AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3686, 27 November 1873, Page 2

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL.

The weather during ■ the greater part ; of the month has been dry and; warm, and the crops have been fast making ;«p for the backwardness caused by thje bad weather earlier in the season;- ; Near Dunedin the weather has, during 'the past week or so,1 been very showery, but in other parts of the Province it appears to have been very dry. Harvest prospects are now very favourable, on the whole, and the 'scarcity of labour is' 'the great bugbear of farmers at the present time.As a sample of the references : made by our country correspondents to the state of the crops, we make two extracts from communications., recently sent by them.. The first is from a letter by our, Oamaru correspondent* who writeß:— " Crocs of. all kinds .are making wonderful progress. With the exception of some patches of winter wheat, which look rather straggly and weak^ there is a prospect of a good harvest of wheat; and if favoured with occasional showers during '■ summer, it is expected that pats will prove aimiich. better crop than last year's, which is now known to have been one of th<e. worst ever harvested in this district." The ; otber extract is from a letter by oux Green Island correspondent, and is, as .follows :• — "The crops,' contrary, to the expectation entertained at the early, part of the season,, are. looking ;most promising, especially early sown wheat and oats. The condition of the ground on account of the heavy rains prevented many from sowing until late in the season. The late genial weather has, however, given an impetuato the latter, and consequently the braird ia looking strong and healthy. Grass is in great abundance. ~. Potato planting is nearly finished^ and earlies are looking well and healthy. Altogether, with a Continuance of alternate sua and showers, there are promising prospects of an abundant harvest."

Shearing has now begun or ia about to begin on most of; the stations. It has heen delayed by two causes—the; first ■being the lateness of the season, and the other the occurrence of an agitation among the shearers for a v increase in their rate of pay from 15s to £1 per hundred. This agitation was commenced by the'shearers in the Northern district, whence it has spread over most of the Province, as well as into Canterbury. In. a good many, if not most instances, the men have succceeded in obtaining the advance demanded by theni ; and iri* other cases a compromise has been effected. for -17s to 17s 6d per hundred. Ahbther circumstance mil tend to impede•' the wool-pro-ducing interest this season, viz., the scarcity and high rate of drsvyage. Owing to the .contemplated change of the road to tlie rail, iria'ny draymen, have sold out, and new men will not readily be induced to invest in an occupation that has no prospect of permanency. We learn that twelvemonths' contracts for the drayage oi wool have been nude at equal to an

advance of 25 per cent, upon last season's terms.

The annual show of the Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Association took place on the 20fch inst., and is stated to have been the best one ever held under the auspices of the Association^' Our correspondent, iii his report of it, wrote :— " In the classes of draught horses the display was simply grand ; but many good judges expressed, an opinion that one or two sections of young colts and fillies were not in corresponding quality to the aged mares and horses shown. In short-; horn cattle the show was good in quality, but competition there was none, as the Hon. M. Holmes was the only exhibitor. The settlers of the district have not yet discovered the vast superiority of this kind of cattle for the rich pasture and fine climate it possesses. The influence, however, of the prize blood so spiritedly introduced by Mr Holmes will have a good and wide-spread effect upon the ordinary cattle which form ;the staple of the neighbourhood. The Ayrshire was well represented, and the quality was as near perfection as possible. The "lcngwoolled classes of sheep were fully exhl-! bited and the quality excellent; in fact,; the Lincolns were, with their long and thick mass of lustrous wool, like moving, bales of that which f of ms our chief export to Great Britain. The dairy produce was excellent, arid out of the 67 entries of butter it was a hard matter to decide which should be honoured with the red tickets in; the respective kinds. Of implements there was not a large turnout, but in reapers there were some good examples of local skill and ehterprize; The draught entire,; Duke of Buccleugh, shown by the* Hon. M. Holmes, was in> .grand condition, and was justly admired; His estimated ft value is 1000 guineas., Amongst the brood mares and geldings there were really •some--very superior animals,..which, would do m o discredit to the Highland Society's Show in Scotland. Messrs Fleming and Hedley, Mehlove, -Ghrystal, and« others, took prizes—the, first named; gentlemen, taking the 20 guinea • cup. Of course, as before -remarked, Mr Holmes had it all his own. way with shorthorns, and deservedly got. the cup of same value. The cup' ior Ayrshires was awarded to the New Zealand and Australian Land Co., the splendid cow * Primrose'getting1 the prize for the best animal in the yard'of the breed. I She was afterwards sold to the Hon. M. Holmes. The' Merino Gup of 20 guineas went to Mr J. M'Lean, and the 20 guinea ■ cupfor long-woolled sheep fell to the, Hon.. '■. M. Holmes, the competition in both kinds being very keen. The ten giiinea prize for dairy produce wa3 awarded to Mirß. Jackson of Gave' Valley." Messrs Reid arid Gray, of Dunedin and Oamaru, carried off the following prizes V •—Firstl prize for double-furrow, plough, first prize for reaping machine, and firtt for dray. , ;

The annual show .at Ghristchurch, Cariterbuiy,. took place during the month, and one or two ; Otago exhibitors distinguished themselves at it, as will be. seen from the following extract from a recent report to us by Messrs Driver, Stewart, and Co., Dunedin■:—" We have much pleasure indrawing-attention to the fact that several well - known .-.. breeders of sheep in Otago were very successful at the late Chiistchurch show, W. A; Tolmie, Esq., having succeeded in taking all the most important prizes with his merino sheep, together with a Cup for the largest general prizetaker. .After the show, Mr Tolmie's rams were exposed for sale by auction, and realised £25 to £85 each, making an average of £40. Messrs Sutton Bros., of Southland, were equally successful with their celebrated Lincoln sheep, having taken all the prizes in which the! animals were shown. 57 of these valuable -sheep were offered for sale the day after the. show, and realised up to £105, making an average of £22 for the 57 head. It is also' worthy of mention that 3 Romney Marsh hoggets, bred by Dr Webster^ of Oamaru, and sold by him at the Dunedin Show last year, obtained first, second, and third prizes, and were-aftetacards.sdl«rby auction at. £26, £40, and £44 each, W; A. Tolmie, Esq., being the purchaser of a portion of them;"