FEILDING

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1651, 21 October 1903, Page 52

FEILDING

(From Our Own Correspondent). There is but a slight budget of news to bo extracted from a neighbourhood in shearing time except as regards the weather, which with us has been exceptionally favourable. One item as a novelty is perhaps worth mentioning, as it is a subject of great interest to dairy farmers. There is hardly a herd -where the best (always the best) of the milch cows does not pay a toll in one or two deaths every year from milk fever. The cow is down, can’t rise and by the following morning is dead. Neither clothing, mashes or physic seem to be of any avail. A scientific journal, having notified that in Germany injecting oxygen gas into each teat has proved successful in every case and that an hour afterwards the animal is up and feeding, a local farmer (Mr Fetch) has procured all the appliances, at no little expense, and tho neighbours are eagerly waiting for somebody else’s cow to bo experimented upon. I will report its sjuccsss or non-success as the case may be when it has been well proved. Land is still booming, ' but there seems to be a large number of impecunious speculators who will only deal with places that are heavily mortgaged, or try to obtain leases with an option. I think, also, that we have rather more land agents than butchers and bakers. The quarterly meeting of the Feifiling branch of tlie Farmers’ Union was held on the 9th inst. Sixteen members were present. The committee appointed to confer with auctioneers, etc., with reference to a reduction in the rate of commission on sales of stock, reported that before asking this branch to support a new firm it was thought only fair to communicate with the two firms doing business in the district to see if they would make any concession to members of the Union similar to that made by Messrs Abraham and Williams to their shareholders A meeting was held, and the concession of 1 per cent, asked for duly discussed. It then transpired that the auctioneers following the practice of the day had a union amongst themselves, and without due notice no firm could alter the rates at present charged. With the understanding that the notice was to be given another meeting was arranged. In the' interval, however, instead of determining the existing arrangement, the two local firms entered into an unholy compact lvith their neighbouring rivals, by Avhich, in consideration of the, concession asked for by us being refused, the rival company undertook not to start saleyards in Feilding. Accordingly our request Avas refused. Further comment is at present unnecessary, but these negotiations have failed, and your committee hope ere long to submit others to you.

Speaking on the question, of frozen meat, Mr L. E. Jackson (Kimbolton) said he had been informed that in the South stock Avas taken to the works, frozen, and on the day it Avas received the owner got a certificate as to the Aveight of carcases, Avith the option of leaving the carcases there for some six weeks free of cost. The certificate Avas negotiable at the Bank or at the factory immediately. Ultimately it was resolved that- the Secretary Avrite to the Freezing Companies, used by farmers in this district, and ask them to issue factory Avarrants stating grade of the carcases and giving free storage for the same length of time as in Canterbury, and the same concessions Avit-h regard to the disposal of carcases. Four names were proposed and accepted for membership. The meeting then adjourned. October 16 th.