AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1853, 27 May 1887, Page 8

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The grand secret of successfully coping with the rabbit difficulty has been so frequently given to the public that one begins to look with suspicion on all new proposals. The latest is a very simple idea, and one which may po.ssibty be of use as an auxiliary in some cjises at all events : — " Mr W. Lincoln, a farmer, residing at Portarlington," reports the Geelong Advertiser, " contemplates applying a new method of rabbit destruction which he has discovered. The process, which is claimed to be very effective, consists chiefly in the stopping-up of the warrens with a species of whin, to be found in the neighbourhood, and which it is stated the imprisoned bunnies caunot approach. After a portion of the furze is placed in the entrance of the burrow a quantity of earth is pressed over it, the results being, as far a Mr Lincoln's experiments are concerned, much more satisfactory than those obtained by any of the other methods."

A very extensive experiment in the feeding of cattle has been carried out by Mr J. L. Heath, in Kansas, and is described by a writer in the Live Stock Journal. From 1400 head purchased from the Prairie Cattle Company of Edinburgh and Trinidad, Colorado, Mr Heath selected 85 grade shorthorns and same number of grade Herefords, all three-year-old cattle, and as evenly selected as possible. The two lots were fed on shelled maiae, oats, wheat, bran, " shorts,"

and prairie hay for a fortnight up to November 1, 1886, when all were weighed,' the average weight of the Herefords being 10901b, and that of the shorthorns 11251b. On November 25 the two lotß were weighed again, and then it was found that the aggregate increase of the 85 Herefords was 68001b, obtained at a cost of 4-12£dol per 1001b; while that of the 85 shorthorns was 77351b, costing 4dol per 1001b. A month later the Herefords had gained a further weight of 86701b, costing 4-25d0l per 1001b, and the shorthorns had gained 96901b at the expense of 4'l2|dol per 1001b. The periodical weighings were to be continued till May 1. The consumption of the shorthorn grades was greater than that of the Hereford grades, but the cost per 1001b in live weight gained was less. The cattle are described as "from half-bloods to three-fourths and better." ,

In commenting on the proposal to establish an organisation in Victoria similar to the grangers of America, the Sydney Tribune says : — "All the Australian colonies are destined in the long run to outgrow the precarious dependence on the native grasses, and when this comes to pass, agriculture in one form or another, whether the establishment and improvement of permanent pasture or the raising of crops for sale, will become the great and staple industry of the country. It would very much hasten that desirable consummation if farmers were more united than they are. But we fear that before there is any chance of their becoming more united they must become more intelligent, more energetic, and must be better instructed both as to the power they might wield and the manner in which it could most advantageously be exercised. The experience of most promoters of Farmers' Unions is not encouraging. Possibly, however, the new name of " Granger " may prove more attractive. Its adoption may perhaps render the gathering of a quorum at the weekly or monthly meeting less difficult than it is at present in many cases. This of itself would be a very desirable consummation, and we heartily wish our Victorian friends success in their movement."

The Canterbury paper which made a number of false charges against Otago stockbreeders a few weeks back, and by its subsequent conduct when called upon to substantiate its assertions, laid itself open to the charge of having spoken out of pure wantonness, should feel rather small at the injury its reckless remarks are causing to New Zealand stock in Australia. Many of the country papers have naturally republished the charges from the columns of their city contemporary, without, of course, thinking it necessary to mention that the paper which originally made them snowed the white feather when called upon, in justice to innocent exporters, to name the persons who were alleged to have used false pedigrees. The Sydney Mail again returns to the matter, and, in a paragraph headed " Bogus Pedigrees," says :—": — " If the statements are correct, it should not be a difficult matter to rest the guilt upon the proper shoulder, and punish the perpetrators of the evil. A few years ago the publication of a few lines in these columns was instrumental in bringing about the destruction of two bulls, both of which had been sold upon the recommendation of false pedigrees. The bulls were shot at the request of the seller, who paid to the purchasers sums sufficient to obtain their silence. We are not in a position to state that many or any of the stock sold in this colony from New Zealand bore bogus tickets, but we have for a long while entertained the opinion that if all the so-called purebred Ayrshire stock which came from that colony were really pure, the cows must have been extraordinarily prolific. A regular run of triplets would" have been requisite to produce so many purebred animals." Of course it would not have been a difficult matter to sheet home the offence to the guilty party, and if our contemporary's charges had been founded on fact, there can be no doubt that he would ere this have screwed up courage to expose the offender insteadjof being satisfied to screen himself behind generalities, indifferent to the amount of injury he had done to a large number of fair dealing stockbreeders. Our Sydney contemporary is evidently not aware of the extent to which the breeding of Ayrshire cattle has been carried on in Otago and Southland for many years past. A glance at the number of Ayrshire exhibits at any of our leading shows year after year should open his eyes to the fact that there is no occasion for a run of triplets to enable us to continue the export of pedigree cattle for some time to come.

The new frozen meat steamers are four in number, each fitted to carry 22,000 carcasses, and to make the journey in 50 days. Two of these will go for frozen meat to Napier only ; the other two will visit Lyttelton and the Bluff, the Canterbury Frozen Meat Co. taking two-thirds of the space in them. Compared with those charged for the past six months by the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Co., the rates to be charged show a reduction of Is 6d per sheep of 601b, 10 4-5 d per lamb of 361b, and of 2s 6|d per 1001b of beef, and by comparison with the N.Z. Shipping Co.'s rates a reduction of 2|d per sheep, 10 4-5 d per lamb, and 3^d per 1001b of beef. In Canterbury, at any rate, shippers will also benefit by a reduction of the charge for freezing to |d per lb for mutton during the winter months, and the whole effect will be to bring down the total charges from Lyttelton to London, including- insurance, to 2d per lb. Sheepowners, who have paid 3d per lb, .will know what that reduction means.

Native dogs are increasing to an alarming extent in some of the western districts of Victoria, The rabbit plague is also rapidly increasing; and the locusts are clearing everything before them. Farmers and graziers have a happy time of it in these regions.