GLEANINGS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6704, 30 December 1908, Page 3

GLEANINGS

The sales of wool in Australia from July Ist to December loth show a decrease of 5215 bales compared with the sales for the corresponding period of Inst year. Wet weather has delayed shearing considerably in tho Kaikoura. district. A considerable quantity of hay has been cut in tho district, but farmers are unable to get it in owing to the wet weathc r. In. connection with the international horse show, to bo held at the Olympia, in London, in June of next year, a sum of -012,000 will be offered in prizes. The harvest prospects throughout tlie Ashburton county are exceedingly promising, and a record return is confidently anticipated. Rape and turnip crops are looking extremely well. New South Wales . experience goes to show that- paspalnm dilatatum, while essentially a warm- climate grass is proving that it can bo grown successfully in cool climates. In several cases this year late frosts were found to have little effect on it.

One of the ont crops in the Gladstone district is being attacked by a horde of little white caterpillars (reports the "Waii-ai-apa. Daily News”). The caterpillars crawl to tho head of the oat

anti nip off the grain. In this wav they destroy large quantities of gram- f “hr track can be easily followed through the crops.

The general freight on wool from ictoria to London at present is as follows :—On account of buyers, id per pound for greasy, and id for scoured; to growers, id for greasy, and id tor scoured. The New Zcalandd freight is 7-lGd, and there is no difference between tho shixnnents of buyers and growers. Grain crox>s have been an absolute failure in the western districts of New* South Wales tiiis season. It is one of the worst years over experienced in. seme localities. In the words of a Sydney Morning Herald” writer, “failure is written over miles of sunburnt, suncracked land, where the grain should be rustling in the breeze.”

For several years the New South "Wales growers were fain to put up with selling choice lemons at a loss, the rang© then being Is to -Is 6d, and occasionally os a gincase (Sydney). Some orchardists in despair cut out a percentage of their 1 trees, and many decided not to replant. Also, the importations from Mildura and Italy dwindled. Hence a dearth at the present moment of local lemons at record prices in. Sydney, with brisk spot and forward demand for Messina shipments. Sales have lately taken place in Sydney at as high as 17s and 18s a gincaso for best New South Wales samples. The outlook is for dear lemons for some time.

Speaking of the splendid clearance effected at the last Dondou wool sale, an Australian authority says;—"A thoroughly satisfactory clearance has been elfected, and the accumulation of tho year lias practically disappeared, a carry-over ot 10,009 bales to January being a mere cypher. Such being the ease, and the Australian season more than half over, it would appear that little harm is likely to come to the market in tho near future, and those growers who have not been able to offer their wool in the local market before the Christmas vacation, can with some degree of confidence look forward to a sound market in January.'" A Queensland grazier, Mr E. B. Baker, of Roma, has invented a woolpack to protect wool against the encroachment of, the juto fibre. By his process the jute canvas passes through feeding rollers into a specially .prepared paper pulp as it leaves the weaving loom, thence travels under the guide rollers to another set of rollers uudei pressure, so as to force tho pulp through the canvas; then other rollers squeeze out surplus pulp. Afterwards tlio material is run through heated rollers, which has the effect of facing the canvas on both sides with paper, connected through here and there, and formed and finished on the canvas. The inventor claims that Iris woolpacks, sewn with specially prepared twiner are fibre and dust proof, and that wool pressed m them will open out in the .saleroom entirely free from foreign matter. A number of these packs are' already in use.

Length of straw is the only fault that oar. be found with the crops in North Canterbury (says the “Lyttelton Times"), f:»rW t 0 IV wheat on the 1 h lands in the eastern portion of and “ an T d , e ': lU o.,aml Kangiora district, fir I Luiapoi Island and the neighnrosnw? ’ A f- the seaSoll advances the prospects continue to improve, and with hno weather tor tho harvest-a yield of all cereals much above the average is now assured. Harvesting oatf has hi icady been commenced on the plains several paddocks being in stool Du.-’ aHent h ion Pa but t th tUigIl V H y clailnetl ai.ention, but the work ot harvesting -if her T! retarde 4 IV the showery wea thoi I he crop is a heavy one. and a good ietui-ii of grass.seed is promised. Ihe showery weather has been just the kind required for root crops, and potatoes and turnips are flourishing in a way that leaves nothing to bo desired. The als< J boen , Illost beneficial to regetabie gardens and orchards. There rogetabfra Un mi fI SUPp,y . of s Dirtimil.if.lv H f e y ? cltl - of small fruit, F“ V,- culai ,jy 1 >‘?pbemes, is highly satisOur Palmerston correspondent writes Manawatu farmers ■ lueS; weather prevailing. Though a grclt deal of hay has not- been actually%oilf far, a terrible lot will be badly decoloured, which will, of course m ak e a considerable difference if the fodder it intended for sale. , p Ol . the laft fortnight, what with high win| s rain” it has been almost impossible' to do any hay harvesting, and there is fear that many of the oat.-wheat and barh-v crops TU dOWn throu ßt the same cause. The season so tar has been an ideal one for growing crops and dairvmg, but the conditions obtaining just at present will play havoc among stand-

mg crops. Heavy rain fell during Monday night, and again last night, and at time of writing (Tuesday morning) a gale of wind and rain is raging from the north-west, and this notwithstanding . rising barometer —which will need explanation by Captain Edwin.