FARMING NEWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 306, 25 November 1937, Page 5

FARMING NEWS.

RURAL RAKINGS.

Jlildow has been discovered in most of the wheat crops of the Ashburton county. The general opinion that the disease is developed in wet or damp weather is not borne out by the fact, that it had attacked the crops during the particularly dry period before the rain fell last week. • Due to the unfavourable season experienced throughout Now Zealand, but particularly in the North Island, there is decided uncertainty about the potato market at the present . time. Prices have risen sharply as the result of short supplies and there is a possibility of a rationing system being introduced in Hastings, says an exchange. There has been a tendency during the last few years toward brooding store sheep in Poverty Bay districts on account of good prices offering for store stock in the Waikato, Hawke’s Bay and the Auckland districts. This wag the opinion expressed by Mr E. M. Bates, B.Sc., Institute of Agriculture, at Gisborne. For example, lie said, 355,000 sheep were driven to outside districts last season.

“In the past I have always regarded tho threat of Australian' competition in the dairying industry as somewhat of a bogey,' but it is definitely a reality now,” said Mr T. A. Winks, of Hawera, a leading fanner, who has returned from a holiday in' tlje Commonwealth. “Australian production is growing not only in quantity, , but also in quality. Tho dairymen are giving up their old ‘rafferty,’ style of farming and are going in for improved methods and scientific stock breeding.” Ileayy losses, have been suffered by ■farmers in the Opotiki county this season among dairy herds, the chief troubles being bloating and milk fever, writes a correspondent. High-producing cows appear to be tho chief sufferers ■-from the complaints, and; a nuniber of very valuable animals have been lost. The cold and changeable weather, during the past fortnight has also resulted in numbers of rrcwly-shorn sheep being lost. Conditions were very severe on Friday afternoon last, when hail accompanied a thunderstorm and icy cold wind caused losses where the animals were without shelter. That the quality of stock in the King Country has improved vastly ' .during the past three or four years is very evident. No doubt this is chiefly due to the improvement in> pastures, but it is apparent that bettor bulls and rams are now being sought by local farmers with the view to improving their herds .and flocks. At the recent combined breders’ sale of beef bulls held at Te Kuiti .the demand for bestquality animals was exceptionally keen, farmers being well content to pay extra money for the good-quality bulls which were offered. Aberdeen Angus bulls realised up to 75gns.