JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1190, 21 December 1894, Page 4

JOTTINGS.

Last week at the Stratford Dairy Factory the milk received for the day reached the enormous total of 2400 gallons. It is expected that for the next four or five months the average weekly output from this factory will reach 10 tons.

The Wanganui Chronicle has heard of some very good shearing which has been made by a team of seven, at the Buatangata station. In three days they turned off 2902 sheep, and on the fourth day, with two hours short, 752,. making a grand total of 3854, or an average of 130£ sheep per man perday, which for a team of seven is very good. The hours of work were from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with\ breaks of one hour for breakfast, half hour from 10 to 10.30, one hour for dinner, half hour from 3 to 3.30, leaving nine hours of actual working. The highest tally was 165, and the lowest 113, the ringer for the four days having got through respectively, 165, 164, .160 and 126, the latter for seven hours* work.

The late rain, says the Feilding Star t . < has done an immense amount of good to the crops around Awahuri. The oats which were suffering for want of rain early part of the season are now looking splendid, and some good yields may be expected. Very little, if any, wheat is being grown in the district this year, but a large area is under oats Some good patches of potatoes may also be seen growing near the river.

A correspondent of. the Napier Telegraph sends the following seasonable note :—As the season for growing thisfruit (tomato) is now on, a few hint&

on its cultivation may be acceptable to some of your readers. Let the plants bo from three to four feet apart each way, in fairly good soil. A light top dressing of coal soot and fowls’ manure will be found very beneficial. As soon as the plants send up shoots from their roots select two or three of the strongest, and nip the others out; stake your . plants well, and nip off the greater part of the leaves and any fresh shoots that may appear. Give them a plentiful supply of water nightly, and they will reward you for your trouble. Last year I got 471 b 12oz of fruit from one plant of three vines. I'hree plants of two vines each gave respectively 491 b ; 9oz, 451 b 2oz, and 431 b lloz. I did not put my dressing too near the plants, and I well watered them twice daily. As soon as the fruit is well set syringe it frequently with a light solution of common salt, washing soda, and water, and you will not be troubled with the caterpillar that is so destructive to the fruit j ust before it ripens.

How cabbage heads are kept from bursting.— —Some gardeners practise a method of stopping the bursting of too rapi<ll.y<-growing cabbage heads. The idea is to check the root growth, which is Sendings too* much sap into the head. Either some of the roots are cut away, or else the roots are somewhat loosened by pulling the cabbage partly out of the ground. Either plan will check growth sufficiently to save the cab bage^-', * . .

—lkJias been demonstrated by practical experiments that 1001 b of sand will absorb 251 b of water; 1001 b loam, 401 b; 1001 b clay loam, 501 b; 1001 b clay, 701 b. This explains why some soils always 'appear drier than others, why some soils will stand a drought so ;xnuch better than others, and why, .after a shower, some soils become like a ; wbile others are only comparatively damp. '

it is stated by Scotch papers that a perfeet cure for pleuro-pneumocia has been - found in “ paraffin oil,” or, as Americans would say, kerosene. It is administered by thrusting a sponge saturated. w»th the oil into one nostril and folding the other tight, so that the animal : must inhale the .remedy with its breath. % Perfect success is claimed for the new remedy.

” f The v WaiTcato Times learns that the early potato crops in the districts about Auckland are turning out a comparative failure. This is owing to the prolonged dry weather experienced during ;the most critical period of growth, - the vield’ being, as a fule, one good-sized potato and a number of .small ones to a root. This shortage means that the later sown crops in the.districts further, south will be called upon earlier than usual* the general opinion among those best informed being that potatoes will be none too plentiful this season, and to those getting fair yields will prove a repftunerative crop.

The Otago Daily Times says :~The particulars which, we recently published concerning an offer made? by an English firm to pay sixpence each for rabbits free on. board a. steamer with a refrigerator has attracted aiuch attention, and we have received numerous inquiries about the matter. We are not in: a position to give additional particulars, but we. may state that the; firm’s address is ft* follow*: —“ Saunby arid Harrison, 19, . Rose street and Queen’s Arcade, a n- 1 • Wholesale Fish Market, Liverpool, England.” The reference* given' is Fa»i» and Alliance banking Company, Limited.

Four hundred gallons of milk per day is now being receiyed at the Birmingham Creamery.

Nineteen sheep were found in the salp yards at Geraldine last week with ' S&eir ears removed close to their heads.

The Egmonfc A. and P. ; Association have decided to hold a two days’ Autumn Dairy Show on April 4th and sth next year* A challenge cup will be given to the best exhibit of butter suitable for export. There will be eight sections for cheese, and seven for butter*..:

Speculation in wool does not always result in success. The Napier TeleyTChjpJi/ mentions an. instance that occurred last year. ' A buyer gave 7£d per; pound for 178 bales. He shipped to jiOndon, where his purchase realised BJd. When he came to square up he found himself a matter of LSOO out by the transaction, . ?

A good record :—Shearing has been going on at Mr Dalrymple’s Waifcatapia shed for the last week. Six shearers with machine shears pub. through in five and a half days 4485 sheep. The best day’s work was on Friday, the day’s tally being 993, two of the men, McDonell and Griffin, shearing 224 and 223 respectively. Two pf the hands were using the shears for the first time. The working hours of this shed are from 6 a m. to 6 p.m , the, actual time spent in working, however, is

The Health Officers in London have condemned the peas and asparagus ex Cuzco and Valetta. The peas landed from the former vessel were to a large extent mildewed and rat-eaten, while the asparagus was rotten. The Valetta's peas, when cooked, were not eatable, and emitted an offensive odour.

Considering the enormous interests which this Colony has at stake; in the competition for the English meat trade, it is intensely mortifying to find that strong complaints are still made; as to the quality oi some of the shipments recently sent Home. —Palmerston Times. i

The following superintendent collectors of agricultural statistics have been appointed : James H. M. Good, Clifton, Taranaki, Stratford; Ernest Barns, Hawera, Patea, Waitotara, Wanganui; Robert North Keeling, Rangitikei, Oroua, Kiwitea, Pohangina, Manawatu, Horowhenua; Thomas Humphries, Wairoa, Hawke's Bay ; Peter Skerrett, Waipawa, Patangata; William R. Bone, Pahiatua, Wairarapa North, Wairarapa South ; Edward J. von Dadelszen, Hutt.

The annual ram and ewe fair conducted by the Wellington Agricultural and Pastoral Association is to be held on the 23rd January next. The entries close on Thursday, 17th January.

Five Romney Marsh rams were brought out by the Doric for Mr C. Elgar, Wairarapa.

A co-operative dairy company is to be started in the Feilding or Apiti Small Farm Block.

Our Levin correspondent writes as follows

Our dairy farmers have joined the New Zealand Dairy Union, of Black Swan fame, and after the usual guaranteeby the farmers -the Union built a creamery superior to others which they have built this year, on account of the district being a large one.and so many cows being guaranteed to start with. The farmers were glad when the creamery started, as the price of butter had gone down to 6d, and would have gone still lower, as the supply was greater than

the demand ; but when the creamery did start dairy butter soon became scarce, consequently many guarantors instead of supplying the creamery made their own butter, and got, a ready market for it at lOd. The milk suppliers seeing this did not believe in their less honest brethren taking this advantage, as the creamery, instead of putting through 500 gallons of milk or more and paying handsomely, was only getting 300 gallons, so a meeting of milk suppliers was called, at which the chairman was instructed to write to the defaulting suppliers asking them civilly to send their milk as guaranteed. A deputation of four members was elected to visit the storekeepers, and ask them to assist the Dairy ' Union in making the .dairy industry • a. success;, by- giving the local farmers the sum of 6d only for their butteiL and by so doing compel the guarantors wo send their milk to the creamery. The storekeepers, after considering the permanent' benefit to be derived by the district at large, decided to make the above agreement.

The Union, of course, can take action against defaulters, but they do not wish to go that length. Some of the promoters of the Levin creamery, who had the most to say at all the meetings, but do not supply now, say that no action can be taken against them as they did not sign a legal document. They quite forget that their words spoken and resolutions passed at properly constituted meetings are quite as binding as any legal document can make them.

Mr Weddell's agents in Vienna report that Queensland beef is making slow but steady progress in the market, despite the competition of American meat.

At the annual meeting of the Longburn Freezing Company, the chairman, Mr D. Buick, stated that the business of the Company was really better than it would appear from the balance-sheet. A great deal more than the loss was accounted for by necessary expenditure in connection with the works. Being unable to get steamer space sufficient to get frozen meat away when ready, the freezing chambers had to be kept going for six months with only 39,500 sheep, which should have been got rid of in half the time. As it cost £Lo per day to keep the freezing chambers open a large amount of expense was incurred here. The directors thought the concession of one-eighth of a penny to shippers north of Greatford should be abolished. The report and balance-sheet were adopted, and the meeting was adjourned till Saturday next.

There is nothing more annoying, or likely to lead to more confusion, than indistinct addresses. Farmers should note that it is more business-like, and that it saves time to have their names and addresses printed on their memo forms and envelopes. They can get five hundred forms printed with envelopes to match at the Mail office for 12s 6d,