GLEANINGS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7023, 11 January 1910, Page 3

GLEANINGS

Ttnries for th« Feilding Show close on January 14th, Pastures are rapidly drying up insome parts of Taranaki, due to the long • Pi'ilo oil fine weather. The January issue of the "New Zealand Farmer" is a particularly attractive, and interesting number. -Mr 1?. D. D. McLean will represent the llawke'.s J Jay A. ;,ml f. Society at the Christelnirch Meat Trades Conference.

The Nelson fruit-growers who intend ana king an experimental shipment of apples to England intend to also test the Homo market with pears.

The "National Dairy Association of New Zealand (South Isiland)" has been registered as the "South Island Dairy Association of New Zealand, Limited." In addition to guessing competitions for sheep the National Dairy Show Executive has decided to also have competitions in guessing the live weights of pigs.

The National Dairy Show Executive has decided that South Island exhibits scoring highest points for any one exhibit in butter or cheese bo awarded a gold medal.

The National Dairy Association has decided to order a half ton cheese for the National Dairy Show. In this will be placed .£ls worth of coins from threepence to half sovereign.

When the members of the South Island Dairy Association were inspecting the grading of butter and cheese at Lytiteltoii the other day the grader in charge, Mr liowman, stated there was a great improvement in the cheese, the Quality of which was two points better ;tlian it was two years ago, and altogether much more even. There had also been a considerable improvement in 'the quality of the butter. Up to about six weeks ago (says a correspondent of the Christchurch ."Press"") agricultural prospects were per'Jiaps the most promising ever seen in .this part of South Canterbury, but since ■the middle of November the weather has been vary dry and warm, with fre|quent nor'-westers, and this has checked jthe growth, of cereals, especially late sown oats and wheat, short straw and ismall heads being the result in many .oases. This part of the country did not 'share in the rainfall which occurred in North Cnaiterbury and Otago on Christimas Day, that day in Wairaate being ■very cold with a dry southerly wind. The drying winds that prevailed a ■fortnight ago effectually checked ftlke sproad of rust, but the continuance of warm weather last week did a {rood deal of injury to cereal crops, roots and pastures on light, porous soils, while it was •welcomed by farmers on heavier soil ,(says a Canterbury correspondent). The ,dry weather enabled shearing on the flat country to be completed, while fairly .good progress was made on back country stations. While feed has diminished |*oo rapidly it has hardened, and lambs .have thrived remarkably well, many being already fit for freezing.