AGRICULTURAL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9487, 17 April 1894, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL NEWS.

SALE OF SHORTHORNS. The first notable sale of shorthorns for 1894 took place at Hawksdale, near Carlisle, when the entire pedigree herd of Mr. Graham was sold. A very large company was present from all parts of the north of England and south of Scotland. Fortynine animals realised £1071 guineas. HIRING FAIRS. The Candlemas hiring fair at Carlisle was well attended by all classes of servants, but, masters not being numerous, slow progress was made in effecting engagements. Experienced men were hired at wages up to £7 10s, and less experienced up to £5. Women found places at £6 to £6 10s, and less experienced young women at £4 10s to £4 15s. Nob a few servants failed to get work. At Laurencekirk the attendance was under the average, and farm work being well advanced, feeing was stiff. Wages, however, remained the same for servants staying on, but those changing had to submit to a reduction of about 20s. The following were the current rates :—Foremen and cattlemen to £30, and ordinary men to £20, with the usual perquisites. A good number of single men were in the market, but very few engagements were made. THE PORK INDUSTRY. According to the National Stockman, reports collected from all parts of the United States indicated that the autumn crop of pigs in the hands of the farmers was much larger than usual. Good prices had stimulated breeding, and it was believed that there were more young pigs in the country than there had been for years past. It is alleged that a wonderful increase in the supply of fat hogs would have to take place before there would be any great fall in prices. LEICESTER RAM FOR NEW ZEALAND. The Live Stock Journal reports as follows : — Mr. P. Reid, Spring Grove, Milverton, Somerset, has purchased for exportation to New Zealand a splendid Leicester shearling ram from Mr. T. H. Hutchinson, Manor House, Catterick. This sheep was intended to be shown at the Royal Show at Cambridge, but the prizes are now so small, and the risk and expenses are so great, that Mr. Hutchinson deemed it unwise to refuse a tempting offer. A really good sheep like this is bound to give a good impression of the Manor House flock in .New Zealand, where Leicester sheep are very much appreciated. This ram makes thirteen sheep that Mr. Hutchinson has sold for exportation to New Zealand within the last three months. IMPORTS OF CATTLE AND MEAT. During the first week in January the following eleven steamers landed cattle and fresh meat at Liverpool from various American and Canadian ports: —The British Crown, with 301 cattle the Shenandoah, with 356 cattle; the Umbria, with 1859qrs of beef; the Bostonian, with 500 cattle and 2900qrs of beef ; the Kansas, with 411 cattle and 2803qrs of beef; the Ohio, with 996qrs of beef; the Parkmore, with 395 cattle the Nomadic, with 600 cattle ; the Norseman, with 342 cattle and 1426qrs of beef; the Sedgemore, with 422 cattle and 1202qrs of beef; and the Germanic, with 800qrs of beef, making a total of 3327 cattle and ll,7S6qrs of beef. As compared with the arrivals of the previous week, they show an increase of 1314 cattle and 7536qrs of beef. SHEEP FOR EGYPT. Recently Mr. E. G. Preece, of Shrewsbury, shipped from Liverpool bo Alexandria a small consignment of pedigree Shropshire and Hampshire Down rams for the Aboukir Company, who own 32,000 acres of very fertile land neai\to Alexandria. It is proposed to cross these rams with the native sheep in order to improve their mutton, as the latter are notoriously bad, and almost unfit for consumption. Should the experiment answer a large shipment |is to follow, including some ewes, in order to enable the company to breed their own stock rams out there, and thus avoid the expense of importing them from England. This district affords a good opening for young and energetic British farmers, as the climate is very good, the soil wonderfully fertile, labour exceedingly cheap, and a capital market (Alexandria) close at hand. The land can be irrigated from the numerous canals, especially the Mahmoudesh Canal, which runs through the property. CONDENSED MILK. A case of considerable importance to consumers of condensed milk was recently heard in Glasgow. A retail grocer was charged with selling a tin of condensed milk, which was " not of the nature and substance of condensed mill:, inasmuch as it was deficient in its natural fat or cream to the extent of 90 per cent, or thereby." Two inspectors went to the grocer's premises and obtained a tin of "Shamrock" brand, which Dr. Tatlock, city analyst, certified to contain the following ingredients:—Fat, 1; casein, 10'25; natural milk sugar, 15*69 ; added cane sugar, 42*41; mineral matter, 2"25; water, 2840. The milk, in his opinion, was completely skimmed and cane sugar added. The prosecutor argued that " milk" must be considered as fresh milk, whereas the milk sold was distinctly proved to be skimmed milk. No doubt the label showed it to be skimmed, but he thought there should be a bona fide intimation to the public. The label on the front of the tin showed it to be "Shamrock condensed milk," bub prospective purchasers had to turn round to the back and read the small type to discover the qualification that the milk was skimmed. Sheriff Birnie thought the prosecution had been of some benefit as showing the public the composition of different brands of condensed milk. The " Shamrock" brand was undoubtedly a poor brand; but, inasmuch as the purchasers asked for milk irrespective of quality, he thought there was no breach of the Act, and dismissed the action. HORSES. It is reported that the almost incredible sum of £3,500,000 was last year paid for horses imported from Russia into Germany and Austria. A large proportion of these horses were bought in Finland, bub the greater number in Russian Poland and in the provinces of Orel, Tula, and Veronesh, in which horse-breeding has long been a staple industry, and where some of the most useful to be found in the immense Russian Empire are raised. The shire horse trade for the present year opened in a spirited manner with the sale of Mr. Muntz's fine stud at Dunsmore. For forty-three animals a total of £5600 was made, an average of £130 each. The top price was 1010 guineas for the mare that took champion prize at Chester Royal Show ; a figure said to be unprecedented in the sale of draught breeds. An interesting return of the thoroughbred sales in France last year has been prepared by the proprietors of the Cheii establishment, which conducts most of these sales, and the summary shows that 1226 lots of blood stock were put up, and 854 sold, out of this number 358 lots being yearlings. Of these latter 225 were sold and 133 bought in, the total amount realised being £25,704, which represents an average of about £115 each. This may seem a small one to English breeders, but most of the French yearlings are produced | at less cost than in England, being by sires 1 the fees of which are rarely more than £20 ! or £30.