AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20496, 22 February 1930, Page 21

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

Preparations are in hand for the subdivision of an area at Whangara, for the initiation of dairying among the Maoris there.

Uruguay shipped 128,558 bales of wool, each approximately 9001b., during the year ended September, 1929, which total was some 4,000 bales less than the export for the previous twelve months.

The British Southdown Society has appointed a committee to consider what steps, if any, can be taken to reduce the number of ram lambs and eliminate undesirable sheep.

According to the Queensland RegisterGeneral's stock returns, drought losses of sheep in that State in 192S numbered 944.793, or 9.15 per cent, of the total sheep stock, as compared with 1,743,623 in 1927, or 14.72 per cent.

Canada ranks second among the countries of the world as an exporter of wheat flour, the United States being first with 11,843,000 barrels exported last year, and Canada second with 10,737,000 barrels. Most of the flour made in Canada is milled in the province of Ontario.

Cattle tick has been discovered in the Waikohu County, outside, the officiallyrecognised infested area, but the cases appear to be isolated, and departmental experts, snrh as Mr. W. C. Barry, are not concerned. The official attitude is that the tick has been made too great a bogey in the past.

Every farm has its own power plant. It may be only a team of horses or, as on the large, modern farm, it may be a tractor. Operators should seek to increase efficiency of this plant and equipment, just as the manufacturer is obliged to do in order to remain in business.— " Live Stock Journal."

The Sixteenth Annual Show of the King Country A. and P. Association, held on Te Kumi racecourse, Te Kuiti, on Thursday and Friday last, was favoured with ideal weather conditions. Though the entries were not quite as numerous as last year, the quality of the stock entered represented the very best in the King Countrv.

Weight in Shire horses is hereditary, but no characteristic is less uniformly transmitted to the progeny. Little ones will come in spite of our best efforts to produce heavy horses. All breeders know that "like breeds like," therefore it is probable that more attention will in future he paid to weight in the stallions and in the mares used for breeding purposes. The highest authorities agree that the infusion of fresh blood tends to increase vigor of constitution in the progeny, with a consequent aptitude to attain increased size and weight.

The Shire stallion should walk like a gentleman and trot like a park hack. Action, it has been said, means power, time and monev. Without it no horse

can be considered a fair representative of the breed. Again, with regard to feet. How often do we see an animal of good proportions, and with excellent points, absolutely spoilt by the indifferent character of his feet. A well-known authority says:—"Every day's observations afford us additional proof of the importance of sound, healthy feet." To refer to joints, and especially pasterns. It will at once be recognised that in this essential particular the improvement in the Shire horse has been rapid and remarkable, and that the prize winners at our great shows possess, as a rule, those sloping pasterns and flexible joints which are so desirable.

i One of the oldest farms in the Kiwij tahi district, that of Messrs. F. and W. ! and Miss A. McDonald has shown remark - | able improvement daring the past few i years. Each year for the last ten years | the brothers have been ploughing separate ; fields up until they have worked into j good heart practically the whole of the I farm. A large herd of Shorthorns is ; being milked, in addition to the grazing iof bee? and sheep. At present they have : a splendid line of Shorthorn calves, | easily the largest sized animals in the j district. They have been and are still fed on milk, which is responsible for ' their extraordinary growth. Settling at | Kiwitahi over 40 years ago, the parents ! of the. present holders experienced many j difficulties, and gradually have effected ! a steady improvement. The house is I built of heart of kauri, the timber- tor j which was carted by oxen teams from I Te Aroba, as no railway existed at the ; time. Messrs. McDonald Bros, are at j present stacking 30 acres of good clover | hay.