CARTERTON

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1194, 18 January 1895, Page 6

CARTERTON

FARMING NOTES. The fruit season in this district is a very poor one. The plums are an entire failure, owing to the abnormally dry spring. I have visited several orchards this month, and never before saw the apple trees suffering so much from the ravages of the codlin moth. No attempt is made to check them in the majority of cases, and the season having been very favourable to pests of all kinds they have spread accordingly. The oat crops ripened early and many farmers had started cutting just after Christmas. Rome were fortunate enough to get their grain stacked, but several have been caught by the rainj and, as it has been wet on and off since the New Year, they will have a lot of their crops spoilt. The grass is wonderfully freshened and the rain has been the salvation of the dairy farmers. A butter factory on the co-operative principle is very much wanted in the Wairarapa. Storekeepers are now giving 5d per lb for farmer’s butter, and it does not pay to work up at that price. Sheep are still down to a low price and sales are affected with difficulty. Dairy farms ate still enquired for, and as much as £ls per acre has been offered and refused for dairy farms. With the low price wool is fetching it would pay some of our runholders to cut up their land into lots of one to two hundred acres each where the land is suitable for dairying. There is a fair demand for young cattle, calves selling from 19s to 255, eighteen months, up to 58s, and dairy cows according to quality, £4 upwards. Horses will not sell at any price, except anything good in trap and buggy horses. There was a meeting of the general committee of the Wairarapa Pastoral and Agricultural Society on Saturday, Mr Buchanan, M.H.R., presiding. The secretary said the profit on the last show would, roughly speaking, be about .£2OO. The chairman congratulated the Society on the financial result, which was all the more creditable when the low price of wool and general stagnation in trade was considered. It was decided to recommend the incoming committee to have the ground ploughed up immediately after the next show. Several improvements are to be made on the grounds this year, in the shape of better accommodation for produce, extra pens for sheep, the removal of the present buildings from the centre of the ground to the side, and other minor details. Forty-one new members joined last year, increasing the roll to two hundred and seventy. Notice of motion was given that a member’s ticket shall admit a lady in addition to the member to the ground. Mr G. Hunter and Mr A. McHardy, two of the judges ai the late show, each returned the five guinea cheque sent to them for travelling expenses, the latter asking that it might be given as a special •prize at the next show. Mr Hunter gavchis five guineas »s a dan Uh-n in i-ho nmdof the Society, and at the same limo look the opportunity to congratulate tlie Society on the excellence of its show, and in having for stewards men who understand their work and quickly brought the classes before the judges. A vote of thanks was awarded the donors for their liberal gift.

A trial shipment of hay, walnuts and wine has reached Sydney direct from "Valparaiso. The London Globe says the Australian colonies threaten to flood the English market with millions of eggs, but it would be much preferable to develop the wine industry. The latter would only have Prance to compete against, and would not add to the troubles of the British farmer. Mr Gilruth, Government veterinarian, has gone South to catch the Kahu at Lyttelton, in order to proceed to the Chatham Islands, at the invitation of Captain Hood, whose flocks are affected by some spinal malady. Mr Gilruth, while at the Chathams, will take the opportunity to inspect the other stock there. The Council of Agriculture at Hobart is asking the other colonies to join in a conference to be held there in the second i week in April to discuss the fruit industry.