PROVINCIAL AND COLONIAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1540, 14 May 1881, Page 7

PROVINCIAL AND COLONIAL ITEMS.

We (Mataura Bnßign) were shown the other day a moßt ingenious and novel maohine madfl by Mr Thomas Haxton, of Gore, to be used in the manufacture of his patent flexible harrows. It does away entirely with the use of the hammer in the twisting and bending of the iron. With one heat that peculiar twist at the neck of the tine is put on, and always in exactly the same manner. The straight rod iron is heated and put into the machine, one handle is pulled, one is raised, and a— a thing is pushed, and out comes the link properly twisted and almost completed. It will be seen from our minute description that the contrivanoe is simple, and it is a fact that it can be easily handled by any one of the apprentices. There are two or three other labour- sating machines in the works (all made there) for bending, making the single twists, and finishing the different kinds of teeth. The harrows are now turned out with great rapidity, but apparently not yet quite quick enough to meet the demand for the new implement, and so Messrs Haxton and Beattie intend to enlarge their works. To those of a meohaaical turn, a visit to the establishment and an inspection of Mr Haxton's ingenions appliances would prove exceedingly interesting. Dr Eveleigh, of Clinton, has responded to the invitation of the looal paper to give the public the benefit of his method of buttermaking. I use a small churn by Messrs Guthrie and Larnaoh (he says), whioh could be materially improved, as no iron should be in oontaot with the butter. The strictest cleanliness should be observed, and the churn and everything oonneoted. with the churning must be thoroughly cleansed with olean boiling water and soda, without soap, and the dairy itself kept thoroughly clean ; and nothing should be put into the dairy whioh can in any way impart a flavour or cause a taint to the butter. When the butter has oome and somewhat gathered to. gether, the buttermilk is drawn off ; olean salt is then well sprinkled over the butter in the churn and clean filtered water ponred over it and it is then ohurned again for fiveor ten minutes ; this salt and water is then drawn off, and the same process is repeated twice more or till the water comes off clear and transparent. The butter is then removed, not by the hands, but by clean wet patters (butter spoons), by whioh it is well beaten, with the addition of a mixture previously prepared, composed of one ounce of refined saltpetre (known also as stonenitre, nitrate of potash) with one pound of fine salt well rubbed down together in a porcelain or wedgewood mortar, and of this mixture from half an ounce to an ounce can be added to about every five pounds of butter, if intended for fresh butter ; or, not exceeding one ounce to every pound if intended for ealt butter. It is then made up aa required, plaoed on a large dish, and lightly covered by a olean thin wet cloth, over which is to be sprinkled a little of the salt and nitres, on which a little olean filtered water is poured, as the salt causes the cloth to soak up the water, which by evaporating keepa the butter cool. ... I was glad last Saturday on my calling on a lady to find she had been able this last summer to keep her buttor quite fresh and free from taint for two months, a week longer than I mentioned in my laat letter, so thai I can by no means carry off the palm. But this is not all, for this same lady has already iv store over a thousand pounds A

weight of her salt butter in casks, which I tasted, and I have no hesitation in affirming that if sent to London by a steamer in a refrigerated ohamber it would fetch in the wholesale market £120 or £140 per ton, being worth to the retailer Is 5d or Is 6d per lb, as there is hardly any salt butter in London to compare with it. This lady informed me that she keeps to the same principles, only she uses the hands instead of the patters (or spoons), and washes the butter or makes it up without washing after she has removed it from the churn. When I explained to her that the hands, even in the best of health and with the greatest cleanliness and care, always have naturally an exhalation emitted from the skin which is liable to cause butter to be tainted, she replied that she always has the hands and arms to above the elbows thoroughly washed with clean hot water, and then plunged into clean cold water for some little time, until the hands can be used like the wet wooden patters (or spoons), i.c,, without the batter eticking to them at all, and that if the butter at all sticks to the hands she oeases from it at onoe. This shows a scrupulous oare worthy of high commendation, but I doubt whether it would be in long continuous and more extensive use conducive to her health. Butter is an article easily tainted, and bad drainage or the want of drainage about the dairy will cause it to become tainted rapidly ; so will a new painted room even a month after the paint has become apparently dry.

Under the heading "Dirty Grain" the Tapanui Courier has the following remarks .— " In spite of the numerous warnings we have given the farmers in this district through the columns of the Courier relative to exporting grain, we find, on inquiry amongst merchants and millers, that dirty parcels are still in the majority. We certainly thought that owing to the low prices that prevailed, our grain growers would have tried their very ( utmost to have secured the highest prices ruling by thoroughly cleaning their cereal produce ; but such _is apparently not the oase. To get the mill, hurry through with the threshing, and forward grain to the nearest railway station without cleaning appears to be the Ultima Thule of most of the grain growers. This suioidal policy is bound to bear bad fruit; and it is to be hoped that the Farmers' Club will take this important matter into consideration at an early date. In contradistinction to the above, we are pleased to observe that those farmers who have taken the necessary pains to thoroughly olean their grain have reaped the reward of the labour involved by receiving suoh a price as more than compensated them for additional outlay, besides the satisfaction of obtaining the highest possible market price. Now_ that the sowing season has by the oycle of time again arrived, we will reiterate our previous warning to farmers, and impress upon them the advisability of getting the best seed obtainable, and to see that it is entirely free from noxious weeds. In this connection it may be well to state that the earlier seed is in the ground the better chance there is of a large crop being reaped ; and, further, the grain is more likely to be garnered in good order."

The Mataura Ensign hears that most of the farmers in tnat district have sold their grain for cash on delivery at the railway station, preferring to do so rather than risk shipping home, as last year's returns were, in most oases, unsatisfactory.

Mr J. Whiteley King, of Gore, advocates in the lsoal paper the caltivationof linseed in New Zealand. Both in Russia and India (he says) the yield averages a ton of seed per acre, and as the ruling market price in England is from £22 to £25, and in the Colonies from £25 to £32 per ton, it will be Been that the cultivation of linseed, if the yield at all approaches that obtained either in Russia or India, should pay better than the cultivation of wheat, potatoes, barley, oats, or maize, which our farmers seem wholly dependent upon, even whilst the production of these commodities far exceeds our own consumption. That linseed can be grown in New Zealand has already been proved, for both at the Sydney International Exhibition 1879-80, and the Melbourne Exhibition 1880-81, a sample of seed grown in Canterbury was to be seen in the New Zealand Court, which the official catalogue stated had been grown in a stiff clay subsoil, an inferior Boil by the way, and that the yield was half a ton to the acre. Let us imagine a farmer with a hundred acres, thoroughly ploughed, harrowed, &o. Suppose that after paying ex penses for sowing seed, labour, harvesting, &c, and having disposed of his seed in a colonial market he finds he has only netted a profit of £10 per acre (and I doubt if there are any farmers doing that at the present day) ; his neighbours will be by this time following his example; he can plant again, and by next season have a mill from England erected at a oost of about £500 ; buy up the seed from those who, stimulated by his success, have grown crops, and crush it himself for oil, which is worth about £42 per tun. I would recommend our farmers to think it over, and put in an acre, sowing broadcast, as with otber grain, a bushel (or less) to the acre, which will cost 12s 6d.

In commenting upon the aotion of the Government in offering a bonus of £500 "for the first 25 tons of butter or the first 50 tona of cheese (produced in a faotory worked on the American prinoiple, and to which factory any farmer, subject to certain conditions, may send his milk), which shall be exported from New Zealand, and sold at suoh prices in a foreign market aa shall show that the artiolea are of fair quality," the North Otago Times expresses the opinion that the agricultural societies of the country should have had sufficient spirit to combine to do this that the Govern ment is now doing, and hopes they may yet take suoh action in time to render it unnecessary for the Government ever to repeat its offer. "In the meantime," oontinues our contemporary, " they might do something in the publio interest towards placing settlers in a position to olaim the Government prize. Something to achieve this end might be done for this district by our own aooiety. Then prizes might be instituted for the best worked farms and properly constraoted and conducted dairies. Simultaneously with these efforts others should be made to encourage the more general manufacture of butter and cheese that would hold their own in any market, and accordingly add greatly to the profits of farming. These are suggestions which, we think, might well be considered by the Agricultural and Pastoral Assooiation, and whioh the members of that sooiety should be able to work out into practical issues."

Fourteen entries (says the Tapanui Courier) were received by the secretary of the Tapanui Farmers' Club on Saturday for Mr William Simmonds 1 valuable silver cup for homemade jam. The entries are as follow :— Mra Shearing (two), Mra Howat (three), Mra Mason (one), Mrs Quin (two), Mra Hay (two), Misa M'Ooll _ (two), Misa Bowden (two). The jam comprisea strawberry, currant, gooseberry, raspberry, plum (red aud yellow), and cherry. Prior to the show when dairy produce entries are received, a shilling 1 on each of the exhibits will have to be lodged with the eeoretary. Tho exhibits have baen placed in a box in the Farmers' Club room, securely

looked, and the key will be kept by th? president until the day of the Bhow, when we 'have no doubt Mr Simmonds' valuable prize will, be an object of much interest. The Western Star states that the rye grass which was olassed in the first order of merit at the Melbourne Exhibition, and exhibited by Mr R. Cleave, of Inveroargill, waa grown by Mr J. R. Turnbull, of Flint's Bueh. The same sample of seed took first prize at the Riverton show in June last, and second at the December show. In their annual report, the Committee of the North Otago Agricultural Society expressed regret at not having been able to inaugurate a ram show this year, remarking that it is the 1 almost general opinion amongst sheepowners that Oamaru is an excellent place for'successfully holding an annual ram and ewe fair. Tha retiring Committee recommended the matter to the notice of the incoming Committee, with^ a hope that such a fair may be added to the list of useful work carried on by the Association.— In proposing the adoption of the report, Mr Smythies said he was afraid it must be admitted to be perfectly true, although it was, in fact, a nullity. It showed that little or nothing had been done by the Society during the past year to forward the interests of agriculture. With the exception of the annual show,' no action had been taken in many important matters, and he thought it was particularly a pity that nothing had been done in the matter of holding a ram and ewe fair. This laxity was easily accounted for by the fact that almost all the meetings held during the past year had lapsed . for want of a quorum ; and he thought that, the number at present required to form a t quornm was too large, and might very well be reduced by one-half. A correspondent, who some time back resided in the Waitaki district, but, who at the present time is on a visit to the United States, sends us the following, which he said should prove interesting to farmers in the Oamaru district. The Montreal Gazette says that New Zealand is successfully rivalling Canada in the quality of her oatmeal, and points out that New Zealand oats are of magnificent quality, and weigh from 451b to 491b per imperial bushel, and realise in Liverpool 3s 8d to ,3a 9d per 451b, against 2s 8d to 2s 9d per 451b for Canadian. Several cargoes are now on' passage to the United Kingdom. The oatmeal is reported to be fully equal to the best home-made. Sootch, and several parcels have been sold delivered in the United Kingdom at LlO sterling per 22401b, which is fully la 6d per, 2401b lower than Canada meal can be exported for, Our correspondent says a remedy for this low price in New Zealand meal can be reached- by a more careful selection of the seed and greater care in the preparation of the meal-rNorth Otago Times. , ■' The Riverton corresponded of the Southland News mentions that a farmer in the Western district, who shipped his oats Home'raome months ago, expects to clear Is 3d per bushel. He nets 2s 3d, his oats having fetched 3s 6d a bushel. Another sample from the same neighbourhood, but of a superior quality, fetched 4s a bushel. „', The Oamaru Mail makes a sensible , suggestion to tha North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association :— " We would urge upon those having the management , of the North Otago Association," says out contemporary, "to take a more comprehensive view of, Jtheir duties, and to give a proper share of" their' enthusiastic energy, undoubtedly displayed for a week or two before and during the show" time, to the grander and more useful worbof f'fpstaring and promoting good and remunerative farming in the district. We have neither the inclination nor the ability to dictate 'tq'the Committee what they should or should' n6fc do, but we take permission to point out that the plan of giving bonuses or prizes to the beat<managed farms of various extents and in different districts is now largely adopted both in Engjand and Victoria, and the results have in' every casa where tried been of the most pronounced and beneficial nature. The ambition to be numbered as a good farmer has been stimulated in such places, and improvement in agricultural economy has been the consequence over wide areas." The Palmerston Times says :— " An instance of a very prolific yield of wheat grown by Mr M. C. Orbell, Matanaka, has been brought under our notice— being no less than 72 bushels from one acre. The wheat is what is called ' Pedigree, 1 and was purchased at Horns' by Mr Orbell." The agricultural returns for South Canterbury district show that the estimated yield of wheat was 1,483,249 bnshels j of oats, 767,891 bushels; barley, 57,165 bußhels. The total number of acres under crop was 312,785; Considerable feeling (writes our Auckland correspondent) exists ever the action of the Government in protecting the pheasant over the whole area of the Provincial District, against the recommendation of' the Acolimatiaation Sooiety. The ravages committed by these birds on the cultivations of small country settlers, especially where they are situate in the vicinity of the bush, are almost unendurable, and it is not. to ba wondered at that they feel intense bitterness at what to them is simply a game law in disguise. The grievance will be adroitly nursed by the opponents of the Government when an appeal ia made to the ballot-box, and it will only have its own want , of tact and thoughtfulness to thank for any adverse effects experienced through the use. of such an election cry. , .'