The Farm.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1033, 18 December 1891, Page 26

The Farm.

BUSH FARMING. A n origins! esßay on bush farming in New Zealand, written for the New Zealand Mail, by John Scott, winner of three first prizes for essays on agricultural subjects. BURNING OFF. In different districts, different months are observed as being the best to burn off the felled bush. In the Taranaki district March was recognised us being the most suitable time for burning, but recent events show that from the middle of January to the first fortnight in February is the beßt time to fire to ensure a clean burn.

In the Mar.awatu district, however, bush can be fired fnm January up to March, and a good burn result. The time for the bush to lie before being fired is a a question open to some difficulty. In the Taranaki bush it is best to give the bush from six to seven ■weeks’ grace, but in the Manawatu it can lie longer with advantage, as much of the bush in the latter district is heavier, whilst in the former the timber is of a more lighter evergreen nature, and green siuff—thistles, bgbtwoods, creepers, etc., —will if the season be at all damp, Boon cover the surface of the land, whilst the whitewood stumps will send out shoots, and if a good fire does not pass over the surface these will continue to grow, and the roots of the stumps will remain green for a number of

years. A good burn is one of the greatest advantages a bush-farmer can have. As regards the proper time for felling, there is no set time; it all depends upon the season. Some years bush felled early will burn best, another year the clearings felled in December will burn cleanest. As regards burning off, however, the bush burnt off in January has its drawbacks. In this month grass seeding is in full swing, and there is a grave danger of setting fire to a neighbour’s field, or perhaps setting fire to a block of bush making a bad burn of one’s own, and one’s neighbours too. Another point of be remembered is that the ground gets bard before March or April, and the seed does not strike so well. Overanxiety spoils many a good burn. As soon as a black cloud appears, someone will rush off and fire bis bush ■whether there is any wind or not, but inerely in the thought that it is going to'rain, and never think whether the bush is in a fit state to burn. Thus, many are made to suffer, owing to the impetuosity of one man. As to the question of bow to burn off felled bush, I might sny for the benefit of new beginners that it is best to choose a day when surface is mice and dry and the leaves crack under font. Wait for a nice steady breeze blowing in one direction, and not a puffy wind that rises and falls. Neither is every strong wind desirable. A fire, if lighted well, will cause a draught by its own force, and this is the burn that does good. When u strong wind is blowing, the ground may be all blaekoned, but little of the timber will be gone. The closer bush

is fired the better it will burn, and it is not prudent, to light one place and go on for a chain or two before igniting again. When a fire is started on a good face the blaze all goes away in a body, gaining strength in its progress, and not leaving any patches behind untouched. It is much more preferable to ignite the bush with a torch than with matches. Tho latter process is too slow and uncertain.

Torches are easily made. Get a piece of white pine—the heart of an old dead tree—and dry it well; then split it into splinters and make it up into bundles bound round with light wire. Have a dozsn of these ready for use on the day intended to fire, aud two or three assistants. Many bush-farmers of experience do not prefer a fire too fierce passing over the ground, preferring a good * ground burn’ to a scorching blaze. I atn inclined to think that a medium burn is the best, and it does not destroy the good qualities of the surface to the extent that a very strong fire most assuredly does. If all the lighter branches are burnt and the clearing well stocked, and the grass not allowed to grow too rank, there is not much danger of a fire passing over the ground a second time.

As regards bush fires passing over the land a second time, this may be taken as a blessing in many cases, as by this means a deal of the old timber left from the original burning off is cleared off the land. But this has its drawbacks in other ways, for the grass does not take so well a second time. A settler may have his land stocked, and in a few hours all bis pasture is gone, and he baa to sacrifice his stock at a time when they are cheap. In concluding this section of my essay I may say for the benefit of beginners that it is not wise to wait too long fora burn, for fear that the bush will not burn at all, and the farmer will have to wait until the following year to burn his bush, and this is by no means a wise step, though many have done this with success in the Manawatu. In the Taranaki district, bush will not burn the second year after it has been felled, though that very dry year of the Stratford fire was an. exception to the rule. (To be continued.) THE QUALITY OF OUR SHEEP. While sheep-breeding in* New Zca* land is a principal mainstay of the Colony, and tho frozen mutton industry is year after year gradually expanding, the question crops up whether the quality of our sheep and mutton is keeping up. Mr Foster in the New Zealand Country Journal, under the heading, ‘Our Future Breeding Ewes,’ has been calling attention to the subject, which, bythe bye, is one ot intrinsic inportance, and the tone of this article it seems that quality, in the place of being kept up to the mark is rather declining; the word ‘qualify’ not only referring to condition, but, to the waut of that evenness and unmistakable thriving nppeareance to be seen in sheep which have been bred from carefully-culled, strong constitationed ewes. According to Mr Foster, the reason of this falling off in quality, which is now be-

ginning to be noticeable is to be found { in the Home quotations for frozen meat : mutton, 4d ; lamb, s£d. It is the latter quotation that is the bait, which is gradually but surely having the effect of deteriorating the quality of our exported meat. The following remarks of Mr Forster explain, to some extent, the cause why sheep are declining in quality, and breeders of sheep will no doubt sea the force of what is stated :— ‘ The earliest maturing lambs are naturally the strongesfconstitutioned, arid the ewe lambs maturing earlier than the wethers, a large proportion of them usually go in the first draft. But the evil does not end with the lambs. After, perhaps, two drafts have been taken from them, the remainder are allowed to grow to two-tooths, when the prime ones are again selected for the Home market. It is tjiese early-maturing sound-constitutioned ewe lambs and maiden ewes that should be destined to become the mothers of the future millions of frozen sheep which we hope to export, instead of which they are seut away for temporary gain, which must inevitably mean ultimate loss to the individual and to the country. There are no doubt some who, looking ahead, ar6 keeping up the standard of their flecks ; but it is feared that these are the exception. As to a remedy for this growing evil, legislation would be looked upon as interference with the liberty of- the subject, while the temptatiou to turn lamb into money is too great for common sense to prevail. There is nothing for it, I fear, but the humiliation of hearing, perhaps before long, the Home verdict that, our mutton, which now tops the market, is not so good as it used to be. Then will our breeders and graziers wake up to the situation only to find that it will take four or five years to regain our lost position. Can nothing be done to cheek this suicidal practice, which must affect tho quality of both our wool and mutton Y Flock-masters throughout the length and breadth of this wonderful sheep country will have to take warning in .time and see to it they keep up the character of their breed ing ewes, so that sheep do not gradually deteriorate in their quality.

BLOATING OF A COW. This trouble has nothing to do with the horns of a cow or the horns-to it. It is caused by indigestion, which is frequent at this season of the year. It is almost certain to happen when tho cows are turned on the pasture, especially clover, when it is wet with rain or heavy dew. This causes the wet food to ferment and give out gas, which fills the paunch, closing the inlbt and the outlet, and thus preventing the gas from escaping. The result is that the paunch is expanded by the pressure of the gas, and when this is excessive, there is danger of suffocation of the cow by the pressure on the lungs, which prevents breathing. When the bloating occurs it may be sometimes relieved by putting a round stick in a cow’s mouth, in the manner of a horse’s bit, and tying it to the horns to hold it in place. This causes the cow to throw'off the gas and relieve herself. If this is not

effective, the stomach must be pierced on the left side at a point eight inches in front of the last rib and as much below the loin. It is only a last resort, however, for the reason that a mistake may be fata! to the cow.

A STRIKE IN THE WOOL TRADEAt the auction-room of t.he New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company on Thursday (aaya the Australasian of December 4) the buyers were conspicuous by their absence. The correspondence between the Wool Buyers’ Association and the Wool Brokers’ Association, which began on November 7, and closed on November 26, explains tho position. •First as to difficulty No. 1. On Nov. 7 the buyers wrote : ‘At a very fully-attended meeting of our association, on the 4th inst., it was unanimously resolved that I should be instructed to call your attention to the sadly deficient saleroom accommodation in the Melbourne wool trade, and to ask whether you do not propose to secure or erect in some central position before next season a general wool exchange room, such as shall be adequate to the rapidlygrowing requirements of the trade.’ The brokers answered through theit secretary on November 20 : ‘ I am instructed to 3ay that the members of my association are somewhat surprised at your statement that the saleroom accommodation in the Melbourne wool trade is sadly insufficient., inasmuch as not a single complaint of tho inability of procuring a seat has yet reached our members. Not only doe 3 every saleroom contain ample sitting room for all the buyers, but, as a rule, there is in addition room for a large number of woolgrowers, ships’ agents, and others interested. ‘Doubtless, it may often happen that buyers cannot find seats in the exact spot which they would like, but this is only because the seats are occupied by other buyers. I would also point out that this objection would apply to any auction room, however large it might be.

‘Under any circumstances, however, my association considers that to secure or erect a wool exchange in some central posiiion would be beyond the limit of its f unctions. ’

Difficulty No. 2 is set out in a letter written by buyers to brokers on November 12

‘ The following resolutions have been adopted by our association, and we now ask for your Bupport in carrying them into operation : ‘l. Should any lot be bid for by more than one buyer at the same price, the auctioneer shall name the buyer whom ho has taken before knocking down the lot, and when once the lot has been knocked down it cannot be disputed nor advanced upon.

‘ 2. No bid to be taken before the fall of the hammer on tho previous lot, and should any dispute arise aB to whether or not a bid was given before the fall of the hammer, the point to be decided by the room.’ In the name of the brokers Mr Secretary Jowott wrote on November 20 : ‘ In reply, I am instructed to say that my association regrets that it cannot see its way to grant your requests. ‘ That clause in our conditions of sale which provides that if in case of a dispute between the bidders for any lot one of the claimants will advance the lot shall then be put up again is regarded as a most essential feature of the auction system throughout the world. It is in the London conditions of sale, and it has always been found to work well in Melbourne. A regard for the interests of our clients would make it impossible for us to take away from our auctioneers the power of putting up a lot of wool again in case of a dispute. ‘ On similar grounds we cannot enter-

tain any proposal to allow “ the room ’ to decide any point which it is the legiti-’ mate function of the auctioneer to determine.

‘ With regard to your suggestion that no bid shall be taken before the fall of the hammer on the previous lot, we may say that it is the constant endeavour of our '•auctioneers to put this into practice. Under circumstances we cannot see any advantage to be derived from a written rule on this subject.’ Mr Secretary Hicks, on behalf of buyers, intimated that in consequence of their grievances not having met with proper consideration, the members of his association would not attend the sale on November 25. Nor did they attend. As one of the causes of the friction is the demand of the wool-buyers that, under certain conditions, lots of wool which may be disputed by more than one buyer shall not be put up again, it may be interesting to place the clauses in both the Melbourne and London conditions of sale, which deal with this question : MELBOURNE CONDITIONS OF SALE. Clause L.—The highest bidder to be the puichaser, the vendor reserving to himself the right of one bid ; and if any dispute arise among the bidders for any lot, it shall be decided by the auctioneer, unless one of the claimants will advance ; in that case the lot shall be put up again, the biddings to be then confined to the disputing parties. LONDON CONDITIONS OF SALE. Clause I.—The highest bidder to be the purchaser, and if any dispute arise between the bidders for any lot, it shall be decided by the broker, unless one of the claimants will advance ; in that case the lot shall be put up again. Thi3 clause in the condition of sale is regarded by the Melbourne Wooibrokers’ Association as one of vital importance, and as one absolutely necessary to protect the interests of the growers. They feel strongly that so long as there are buyers in the room who are openly prepared to give a higher price for a lot of wool than it has been knocked down at (possibly through a bid not having been heard by the auctioneer), it would be impossible for them in the interests of their clients to be bound by any rule which would prevent them from accepting the higher price.

SPAYING HEIFERS. (N. B. Agriculturist).

The most suitable age for spaying cattle is from six to twenty months. In calves under six months it is frequently difficult to get hold of the ovaries. After the second year, the animal suffers more from the operation. It is undesirable to spay cows ; the risks of mishaps are considerable, the mortality frequently reaching six or eight per cent., whereas amongst calves and yearlings it should not exceed one per cent. Dry summer weather should be chosen for operating ; cold and damp greatly increase the risks. The flank operation is the most satisfactory where considerable numbers are to be spayed. In connection with a pen or yard, two parallel lines of post and railing are erected about four or five feet high, and about two feet apart, allowing sufficient room for a yearling to walk between the lines of rails, which may extend for 20 feet or more. On either side of the enclosure a high gate is hung. When only a few heifers are to be spayed snch preparations are unnecessary, and the subject is haltered and strapped to a stout gate, the right side being exposed, the feet being raised several inches from the ground, and the hind limbs a few inches higher than the fore, in order that the stomach and bowels may be thrown well forward. This upright is preferable to the lying position. From the exposed right flank a strip of hair about an inch broad, extending from the loin for a foot downwards and backwards, is trimmed off

with a pair of scissors, and the surface, is washed with a solution of carbolic acid, dissolved in forty parts of water.. An incision is carefully made in the skin with a knife or short bladed light razor, starting from apoiut about equi-'distaut from the spines of the lumbar vertebriß above, the last rib in front, and the prominence of the hip bone behind, and is carried parallel with the ribs for about four inches, or just sufficient to admit the hand of the operator. The skin only should be cat through; the fingers introduced readily divide the soft subcutaneous muscles without risk of injuring any portion of underlying intestine. The hand, oiled with carbolised lard or vaseline, is then passed in, the thin peritoneal membrane is then broken through, and underneath the loin the right ovary is reached, brought out, and snipped off; the left is got at and removed. Anyone not thoroughly conversant with the position of the ovaries, and their relations to other organs, before attempting the operation should visit a slaughterhouse and make a careful examination of the abdominal anatomy af a heifer. The external wound is secured with three, or, if need be, four stitches of waxed stout linen thread, each stitch having a firm hold of fully half an inch of skin. A. dressing of carbolised oil is smeared over the surface, and the heifer liberated. If the weather i 3 fine and settled, the animals may return to their pasture. If, however, the weather is dubious, or if flies are likely to be troublesome, they had better be kept for three or four days in the yard or house. It is very seldom that untoward results will follow. A little swelling is sometimes noticeable, or a stitch may require replacing. Notwithstanding the / teariDg of the peritoneum, the exposure of the abdominal cavity, and the groping for and removal of the ovaries, inflammation rarely occurs. The instruments requisite, as already indicated, are a pair of scissors, a seapel or razor, which the American operators prefer to the lcmfe, and a stout curved needle with which to make the sutures. ADVICE TO SHOEING SMITHSOne of the most important of the special addresses given in connection with the Royal Show at Doncaster was Professor Pritchard’s lecture on farriery. Professor Pritchard is a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. As his remarks are worth perusal by our farriers, we publish them pretty fully. The professor described the various parts, and showed, by means of diagrams, the hoof and sections of the hoof, what beautiful adaptation there is of the one part to the other. Having remarked at length upon the structure, he called attention to the form —to the conical shape of the hoof, and to the underneath surface, or, rather, the great part of it being concave. Then there were what were called the bars, and the part which divided them, called the frog. The shape of the hind foot differed from that of the fore foot. The latter were more oblique ; the former more upright. By observing this difference they were enabled to tell the one from the other. The frog, intended, no doubt, to enable the horse when it puts its foot on the ground, to stop the quicker, was composed of horn. Its upper surface was the exact counterpart of the underneath surface. The bars did not reach further than about the centre, and to pare them down and represent them as the point of the frog was an error. The wall, or outer boundary of the foot, so far as its shape was concerned, was rounded, and its external surface, under normal circumstances, comparatively smooth, and should be left in that condition. It was a great mistake to file the external Burface up to the hair* The wall, or crust, wa3 divided into toe, quarters, and heel. The crust was thickest at the toe, and it gradually increased in thickness from the toe backwards to the heel. It was a popular impression that the hoof was thickest at the lowest part, and gradually increased in thickness going upwards. That was not so. It mattered not whether they examined the toe or the quarter, the thickness was exactly the same. Some smiths had the idea that, if the nails are driven toe high, the horse waj liable to be pricked. He hid seen a smith whilst in liquor drive the nails into the hoof without any of the point coming out, and yet the horse was not pricked. It was not well to do that, however. Ho would also caution smiths to be careful in removing the old clinches, for if this were not done properly it was quite possible that the old clinches might be driven into the hoof, and the nails of the new shoe might come in contact with them, with the result that the horse was pricked. In removing the old shoe, he would advise them to put the pincers not under the extreme end of the shoe, but nearer to the quarter, and so lessen the chance of bruising that part where they found,corns. Care should also be taken not to leave any old stubbs in the hoof. In paring the hoof little or nothing, under ordinary circumstances, should be taken from the frog, with the exception of portions of the horn, which were already partly separated. If these were not removed they would harbour nitn, i which would produce mischief. The point of the frog should not be pared, for the more they reduced the frog the less chance they gave that organ to perform its functions to the sole. Nature had made such provision that, under ordinary healthy circumstances, it pared itself, so to speak. Xt there were any loose let them by all means be removed ; but it was a mia-

taka to pare the sole, which protected the foot. If it was pared thin, the horse, on treading on a stone, hurt itself, and might come down. Of course, if the crust was abnormally long, it would bo necessary to pare it. The crust should be made level. If there was any difference to be made it should be on the inner heel. The other portions should be level, presenting such a surface as would receive that pare of the shoe which was intended for the foot to rest upon. With regard to fitting the shoe on the foot, the Professor remarked that there were many horses in England and a great many more in America which had been shod without the shoe having been at all warmed and which were doing well. Therefore it was not absolutely necessary to put the shoe hot to the horse’s hoot. He did not go so far as that in ordinary shoeing, however, lc was a great advantage to place the shoe on to the hoof hot.; but there was heat and heat. How often, might one go to a shoeing forge, and find so much smoke that the horses could scarcely be seen? This was wrong. The fitting of the shoe to the foot and not the foot to the shoe was an outrage. When they heated the hoof too much they robbed it of its normal moisture and rendered it brittle. With regard to the bearing, in his opinion, the whole of the bearing weight should be upon the crust, and not upon the sole. The old theory of the expansion of the horse’s foot had gone to the wind. The foot did not become wider, but there was a movement in a downward and backward direction. In the majority of instances corn 3 were caused by bad shoeing, and it was very important that allowance should be made for the movement he had mentioned. The margin of the shoe should be flush with the lower part of the hoof, and should not spread beyond. It should, in fact, be rather on the inner than on the outer side, so that there might be no chance of the shoe cutting the fetlock. There could be no doubt that the bane of hot shoeing in applying the shoe was the nailing. In this connection he pointed out the advantage, of the Charlier system, by which the shoe is attached with few nails. They should never, he proceeded, use more nails than were absolutely necessary. For an ordinaay sized hackney four nails on the outer side and three on the inner side were amply sufficient both in the fore and hind foot. There was no necessity to drive the nails very high. It was simply necessary to drive them into sound hoofs. The higher they drove them the more hoof they robbed of a certain amount of vitality before the next shoeing. AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS. Sir Walter Butler is having 30 acres of bush down on his property at Heatherlea, (says the Foxton Herald) and purposes in the autumn to call for tenders for the falling of 400 acres more.

Mr Frcyburg, a recent . arrival by th Aorangi, has patented an invention for utilising the snow produced by the refrigerators on freezing vessels, which is now thrown overboard as useless. He claims to have discovered an economical and effective means of preserving a low, equal temperature on board ships for the purpose of preserving dairy pro dure, fruit, and similar articles in transition. The discovery will shortly be subjected to an exhaustive te*st at the local freezing works.

The sand grass which has been planted on the sand banks in various places in Lower Itangitiliei is making good progress in growth. Some of the hills which formerly were destitute of vegetation are now assuming a green appearance. The grass has got a firm hold and there is little doubt that in a short tune t.he effect will be be very beneticiafly felt. The sand is rapidly advancing and the need of counter-action is imperative.

Along Feilding way the farmer's are burning early this year, aud expect to have a crop of turnips for winter.

In a letter to the Clutha Leader, ‘ T.M.’ says :—Never mind if oats are only a shilling a bushel : we can do without Australia for a market, aud turn the oats into mutton, and get a good price. A hundred weight of green oaten chaff costing Is 5d will, with a few turnips (which can be grown to perfection), put a sheep well through the winter ; an acre of oaten hay being enough for, Bay, 40 sheep, and this will improve the health, the wool, and mutton in quantity and quality. It will also enrich the land, increase the summer feed, and enable a full crop of wheat to be grown at littlo expense for manures, and help the farmers all round.

Haymaking and shearing is now going on in the Alfredton district, and if the season keeps as fine as starting there is no doubt there will be some splendid burns this season, which will do more than anything else to bring prosperity, as most of the settlers for the last four seasons have had to put up with bad burns. Good burns will enhance the value of grass seed, of which, to all appearance, therejjwill be a splendid crop this year. In fact everything seems to look well, especially in the garden line. Strawberries are very plentiful. Mr Rubies, of Newman, has a splendid show this year. The special settlers have on an average got down about a third of third of their bush, although the Government requirements are but one fifth. Should a good burn be realised this season, there is no doubt it will cause quite an impetus for bush felling next season.

The longer we milk and observe cattle the more thoroughly are we convinced that twothirds of the ‘ disease germs’ found in milk could be caught in a good strainor ; in other words, ‘disease germs ' are dirt,

We hear that labour is very Bcarco in the Wairarapa just at present. Men cannot be got for nine shillings per day even for bush work ; and as to station hands, it is difficult to get even a spare swagger for the shearing sheds.

The first show in connection with the Pahiatua Horticultural and Industrial Association is to be held on January 15th.

Mr Robert Hair has just shorn the Lincoln ram that took first prize at. Palmerston and third at Wellington, and the fleece weighed exaotly 32£lbs. This is the heaviest fleece we have heard of this season.

A neighbour of ours (says the Rural Now Yorker) buys milk of a farmer who claims that 1 farmin’ don’t pay !’ A lew weeks ago the milk was delivered as usual in a milk can. On pouring it out it was found to have a dark purplish tinge. Examination showed that it contained London Purple enough to kill a child. Investigation proved that the farmer carried London Purple—to be used in killing potato beetles —in his milk-pails. It ‘just happened ’ that this pail had not been washed out. Such are the things that make warfare between producer and consumer —aud a righteous warfare it is.

Mr James Bull had a fairly good burn on his land at Rangatira. Mr Howie, fortunately, was enabled to prevent the fire from spreading to his bush, which adjoins Mr Bull’s.

Mr Morpeth, with a party of four men, is now engaged in laying off land for the Marton Special Settlements. It is approached by the Pukerinui road, which turns off the Kimbolton road about two aides beyond Pemberton. The surveyor’s camp is on the Mangawharaki stream, in the Wairakei clearing. In reply to a question as to when the land would bo ready for settlement Mr Morpeth said he would be able to tell in about six months. Mr Ashcroft is also engaged laying off 20,000 acres to the north-east of the Pemberton block. The prospect of an early settlement of those lands, combined with the completion of the Kimbolton road, and the entry of a mail coach, gives the Pemberton people the impression that they are in the midst of civilization once more.

Farmers are very well satisfied with their wool clip this season. The only thing wanted to make them thoroughly happy is an advance in the price.

The wool which brought the top price at the Auckland sales last week was a lot of half-bred Romney Marsh and merino, from Dr Tremearno's farm at Wairangi. The New Zealand Herald says the sheep were bought in Hawke’s Bay.

Shearing lias been suspended for a couple of days at Otakepo (says the Rangitikei Advocate). All the sheep down at the homestead were put through, and to allow the shepherds time to muster another llock the break of two davs was made. Shearing will be resumed on* Saturday morning. The ten machines have been kept fully occupied, and to show how conversant the men are getting with the use of them it will doubtless interest many of our readers to know that in one day 1255 Lincoln ewes were shorn. This is an average of over 125 sheep per man. Two men topped the list with 150 each, and the lowest was 102. This is, we believe, the record for machine shearing of large sheep in this district.

The statement that the Government had ceased paying the bonus to the King Country Natives for rabbit skins, and that these animals were on the increase, is stated to be incorrect. The bonus is being paid monthly, and last month, at Kikikihi, a sum of nearly L2OO was paid to the Natives by Gvoernment, which would account for from 15,000 to 16.000 skins at 3d each.

Shearing is proceeding very satisfactorily in the Kiwitea, the sheep yielding heavy fleeces. Many of the settlers do not shear until the rew year, being satisfied that they get a heavier clip and have the wool in better condition by so doing.

There are some splendid looking crops of hay about tbe Marton district this season, which has been a first class one for grass. The crops of wheat and oats are looking really well, and there ought to be, from all appearances, some very large returns if the grain is harvested all right.

The Napier Telegraph says :—As showing the saving effected by the use of shearing machines'we are in a position to say that Mr Leslie Me Hardy, at his Blackhead station, reckons that he has sixty bales of wool over and above what he would have had it his sheep had been shorn with ordinary shears. The sixty bales thus saved more than pay for the machines and the settingup of the plant. His station has turned out 950 bales this clip.

An exceptionally large kidney was exhibited last week in Messrs Adamson and Pease s butcher shop at Hawera. It weighed fully lfiOlbs, and there was still some 8 or lOlbs or fat left adhering to the loin of the heifer from which it was taken. The animal was bred by MrJ. Winks. An occasional instance occcurs of this abnormal development of fat and is known to the .trade as a balloon kidney. Some months ago an instance occurred in Wellington, in which the kidney weighed 1021bs, being 581bs lighter than this one. the kidney on being cut open seemed qiuto sound and healthy.

Grass seems to be very plentiful in the Kiwitea this year. Messrs Bryce have over 300 acres shut up for seed ; Mr Ihos Bryce also having 40 acres of grass and clover, which lie intends to convert into hay this month.

Bush fires have already commenced in the Forty-mile Bush, some of the burns being particularly good.

A Canterbury Association is negotiating with the Government to obtain a large area known as the Whakatare Swamp, Auckland. They propose to place fifty families possessing means on the land, and drain and cultivate it for settlement. There is every prospect of the negotiations being successful.

The Timaru correspondent of the Lyttlet.on Timos states that a Waitohi farmer has discovered. a very simple and inexpensive means of destroying the grub that does so much damage to grass and green crops. He found that the beetles which produce the grub are in the habit of flying about just about the time darkness sets in, and he lighted a large gorae fire at that trine. The beetles were attracted to the blaze, and at the first attempt he destroyed a very large number He repeated the experiment nightly, and each time has been more successful than before.

Mr W. G. Foster, manager of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., established a record in auctioneering at the last wool sale held by the Company. In the space of an hour and a quarter Mr Foster “ knocked down ” no fewer than 254 lots.

The Aravva, which sailed for London iast Saturday, took a large shipment of butter—abnnt 4000 packages, representing about 200 tons weight.

STATIONS, SHEARERS, AND SHEEP OF AUSTRALIA.

INTERVIEW WITH MR WHITELEY KING. SECRETARY OF THE PASTORALISTS’ UNION.

(BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.) Mr Whiteley King having arrived by the Tekapo on Friday, I lost no time in obeying instructions to wait upon him. His many friends in New Zealand will be glad to hear that I find him looking remarkably well and hearty, as if the Australian climate had agreed with him greatly. After we had been talking some time together about things in general and mutual friends in particular, Mr King said— • I am travelling only in a semi-official capacity. Electing to take my holiday in New Zealand, I am enquiring only into the working of your Rabbit Acts and the condition of your meat export trade. Both these questions are engrossing the earnest attention of Australian pastoralists at the present moment. In some districts of New South Wales ‘ bunny is almost devastating the country : our squatters will be glad to profit by New Zealand experience, and I shall therefore keep my eyes open for anything new on the subject cf extermi* nation. Over-production is another serious threatening danger, and squatters are anxiously casting about for the best method of disposing of their surplus stock. You do not export largely in the frozen stsite ? No”; for some reason or other the frozen meat industry has not reached the dimensions in Australia that it has in New Zealand. Ido not pretend to explain why. Now, however, something must be done, and an attempt is being made in Sydney to obtain for the meat export industry a subsidy by voluntary contributions (in the shape of a levy on the stock possessed) from the stockowners. For some years past the seasons nave been exceptionally good ; there have been no great droughts, and the demands of local markets have not been proportionate to the great increase of stock. Should ft serious drought follow the splendid seasons cf the past few years, stock which has continuously increased during the good seasons must perish in thousands.

But if you are going in for wholesale meat export is there not danger of causing a glut in the market ?

Hardly, I think. It should be possible to regulate the arrival of shipments, and even create new markets. It is, on the other hand, almost impossible to believe that our meat consignments can ever glut the London market under proper conditions of sale. However, you are not likely to suffer in New Zealand. You have established a reputation for your good meat, and will take some overhauling. Had you much trouble with this season’s shearing ? You mean labour trouble, I suppose? Nothing to speak of. The matter had been fought out in Queensland, and we only got the tail end of the storm. There was a little opposition to our agreement —merely because it was our agreement —at first, and attempts were made by Unionists to prevent nonUnionists from going to work, but there were only one or two serious occurrences. One was when a large body of Unionists entered the woolshed at Dunlop Station, ‘ pulled out ’ the free men and imprisoned them in their camp ; a second was the riot at Bourlce, occasioned by a party of Unionists attempting to bar the passage of mm men through the streets of Bourlce. lhe Conference in Sydney put an end to open warfare, but there has been a good deal of • intimidation ’ going on ever since. We were never short of men, and if there had been no conference and Unionists had refused to go to work we could still have got comfortably through the shearing. As a matter of fact there was a fair proportion of Unionist shearers in most of the sheds in which shearing operations had been started before the ConferBut you had to import men from New Zea land ? . We had to be prepared for contingencies, that was all. Many sheds had their pens failed from written applications, but we could not be absolutely certain that every man would answer his name when the roll was called. .-it is an old trick of Unionist shearers to write mouths in advance to a * blackleg ’shed applyfor a psn, but never intending to turn up, and in the hope that with a full list the squatter will refuse subsequent applications, and in the end find himself with only half a board of shearers. We had to guard against that trick, and make sure of a few hundred men who could be used for emergency purposes. ; And how did the New Zealanders turn out ? ~ They did New Zealand credit. On all sides the New South Wales squatters are full of their praises, and many of them have agreed to take full hoards of New Zealanders next season. Their work, intelligence, and character are spoken of as above the average, and I hope their example will not be thrown away on the bush workers of Australia. I must not,

however, institute comparisons which would probably get me into trouble when I return. A writer in a southern paper denies the statements made with reference to the large amounts earned by New Zealand shearers, and charges the pastoralists with treacherously dismissing the free men as soon as the difficulty was settled by the Conference. Have you seen the correspondence? ‘No, but I am quite prepared to make an approximate statement as to the money earned by New Zealand shearers, and to meet the charges laid against the pastoralists. I believe it is quite true that 70 shearers brought back L6OOO between them from Queensland. They could earn that amount very easily during the term of their agreement. It is impossible, however, to give definite information on. this point, as some of the agreements are still in operation. I am aware that in the central Queensland district one hundred New Zealanders, during the first four months of their agreements, earned L 5960. From the sums paid to New Zealand shearers in New South Wales, I estimate that during the past six months no less a sum than L 30.000 has found its way to New Zealand through the hands of New Zealand shearers working in Australia. Only the other day I happened to be at Bourke where a number of New Zealand shearers were being paid off, and I was told by a local bank manager that whilst these men were being settled with, he put through over L4OO in drafts to New Zealand. There are three other banks in the place, to say nothing of the business transacted through the Post Office Savings Bank, which I know was large. So that you see there is justification for assuming that the New Zealand shearers are thrifty as well as industrious, and that they have annexed for you a large amount of foreign capital during the past few months. But, thirty thousand pounds 13 a large sum? Well, I believe forty thousand would be nearer the mark. Besides the large, number of shearers who visited Australia this season on their own account, fully 509 men cams under contract to the Pastoralists’ Union, and in estimating the aggregate earnings of these contract men only I am fixing the average per man at L 25 per man below the instance of the ascertained earnings of 70 men which I have just quoted. Shearing is a far more profitable business than most people imagine, and men are becoming so proficient that high tallies have been the rule this season, with big cheques as the result. What is an average day’s earnings ? That is rather a difficult thing to fix, for there are many varying conditions. I know of cases where men have shorn 253 and 250 sheen in a working day of eight hours, but I won’t say anything about the * cut. 1 [Payment for shearing is at the rate of LI per 100, and these figures would give L2 13s and L2 103 respectively as the result of the day’s work. From 25s to 30s per day by an expert machine shearer, and 18s to 20s per day by a hand shearer is a fair average. ~ . . , And you deny that these men are badly treated by the pastoralists ? The Pastoralists’Unions insist that members, of the different organisations shall deal fairly with the men. Under the rules of the Pastoralists’ Union every pastoralist who is a member —and there are very few that are not—must conduct his shearing only under terms and conditions approved by the governing councils. The Pastoralists’ Unions are therefore a protection to the men. In all cases we insist that perfect good faith shall be kept with employes. Then the statements which have appeared in the press in this Colonv —to the effect that so soon as the Shearers' Union and the Pastoralists’ Union came to an agreement the Maori landers were sacked and their expenses were not paid as promised—is not true? That statement is absolutely untrue. Before the Conference closed it . was expressly stipulated that nothing achieved by the Conference should affect existing contracts. That principle has governed the policy of the Pastoralists’ Union since its establishment. Due respect for contracts made is a Pastoralists’U nion shibboleth. . Instead of ‘ sacking ’ the men we made provision for the employment of all men under contract for 'the full term of their agreements by getting our members to ke-.p their sheds open for them, so that after they should cut out at one shed they might have another to go to, and so on until their contracts were completed. All expenses in connection with the transport o£ these men were borne by the pastoralists. The New Zealand shearers have everywhere ! expressed themselves as thoroughly satisfied with the treatment they received at cur hands in Australia, and hundreds have expressed their intention of returning for. next season’s shearing. IHany of them applied for stands in the early Queensland sheds on the Peak Downs, but every stand for next season in that district is already filled, each man depositing his sovereign as a guarantee that he will be on the spot to begin work on the appointed day. Applications are now coming daily to the Sydney office for pens for next season. Is it intended to ohtain shearers from New Zealand next season ? An attempt is being made' to prohibit New Zealanders contracting for work in New South Wales, one of the so-called Labour members having introduced a Bill in the Assembly with a clause to the. effect that it shall be unlawful to prepay, assist, or encourage the importation of any alien or other person under contract or agreement to perform labour or service of any kind in New South Wales. That is restrictionist legislation with a vengeance. The particular Bill in question is directed solely at the Pastoralists’ Union and the New Zealand shearers — the reference to ‘ aliens ’ is mere padding# However, I don’t think the Bill will ever reach the Statute Book of New South Wales, and if it should it will hardly prevent New Zealand shearers from visiting New South Wales for the shearing'. As a specimen of •labour’ legislation, however, the Bill is instructive in several respects. What is the general opinion of the labour party iu New South Wales ? Ah, now we are getting to politics,, and in the present disturbed condition of affairs political in New South Wales it is hardly safe for us to enter into a discussion thereon. The Labour Party will never do any good as. a party until its members sink personal jealousies and elect a leader. At present in is never safe to predict what the Labour Party will do. The other day it upset Sir Henry Parkes ; to-day it has up-ended itself before Mr Dibba.

Mr C. Loomes, inventor aud patentee of the improved cotilinand other moths trap, is at present in Wellington with a view to making known his invention to the local fruit growers, gardeners, and householders. The apparatus is of a very simple description, and, judging from the testimonials received from Nelson, is very effective. A specimen will ba on view for some dayß at the shop of Messrs H. C. Gibbons and Co , seedsmen, Lambton quay, who will receive orders for immediate delivery.