PROVINCIAL AND COLONIAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1506, 25 September 1880, Page 6

PROVINCIAL AND COLONIAL ITEMS.

Au article on " Drainage" the Bey Mr Jenner will appear next week. '

The Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association has just issued the programme for its forthcoming show. The programme; ia in the 'form of ' a neatly printed t pamphlet of 16. pages, containing: the general regulations,; complete. list of the prizea^under the various classes, etc. , From its pages we glean that all entries must; be made with the secretary on or before Wednesday, the 24th .November and no r entry can, upon any oonaideration, be received after that date. 'The special prizes include : Cup, value £5 sa, presented by Mr J Hislop, foiTthe largest prize taker in merino sheep ; waiter, value £5 5s presented by Messrs Gand T Yoang, for- the largest prize taker in cattle; five tons of lime value £6 63, presented, by, Mr James Mf Donald, for the largest prize, taker in 'draught hone's • gentleman's saddle, value £5 sa, preaentad by Mr H.Biohardson, for the largest prizo taker in blood stock ; cup, value £5 sa, -presented by Messrs P Hayman- and Co, for the largest prize taker in long woo] sheep ; set of buggy harness, value. £s 53, presented by Meaars J Robin and Go, for the largest prize taker in carriage and buggy horses ; case of horse and cattle medicine, value £2, 2s/ presented by Messrs Saiasbury^Ellisdon, and 00, for the largest" prize taker in hacks ; ivory cigar-case, value £2 2s, presented by Mr F Beissel, for the largest prize taker in dogs ; violin and case, value £5 -ss, presented by Mr G B Wesb, for the largest prize taker in New Zealand manufactures. ' Under, the heading " hackneys" we find some additions to the usual list of attractions for exhibits 4 ia .the shape of prizes for roadster or hack, mare or gelding, up to list ; to be shown in saddle,, and ridden ; 4b, , over list j and lady's horae, mare or geldiug, whioh has been thoroughly broken as a' lady's hack ; to be shown in side saddle, and ridden: 'The additions under "oobs and ponies" comprise cob, mare or. gelding, not erceedirig ; l4J hands ; to be shown in saddle, aa the horsea will have to-be ridden. Boy's pony, mare or gelding motr not above ,13 hands, and thoroughly^qaiet to ride t to be shown in saddle, and be ridden' by;& boy or girl; do, not above 12 hands high. Under "hunters" we find two prizes. , -.offered, the horaes to be ridden in the presence of the judges previous to examination, over a 4 feet jump A* "leaping match" is announced, with" prizes" for the best leaping horse, over three lights of hurdles 3 feet 6 inches high, about two chains apart'; do, .to be ridden by. ladies.. Under "dairy produce" a large number of prizes are offered, the eadnbits invited comprising— 2lb butter without salt in Mb rolls; 21b powdered batter, at least a week old, half an ounce 6i salt to the lb, in |lb rolls ; best collection 'of fancy batter made up for the table, to be de'cided'bj quality and desuraj 101b salted butter (in jar), loz salt to the lb, to-be deposited where the secretary may direct on or beEore Friday sfch November j two Colonial ©heeaes (old}§ do,

new; fade of smoked bacon, cured In New Zealand; do, green; two smoked hams, cured in New Zealand; do, green; green hams, smoked and green rolled bacon, rolled beef ham, Ac. Altogether a most attractive list is put together, and one which we trust will secure a larger number of exhibits than any of its predecessors.

The New Zealand and Australian Land Company on their Edendale Estate (near Mateura Bridge) have grown, this season, several hundred acres of Danish oats. They are now threshing out for shipment to the Home conntry. The Ensign ia informed that a sample of these oats was weighed last week, when a bushel measowmentweighed si£lb. The ordinary fourbushel bags weighed 5J bushels and upwards, thus proving the adaptability of our sou for the growth of this class of cereal. The Southland Times says that in addition to their usual sale of horses on Saturday, Messrs M'Ardell and Co. offered for competition some really fine animals belonging to Mr Alex! Calder. They were all young stock, and in fine trim: but, although bids came sharp enough, prices ruled low considering the class of horses offered. Ten were sold in the yard ; the rest -were withdrawn for sale by private treaty. Prices were as follows :— Bay colt, Jim-r.y, £26 10s; bay colt, Sam, £14 10s ; grey colt, £27 ; bay colt, Prince, £26 10s ; chestnut gelding, Lion, £60 (Mr Couling purchased this remarkably fine young animal) ; bay colt, Billy, £30 ; the unbroken filly Helen Mary (a Taieri prize taker), £46} bay filly, Nellie, £36; black colt, Darkie, £40 ; and bay colt, Prince, £40.

The Wyndham correspondent of the Southland Times writes : "Any gentleman who has travelled through our districts, and had the means of knowing, must be aware that there is considerable room for improvement in our horse flesh. Blood stock is the exception* not the rule ; and where such is found, the animals oommand firat-claaa prices. The tendency ail over Southland is to breed a class of ponies that rarely reach 15 hands. This is attributable to two causes. The first is, that it is the general opinion that you can breed with any scrub- j her of a dam if yon only have a good sire. Now the most careful breeders in the world are the Arabs ; they are far more particular about (he fly» than the sire, and any strain of impure blood, however slight, is sufficient to debar that animal from the stud. The second reason is, {hat it ii the custom for breeders and fanners generally to allow the mare and foal to be turned out all the winter, exposed to the rigour of our severe climate, with barely enough food to keep them alive. Now, if it was the owners' intention to produce a dwarfed breed of horses they could not go a better way about it. There are several foals of the above description here, and they— poor Bfi'Wi" t— are worth little more than the scraggy coats that cover them. One striking instance of the advantages of handfeeding will suffice. I quote this on the authority of one of the most popular writers on the hoise— Mr Youatfc. A gentleman in England possessed a valuable mare, of which he was justly proud; she had 16 foals to the same hone, and at two years old they all reached the unusual height of 17 hands. The gentleman sold her (in foal ts the same sire). The mare was taken away, worked hard, and half fed, and when she foaled she did not get half the nourishment she required for about six months. When the gentleman called who had previously owned her, and saw the state she was in, he bought her back, and endeavoured to make up for the other's cruelty. At two years old her last foal mi measured, and barely reached the height of 15 hands, although, as before mentioned, it was only six months half starved. Moral for horse breeders : Pick the best young mares on your farm for breeding purposes, aud endeavour to procure the best blood sires available, and when you have done this and got a good foal, you are only throwing your money and time away if you do not hand-feed both the mare and foal during the whiter months, and provide a shed for them to run into in the winter. Until tins ia done, we may never expect to make horse breeding a profitable industry, and rear a class of animals that will oommand a good price in the market."

We have frequently asserted, and reiterate on the present occasion (says the Tapanui Courier) an unbiassed and disinterested opinion, that Central Otago, especially the warm Clutha Talley, only wants an intelligent system of irrigation introduced to make it one of the most prolific regions in the southern hemisphere. We have frequently urged upon the Government to bore for water in the shingly plains of the Upper Clutha, as should artesian wells be a success, the present sandy wastes would immediately become "lands of special value." Independent of the sandy plains there are thousands of acres of good agricultural land— Glassford's plains, for instance— which the flying commission could not possibly have Been. Probably they did not want to see good land in Central Otago, as it is generally believed they started with the express intention of condemning the Otago Central line. " I am very pleased to write," says the Wyndham correspondent of a contemporary, "that one of our energetic townsmen has imported into out district a first-class blood stallion. This is all the more to be commended as Mr Milne unfortunately only bought the celebrated racehorse Beniiroo a few days before he died last season for a large sum, and it is sincerely to be hoped that tie horse just purchased will handsomely recoup him for his previous losses. I would strongly urge our farmers and breeders, sow that we have got a first-class animal in our midst, to give its owner the support he (Mr Mihie) so justly deserves for his plucky venture j bearing hi mind that in doing so they are furthering their own interests by breeding a class of hones that will command a good price in either Dunedia or Invercargill markets."

Commenting upon the decision of tbe.Taieri Agricultural Society to hold periodical meetings for discusnans on agricultural and kindred topioe, the Oamaru Mail says :— lt is singular how apathetic the North Otago farmers are in relation to this important matter, and more •specially hi such a season of depression as now exists. There are many moßt important subjects requiring ventilation and free discussion amongst those whose interests are primarily at ■take, and no better plan to attain this can be suggestedjthan monthly meetings of members of the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association. There have been read lately at some of the meetings of the societies in Canterbury most valuable papers, full of suggestions and reflections that must prove of great educational influence in the direction of unproved agricultural practice. We would strongly advise our local Association not to la? behind in the march of progress, but to be alive to the neceedtaes of these times, when co-operation and combination are so greatly wanted to make agriculture a successful business.

According to the Palmerflton and Waikouaiti Tunes, hut week Messrs Fagan and Everest held a very successful sale of land at then* rooms, Palmerston. The first lot offered was a paddock containing about 40 acres, situate on the Goodwood road, and after a brisk competition was knocked down to Mr James Neil at £14 par acre. _ The other lot offered was a paddock containing nine acres, and which was knocked down to Mr J. Jones at £15 per acre,

A Dipton farmer writes to a Southland contemporary : " The recent shipment of oata to England is beginning to tell already. We have had numerous inquiries for good seed oats at 2s and upwards, and when the Melbourne market feels the want of our usual supplies, I expect a further rise."

The pastoral lease for fourteen years over three subdivisions of run 208, Wairaki district, was submitted to competition at the Land Office to-day (says the Southland News of the ISfch) by Messrs M'Ardell and Co. There waa a large attendance. Mr M'Ardell having read the conditions, intimated that the upset price was 2d per acre. Two subdivisions, one of 7500 acres and the other of 7000 aerea, were thenlput up, and after a few bids f ell to Mr C. Basstian, the former lessee, at 2fd and 4£d respectively. The third subdivision, containing 11,300 acres, waa more keenly competed for, and ultimately fell to Mr J. K. Cameron at 4Jd per aore. The following allotments were also leased for a term of fourteen years :— Section 14, block 53, Inveroargill, lr, N. M'Lood, £16, or an advance of £6 on the upset price ; section 4, block 5, Jacob's River Hundred, 63a 2r 8p Hon. Mr Nurse, 33 per acre — upset ; section known aa Noble's Bush, block 8, New Eiver Hundred, 22a, J. Noble, 2s 6d per acre ; and section 9, block 4, East Winton, 8a Or 30p, James Taylor, M per aore.

The following officers have been appointed in connection with the Waikouaiti and Shag Valley Show this year : — Programme Committee : Messrs Souter, Little, Bannatyne, Dent, and M'Gregor ; Yavd Committee : Messrs Little, M'Gregor, and Haynea. On the suggestion of the secretary (Air Cowan) it was decided that the apportioning and arrangements of prizes be left entirely in the hands of the programme committee, and not as hitherto to have the programme arranged by the whole meeting.