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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1676, 13 April 1904, Page 63

’ It appears that- w Zealand Govea*uineißt is ijpW-ia the market as a buyer of Aylesbury Sticks, says a London correspondent,. A few days ago at an aiuo-. taen sal© of specimen© of these noted birds m a Buckinghamshire town, no less a sum than £7 15s was realised for a drake, the winner of a first prize at the -Royal Agricultural Society's, show. Another prizewinner, a duck, fetched l £6, while 15 birds disposed of for £3l were purchased by the Government for New Zealand. In the catalogue at the: sale it was stated that thei owner (Mr F. Read, Action Clinton) had! previously gold a clirake for £ls, antii a duckling for 15 guineas, while a drake, which was fourth at the York Show, with an lunshown, duckling, made 20 guineas. Thus in securing 15 of these valuable birds for £3l the Government of New Zealand would appear to have distinctly scored.

The Government Poultry Expert will leave for the North this week for the purpose of grading the young birds at the State Poultry Farms at Momohaki and Hamilton. Sonte of tho poultry hatched during the past season will he reserved for the „ Government stations, and the balance will be offered for sale. The Government expert says he is convinced that the poultry industry will alssmne very large proportions this year. The price of grain is lower than it was last season, and many more people are going in for poultry raising on up-to-date lines.

“Wairarapa” writes wanting to know the storage and killing .capacity of the companies exporting frozen meat from New Zealand to Heme markets. The following figures should prove of interest to, our correspondent:—Auckland Freezing Company, killing capacity of sheep per day 2000, storage capacity, 30,000; Waitara, 1100, 30,000 ; Gisborne Sheepfarmers’ Company. 2000, 50,000; Nei'son Bros., Gisborne 2000 45,000; Nelson Bugs . Tomoana. 3000, 90,000; North British and Hawke’s Bay Company, 1500, 30,000; Wanganui. 2000, 40,000; Aramoho 900, 13,000; Longhurn, 1400, 20,000: Gear Ccinpaniy. P'etone, 6000. 18,000; Wellington Meat Export Company, Ntyahauranga, 5000) 150,000; Picton, •2000, 40,000; Hornby. 1000, 55,000; Belfast. Canterbury, 6000, 90,000; Fairfield, 5000. 80,000; Pareora,, 4500, 100,000; Islington, 8000, 140,000; Smithfield. 0000, 100,000; Burnside, £SOO, 50,000; Oamam, 1000, 20,000; Ocean Beach, 1200, 50,000; Ma.taura, 2500 110,000.

Orchardists-and gardeners should note that the Orchard and Garden. Pest's Act of last session, which repeals and replaces the Act of the same title passed in 1896, came into force on April Ist. The inspectors' appointed under the Act have very wide powers, and the enu's of eradicating disease and preventing it spreading is thrown upon the Occupier of an orchard, who is also, within 4§ hours after discovering the existence of disease in his orchard, to send written notice to the Secretary for Agriculture at Wellington. The diseases scheduled are: —American blight, appleIscab. oodlin moth, mussel or oyster scale, anpl red mite. Any or all of the diseases scheduled may he suspended by any County Council (and for this purpose boroughs within the boundaries of a county are to he deemed part of the county) by special order, which must be gazetted.

Of the 16 Angora, goafe which arrived S2l Wellington from Australia to- the o-uder of the Department of Agriculture, for liberation in. the llrewera Country, Bay of'Plenty, where some were sent to the natives last yeair. The eight does will he used for breeding purposes. At the State goat farm at Trentham there are already about 30 purebred does, besides 20 of their progeny, and about 30 crossbred goats. There is a fair demand for the kids, some of which have this year been. se-nt to settlers at Nelson aind the north of Auckland.

~ The .difficulty in regard to the selection of a site for the North Island sterilising works has been settled. The plant will 'be erected at Westfield, about nine miles from Auckland:" A start will be made without delay to erect the buildings.

Dealing with the question of the freehold v. leasehold tenure of land the “Eketahuna Express” says:—“What have the tyrannised tenants of Ireland been agitating for? Simply the right to convent their leaseholds into freeholds. And what is the New Zealand Government striving its utmost to avert? Just what the House of Commons has conceded Irish tenants.”

The flax industry about Humbly is assuming considerable proportions. Not long ago a visitor from Djunedin was in the° Waerenga district buying virgin swamp. His intention is to half drain it and then cultivate flax. Should the venture prove successful much of the swamp that is at present considered almost worthless will be made profitable. Already 300 acres of the big swamp at the lower end of Lake Waikare have been taken up.

Eighteen pigs belonging to a firm of hacon-curers were condemned' in the Pahiaitua district by the stock authorities last week, owing t-o the animals being badly affected by tuberculosis-

An amusing sight-was witnessed at Gladstone the other days, says the Observer; when a well-known farmer was noticed riding a bicycle and driving a mob of sheep and calves with a greyhound.

A New Zealander fresh front Western Canada (says a “Christchurch Truth” correspondent) states that the Canadian Government is displaying sound enterprise in encouraging settlement. Flee grants of land, 160 acres in extent,, are being offered to persons over 18 years of age, on condition that certain improvements are carried out within three years. The settler is required to live at least six months of each year on the property, and must build a habitable house. Provided he fulfils all the terms, the deeds of the land are handed to him ait the end of three years. The settlement has under these conditions been rapid, hut millions of acres of virgin land still await cultivation. Last, year 100,000 persons arrived in Canada to take up wheat-growing, and about onefixth' of me number came from the United States. The success that is attending the efforts of emigrants is shown by the fact that very few have left Canada since the inauguration of the free lands movement, and there is a general air or prosperity all over the country. Five years ago the district in which he is farming was without popu-_ latiion, and at present there are /00 persons in the town adjacent. * * *

A Gippsland farmer has presented the Methodist Central Mission in Melbourne with a farm of 1200 acre?, to be, used as a, rescue hoys’ department, on two conditions—that, his name should never be divulged, and that the property snould never be sold by the Mission.