GLEANINGS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6411, 7 January 1908, Page 3

GLEANINGS.

The schedules for tho Manawatu A. and P. Association’s next National Dairy Show will ho issued in tho course of tho next fortnight or three weeks. It is said that tho clover dodder (cuscuta trifolii) has now made its Appearance near Foxton. Dodder, as those who have eomo across it in their fields are well aware, is a_ rapidlygrowing parasitic plant, which surely kills any crop on which it gets a hold. Its adaptability is shown by tho fact that in Canterbury tho clover dodder Is now attacking and killing the gorse hedges. Tho plant has no leaves, but grows in a scries of long slender threads, which attach themselves to, and suck tho juices from, any suitable neighbour. It is an annual, being propogated yearly by seeds. Those who intend to exhibit at tho annual show of tho Feilding A. and P. Association, to bo held early next mouth, should noto that general entries close on the evening of Friday of next week, the 17th inst. Late fee entries, however, will bo received up till Thursday, the 23rd inst. A resume of tho classes provided has already appeared in these columns, but schedules may ho obtained at this office by those interested. It is expected there will bo hardly half a crop of wheat in New South Wales. There were 1-1,303 fewer acres under the several corn crops in Ireland in 1907 than in 1906. Australia, it is declared, will have a surplus of nearly 13,000,000 bushels of wheat this season. Tho decision of tho Victorian Government to adopt tho 2401 b grain sack was duo to tho representations of a deputation of farmers. Tho Australian wheat export season has closed with a decrease of about two million bushels na compared with tho previous season, Mr Mills, the well-known dairy farmer of Cheltenham, who has given so

much attention to silos and ensilage, is y\v\n-' up dairying for the fat lamb business'

A shipment or elieese, aKJ'fp/'atjnj; about FFJ tons, lias just been sent to London from Australia in order to relieve the local markets, which an* .said to be glutted with that commodity. While the cheese .shipment by the lonic—7o.(i 17 cases—was a record for the Dominion, it would have been even greater than it wa.s but for the fact that 8(70 or 000 eases were shut out. Intimation has been received by the Dairy Union that the consignment of butter sent Home per Ruapehu realised 118 s per cwt., and that per Arawa 120 s per cwt. The year i'JLL has been declared to have been a very prosperous one for the American fanner. A low years ago every fanner was in debt, but now mortgages have been paid off and the position is soundly financial. Wo are having very warm weather, a Hawke's Bay reader, and feed is getting scarce. There was a nice shower yesterday (December 31st) but nob enough, as it was very dry again tin following day. To date this season there have been shipped from tlie Dominion to London 80.0-17 packages of cheese, against 33,049 cases for the conespomung period of last season. While the butter shipments have shown a slight falling 0i1—243,203 boxes, against 284,070 boxes, for the same period last year—the total dairy ? produce export shows a remarkable expansion. Several lines of apples badly infected with codim moth are reaching the 'Wellington market from the Auckland and Motuoka districts. Further consignments similarly affected will be seized anti destroyed. Fruit dealers are reminded that under the Act which is now being put into operation the penalty for having moth-infected fruit in their possession is £2O. A contract was signed recently at Osaka, Japan, for the supply of frozen produce, including meat, to the value of £120,000, to the Imperial Cold Storage Company there by Messrs John Cook and Co., of Melbourne. The first delivery’ of supplies Is to be made in March next. It is stated that the contract contains a clause that wherever practicable Victorian products are to bo supplied. It may bo mentioned that this is the first contract which has ever been let for the supply of frozen meat to Japan. Mr D. Evans, who has been managing Mr E. Short’s stud sheep, has accepted an appointment on the Buakura Experimental Farm, where he will hatfb charge of the stud and flock sheep. Mr Evans will be a decided acquisition to this impotrant experimental centre. Ho comes from one of the most < noted sheep families of England, for, in the sheep world of England the name Evans is synonymous with the word Shropshire. Mr Evans received his early training under his father, a noted Shropshire breeder of his time. He obtained a good insight into New Zealand methods among Hawke’s Bay flocks, and he has had a special training for his new work in having been in charge of the experimental flocks at the lowa and Minnesota experimental stations for a number of years.