AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS

New Zealand Times, Volume LV, Issue 9969, 2 August 1893, Page 4

AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS

A well-known Clanternary farmer informs Mr Bolton that thero in any amount of market for pige in Canterbury nt about Id por lb.—Examiner. Arbor Day is to bo celebrated in Pahintua, the very heart of a forest, by the planting of trees.

A Farmers’ Club ia to bo started in Aahurst. Mr R. J. Whibley, an energetic settlor, is the organiser. Lemons are said to grow wed I in and around Marton, and the other day some fine oranges grown by Mr James McBeth were taken to the ollico of the local newspaper.

A somewhat extraordinary story is told by the Bnnnythorpe correspondent of a Palmerston paper, who writes as follows :—Last Sunday a large hawk flew into Mr P. Stevens’ paddock on Milson’s line with a cow-bell attached to him. It was suggested that the hawk must have swallowed a cow, but could not digest the bell, reminding one ol Mrs S. 0 Hall’s witty Irish stories where a peaceful cow was accused of swallowing a piper all but his boots, because be bad gone away before daybreak in a good pair of boots, leaving bis old ones in the cowshed where he had slept beside the cow. The pastoral position and outlook in Australasia are described in an article in the Australasian Insurance and Banking Record. Our contemporary gives the quantity of the wool clip for the year 1892 3 as 1,810,000 bales against 1,791,000 bales in the preceding year. The value per bale is again estimated at 112, the previous year’s figure, and the total value is given at £22,080,000 ns compared with £21,528,000 in the preceding year. The estimate of LI 2 per bale is based on the actual selling value of the wool at the last series of the London wool sales. The quantity of wool produced lias increased since 18834 by 728,000 bales, or Col per cent, but tbo value of the clip” has only increased since by L 1,288,000, or 31 per cent. Com menting on these figures the S, M. Herald says ;—‘ While it may seem to be true, as stated, that tlieso figures point to an over narrowing margin of profit to the woolgrower, our contemporary does not emphasise the decreased cost of production and carriage to market, nor the fact that there has boon a general cheapening oi the cost of goods which the colonies receive in exchange for wool, which would make up for some of the deficiency in the price received last year as compared with what was received nine years ago. It is very important that in all such articles the point is not unduly pressed against ihe colonies, for there are many hostile critics in London who take it up and strain it beyond its legitimate construction.’ The successful competitor at a recent ploughing match in Switzerland was a girl. The facts are thus given in a Swiss newspaper:—‘A yourg girl (Mademoiselle Fournier) presented herself with a plough and horse to compete for the prize in ploughing. A similar case not having occurred before the stewards did not know wlmt to do But ns nothing in the wording of tho programme prevented such n competitor they determined to allow her to take her place with the rest. Disdaining the laughter and jeers of her rivals she took great pains to make sure that her plough, harness, ike , were in perfect order; and the signal being given she started with tho rest. She completed her task with so much ease and address that she did

not seem to have suffered any fatigue.

By the unanimous consent of the judges the girl was considered to be entitled to the first prize, not only because he? - work was better done than that of any of the others, but because she took 14mih. less time to finish her task. It turned out that her mother was a widow left in possession of a small farm and having four daughters. Mademoiselle Fournier was the eldest, and had taken upon herself this department of ploughing, the

widow and her daughters doing among them all the work upon the farm. The attendance of farmers and spectators was very large, and the awards gave general satisfaction.’ The following items re the flax taade are taken from the Foxton paper : The agent of the Flaxmillers’ Association has already put himself into

communication with the Australian

buyers and a good result is anticipated. —A very good point lias been made by Mr Gardner in showing the shipping companies the injustice that is shown to the millers here by charging ten shillings a ton extra freight out of Wellington than they do out of Auckland, though the Wellington port charges are so much less. This would be a very important item saved.—ln another matter of freights the energetic Chairman of the Association has succeeded in dning excellent work. The freight to Boston has been 65s a ton and primage, now the Association has had an otFer at 42s Gd a ton I A saving of 20s a ton represents a sum of Ll3O to 200 "a stripper, a matter of vital Importance when prices are low, though of sufficient magnitude to be at all times of interest. ‘ Slasher ’ writes to the Ilawera Star advocating the holding of ‘chopping competitions’ in Taranaki, similar to those so popular in Tasmania. He says ;— 1 A Southlander has received from Mr 11. A. Nichols, secretary of the Axemen’s Association, Latrobe, Tasmania, n letter in which the writer states that ho is authorised by some of the axemen there to back T. Beeves, ex-champion of Tasmania, to chop any man in New Zealand for L 25 (or upwards) a-side—the match to be chopped at Latrobe, about the .time of the Axemen’s gathering in November next, and New Zealand timber to bo used. The cost of getting the logs to Tasmania

must be borne by the New Zealand man unless an arrangement bo made otherwise. Should the match take place at the Latrobe sports the Axemen’s Association will award a gold medal to the winner. Neither the present nor the past champion axemen of Tasmania is a bush man, both Marshall and Beeves having been clerks. I might add that for the other events at the Axemen’s gathering substantial prizes are offered, and if I rightly remember the particulars of the last contest in Tasmania, a certain sura was allowed to New Zealanders as travelling expenses. I feel conQdent that if a team of Taranaki axemen went over that they would give a good account of themselves. As to the expense I am certain that if any good men announced their intention of upholding the honor of Taranaki that funds would soon be raised by chopping competitions and voluntary contributions. In conclusion, if the ex-champion of Tasmania were hero his challenge would soon be accepted.

The Australasian states that the shipowners propose to raise the freight on frozen meat.

Clause 12, of tho Noxious Weeds Bill provides that the inspector may in tho case of the farmer neglecting to rid his farm of hog weed, fat hen, sorrel, dro--‘enter upon such lands and use such lawful means ns he may deem necessary for cutting down or eradicating such noxious weeds at tho expense of the occupier!’ Clause 17 provides ‘That all public reserves and Crown lands shall be cleared by the local authority in whose district such lands are situate, and not more than one-half the cost of such clearing or eradication shall he refunded to the local authority out of any moneys appropriated from time to time for the purpose by Parliament.’ It appears manifestly unfair, says tho Woodviile Examiner, that local bodies should be charged with any portion of the cost incurred in clearing

Crown lands, which would press ruinously on some districts. Mr Thomas Bryce, of tho Kiwitea, has, wo arc informed, invented a new sheep lick, which is very highly spoken of. lb will shortly bn put on the market, and if it possesses all the virtues claimed for it, it will have a very

large sale. At tho last meeting of the Wanganui Borough Council considerable discussion look place as to tbo merits of different preparations for the of weeds, which could bo used for keeping lire public streets free from such vegetation. Councillor Parsons mentioned that lie bad seen a novel suggestion in tho Melbourne Ago, tbo idea being a poison train. Wo give the clipping from the paper itself, which reads as follows :—Railway trains run in great variety. There are ordinary, special, express, goods, cattle, and wheat trains, and tho commissioners intend adding another class. Wlmt is known as a ' poison ’ train is soon to run. It is to consist of a waggon 35ft in length, which will hold a large boiler, and 12 ordinary waggons each carrying 1200 gallons of water. '1 he water is to be impregnated with arsenic, and the solution is to be poured on the permanent way as the train runs, the hope being that thereby all vegetation on tho road will he destroyed. In the past the clearing away of weeds and grass has been done by the permanent way men, but it is thought that the poison train will bo cheaper. The estimated cost of tho experiment train is said to bo £1200.’