, out of old Nelly, brought Bgs, yearlings Cgit. Other stock brought fair rates. According to the Agricultural Gcudte of a recent date, the Ayrshire bull, two years old on June 28 of the present year, named Royal Star (582, winner of first prize at the Royal Agricultural Society’s York Show, 1883 j first prize at Ayr, and Ayrshire Cattle Herd-boob Society's special prize and photograph insertion in Herd-book : first prize and Duke of Duke of Buccleuch's .£25 cup, Glasgow ; first prize at Highland Society’s Centenary Show, Edinburgh, as well as 13 other first prizes and silver medals, has just been sold by bis owner, Mr William Bartlemore, of Paisley, for exportation to New Zealand. A movement in favour of adopting the system of selling stock by live weight, as practised in America, is taking place in Queensland. The grasshoppers are on the wing in Riverine, and have begun to come into Hay in large numbers. They are described as evidently only the a caul courier* of a great army that has destroyed the herbage at Hillston.and are reported as making their way southward towards the Murray. The wool shorn off the sheep exhibited for the scoured fleece prize at the late show of the Deniliquin Agricultural Society was recently sold in Melbourne. It realised JBIG. There were 10 fleeces in the lot, and the average price was therefore within a trifle of 7s each-

The American sheep (says the Sydney Mail), some of which hare been in quarantine in this port during the last twelve months, are now at the disposal of their owners. After a careful examination Messrs Higgins, Bruce, and two veterinarians furnished the Minister for Mines with a report to the effect that the animals were free from any dangerous maladies, and as the Minister adopted this view the sheep wore liberated. Speaking of the weather and agricultural affairs in New South Wales, the Sydney Mail says Light rains fell at the close of last week in a few districts; but the country westward is still dry, and many of the pastoral districts are in an unsatisfactory condition. The present week has brought summer-like heat, with parching winds. The coast and agricultural centres, however, should pass through the warm season successfully. The hay and wheat crops are fully equal to the averages of post years, and the reaping machines will soon be busily employed. The vineyards, despite the frosts of two months back, are healthy. Shearing is nearly finished in the south. The olio on the whole, although light, is heavier than was expected, the condition generally being excellent. The reports from the northern districts (says the Melbourne Leader) increase in their unfavourable character as we get nearer harvest, that will be fully a fortnight earlier this season owing to the suddenness with which the hot weather bos sot in recently. Already in some parte of the Goulhurn district oats and barley cutting have commenced, and the harvest promises to be general throughout the wheat belt before the end of the present month. The very best wheat crops in the Goulboura valley will not go beyond four bags, or 1(5 bushels per acre, this year, as compared with eight and nine test season, while the general average of the district does not promise to go beyond 10 or 151 bushels. Further to the north-westward, along the country traversed by the Murray, Loddon. and Avoca rivers, theyield is not likely to reach an average of two bags, while considerable areas are regarded as too poor to pay for harvesting. In the Kara Kara and Wimmera districts the prospects more nearly resemble those of the Goulhurn, but taking the wheat crop as a whole it will fall short of last season’s harvestbvat least four or five bushels per acre, while the area harvested will also show a decrease. In the coast districts the season has not been nearly so unfavourable, and generally throughout the Colony the year has been a good one for grass, the exceptional districts m this respect being comparatively few.

GLEANINGS, Cross-bred animals mature owlh and are better feeders than pure-bmi stock. Experiments conducted but season at the Missouri Agricultural College fully demonstrate the advisability ol mulching potatoes with leaves or straw. Long gras# is distasteful to sheep j they never feed it down evenly. A frequent change from hold to Held is better than giving them a long range i the latter often thorn to iovo n&d waJt*s« wou* discontented. _ ~ . Keep the homnsollara clean. The dust, sweat and dirt which adhere to collars work into lumps and mid shoulders are the result. « the collars become hard, wash them clean, pound them “WLsu™ d»»» ■>'fr? t very prolific and well T * lanl which cannot bejdoughed. It is famous In England. The crosses give lambTthat mature early and make most WX AFamc?SfmUt has analysed the juice oi «dk tree of Central to the nutritive qualities of which was first drawn by Humboldt, and has found that the vegetable product welly newnesses many ohsraetmisttes of cow's milk. Professor Sheldon says the dairy farms

fif Great Britain have been making monpr during the last decade despite the generally twl times. He says the/ can get along With damp seasons, commercial vicissitude*, labour difficulties, and about everything riao except the outbreak of cattle diseases and the stupid orders of the authorities*. A common worm in swine i» one known *** A .«<•'«rii mitla, and is ns thick as a rtrair and about din long. It, inhabits the small intestine roar the stomach and t* easily reached by medicine. The best is nan tomne, or worm-seed, given in two dram o<«es, with a slop of buttermilk and meal. | lenty buttermilk may lie given with 4 *>n< , *he santonin** may be given lor hree day*, om'l t.h? r» again after a week. -ft fengtand. one of the newest things in , f,t agrif <i I tore is the formation " 9m ®P U| J hr the purpose of carrying on an extensive * ientifP- dairy farm. A mrdofeows i ~i . be., t milktag brreda ia to (»• kepi,, and the milk. (.titter, A.-,. ar;j V'r * " f ** th,. i„-4 advantage. Attention will i- paid to g.uitry.and, m addition, pork. fruit. v.-g tai.lc. and so on will be raised.

I’eoplo arc not wdlT WM( , that the egg product of the Foiled States standn second in value only to c„m and wheat, and very often surpass** the latter, {mring the last fiscal year, ff»r mslan--*-, the rfirtt trrop was worth •!*>,<;l* Frid-.l ; the wheat; crop, (81,#575,779d«l ; and the i'« crop 476,‘1M1.HWM01,

A poultry fancier, who believe.* in the value of ensilage for fowl* during the winter, think* it does not pay to construct tilcw to preserve it in. lie uses old. but light ca'k.*, liquor barrel*, or mohusei hogshead.*. To keep their contents at the proper temperature be sinks them under ground. He finds that short clover, ryis and tender grass, like that eat from a lawn, make the beat ensilage for fowl*. When fanners learn from experience that by housing their manure and thoroughly working it over, mixing with absorbents such as muck, earth, road dust, leaves, Ac., to take up the liquid and the ammonia set free, its value is double wbal; it now is, and that, too,at an expense much, less than the same amount of plant food! could Ire obtained in an artificial fertiliser;, a new era will have dawned upon agricul tore, and we shall see the fertility o? land brought back to at least its original condition.