FARMING NEWS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 303, 20 November 1936, Page 5

FARMING NEWS

RURAL BAKINGS.

A dairymaids’ competition will be conducted at Mullumbimby (NewSouth Wales') Show this year, prizes being given for the most, milk obtained in three minutes. The steward in charge (Mr J. L. Creagan) is confident 'that°the American record of 171 b. of milk in three minutes will be beaten. Many men who have been engaged in the Mntnmata and Otorohanga counties during the past 18. months eradicating ragwort are again seeking sustenance in Auckland as a result of the standard wage legislation. Farmers are said to be unable to meet the difference in wages, which “neither the man, the job. nor the land is worth,” according to one of the persons thrown back on to the labourmarket-. A continued good demand for_ farm horses was apparent at the Morrinsville horse fair. About 70 horses were offered, about a third being hacks, a third light draughts, and the others heavy _ farm horses. The top price was £57, which Mr P. Clark, of Mangatoparu, paid for a seven-vear-old mare offered on account of Mrs M. J. Murphy, of Hamilton. The range of prices was as follows: —Hacks, £4 to £ls: light draughts. £25 to £37; heavy draughts. £4O to £57. There is some concern among sheep farmers in Mangonui County (North Auckland) at the late shearing owing to uncertain weather. A few bales of wool have passed through ICaitaia to the port of Awanui. but few growers have commenced shearing yet, and their wool canhot now reach the markets in time for the first sale. The chief cause of worry, however, is the bidi-bidi, which increases in its harmful effect as the season advances. Among the many special trophies offered for competition at this year’s Ttoyai Show at Christchurch was a 50-guinea gold cup for the best-woollod Rornney March ram in the Show. This award, which was made after the ordinary judging of the sheep sections, was won bv Messrs Joseph Mosley and Sons, wellknown Clydevale breeders, who have been exhibitors at. Roynl Shows almost since the inception of the exhibition. It is interesting to note that the ram which won this distinction carried a finer though still typically Romney fleece than sev era! of the outstanding prize-winners from North Island studs, which have never been more strongly represented at a Christchurch Show than was the case this year, says a southern exchange. A London correspondent writes under date October 24 that Sir John Russell, director of Rothamsted Experimental Station, who recently visited Poland, returned ‘to England with some interesting facts. He found that rnen working on farms get practically no cash wages —only about Is a week —and they are paid almost wholly in kind. They get 30cwt. of grain a year, half an acre of ground for potatoes, food for a cow, and fuel. Thus the Polish farmer’s wages bill is met mainly by the produce on his farm, and so far as wages are concerned it does not really matter to him if market prices aro high or low. Poland is sending increated quantities of butter, eggs, and bacon to the English market, and it is not surprising that she can afford to unload thorn at low prices. The frequent bursts of rain aro beeom ing somewhat perturbing to wheat growers. says a Christchurch paper. To date this year the fall has been 50 per cent, more in Christchurch than it was last year—actually closo on 31 inches, as against less than 21 inches. Last season, moreover, was not a dry year. It was better for the first 10 months in the matter of rainfall than the average. Already there are reports of mildew in wheat in various parts of the province, age and spread evenly *jver many days With a rainfall in exces sof the averof the last few weeks, there has been a great flush of feed in all parts of the Waikato, and production is exceptionally high. The production for the first three •months of the current season Was 9 per cent, higher in the Waikato than it was I for the corresponding period last year, j when excellent conditions prevailed, while | for September the yield was 20 per cent. ! greater than for September, 1935. Hairy j farmers aro busily engaged throughout the district in building stacks of ensilage.