BY THE WIDESIDE

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 232, 2 October 1935, Page 12

BY THE WIDESIDE

Topics of Farming Interest SOUTHDOWN- -SHEEP IMPORT Six Southdown sheep have gone into the London quarantine station preparatory to being shipped to New Zealand. The consignment, which consists of three shearling rams and three ram sheep, were bought by Mr. George Fawkes, and will be shipped by Messrs. Wright, Stephenson and Co. They como from Mr. W. E. 11. Hebblethwaite’s Upper Swell Southdown flock. T.wo of the three lambs, have this year won first prizes at the Oxfordshire show and second prize aty tho Three Counties Show.

A New Zealand Working Sheep Dog Stud Book has been instituted, and is in course of preparation, but will not be put into print until tho compilation of the list of registered dogs is complete. Already several hundred dogs have been registered with the association which holds tho records. Tho North Island results are not included in the booklet, but for the first time the North Island representatives attended the South Island Championship trials this year, when a Now Zealand Association was formed. This is expected to result in a liaison of the sheep dog interests of both islands and to facilitate the production of a Dominion stud book on .the lines of the one in England. * * * “People who talk about exorbitant margins of profit in the milk business should attempt to issue a prospectus to form a company to enter the trade,’’ said Mr. G. W. Hutchinson, chairman of the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council, at a meeting of the council. “They would soon learn how little there is in the milk trade.’’ A lhtter .was received from the Chamber of Commerce, stating it had worked out figures showing that a comparison of prices of butter-fat as supplied as cream in cartons and as supplied to dairy factories gave an eight to one ratio in favour of tho former. In reply, the secretary of the Milk Council, Mr. N. It. Chapman, gave a detailed analysis of the position, showing the ratio to be only three to one in favour of cream.

Is fat hen a native, or has it been imported at some earlier stage in the history of tho Dominion? This question was discussed at a meeting of farmers’ some time ago, where it was confidently alleged that fat hen had been imported in other seeds from England or the Continent. The theory appears to be completely disproved by the experience of the late Mr. T. Brooks, one of the earliest settlers of Brookside, Canterbury. The first ground ploughed in the district, /0 years ago, was ploughed by him, and he sowed peas on it. Ho secured a fair crop of peas, but a splendid one of fat hen. The ground was ploughed out of the native, and there was no way of imported seed of any sort getting near'it. r » * ■* South Africa^appears determined to Induce’ '"'her producers to breed and fatten suitable steers to build up and establish her export trade in chilled beef. Latest advices inform us that that Dominion is prepared to grant a subsidy of lid per lb. on all A gray; beef from grain-finished- steers and Id per lb. on all B grade beef from grass-fattened steers. This should represent between £2 10/- and £4 10/on all steera which will yield Carcases of these grades. With such a bounty production of suitable cattle should speedily increase, and the South Africans should quickly establish their chilled beef industry. But will it be on a sound basis?

The recent British proposal to impose a levy next year on foreign imported bacon is the subject of sharp criticism in Denmark, remarks the Meat Trades Journal. The prominent trade daily “Boersen” characterises it as “not especially creditable to Great Britain.” “ Great Britain has not given Denmark fair play in accordance with the terms of the present AngloDanish trade treaty," the newspaper adds. “The Danish public do not understand her behaviour. Denmark his fulfilled all her obligations under the treaty. It is not even necessary to prove that she has made greater concessions to Great Britain than the treaty demands. Denmark has given Britain much more than she could afford, considering the extent to which she has been forced to economise recently,” .the “Boersen” concludes.