RURAL TALKS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14976, 23 April 1909, Page 10

RURAL TALKS.

(By RUSTICUS.) Last week I commented on the very heavy rainfaJl we had experienced, thoroughly wotting the land, and giving grass, turnips and rape a good freshening up. Since then, we have had a succession of nor’-wcst galea which reached their climax on Sunday night, April 4. In some parte of the province the wind was exceptionally severe, and a good deal of damage was done. Woolshede and other buildings were unroofed, and in sorno cases stripped and practically destroyed; trees were uprooted, straw and hay stacks blown over, and sheaf stacks (stripped down to the eaves and in some cases blown almost entirely away. In localities known to be subject to heavy gales in windy weather the stacks had been tied down, but this in come cases availed but little. T.he top stook was left on in more than one instance, and holes bored in the windward side of the stack. In districts near the sea it has not been the custom to hang weights on the head, suspended from the top stook, because the wind rarely does any damage down there. This night proved an exception to the rule, and some grain-grower 3 are deploring the fact tbnt they did not take better precautions. Some wonder has been expressed at the fact that some stacks stood out the gale while others suffered very materially. The explanation is to be found principally in the way the heads were built. Where the sheaves were put in with not much pitch, that is, where they were laid almost flat, the wind had the best chanco of removing the sheaves. But where the sheaves were built steeply the wind could not get under the butts so easily, and they were blown against the stack, as it were. Although these stacks which have been stripped have been righted up again, not many of them will be as waterproof as" they were before the wind. Tho gale dried the tops of tho stacks splendidly, but it just overdid it. It is years since we saw such a gale, and we hope it will be a very long time before wo have another like it.

Fat lamb is still going down, and farmers are asking when will the bottom be reached. Money is being dropped in handfuls by those’ who bought their stores at a high rate. Tho lucky sellers of stores some two months ago now see the price of fats back to and below what they sold their stores at, and they are consequently very proud of their superior judgment and valuable foresight. Tho trouble is that Australasia and other meat exporting countries are sending Home more meat than the Home people are eating. We want to see better times in the Old Country, lees unemployment and less poverty. Some people say that when the Dreadnoughts are being.built times will be better for tho masses in the United Kingdom. I am not too positive on that point. Dreadnoughts are unfortunately very necessary to the Empire’s wellbeing, and here it will not 1 be out of place to say that the fanning community, as far as I- know it, backs up Sir Joseph Ward’s gift to the British Government, hut true prosperity follows the expenditure of money only when that money is being made to produce something of reproductive or marketable value. Tho construction of Dreadnoughts may case tilings for a time, but that will be followed by extra taxation a little later on. We earnestly hope that things will shortly look up in the United Kingdom, both for thoir 6akes and ours. The recent ram sales have shown that Border Leicrsters are still the favourite breed of sheep. They give big percentages of lambs, and the lambs soon grow into good weights. But the meat buyers have unmistakably shown us that they aro going to favour lower weights in tho matter of price. I thought, therefore, that tho English Leicester would have como more in demand. It gives a light carcase, and does not fatten as well as the Border, hut the lutton and lamb from the English I eicester cannot be beaten lor quality. It is small in bone, and is just what is wanted, if wo may trust those who are in touch with the Smithfield market. One buyer says that he had a good parcel of prime hunbs of between 26!b and 3blb weight, the average being 321 b. His customers considered they were too big, and desired to average not more than 301 b. We must produce smaller lambs of prime quality. They must r.ot bo small because they aro inferior, but they must be prime. The English Leicester, I maintain, fills the bill best in this respect, and also gives the best and most wool, and this last is a. big consideration when meat is getting lower in price, while wool is going up. As I have said, lots of farmers are shipping on their own account. | They contend that they may not nrnko I much, but that they cannot lose much. The skins and fat will pay the bulk of tho freezing freight and selling charges. .1 should think that lamb shipped fairly late, to reach London after the bulk of the Australian, stuff j has been disposed of, will stand the : best chance. Mutton is very low just ; now. and farmers contend that, with skins worth about 4s 6d, they cannot : lose'much by shipping Home on their \ own account when tho over-all price | hero i,9 only 2d per lb. As I have said, | a lot of shipping on growers’ account is i being done, and it will bo interesting | to know how tho business turns out. i

Farmers should bo very pleased at the appointment of the Hon T. Mackenzie ns Minister of Agriculture. The Minister is a. practical, commonsenae man, who would doubtless make a good Minister of Lands. He is shrewd and cautious, and lias knocked about among the farming portion of the people a good deal. He has an acquaintance with the commercial side of agriculture as well as with the practice of farming. For some years lie represented in London the big farmers’ co-operative concerns of tho dominion, and did .so with credit to himself and profit to his. employers. Paradoxical as it may seem, the two positions of Tourist Minister and Agricultural Minister should go very' well together. The • Hon T. Mackenzie believes in making himself acquainted with the beauties of all parte of the dominion, and in his travels he cannot help coining into contact with farmers. Tho backbloeks residents should especially benefit, and no one sympathises with the backbloeks more than the Hon Thomas Mackenzie does. For ono thing, Mr Mackenzie will probably use his endeavours to have experiments carried out, on a larger scale than hitherto, on farms. This has already been done in. various parts of Canterbury. Mr John Anstey, M.L.C., on his farm near Timaru has set a capital example to other farmers in this respect. Of Mr Anstey’s practical knowledge of agriculture no one who knows him can have any doubt. It is something when such men are in favour of the Government undertaking these experiments}, but it is a great deal more when these men aid the Government by lending land, and spending time in conducting these field trials of various crops. Tho Agricultural and Pastoral Associations are not doing all that they might do in encouraging these experiments. It is to be hoped that they will do more in future. Wo farmers want men like Mr T. Mackenzie and Mr Anstey in our Houses of Parliament, and in the Cabinet, too.