NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1581, 4 March 1882, Page 7

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

A Palmerston gentleman has forwarded us a few specimens of wheat and oats from Shag Valley and surrounding districts. There are samples of wheat from Goodwood, the Horse Range, Upper and Lower Shag valley, and one from the new land at Dunback. The samples are, without exception, of first-class quality, and so far as one oan judge from the few ears forwarded, the returns from the fields from whioh they were taken will be very satisfactory indeed. Two of the aamples— the only ones thoroughly ripe— from the farms of Messrs J. Braithwaite, Horse Range, and J. Dalziel, Upper Shag Valley, are of exoellent quality. The former, though not a long ear, is a remarkably fine sample, the grain being plump and hard. Another sample from the Horse Rangef is not nearly so good, but the ears are long* and if the crop is thick it will be a very profitable one. The samples from tho farms of i Messrs A. M'Laren, Goodwood, and W. Robertson, Shag Valley, also seem to have been taken ' from good crops, but as they have been cut while in a green state the grain is shrivelled, and it is impossible to form an opinion as to quality. The last sample is the poorest of all. It comes from Mr J. Sutherland's farm at Dunback. From the label we learn that ithas been grown on new land, and taking this into consideration, the result must be taken as a very satisfactory one, and gives proof that the ; Dunbaok land will, after a few years' cultivation, grow very fair wheat. A fine specimen of oats comes from Mr Sutherland's farm, the ears of which are seventeen inches long. The j oats are apparently Tartarian, and judging from the few ears forwarded the yield will bo an exceedingly heavy one. Another good sample of oats comes from Mr Braithwaite's Horse Range farm. It may be remarked that no two samples are from the same part of the district, and neither are they picked, but rather ft fair sample of the crops from which they were taken. There are, however, some instances where the crop will barely pay for the expense of harvesting, but taken generally i the yield will be considerably beyond what was expected some time ago. Nearly a dozen reapers and binders have bean imported into the Tapanui district this year. It may be worthy of mention that the two machines awarded the honours at the repent contest at the Taieri have also been purchased by Tapanui farmers. Mr Hugh Beggs, of Glenkenich, is the purchaser of the M'Oormick machine, while the Wood's reaper and Wnder has laeen secured lay Mr Mulligan, of Crookston. Harvesting operations are now general in these districts, and the results are more satisfactory than was at first anticipated. The first parcel of this season's oats, from the farm of Mr Edwards, has been purchased by Mr Paterson at 2s per bushel. The Bey. William Jenner, of Lawrence, who is taking an aotive part in the movement for the formation of an agricultural college for Otago and Southland, lias, we aro informed, communicated with all the Southern M.H.R.'a, and has received favourable replies from the majority of those communicated with. All who have replied approve of the project, pro mise their assistance, and wish the movers success. Forma of a petition to be distributed for the purpose of obtaining signatures, with the ultimate object of its presentation to the House of Representatives, are being printed, and may be obtained daring the course of next week from Mr Jenner. Mr Megson, a well-known farmer at Newlands, has informed the Ashburtou Guardian that he has ju»t received hia returns for a shipment of wheat which was sent Home lost year on his own account. The returns show a net profit of £130 over what, he was offered as the market price at Aahburton. Mr M'Kellar, who haß jast returned from a trip to Tasmania, made pood use of hit) time whan in that; colony. He haw brought with him fk magnificent merino rain, from the flock of Mr James Gibson, of Bellevue. This animal rej »ices ia the name of Golden Tom, and the title in not misapplied. He is by Sir Thomas 2nd, by Old Sir Thoma?, out of a champion ewe by Golden Drop by Old Sir Thomas. Old Sir Thomas, which was purchased in 1874 from Mr James Gibson for the sum of 714 guineas, we understand, is a blood relation to the Australian-bred merino ram Nugget 3rd, which was Bold at the Hon. TJioa. Gamming's sale in November last for the anm of 1400 guineas. With such n pedigree there is no room for surprise that Golden Tom should have been the champion ram against all comers at the Oampbelltown Show this year— the principal show of Tasmania, and of the Australian Colonies, indeed, so far as merinos are concerned. It ia also worthy of notice that Sir Thomas 2nd, Golden Tom's sire, was sold in Sydney last year for 600 guineas, — Oamaru Mail. In our article on 'Stolen Crops 'last week, the word ' break wind' was printed 'breakwork.' An article on ' Permanent Pasture/by Mr J. Drew Atkin, will appear in our next issue. One who has never seen any other style of milk pan than the little, flat, round dish in common use, might hardly believe that pans are in use that will hold the milk of 80 or even 100 cows ; yet this is the kind used by John L. Crow, of Red Clover Valley, in Lassen county U.S.. Tho pans are about eight feet long by four feet four inches wide, and eight inches deep, though the milk is never made to exceed three inches in depth. They are divided into two equal parts by a partition across the middle, through which there is an opening from one to the other. Each pan has two bottoms, between which there is a space of about two inches, where water of any deßired temperature can be introduced under the milk. A wooden frame about twenty inobea wide is laid across the .pan, over this is placed two or more thicknesses of butter cloth, the whole forming a strainer through which no speck of any kind can pass. When enough milk has been placed in a Dtin, it is covered with a screen of gauze, and is not touched again until ready for skimming. The pans are set at a slight incline ; at the lowest end is a valve csumictiutf with a pipe, through which the skimmed milk id run off whenever .wanted.— Guerneville Bulletin.