THE FARMERS COLUMN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 25 April 1907, Page 1

THE FARMERS COLUMN.

— The Canadian Applo Industry. — f The South Australian Commercial o Agent in London haTti forwarded to his ; . Government somo interesting notes en - the" Ganajftafl apple industry. At the c reccfii exhibition' of colonial fruit held c at the Royal Horticultural-hall in Vina cent Sqiiare, Canada showed some thirty varieties of apples, including Cox's j Orange Pippin, Spitzenberg, Jonathan, Noiisuch, Northern Spy, Rome Beauty, I Golden Pippin, (Grimes') Wagnar, Yel--11 low Belflcur, Russet, King o' Tompkino' f County, White Permam, Blenheim, 0 Orange, and others from the best dis- • tricts. Of this lot, however, the com- ■ mercial understands the Newtown Pip- • pin, Cox's Orange Pippin, Grimes' Gol--3 den Pippin, and Spitzcnberg to be the • ' four which the London market likes - best. "The meat important feature in !' connection with this industry for com--3 mercial purposes," he writes, "is core rect grading, and proper and careful 1 packing of the produce, and in order to 1 secure greater uniformity for the home ! ■ and foreign markets an Act hasi been > ■ recently passed by Parliament which I provides that all packages offered for : sale shall be truly marked and must " contain specimens uniform in character throughout. The most satisfactory re- ■ .suits have accrued, as, I understand, ' sales are readily effected without open- " ing the packages." The greates expansion of the industry has occurred in ! British Columbia. There the acreage 1 has trebled in five years, and it will " more than double again in the next ! . three years. Upwards of one million 1 trees were planted in 1905 alone. Thir-. ! in a province which, ten years ago, did 1 riot grow enough fruit to supply its own ' population. The varieties at the Exhibition are said to have been in excellent condition. They had been carried 1 at a temperature of 38deg., and had to be travelled over very nearly 3000 miles of land before reaching the ship. ' "With all this rail carriage in Canada, steamer freight and expenses to London," remarks the South Au tralian Agent, "they can bo laid down for about 4s 6d per case ; but, as in everything else, they are doing at present, the Canadian Government are necessarily offering special inducements in rail carriage, etc.'' —Colours of Horses.— Good horae.=, carry coats of all colours. Nevertheless, most old horsemen, declare that certain colours are superior to otnVrs, and are always ready to back their statement with plenty of examples. The question of colour has cropped up for the hufidradth time in England. A writer to the "Field" drawn many horse lovers by dividing the colours into three : — (1) Grey and blacks, which, he says, are noted for their stamina ; they are not famous for their speed, but they can go on for ever; (2) chestnuts, which, he cays, are distinguished for their Speed and excitable temperament-.; flflu (3) bay 3 and browns, whose qualities lie bctweon those of the other colours, the bay* favouring more the chestnuts and the browns favouring the black in disposition. Ho holds, also, that with the disapearance of four-mile heat-, black and grey race-horses began to decrease rapidly, whilst with theintrcduction of the short distance racing, chestnuts increased. Naturally, he has been contradicted and supported by horsemen in all parts of Great Britain. — Miscellaneous. — The Taranaki "News" rays that the loss of the turnip crops is producing many anxious faces among the farmers, who foresee a shortage of winter fodder. A blight has attacked the Taranaki fields in all directions, and many cropD seem to be absolutely ruined. The damage seems more severe along the coast and on the low lands than on the higher country, and the worst sufferers are those whose fields have been previously under crop. The maiden bush soil teems to have produced turnips that withstand the ravages of this scourge. Masterton District High School pupils have achieved a remarkable result on their agricultural plot, obtaining a potato crop which works out at the rate of 27 tons 2cwt per acre from 754 cwt. of seed and 4cwt of manure on poor soil. The variety Factors (13cwt to the acre) and Breezes' Prolific, planted I on November 27 with 6cwt. of manure, ' produced at the rate of 10 tons 12cwt to the acre for 98 days' growth. The "Mataura Ensign" says: — "The cry of the rabbit is to be heard on the land. His almost human cry as the trap snaps ist heard on every hillside. The cat brings him home in singles io feed her kittens. Sometimes the cat finds the trap herself and does not return. Th first standard boy proudly carries his one rabbit to the agent, the bigger boy bends under tho weight of two or three rabbits ; the back of the patient horso of the 'grown-up' under the strain of accumulated rabbits. The laundry lady for the nonce has ceased polishing the front of the boiled shirt i in her frantic defire to capture the fertile bunny; the old age pensioner eks out nis scanty dole by sending his ferrets after the elusive rodent; and even tho banker, as he pays out the cheques, has lingering doubts that he has missed his life's vocation. The hand of every maui tire legs of every dog, cat and ferret ar 'agin' the rabbit; and still he multiplies, still he replenishes, and : still comes up smiling to take his gruel in whatever shape it is prepared ' for him. All of which, boiled down, 1 means 'hat the rabbit trade is brisk. About 1200 are despatched from Clin- : ton every day. Everyone seems happy 'j in the general slaughter. Even the rab- ' : bit himself wears his usual benign ex- ' • pression. ! Tupnip drops at Timaru generally are coming on well since the dought broke up, making a second growth, J which is quite distinctly visible in | large geen leaves standing up above discoloured small ones. Complaints • made, however, of ravages by aphis and J other blights, and also of a rotting disease in a smaller number of cases. Since 15th December, the quantity of ' | wheat exported from New South Wales 3 South Australia, and West Australia r , to countries beyond the Commonwealth 3 amounts to approximately 14,903,067 1 bushels. The quantity of flour for • rhe same period totals 450,415 sacks. Their total value may be put at i £2,540,000. - j Illustrations and descriptions of the 3 cattle in Great Britain a century ago . show that stock-breeding has made y • wonderful progress during the 19th C century. Not only have the various distinct breeds been firmly established a but there has been a general- levelling ' up of the non-pedigreejOr what we may ' call the purely commercial cattle. Poultry-keeping (says the Sydney r ■ —"^ ~ ~ — " "^ "~ —^^ ~ ~* j ! RHEUMO cures rheumatism, goutj sciatica, and lumbago, quickly and per . manently. It is a thoroughly safe an<! absolutely reliable remedy. All chemists and stores, 2s 6d and 4s 6d.* d „!■ ' ' . ' .' I- BIT OF ALL RIGHT. r "While out shooting the other day," i- says R. London, merchant, Maldon !, (Vie). "I strained the calf of my leg n so badly that I was unable to walk, ff and had to be assisted into my gig. fc _ On reaching Homo I Ixao. C Ham Deri axq a d Pain Balm rubbed in. It certainly i- warmed up that part of my body, but ,c it did the work, and, to my great k relief and pleasure, all the soreness was >- gone by the next day, and I was able ir to walk. Chamberiaitt's Pain Balm "ig^'s ■r bit of all right, aid I now spoak from it personal exeprienco, as well as a store1, keeper who has soU it for years- " For sale by Grove and Song,*

"Stock and" r S.ta'tkjnt Journal") ib laid to be booming across \'sbfc Murray. Aa an instance, Mr H. '.;.V±l Hawkins/-poul-try expert, tells Jiowr he 1 .dropped on a 1 farm t'other, .dayvstarted less ' thaa 1 three years ago. ..' On 7t last year 410 1 birds averaged' 166 '••'.eggs each- AH | told, this prospering fanner sent over seventy thousand eggs to the market during the year. ..'•'.■' The growth of t agriculture in tho ' Northern Wairoa is indicated by tha ' fact that tho entries , at 'the late Agricultural and Pastoral Show were 1265, ' or about four hundred more than during the rjrevioui.iyeai'i' ■' From thr^e. iijillioii-.,t0 five million tons of maize- 'oil . are ..made annually in the United States.V The oil is used to some extent for .ctilinary purposes,, as well as for lubrication, and .in the mixture of paint. , . ,-' , , Very rich creajji.is'liable to paste or thicken in' the' chiirri',' 'so that the concussion cease's.This ( can usualy be corrected by adding endugh 'water at the same temperature ■ .; ss'.'-jtKe cream, to dilute it. ■ '.. ]< ... ■-■,".' At a recent, meeting of the Victorian Vine and JfriA '.Grower's' Associaion members expressed \t he' opinion that the Government .sUould make strenuous efforts to combat the' fruit fly pest.