AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 10483, 22 October 1894, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS.

After tho wet winter there ia almost certain to be a very heavy growth of all kinds of herbage daring the early summer, and farmers will do well to be prepared to deal with it. Given fine weather, it goes without saying that a great deal of hay will be'made, but hay ia not everything as winter fodder for cattle; it does not fill the place of green fodder. Preserved . green fodder: ia proved to be the only complete substitute for the natural herbage, ■ and when with the grass and cloyer there is mixed green pats, rye, maize or some other succulent growth, in tho silo, the product is invaluable for farmers, especially those who have cows which they wish to keep in milk through the winter—the most profitable time of the year for the sale of milk and butter. Ensilage is more cheaply saved than hay, and can ba stored in almost any ' weather. ’ Appliances are iiimple and cheap, and it is surely worth the while of farmers to adopt to some extent this system of preserving fodder. During show week in Adelaide (last month) a party of upwards of one hundred loading farmers and pastoralists visited Roseworthy Agricultural College. There was, of course, a luncheon, and the health of the principal. Professor Lowrie, being proposed, that gentleman, in his reply, gave some interesting particulars respecting the cost of agricultural education in some other countries. An experimental farm in Ottawa, which was said to be particularly interesting, received as a Government vote no less than .£15,000, and this for a small province like Ottawa. France spent £150,000 per year on agricultural education, and Germany expended from £4O to £7O per student. The English Colleges had just as much as they could do to mako ends meet. At Cirencester the fees amounted to £135 per annum, at Downton £129, while in South Australia the charge was £3O. He, himself, had paid three times that fee for practically the same education. Of course the more educational the place became tho worse it was for its balance-sheet. Tho best course was to strike the happy mean —obtain as satisfactory a return as possible consistent with good educational work.

The great difference iu standing between the Canterbury School of Agriculture and all others ia that the latter are almost wholly State institutions under Government control, the few exceptions being the few self-supporting agricultural colleges in England, while the former is a branch of a purely local educational institution, endowed, ibis true, biit by the founders of the province and not by the State, and free fconi any State control or obligations. Comparing the work done under the different conditions, the_ Canterbury school comes out well.. While responsible only for tho instruction, of its own students it,does, freely:and well, a vast quantity of work which should rightly be don© by the State or a<t the cost of individuals. Analyses' of soils, seeds and manures, post-mostem examinations, cultural experiments and so on are undertaken, and their results made known to the public or the individual, as the case may be. A proposal is mooted to popularise the institution: how could that bo better done than by placing at its disposal a sufficient sum annually to enable the scope of these experiments to be extended, and their results compiled for publication ? At present these extra-scholastic investigations are a labour of love on the part of the director and staff, and the results appear only in the annual report to the Board of Governors, whence they find their way to the Canterbury Times. Bis dat, qui cito dat appiiea to knowledge as well as to charity, and the reports of tho work at Lincoln might be doubly valuable were they published promptly. In view of the proposal by the Wellington Agricultural Conference to establish a Government publication for tho dissemination of information on agricultural subjects, the following is of special interest-In the House of Commons on July 19 Mr Cobb asked the president of the Board of Agriculture whether he had yet completed the arrangements for the issue by his department of a periodical journal for agriculture on the same lines as the Board of Trade Journal. Mr Gardner said it had been for some tima past his desire to make soma movement in this direction, and he was happy to say tbs Treasury had now placed at his disposal funds for the purpose. The department proposed to make tho journal a medium for conveying in formation ss to matters of interest in connection with agriculture at home and abroad, the crop prospects m foreign countries, and other particulars obtained from sources of intelligence to which they had access. They would also include notes on dairying, fruit farming, poultry rearing, and the smaller rural industries, together with short accounts of noxious insects and fungi. Certain statistics as to agricultural production, imports, and exports would also be given. The first part would be issued early in September, at the price cf 6d. Mr J. Lowther asked what amount had been granted. Mr Gardner was not in a position to say. Mr Bowles asked what would be the position in case an action for libel was brought. Mr Gardner said the position would be tho came as that of the Board of Trade Journal. Mr Dodd asked how it was proposed to circulate tho journal, Mr Gardner: Exactly in the same way as the Board of Trade Journal. Mr Tomlinson wished to know something aa to the contents. Mr Gardner recommended the hon member to buy the first number.

NOTES FOE FARMERS. The crop prospect s throughout Australia are reported to bo good. In tho early districts the wheat is ia ear | grass ia plentiful, stock are getting into good condition and the milk supply is very large. The opening sale of this season’s eeries of Christchurch will be held on Nov. 23, Tho committee of the Marlborough Agricultural and Pastoral Association is taking energetic action to secure the success of tho annual show at Blenheim on Nov. 20. Good prizes are promised, and complete arrangements are being made for the access and comfort of visitors. The great progress made in farming in Northern Marlborough and the splendid pastoral advantages of the province should ensure a most interesting collection of exhibits as well aa a large attendance. Blount’s Lambrigg wheat, which is one of tho varieties being grown experimentally at Lincoln, was a subject of discussion by the South Australian Central Bureau of Agriculture recently. All the members spoke in high terms of tho flour from the wheat, the points of excellence being sweetness of taste, light sponginess of feel, soft crust, p.d long-keeping qualities. In tho discu|iion the members expressed regret that the wheat was bo difficult to deal with, by the miller, but were pleased that the results with the flour were so favourable. It wao noticed that tho colour of the bread was of a rich golden yellow and nob dark. The possible benefits of a rust-resistant wheat it was seen would be incalculable. Tho Victorian Department of Agriculture is distributing the seed of twenty varieties of sugar beet imported from France, with a view to tenting tho suitability of the colony for the growth of the plant. It is understood that certain firms are prepared to erect sugar factories ia the colony if a plentiful supply of best is assured to them. Much interest ia manifested by English farmers in tho beet-root sugar industry. They argue that nearly fourteen millions sterling are sent out of the country for the purchase of sugar, mostly ia France and Germany, while they are raising grain at an absolute, loss, and large numbers of labourers are out of employment. They think that with proper Government encouragement they could cultivate enough beets to supply tho country with sugar, while diversifying their industries and retaining the labourers on the soil. Thc-t cultivation of wheat in the Argen-

tine Republic, according to recent accounts, is still "extending, and that so largely that Argentine newspapers are talking of an export of 3,000,000 tons next year. This estimate is probably exaggerated, but even a moderate increase on the present exports of about a million tons per annum will ba quite enough to keep the markets down for the greater part of next year. A school of practical agriculture has been established in the Province of Buenos Ayres, under direction of the-Argentine Government. This is the first institution of- the kind in that country, and great hopes are entertained of its ’ elevating influence on agriculture in Argentina. An Agricultural Organization Society has been formed in Ireland, largely through the efforts of Hon W. L. Pluaket, son of the Archbishop of Dublin. The avowed aima and purposes of the society are somewhat similar to the Grange of the American farmers, and the movement is regarded as being fall of promise for the agriculture of Ireland; : . .v. t With .all ,the progress which has [been made in the agriculture of this country, the matter of ' selection cf seed' from our cereal grains or field crops has not, the Australasian says, generally received the attention, it should have. But while plants may be improved by selection, they also degenerate without selection. • Virgil, the Roman poet, who lived 1800 years ago, said—- “ I’re seen, the largest seeds, though viewed with care, Degenerate unless the industrious hand . , Did yearly cull the largest.” The same rules which apply to the breeding c£ animals apply to the breeding of plants. It is well understood now that no horse, wins an important race unless he is of thoroughbred stock. It is well understood that selection or high breading is profitable to tha breeders of stock, .and it is as important to tha farmer who produces grain.

STOCK NOTES. [bt tussock.] A fortnight without rain is a pleasant experience. Sheep are already looking the brighter for the advent of spring, and with a continuance of favourable weather, will rapidly improve on their present somewhat backward condition. Dry crossbreds are passing under the shears in large numbers now, and the clip is, as a rule, satisfactory. By a transposition of figures, the number of sheep from the respective flocks sent to Messrs Williams, Hawke’s Bay, a fortnight ago, was wrongly stated in these notes. Prom Longbeach 167 rams and 100 ewes, and from Mr F- C. Murray 94 rams were sent. The Adelaide representative of Messrs M’llwraith. M’Eacfaain and Co., states that Mr M’Eaeharn, promoter of the Maori King shipment, has arrived at the conclusion, at "any rate that the initiation of a trade in live cattle is not impossible. A quantity of compressed fodder specially made up has just been dispatched by our Melbourne house to Messrs Reid and M’Eacharn’s station, Consuolo, in Central Queensland, for the purpose of experimental feeding of station bullocks under shipboard conditions and allowances. ’ Shropshires had a good demand at tha Adelaide sales last month. Ten ewes bred by Messrs Exton Brothers, Oatlands, Tasmania, averaged .£ll 12s 2d, and five ewe lambs averaged .£lO. South Australian bred rams brought up to JSIB 10a, and a line of ram lambs averaged .£lO 10s. The champion Shropshire ram. The Penn, belonging to Mr Stephen S. Ralli, of Werocata, was sold at the show to the representative of his Honor Chief Justice Way, of Kadlunga, for lOOgs. The Pean as a shearling in 1892 took first prize at the Ludlow Agricultural Show, Shropshire, England, and was considered such a perfect type of the breed aa to ba illustrated in the English Live Stock Journal. The “ Murray ”, merinos repeated their triumphs at the Adelaide show and sales. A thirty-months old ram. The Tod, by Cappesdea, was bought from Mr W. A. Murray’s draft, for 31go, by Mr Watts, Marlborough, whose brother secured two of Mr A. J. Murray’s Mount Crawford flock. ' Lincoln rams appear to have sold better at Adelaide than at Melbourne; the show champion fetched 26gu, others 12igs, Hgs and so oh, but many of the best sheep ware sold privately at prices not disclosed. Says “Bruni”:* The grand champion merino ram at the Australian Sheepbreeders’ Show thTs~year, the property of Messrs Peterson and Sargood, was shorn at the Wonnamutra estate on Sept. 10, when his fleece weighed 301 b. This is, I think, the heaviest unwashed fleece yet yielded by any ram born, in Australia. The ram, named Prince of Wales No. 5, was exhibited in the strong wool section, and the judges had not the least hesitation in placing him at _ the head of this season’s stud sires. He is of pure Vermont blood, of the famous Matchless strain. Hia present owner purchased his dam in lamb from Mr Thomas M’Parland, of Yathong. He is of good size, wall shaped, and his fleece is put on aa a sire’s fleece should be. The wool shows the influence of the Vermont blood, but considerably modified by climate. It is heavier in yolk than is usual with the general run of Riverina stud merinos, and would lose more weight in scouring.

DAISY NOTES. (Canterbury Times.) Before the committee of the House of Commons on food adulteration on July 20, Professor Long, of the Margarine Committee of the Central Chamber of Agriculture, gave hia opinion in favour of the establishment of a laboratory, under the Local Government Board, for the testing of dairy produce. In connection with that Board there should he a bureau or department dealing with dairy produce. He would propose to transfer the work from Somerset House to that department. His experience was derived from America, whore they had a dairy commission and a bureau. Asked if it might not be vested in the Board of Agriculture, he said ho should nob object to that. What was wanted was an establishment for the control of.dairy produce and for analysis. The public

should ho able to take samples to the department to ba tested, say for a fee of half-a-crown. In New York State they had a dairy commission, and in the State of Mesjsohussetfca a bureau to regulate the sale of dairy produce and to ensure the sale of pure goods; and from what he had seen personally in the States, he believed _ they had practically driven out margarine. In hia opinion the retailor should be prosecuted, with liberty to show that he had not tampered with tho article since he received it from the wholesale dealer. Packages should be marked, and he would Have inspection by local authorities compulsory instead of being permissive, and after a second case of fine he would have power of imprisonment. Retail dealer?, wholesale dealers, *nd factories should be subject to inspection. He believed that large quantities of margarine were imported into Limerick to be mixed with butter, and tho skimmed milk was largely made up into condensed milk. In the course of further evidence witness showed that of eleven samples of butter from Hamburg aiz were adulterated and five donbtfulThe Grocers’ Gazette declares that colonials are doing tbeir best to strangle the Home dairy farmers, and states that it is surprising that such a course is permitted. Mr G. S. Jakins, of Christchurch, was one of the speakers, by Invitation, .at the convention of the Californian Dairy Association at San Francisco Sept. 19. Ho spoke of the remarkable development of the dairy industry Australia and Now Zealand, which he said was* the direct result of scientific work, ' He did not think, after a month’s obsecration, that the Californian dairymen had as good machinery, particularly churns, at the Australasians.