ON THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13766, 3 June 1908, Page 3

ON THE LAND.

- i — » ■■ ■ ••■'■ SflfP OUK AtTSTJULLVN' LETTER. KT FTTIK. Tub troublo between the Commonwealth • and States Government* regarding the *iiOo£ •;■-;: wheat bag* if- likely to lie satisfactorily set- ' th?d. The Stale Premiers regarded the pro-■"' ;'■< • clamation by the Minister for Customs (Mr. Chapman), prohibiting the importation ' o£ sacks with .-» greater holding capacity than 2001h, a* an invasion of State rights. Uatt at the Premier*' Conference tbo majority o£ thein favoured the 200 Hi limit, and Mr. Chapman ob.«e«wc<l that if the Premie** promised to take fiction through their Railway Departments he would l>o willing to suspend hi 3 proclamation until the effect of that action iw proved. A coupi© of th« Premiers expressed doubt whether their Railway Arts would allow them to take immediate action, but they agreed that a compromise could tw made or the lines suggested. A conference of delegates from the- Shir* Councils was to have, hi-en held in Sydney. aud it is now well known that efforts wore to bo made thereat, to bring about the abolition of the Pastures Protection Boards. In many respects the two nations have -clashed. the most prominent being the difference of: opinion as to the Shire Council*' liability to destroy rabbits and noxious weeds on tho common. Whatever may lw< the result OB the resolution to In- ni<>Y<vl. Parliament "wilt* no doubt, amend th»* I' I*. t\f should it refuse to abolish tbo board'*.

The Victorian Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Swinburne) receive*! h viw* on th« loth iust. from Mr. 0. lioodsir, a member of the. firm of Wm. Wr-ddeYund Co.; selling agent* i:» London for freezing companies and butter factories, in various parte of tho world* win* is'uit present on a vi*it to Australia. Thw conversation embraced many matter* of- interest to Victorian exporters, and touched on the possibility* of establishing tbo lamb export, trade on a more permanent basis. Something like 22,000.000 iamb* arc imported into Great Britain every year, and of these Australia nipph'e* about 2,000,000. Victoria's largest contribution to the Australian total in any >xjr was 700.000, ami this year there is considered to be every likelihood of a slump in tho output. Mr. Good-' sir informed Mr. Swinburne there were great possihilties before the Victorian lamb export trade, for shipments of lamb* front Victoria were very popular in England. It. Wfeuhl he necessary, ltowever, to keep up a sufficient and good quality supply, for if there was a falling off in one year the con- ~ Burners tried other lines, and then it wait-, necessary to recapture, the market when th« supply improved again. The capacity of tho London market, lie said. win. practically; unlimited. This year there way every likelihood of London taking 25.000 lambs per; week, and. doubtless before long 50,000 per week' would be required. The Agent-General for Victoria (Mr. J. W.■ Tavomer) invited a number of pressmenand leading provision merchants to inspect t!io consignment of Australian cheoso by tho 6 s.s. Drayton Grange. The exports expressed) themselves'as well satisfied with the quality of tho cheese. They considered the beat Victorian cheese about equal to tho average Canadian product. The Victorian truporintendent of exports states that "Victoria pay;i far more attention to tho exporting of but- * ter than cheese, although an excellent qualt-> ty of tho latter is produced in the State. The bulk of tho cheese on tho London matkot is supplied by Canada, United States, Holland, and New Zealand. ( m In reference to the inquiry by tho British| Admiralty for the supply of tinned rabbits, tho Victorian inspector of foods for export, has requested the Minister for Agriculture to bring before the Imperial authorities tho excellence of Victorian tinned rabbite, and to explain that (Australia is well ablo to supply them at reasonable rates. - -ft

British East Africa is being gradually !;.; stocked up with sheep. Tie opening up of ; i tho country under the new regime has in> " duced sevorai British farmers to settlo'thore.* and they are now importing sheep to *>uifj - the country. There is a largo area which in :,\ suitable to tho Merino, a few flocks of which ' A ; aro already there. This is an opportunity, | Australian flockmasterH should noli neglect. :.^ Starving stock still continue to arrive in -■■;' 1 immense numbers at Newcastle from View ! toria, but as the drought, is now broken,i;-: they will soon fall on". When one consigiw,: ~;;; uienfc arrived at '''district railway station- ;■■ near Narrabri, in the north of New South fM Wales, 400 head were found dead olid dying. , Some of" the starving sheep have been offer',; f ed at as low us Is per head. , ';. .5 It is estimated that £30,000 worth of fod-;,fl der has left Warrnombool this season for tho drought-stricken parts of Victoria.

In a Victorian district a cumber of stoc& . . owners mo feeding their, animals on a climb.* ' . or known as supple-jack, and the- stock are, .; eating it greedily. Many Biverina farmer,* ato feeding wheat to tWir sheep. The most) '■'■■'.'■'■ approved method i* to soak the grain in, water for about 12 hours, then add a litilu "v-;.| salt.' The daily ration is about Jib per head. Even Jib lias proved sufficient whero there are pickings in the ; paddocks. Molasses is also being largely used. One ' well-known < farmer declares it;' in ..the cheapest food on! the market. One hundredweight costs only,' 3s 6d, and-oven less when bought iii largo: quantities. It is mixed with water, four to f , one, and then spread with the- chaff. A» the animals get fond of the morasses lav*, water is used when, mixing. Cows in miikJ '.■•";■■; do very well on it. '• i "'%s A complete milling plant will shortly ber v| installed in the now offices of the- Agricul-i tuwil Department in Melbourne, to bo u-.cdi' in connection with the scheme for tho inr', \ provement of the Victorian wheat yield. Dr.J Cherry, the director of agriculture, recently;/ stated that the suitableness of flour for bek-f ing purposes was no less important than iW! chemical qualities, and so in order to tecum the best wheats the Department; d<-sirod to/ be able to test the baking properties of each* variety. The now pla«t would enable thenre ■■> when conducting experiments in wheat- - -j| breeding to preserve only the varieties which) /s lad good baking totalities. v '. The chairman .of tho Victorian WittCW Commission ■ favours tbo movement for tbov establishment, of irrigation leagues in ;th«, ;-: various country districts. He considers that such organisations would be of great value in tho "development' of irrigation. They, would be of educational value, and would also provide a channel through which tho v Commission could communicate with resit ■- ■„;■"' dents upon irrigation subjects. Queensland is developing into a dairying countrv. Last month she exported nearly. 1,800,000ib of butter. North Queensland horsebreeder? arc buoy filling tho order for 2000 head for the German Government in East Africa. At tho same time the resources of the country lit this respect have been severely tried of late, and when the 2000 head are on their waygood saddle horses will, indeed, be scarce* north of Rockbomptou. 'After an experience of two years tho Queensland Department of Agriculture has abandoned its scheme of experimental plots of wheat on private farms. The system was for the farmer to set aside a small area on. which selected wheats supplied by the Government were to be grown. The farmers undertook to carry out the cultivation on [; lines indicated by the Government officers, find in return took half the crop. . In practice, however, the Department did not exact; it« full half. The object, of the scheme waa in discover the best wheats in suitable locali- , | ties, and afterwards to encourage tho planting of these particular varieties. The Do*- '.j& partment was really disappointed with tho :"g results, as although the farmers followed out, .p, the line of cultivation set down while tho '-'"'■ officers were in the neighbourhood, there) 'v'-i was no guarantee that- it was done- after they* left. In many cases it is feared that it was. r* not done. -, >;; > The march of triumph in the. New Zealand' ] \', stud stock was almost uninterrupted lit the i ■'"■<- recent Sydney show, and where credit is due, the -IIKRALt/'vis not t>!ow 'to re-' .. 1 cognise it. Bur one,most v deserving ease,'.,!'.' unfortunately omitted, and, even if somewhat apart - from^stud' stock, it cannot fail to be of interest to many of tibe Auckland! people. The case in reference i* that o3 Mr. A. p. Wiseman, of William-street.' ■." Dajliughurst, who gained several hrst prizes - for his harness. As can be guessed, bo is tv ~ scion of the well-known house in ;■ Queen-' street, Auckland, and die came to Sydney'" ouiy; about a couple of years "3°^ -- ■ . . '',-."'-'r..' * ■• '■'■' -"•■'■ '' . '?.'■, .-...';'>*:S; >ji" ' '■''•■■•.'.• '