PASSING NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8655, 26 August 1891, Page 3

PASSING NOTES.

' shipments AND sales OP wool. I According to the "annual review issued ! by the N.Z.L. and M.A.' Company, the fol--1 lowing were the shipments and sales of New Zealand wool effected by the company from tho Ist March, 1890, to 28th February, 1891 :— N. Z. port-:. Bales shipped. Bales sold. liivurcargill.. „ ... 14,274 5,000 Dunedin _ _ _ 34,075 17,330 Oaiuaru _ „ _ 18,575 871 Timaru .. .. « '25,129 4,903 Christchurch _ .. 63,187 17,300 Blenheim _ _ _ 7,883 — Nelson^" ~ ~ —J- 40,022 I,4SG Napier ' Z Z Z 60,032 5,427 Gisoorno _ _ 9,574 — ' Auckland _ .. _. 7,s;;i 4,576 Wanganui',,' .. ._ 9,092 335 290,320 07,344 The average prices obtained were as foils «;s :— 1880-90. 1890-91 Description. 1880-90. 1890-91 Greasy merino _ „ 9"-l 7'SO „ half-bred .. ... lO'.'iG 817 „ cross-bred — _ 9 - 25 7'23 j „ long wool _ _ 8 "30 7 ~ lambs _ _ S'7s 6'77 < „ pieces „ _ 7"13 592 „ locks „ „ 3'91 2'73 THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE. In reference to the frozen meat trade and its expansion, the following table has been published by - the N.Z.L. and M.A. Co., showing what was done in tho trade last year, what the estimate is for the present year, and what is tho full capacity of the various works and companies in this colony : — Frozen, Estimated, Pull 1890. 1891. capacity Auckland — Freezing and Storage Co. .. 10,000 30.000 100,000 Napier—Nelson Bros.. 290,000 350,000 700,000 Napier—North British Co 88,400 130,000 130,000 Waitara — Mount EgiiiontCo » 00,000 05,000 Wancanui —Wanganui Co. .. .. .. _ 75,000 150,000 Palmerston — Longburn Co. .. .. - 100,000 200,000 Wellington Meat Export Co. _ .. 284,000 250.000 350,000 Wellington — ' Gear Meat Co 144,300 200,000 300,000 Canterbury — Belfast Works 342,300 230,000 443,000 Canterbury—lslington. 145,000 230,000 448, Canterbury—Timaru.. 80,000 200,000 275,000 Otago — Oaniaru and Burnside .. .. 222,300 195,000 300,000 Southland — Invercavgill 50,000 75,000 144,000 Marlborough Freezing .Hulk ... ... .. .. 10.000 Totals ■ , .. .. 1,076,400 2,105,000 3,665,000 It will bo seen from these figures that the province of Canterbury takes the lead with a capacity of 1,166,000, Napier following with 830,000, Wellington comincr next with 710,000, followed by Otago with 300,000, and so on, tho aggregate record for the colony being a splendid one. FARMERS' RECEIPTS: AMERICA V. NEW ZEALAND. The farmers of this colony are apt to complain at the comparative small ness of their receipts from crops, after all the trouble and expense they have had in producing them. As for any real profits, these are said to be exceedingly small, as a rule. But a glance at the »American farmer's receipts might astonish not a few of our settlers, and even cause them to conclude that in this land the lines had fallen to them in pleasant places," and that they are not so badly off after all. The Washington Department of Agriculture has lately published some returns which throw a good deal of light upon the receipts American farmers obtain from their crops. These returns axe for the ten years ending with 18S9. And the following table shows the average yield per acre and the value per acre of crops in the United States as a whole for the decade mentioned :— Yield per Value per Crops acre. acre. "• Bushels. £ s. d. Maize _ « _ 2-I'o 1 18 0 ... Wheat „ „ „ 120 2 0 0 Oats «. „ _ _ 20'0 1 13 0 live .. _. «, _ 11-0 1 13 0 Barley „ „ _ 21 "7 2 10 0 ■Buckwheat . .. _. 128 113 0 .Potatoes „ ~. ... 72-6 Vl2 0 it Here wo have the average value of crops in America for a period of ten years, and; these values do not exceed about 33s per acre for oats, rye, and buckwheat, 38s for maize, and 40s for wheat. Barley comes out a little better, and potatoes must be a very profitable crop when the value per acre reaches .£7 12s. Now, while in the United States the crops for ten years averaged as follows to the acrewheat, 12 bushels; oats, 26; barley, 21 ; and potatoes about 2 tons, in New Zealand tho average for ten years would bo as followswheat, 27 bushels; oats, 35 ; barley, 30; and potatoes, 5 tons. And the prices obtained for crops in this country would quite equal those obtained by American growers, excepting potatoes. But while the figures quoted are the average returns and receipts obtained by farmers in America, there are farmers who have been growing wheat at 24s per acre ; and there are no less than seven States in which the average returns for the ten years were less than 32s an acre for growing wheat. That being so, it is really no wonder that so many agriculturists in America are discontinuing the cultivation of that cereal, and turning their attention to crops of a more profitable character. The table given above shows the average yields and values per acre for the crops mentioned. But some of the American farmers must get exceedingly poor crops, according bo the following table, which gives the lowest or minimum returns for the past ten years : — Yield per Value per Crops aero. acre. Bushels. £ s. d. Maize _ «. _. 94 15 0 Wheat _ „ _ 5-7 14 0 Oats ... .. „ ... 9*5 0 IS 0 , Rye .. .. -. _ 4-0 018 0 Barley ~ „ „ 10-4 l 10 0 Buckwheat.. .. ... B*s 110 Potatoes .. .. „ 55-0 0 2 0 It is only fair, however, that I should also give the maximum, or very highest returns produced in the States for the ten years referred to. Here they are then:— Yield per Value per Crops acre. acre. Bushels. £ .s. d. Maize „ „ ... 327 4 IS 0 Wheat _ _ „ 19 5 4 3 0 Oats .. _. _ .. 30-0 3 12 0 Rye .. _ - .. 17*1 2 10 0 Barley ... „ _ 29-1 4 0 0 Buckwheat..' _ „ 20'3 3 a o Potatoes - ... .. 117*1 15 0 0 UTILISING- POTATOES.

Potatoes are selling at low rates, and have been for some time. They are worth from 40s to 50s wholesale, with no immediate prospect of an advance. Shipments to England have been tried in a small way, but with discouraging results. Last season there were planted in this colony 32,000 acres, upwards of 2000 acres more than the previous year, the returns having been 178,000 tons, or mora than 18,000 tons increase upon tho previous season. If growers, every recurring season, arc going to produce such large quantities of "these tubers, there must either be an outlet found for them, or they must be utilised in the manufacture of farina or starch ; because the supply appears to bo much greater than the demands of the population. Writing on tho subject of the " Potato" in the last issue of the New Zealand Country Journal, the consulting chemist of tho Canterbury Agricultural Association (Mr. G. Gray) makes the following remarks : —" In addition to its value as an articlo of food, the many industrial uses of tho potato must be considered. For the preparation of ordinary starch large quantities are employed. Tho potatoes are ground and washed on sieves with water, which removes the starch granules, the latter sinking to the bottom of tho vessel; after a slight fermentation by which nitrogenous matter is removed, tho starch is 'dried, and is then ready for tho market. From the starch many excellent preparations are made, including imitation arrowroot, sago, tapioca, macaroni, and vermicelli. The starch by roasting is also converted into dextrine or British gum, a substance largely used it) the arts as a substitute for gum-arabic. When boiled with dilute sulphuric acid, starch is converted into glucose, or grape sugar, and this, when fermented, forms alcohol. A considerable quantity of alcohol is made in this way, and sold under the name of British brandy. So writes Mr. Gray, and, in a note, the editor of the Country Journal says:—"lf potato-growing is to bo continued with anything like success, wo shall have to consider whether the tubers cannot be utilised in tho manufacture of such products a.9 those referred to by Mr. Gray, or i by opening up a largo export trade."

DECOCTION OF GUM LEAVES FOR INSECTS. Mr. McUory, of the State Forest Nursery, Gosford, N.S. has been experimenting with a deoction. of gum leaves for insect pests, and it seems with success. The method he adopted was to fill a kerosene tin with fresh succulent leaves of E. globolus or E. piperita, filling up with water, and then boiling down until there remained about 1J to 2 gallons of liquid. Of this he used about one pint to two gallons of water, and applied it to infected plants with a syringe. The application was effectual with a new pest, a beetle that was perforating the leaves of vines. After one good syringing, the vines were nob a second time attacked by the beetle. The decoction also prevented attacks from the red cedar moth, young plants thab were syringed keeping free from the insect, while plants left without the application were badly infested. Mr. McCorg tried the decoction for American apple blight, bub although effective, he had not sufficiently proved the efficiency of the remedy. He states :—" I find it very effective for the green fly (Aphis mali) on roses, and I expect it would be equally effective with the aphis which is now so bad on the young shoots of peaches." Agkicola. .