LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1003, 8 July 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

During th» past month, sowing operations have been vigorously prosecuted, ami itv every direction targe btocka of land have already boon placed under crop. In many places,. where tho cropping operations were early commenced. the braird is beginning to show through tho ground. The fate heavy rains, although calculated to work great damage where the seed; has onty tatety been sown, by causing it to burst, has very materially aided ploughing operations where tand remained to bo broken up. As we stated last month, a very targe area of tand is being this Sanson placed under cereal crops, and as tho greatest amount o£ attention is being given to wheat, there is evtry tifcetihood of tin; coming crop, provided the season proves Favorable, being much targer than has previously baea tho case in the Waitalct County. We would strongly urge upon our farmers tho necessity foe giving some attention to tho cultivation of potatoes, the yield during tho past season felt a long way short of tho riaqttiremonts, and the demands from outside cannot be entirely supplied. There is nothing to show that the supply next soiwon will be over the raiiuirements, and »s> this district is admirably suited to the cultivation of potatoes, the growing of a targe crop cannot fait to prove remunerative.

A meeting of the Committee of the JTopth Otago Agricultuval ami Pastoral Association will be held on Friday next, for the purpose of further considering the programme for the next Show. We are informed that an effort will bo made to reverse the decision arrived at last meeting that the Show should! only last for one day. and a full muster of members is very much to be desired, so that the matter may bo ftilly discussed, and tho wisest possible decision arrived at.

Worth Qtago will, we have every reason to believe, make a highly satisfactory show in tho grain department at the Sydney International Exhibition. Excellent samples of wheat, oats, and bartey are being forwarded to the great international exposition. Many of these samptcs have been carefully prepared by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, and., judging from those we had the pteasure of inspecting, tho wheat from this district will " take a tot of beating." We shall await with some amount of curiosity and interest verdict of tho tho judges upon the grain produced in North Otago.

.During the present month several important public suits oE interest to farmers wilt take place. Amongst the number is tho galo by Mr. A. ft. Maude, to take ptace on, the 10th, of tho good-wilt of the tease 06 an educational reserve, pact 2 oE section '23. block £ll., Oamfwn District, situated near Corniack's Crossing, on thoNgapara Kail way, containing ;>y acres £ roods, wish about nine years to run, at a very tow runt, with a dwelling-house and other buildings thereon, to bu followed by the sale o£ the stock and implements on the farm. On the ISth Messrs. Wright, Stephenson, and Co.. in conjunction with other auctioneers, wilt offer for sale at Waimate the teases, with tho right of purchase, '-0,000 acres of tand oh tho Waihiiaroiinga Estate. The tand consists of 6S farms, and the teases have fivo years to run. Kvery facility witt bo afforded intending buyers to inspect the land. In addition to these, Messrs. Fleming and Kedley wilt, on a day yet to be fixed, offer for sale Messrs. Honour Brothers" Landon and Fairfield Farms, with the whole of the live and dead stock. Stilt the Ist must be added to. Mr. John Rent having announced his intention to sett about -WO acres of the Elderstie Estate in 10-acre allotments, daring the month. Excellent opportunities are here afforded for the acquisition of farms in fovoritu localities, and we could only wish that our farmers wetu in » position to become the purchasers of soma of the choice Mocks to be submitted to the hammer. But the tightness of the money market wilt, we fear, prevent many from becoming purchasers. It will be encouraging to the holders of potatoes ia this district to know that that article of produce i» gradually rising in value in Dunedin. and that Oamaru are quoted a» tho best at L 7 per ton. white those from other parts are quoted at Li» 10s upwards. This speaks votumes for the product! at this district.

.In aeroral other portions o£ the Colony the regular ploughing- mate lies have lately been hold, and in each cas« ilia affairs scent to biivn poascd off with the usual amount of sn ci'"uu So tin", nothing of tHo kind has been- dona in this county, am! ploughing matches ilo not sewn to tind much favor, for no niova baa been made to hoUi. them iit any putt of North Ot;vijo. with the exception o£ Hampden, where the usual trial of skit! with the plough will be held on Frntay. the 18th instant. Kntri«» for this must W made ■with the secretary on or before the 16th.

Tho Committer of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association has appointed Committees to nominate gentlemen to act as judges-at the next annual show. It was made an instruction to the Committee .that at least two o£ the judges in each class .sk'utM b« resident oatside the Provincial District of Canterbury, and it was determined to> secure the services of two judges Jfiom Victoria,, one for draught horses and the ociu:i; for shorthorn cattle, L 35 each batag allowed for expenses. As the North Otago Association's show follows directly after that of the Canterbury Society, might

it not be well for the Committee to make arrangements with the judges brought from Victoria to act in similar capacities here? The advantages to be derived from the adoption of such a cotirse would be twofold. U'c should not only secure the services of two thoroughly independent judges, but the district would gain very considerably by means of the knowledge that the visitors would obtain of its nature and capabilities, and of the excellence of its stock. They would, in addition to being able to give us much tisefrt! information, be is in a position to show where improvements in our breeds were necessary, and how best to bring about those improvements. Information of this kind should always he gladly seized upon, aad nothing could better tend to show whnt position w»j occupy in regard to the quality of our stock than the opinions of men who hove obtained a fnlt knowledge upon such matters in other lands-.

Mr. fttehanl Wakelin, an old colonist, and an experienced newspaper editor in the Wellington Provincial district, haa just issued a pamphlet entitled "Small Farms and Small Farm Settlements." Mr. Wakelin haa for many years taken great interest in the subject, and We shall endeavor to place some idea of tha views he entertains upon it before our readers in a future issue.

A most important sale of freehold property will take place on Wednesday, Gth August, at the auction mart of Mr. Maude. Oarnaru. We allude to the sale of the Ualruddery Estate, for the possession of which we expect to see a spirited competition. It will be a rare opportunity for capitalists to secure an estate of such an area aa 17,000 acres, possessing the varied advantages of good soil, climate, Accessibility to markets, and capability of great improvement. In addition to its many natural advantages, the Brtruitdery Estate has had expended upon it considerable sums of money under the spirited and persevering direction of the tate Dr. Webster. The improvements thu 3 effected upon the property make it a most desicabte acquisition for any one who may purpose to reside there with a view to increase its stock-carrying capacity. For a stud station for either sheep or cattle it would be difficult to match it in any part of the Cotony. and we should be pleased to know that Batruddery will i>e owned by a man of skill and experience in the breeding and raising of first-class stock. At the last meeting of the Committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association the question of the fees required for entries in the Stud Book of draught horses, for the progeny of stock already entered therein, was brought up by Mr. Boag. who suggested that the fee should be ss. instead of 10s. The mode of compiling the Stud Hook was alsodii-jussed, especially with reference to l the point aa to whether entries of animals were to be perpetuated when the animals tuwt ceased to be available for stud purposes. It was suggested that the matter should be left in abeyance pending a conference with Mr. Robert \\ ilkin, who had taken a warm interest in the production of the Stud Book. A Committee was afterward* appointed to consider several matters ia connection with the Stud Book.

The settlers in Fiji are going in for stock raising. Two magnificent Hertford bulla have been s«nt to Levttka. They are from Baker's I>otind» herd.

Farmers in the vicinity of L riti will be extensive grain producers this season, there being already IfiW acres tinder wheat and oats between three estates, viz.:—\\airongo. acres : Waifearafcs. acres : Kparamai, 20© acres. JT«> doubt (adds the Wairarapa f>»rty). with greater facilities tor exportation. this amount will bp largely increased. Ari exchange says : —The Ilawkea* Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Association held a satisfac tory root and grain show at Hastings recently. The chief prize-takers were Messrs. Ormoud, M.H.R., Russell, M.H.R., and Karusay. A miller, who was present, declared the wheat shown to be fully equal to the best Adetatde. Some weighed tr.'tfb. to the boshet, there being ~is bushels to the acre. Two very large bullocks which have taken prizes at some ot' the South Australian shows were sold at auction »t Adelaide the other day. t 'ne buttock, weighing 1 ton 4 cwt., brought L4l : and the other, which turned the scales at 1 ton 2 cwt., was purchased for £3O 10s.

The agricultural statistics of Tasmania for the year ended March 31 show (states the Kobart Town Mercury): that the produce of the wheat crop of IS7S-79 was 775,077 bits he ts. The estimated consumption for the mean population (110,000). at six bushels per head, is 6KO,tXX) bushels, which, with t)S,000 bushels for seed (49, MX) acres at two bushels per acre), makes 705,000 bushels. This quantity, deducted from the produce of the crop, leaves 29.977 bushels as the estimated surplus En li>79-SO.

The Highland and Agricultural (the national) Society of .Scotland has by a very largo majority, at a numerously attended meeting of members, carried a resolution to the effect that a general meeting of members be held annually at the place of meeting of its shows. The Royal Society of England has adopted this course for years, and with the very best results to the society. The Victorian railways do not appear to do much for the owners of stock:—"We have teen a telegram (says the Wagga Express) from Melbourne, announcing the averages of his cattle to a gentleman resident in Uipps Land as follows:—'Tracked cattle averaged L 7 10s 7d ; travelled, L 7 10s 8d. r It will therefore be seen that the travelled cattle beat the trucked cattle by Id per head. It may be observed that the cattle were out on the station and then equally divided, the cattle to t>c driven to market being started on the road. The balance wee afterwards tracked at the | railway station, within a n.ile and a half of : the paddocks, and both lots of cattle stood j side by side in the Mel bourne yards, when i the result of the sale came out as stated in : the telegram. There were 90 head in each - lot. The cost of driving was 5s per head, | whereas the cost of trucking amounted to Us. 3d."

A curious disease, states the Qaeonslander, has appeared of late amongst young cattle in some parts of the Gladstone district. It consists of ait eruption of the skin, at first somewhat resembling the common form of ringworm, but, as the disease proceeds, a large proportion of the surface of the skin becomes affected with scabs which break up into fn-tid sores. The disease has been treated with the strongest known disinfectants, bnt without the slightest success. In every instance the animals have succumbed to it. In the work entitled " Professor Garagec on the Ox," the disease is diagnosed 03 " Elephantiasis of the Ox," a chronic disease taking several months to ran its coarse, and callous to any treatment except that of diet and cleanliness. \VC would, therefore, strongly advise anyone who may have cattle affected in this way to till gad bam them off with all possible de■patch.

The Marlborough Express learn* that the destruction of rabbits in the Awatere dis- j trict ia having a telling effert, and where ; hundreds used to be seen they are now abso- ( lately scarce. The medium iswheat soaked in water, in which a solution of phosphorus Jia3 been put, and flavored with oil of rho-, dium. i

The first prize for wheat at the Western District Farmers' Show was awarded to a parcel from Caroline. The barley from the same quarter obtained a special prize. The fact is worth noting by those who intend investing in that quarter, when it is cut up into small farms, as is at present intended, by the N. Z. Agricultural Co. According to the Marlborough Express, sheep are a complete drug in the market just now. Our contemporary says : —"Mr. Dillon has recently destroyed 1,300 slieep, and used them for manure. Mr. A. Munro also killed 2,000 good fat sheep, fit for the butcher. "We also heard of Mr. Teschemaker having served 1,700 in the same way. The difficulty of travelling with sheep just now so as to obtain a remunerative market for them, the provisions of the Scab Act, which require them to be dipped even before boiling down, and the low price of wool, have combined to make sheep by no means so profitable as tliey would be under an altered state of circumstances. It certainly seeins really distressing to hear of good sheep tit for butchering being sacrificed in tliis way. It is a generally accepted theory (says the Marong correspondent of the Bendigo Advertiser) that when the leg of a horse has been broken there is no cure, and that the only plan is to shoot him. I have, however, had practical proof to the contrary, Some weeks ago a valuable animal, well known for his trotting capabilities, and bearingthename of Tommy Dodd, the property of Mr. Henry Wilson, of Marong, Mas found to have had his off fore leg broken, and now, by judicious treatment, as simple as it has proved eilic.icioue, Mr. Wilson has caused the bone to reunite and become as strong as ever. The only remedy applied to the injured limb was a many-folded tight ligature, and a frequent libation of cold water. This hint may prove of service to others whose animals chance to meet with similar accidents.

In recommending the use of carbolic acid in the stable an American fanner says Accidently I have discovered that nothing I have used equals it for removing stablestains from liglit-colorcd horses. Reduce the acid with about forty time its bulk of water and apply with a sponge, rag, or brush, rubbing well. If the stains are old, two or three applications may be necessary; but once using will remove all fresh discoloration*. C'arboliiied water is also a cure for the dry-scald, from which some horses suffer. Use it also for washing your horses' legs, feet, and fetlocks if yon wish to prevent the scratches.

The Rangitikei Advocate tells the followI iitc A Pukepapa farmer complains bitterly I ot" the damage done to his young crops by : tliu swarms of linnets, which the AcclimaI tisation Societies have taken such pains to i introduce. In one case a patch of twelve acres of wheat has been so completely uprooted that it is believed there will not be a single blade to show for his labor and j expenditure. "Wholesale poisoning is suggested a3 a remedy for the evil. The Wanganui Herald states that Mr. Thomas Kllis, of Primrose Farm, is sending to the .Sydney Exhibition a churn of his own invention and manufacture, which lie claims to be superior to anything now used. The churn will make from 51bs to -lolbs of butter, and will produce 10 per cent, more butter of better quality than any other, as all the milk is taken out. There is less wear and tear than with other churns, great cleanliness, moderate cost, and a child can do the work. Mrs. Ellis has had one of those machines in use for several years, and it is now as good as ever. A model has been exhibited at the Bank of New Zealand in Wanganui. A valuable suggestion is made in an agricultural journal, which may be repeated fur the benetit of our farmers, especially as agricultural machinery ha 3 lately come so much in vogue. It is, after the machine has been carefully cleaned, before storing it away until the nest harvest, overlook it carefully to sec what parts have become worn or chafed, aud will require renewing before the implement will be in older to successfully pass through the next call upon its capabilities. After this has been seen to, send at once to the manufacturer or agents aud obtain the parts or duplicates needed. By ordering at once, you give the makers or agent sufficient time to either make or obtain them, should they not be in stock, an t thus not only will a great probable loss be obviated, but much disappointment and trouble be avoided. To neglect is not giving the importer a fair chance. The Taranaki Herald, after referring to the strength of the armed force available in case of a Maori outbreak, says : —" We feel assured that even in the event of an outbreak of hostilities during the ensuing summer, few farms, and those only in the most exposed situations, will have to be abandoned. By attacking the enemy in his own district, and invoking the ;.i;lof bushranging parties, hostile natives will be unable to visit the settlements, and farm operations will not be to a large extent absolutely abandoned. "We therefore hope that the usual agricultural routine will be continued as if no such alarm bad been spread. The loss of' a season's crop would be of a very serious character both to the individual and the community, and should not be incurred if it is possible." The Scientific American is responsible for the following:—"Professor C. V. Riley, entomologist of the United States Department of Agriculture, reports that serious complaints have come from the Pacific slope during the year of a new insect that is killing many of the orchard and ornamental trees in that section of the country. Specimens received from Mr. A. W. Saxe, of ijanta C'lara California, show it to be a species of Dorthesia, an abnormal bark-louse (family C'oceid:e). It is an Australian insect (apparently D. characias, Westw.), and has of late years been introduced on Australian plants into South Africa, where, according to Mr. Roland Trimen, curator of the South African Museum, it has multiplied at a terrible rate, aud become such a scourge as to attract the attention of the Government."

The Canterbury Times of last week has the following : Farmers can no longer complain of not having sufficient rain. Since our last issue we have been visited by a terrific storm, particulars of which will be found elsewhere, and independent of this the weather has been quite wet enough for agricultural purposes. During the past ten day 3 we have scarcely had a glimpse of fine weather, though we do not mean to imply by this that the rain has been continuous. Plenty of moisture for farmers on the driest land, and far too much for others, has fallen during the week, and in the intervals between the showers the weather has been dull in

the extreme. In some parts of the province j farmers have lost heavily by floods, but on the whole the country is in a very much better position so far as the young crops and agricultural operations are concerned than it was last week at this time. Where floods have not prevailed most encouraging reports are to hand respecting the crop 3. The Napier Telegraph states that some three or four samples of grain have been forwarded as entries to the Sydney Exhibition. Amongst others, Mr. Peter Ramsay has sent a bushel of his barley that gained the first prize at the late show at Hastings. This is really a splendid sample, and is well worthy exhibition in any part of the world."

In a recent speech on Reciprocity in the House of Lords, Lord Bateman made the extraordinary statement that "in New Zealand there were thousands of quarters of wheat annually used as manure or thrown into the sea." The Mark Lane Express wants to know whether his Lordship 5s not mistaken. I should say so. Anyhow, if the rest of the facts adduced by Lord Bateman in support of Reciprocity were not more reliable than the above, his speech must have been a very interesting one.

A number of the largest employers of agricultural labor in the Timaru district have intimated to the hands in their employ that, owing to the dullness of the markets and other depressing causes, they are obliged to lower the rate of wages by 5s a week. Ploughmen's wages have been reduced from 25s to LI a week, and ordinary laborers' from LI to 15s a week. The Timaru Herald is glad to hear that, in all the cases brought to its notice, the men have cheerfully agreed to the reduction, and are pro cecding with work on a good understanding with their employers.

From the owner of a threshing mill whieb has just completed the rounds of two or three of our best districts, we (Tapanui Courier) learn that the returns from oats have averaged well, and in special cases exceedingly so, as for example well authenticated instances of over 75 bushels to the acre, and one case of over 80 bushels. The wheat averaged well in nearly every district, especially at Cookston, adjoining the Brooksdale estate, which is about to be leased into farms.

A Christcliurch paper says :—"Yesterday morning some of the members of the local committee of the Sydney Exhibition visited the premises of Mr. Mein, for the purpose of inspecting some samples of preserved provisions he is about to send to the Sydney Exhibition. The excellent quality of preserved meats and soups prepared by Mr. Mein are well known to and very much appreciated by the Canterbury public. The following varieties will be sent : Oxtail soup, noodle soup, mock-turtle, pigs' feet, brawn, boiled beef, ham and chicken, potted tongue, corned beef, spiced beef, potted beef, haricot, ox-cheek, sheep's tongues, boiled mutton, spiced mutton, corned mutton, rissoles, and minced collops. The committee highly praised the provisions, and expressed their intention to recommend their consumption to the New Zealand Shipping Company. The American Miller says : —"A scientist has been making some experiments with wheat to determine the greatest possible yield of flour which wheat can give. He took wheat, soaked it, and removed the epidermis and germ. He then divided the kernels of wheat and allowed them to soak twenty-four hours. At the expiration of this time the starch cells had become very much softened, and were separated from the gluten layers and the skin adhering to them. The rest of the epidermis, inner skin, and gluten layers still remaining in the crease were also removed. TY hen the different substances were shown to be perfectly separated by the microscope they were weighed, and it appeared that the husk formed 11.G3 per cent, of the weight of wheat. He discovered that the epidermis, seed, skin, puten cell, layer, and germs formed IS per ie.it. of the weight of the wheat, and the (lour cells S'2 per cent. Therefore, S2 per cent., or 49.2 pounds of flour to the bushel of CO pounds, is the greatest possible yield of Hour. The next question is, how to get at this S2 per cent, with a milLiione.

"Tlie report of the Queensland chief inspector of sheep for the past year is not," the Brisbane Courier remarks, " of a very cheerful nature, if we except the a_.jurance that there was a greater freedom from disease during the year than during any previous year since 1868. There was a decrease in the numbers or the previous year of 555,735, attributed solely to the late protracted drought. Since 18GS, when the number of sheep in the colony reached nearly 9,000,0..'0, there has been a gradual annual falling of, until, at the end of December last, the total number only reached 5,417,826. Although the cattle returns were not complete, yet, judging from the assessment received, the falling off was not, as was generally anticipated, heavy. By the time the returns are completed it is expected the numbers will be about equal to those of last year. The efforts made in the direction of l improving the herds by the infusion of fresh blood were considerable, as in addition to a large number of bulls and heifers introduced borderwise from some of the best herds of Victoria, 133 bulls and 78 cows, of the declared value of L1C,160, were imported by sea. Although first impressions on perusing this report are decidedly gloomy, a moment's reflection will show that, considering the very trying seasons we have passed through, the loss of stock has been comparatively insignificant. The gradual decrease in the number of sheep has been due less to casualties than to their displacement by cattle, whilst the fact that we have passed through three almost unprecedented seasons of drought with little, if any, decrease in the numbers of our cattle is subject of congratulation rather than cause for dejection." Contemporaneously with the Melbourne International Exhibition (says the Argus), it is proposed to hold a social science congress on the same principle as that which is usually held in Great Britain under the auspices of the National Association for the Promotion of Social Science. The matter has been taken up by the Ceremonial Committee, by whom an invitation has been extended to the various scientific, literary, artistic, philanthropic, commercial, and other associations in Melbourne and suburbs, with the view of arranging for a conference of delegates at which the details of the scheme may be considered. Each society is requested to send one or more delegates to a meeting, which will be arranged for the purpose of drawing up a programme of subjects and making other arrangements. The Committee, in order to elucidate the matter, have submitted a draft programme, embracing the following subjects:—Education, music, and the fine arts, finance, sanitary conditions of cities, &c. ; the unification of laws affecting the social welfare of the people; repression of crime; street and domestic architecture; modes of transit, railways, steamships, &c.;

trade and commerce, trades unions, capital and labor, &c. ; agriculture, arboriculture, and concomitant subjects ; together with the drink traffic and othel" popular questions for debate. The matter is being warmly taken up, several leading associations having already appointed delegates.