FARMING NEWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 91, 15 March 1935, Page 5

FARMING NEWS.

RURAL RAKINGS. A large new ferro-concrcto butter factory lias been built for the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Coy., Ltd., at Otorohanga, having a yearly output capacity of between 4000 and 5000 tons of produce. The countryside about Wanganui is at its best at present. There is plenty of feed and stock are in excellent condition. A Maxwell farmer reports that his fat lambs have turned out better this year than for several seasons past. Farmers along the foothills (writes a Waimate correspondent) are securing good returns from the once despised brown top. Those who did not succeed very well in eradicating it some years ago are now reaping the benefit of their failure. Tile first consignment of ox beef for chilling left the Taumarunui district this week. The * cattle were well bred Polled Angus and Hereford bullocks, ranging in age from 3/ years to 4) years. The latter draft had been dehorned and the exporter’s buyer described them as ideal for the trade. The third and final wool sale of the season in Auckland will be held on March 29. There is no limit to the offering, and at the present time it is difficult to gauge the probable total of the catalogues that will be submitted (says the Star). Large quantities are actually in store, but growers, for the most part, are watching the market closely, and will delay coming" to a decision whether to offer or not until sale date is nearer. At the corresponding sale last year 15,896 bales were offered, and 13,579 were sold. In a Jotter from Malvern, Worcester, to a New Plymouth resident, the writer says: “As to our supply of apples, we much prefer yours to those from Canada. We get Delicious, Rome Beauty, Jonathans, Granny Smith, and others. They vary a good deal from time to time. " but I think that depends very much on how long the shops have had tho casco open. We pay usually 6d per lb, but for some kinds 7d and Bd. We grow good apples in our garden, but they do -not last long, and we can get good' English eating apples at a big fruit farm near here for 2d to 3d a pound, until near Easter. Then we have to fall hack on imported fruit.” The preliminary threshing returns are somewhat disappointing (says the Christchurch Press). It was hoped that tho break m tho weather might, have helped sonic crops, but apparently the earlier threshings were not benefited. The yield to February 21 averaged 26.86 bushels to the acre. Up to the corresponding period last season it was 31 bushels. This year 1,230,967 bushels have been threshed; last season 2,113,012. The next month’s return (to Alarch 19) hast season was 6.597,257 bushels and the average' 33.17 bushels to the acre. When the final returns came in, however, this average fell again to 31.56 bushels, or half a bushel more than the first returns.