THE RURAL WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22508, 28 February 1935, Page 3

THE RURAL WORLD.

FARM AND STATION NEWS.

By Rtjstictjs.

WOOL SALES, 1934-35 Wool sales for the 1934-35 season have been arranged as follows: — Mar. I—Christchurch. Mar. 29—Auckland Mar. 4—lnvercargill. Apr. 1— Wanganui. Mar. 9—Dunedin. Apr. s—Christchurch. Mar. 13—Tlmaru Apr. B—Dunedin. Mar. 20—Wellington. Apr. 13— Wellington. Mar. 25—Napier. 1934-35 SHOW SEASON ROSTER OF DATES Agricultural and pastoral shows have been arranged as follows for the 1934-35 season: — 1935. March 13.—Lake County Show. . March 16.—Upper Clutha, at Pembroke. March 28.—Temuka and Geraldine, at Winchester. . April 22.—Strath-Taien, at Middlemarch, April 22. —Mackenzie County, at Fatrhe. OTAGO PROVINCIAL SHEEP DOG ASSOCIATION Affiliated clubs of the Otago Provincial Sheep Dog Association have arranged trial datea as follows: — Tahatika. —February 27. Ratanui.—Jlarch 6.. Wakatipu.— March 14-15-16. Clntha. —March 20-21. Warepa.—March 22-23. Knriwao.—March 25-26. Patearoa.—March 27-28-29-30 (Otago Provincial Championships). Strath-Taieri.— April 1-2-3. Kyeburn.—April 4-5-6. Waitski.—April 8-9-10-11. Omarama. —April 11-12-13. Tokarahi. —April 29-30, May 1. Palmerston. —May 7-8-9. Waihemo. —May 15-16-17. Ngapara.—May 20-21-22. Miller's Plat —May 23-24-25. Wanaka.—May 28-29-30. Remarkable Cows “I have a cow which is about 14 years old, and it is still producing and reproducing well,” said Mr R. A. Lewis, of Pukekohe, at the New Plymouth Jersey Cattle Club’s demonstration _ last week. His audience expressed surprise, but they were more amazed when he added: "Another farmer down the road from me has her grandmother, and ehe is just aS good.” Nelson Fruit Exports Export fruit is not coming freely aa last year, with the result that some difficulty is being experienced with chipping arrangement*, said Mr J. ifBrunt, shipping supervisor for the Fruit Federation at Nelson lastweek. It had been realised, however, that the 1935 season's export would show a considerable reduction on last year a record ot more than 1,000,000 cases. Tim total of Gravensteina this season was only esa cases, compared with 3428 last _season. Space bookings on the estimates given by growers to date were 726,828 cases of apples and 44,124 cases of pears. These estimates were now being revised, and the present indications were that the Total of export from Nelson would not reach those, figures, said Mr Brunt. '

TOPICS OP INTEREST. OFFICIAL NOTES

When asked the difference between electricity and lightning, a bright schoolboy replied, “Please, sir, we haven’t got to pay for lightning.” * ♦ • “ Are you interested in the Mortgage Finance proposals?” asked the agent. “No,” replied the farmer. mines already mortgaged.” # * # Mr H. P. Aitken, A.R.A.N.Z., of the Farm Accounting Association, will spend neft week in North Otago, where he can be consulted on farm accounting, income, or unemployment tax matters. * * * Arrangements are well in hand for the winter enow which is being organised by the Paretai Young Farmers’ Club, and which will be held early in May in the Port Molyneux Hall. A feature of the show will be the root crop entries.

Items of Interest to those engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuits, with a view to their pnblication in these columns, will be welcome®. They should be addressed to “Kostlcus,” Otago Daily Times, Danedi*.

Sir Cecil Day, official secretary to the Governor-General, has written to Mr A. C. Cameron conveying his Excellency s warm congratulations on the progress made by the Young Farmers’ Club movement during the past year, and expressing the hope that' it will continue to make steady progress.

'Wise-cracks for the week:— "How often, writes a novelist, does man regard his wife as a treasure, while she regards him as a treasury.” "An optimist is a man who promises to give his girl a motor car and hopes she will choose a Ford.”

« * * On Tuesday, February 19. a meeting of the Middlemarch Young Farmers Club was held, when Mr J. E. Davies, of the Department of Agriculture, addressed the club on “The Principles of Plant Selection and the Importance of Certification.” The lecture was closely followed by those present.

« ♦ * Members of the Central Otago and Strath-Taieri branches who are desirous of joining the party to visit North Otago on March 21 and 22 arc asked to communicate either with their branch secretaries or .with the provincial secretary, Mr A. C. Cameron. Members who desire to take their wives, sons, or daughters may do so. Full particulars of the tour may be obtained from Mr Cameron or from the branch secretaries.

At the last meeting of the Clutha branch, it was decided to approach the Railways Department with a view to its getting a suitably penned car placed on the early Clinton-Dunedin train on Wednesday. Burnside sale day. The idea is to have a truck divided into small pens into which consignments, say, of two or three pigs could be loaded from the station platform.

Mr S. D. Blomfield . reports from Central Otago that he attended a Young Farmers’ Club meeting at Becks ' when there was a very good gathering. There was also an excellent attendance of mem--hers of the Alexandra Young Farmers Club at Alexandra. At both meetings he showed films and gave the club members a talk on the progress of the movement, conduct of meetings, etc. The Alexandra Club proposes to hold a field day in about a month’s time.

Mr A. Spoor, who represents the Provincial Executive ■on the local Flock House Committee, reported to a recent meeting of the council that the R.S.A. would greatly appreciate the Farmers’ Union continuing its grant of £25 towards the support of a son of a returned soldier at Flock House. It was unanimously decided to continue this support, and branches have now been circularised asking them to make up the amount.

Recently, in course of conversation with a prominent Otago farmer, Mr Cameron was warmly congratulated upon the special correspondence course in farm accounting and legal subjects which has been inaugurated by the Farm Accounting Association. " I suppose I shouldn’t tell you,” said the farmer, “ but I read every word of every lesson by your organisation, and I get as much interest out of it as my boy.” , Mr Cameron laughingly assured the farmer that he would send him in a bill for his enrolment fee. As a matter of fact, several, similar cases have been reported, but.no extra charge is made. The association recently received a letter, from a particularly conscientious farmer asking if he might be permitted to read through his son’s lessons. Naturally this permission was granted.

The field day held by the Portobellb Young Farmers’ Club at Portobello on Saturday last was a pronounced success. In addition to a good turn-out of local club members, two car loads of visitors arrived from West Taieri, and these, together with local farmers and their wives, made a very creditable gathering. The ladies, under the leadership of Mesdames Sheppard and Cross, provided an ext client luncheon and afternoon- tea for the visitors, and a very happy spirit prevailed. Owing to the unfortunate accident to the chairman, Mr N. 6. Clark, Mr J. W. Wilson acted as M.C. and welcomed the visitors. Interesting stock demonstrations were givbn as under: —Holstein Friesians, Mr E. North; Jerseys, Mr A. Walker; Clydesdales, Mr J. Mee. Mr Douglas Giant gave a demonstration of how to "fall” a cow, and Mr J. Henry gave a very interesting demonstration in butter-making. Short addresses were given by Mr J. M. Smith, fields superintendent, Department of Agriculture, and by Mr A. C. Cameron, president, New Zealand Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs. Mrs Cross, local president, Women’s Division Farmers’ Union, and Mr A. Grant (Outram) also spoke briefly.

The provincial secretary (Mr A. C. Cameron) recently asked a _ group of farmers how they would arrive at the value of land. The following are a few of' the replies:— 1. The value of land is the price it will fetch on the market. 2. The value of land can only be arrived at by finding out the average of the prices paid for the same type of land in the same district. 3. The value of land is its unimproved value plus the improvements which have been placed on it. 4. The value of land is its productive value, and will vary just as the return for primary produce varies. 5. “You are all wrong,” said the last man, “the value of land depends entirely upon the capacity of the man who is farming it.”

As a result of representations made by the special mo-committee set up to discuss ways ai d means of tackling the spread of muitika in Otago, Mr Cameron wrote to the 0< mmissioners of Unemployment asi ; ng if it would not be possible to grant all applications under the 4B scheme where it could be shown that the labour was required for clearing manuka on infested areas. A reply has now been received from the commissioner stating that the board regrets that it cannot agree to. grant all applications for the purpose indicated. The letter states inter alia:— The clearing of scrub and second growth, etc., is an item which farmers are continually called upon to meet, and if a farmer is in a financial position that he is able to carry out this work without assistance, it can hardly be urged that the Unemployment Fund should be called upon to assist him. It is work of this nature that has always been instrumental in providing casual employment for farm labourers and contractors, and if labour subsidised from the Unemployment Fund is used for the work in cases where the farmer is able to pay for it himself, it can only serve to perpetuate the unemployment problem, instead of helping to cure it. The object of scheme No. 4B is to encourage farmers to cal’ry out developmental works.which, owing to their financial position, they would not ordinarily be able to do, and the board regrets that it cannot agree to subsidise what may justifiably be termed maintenance work when the farmer is in a position to finance the cost himself.