AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1858, 1 July 1887, Page 8

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

We must congratulate Mr K. B. Ferguson, of Waitati, on his determination to keep up the reputation of the Blueskin district for the purity of its Ayrshire stock. In order lo secure a change of blood Mr Ferguson has purchased from Mr Eankin, of Southland, the well-known champion bu^l Ayrshire King. We learn from the Southland Times that Mr Ferguson has also selected from Mr Eankin's well-known herd, five heifers, the progeny of Ayrshire King, out of prize cows. The heifers are intended for the New South Wales market, where Mr Ferguson has already disposed of upwards of 300 head of Ayrshire cattle. Our agricultural readers will remember that Ayrshire King has carried off champion honours at the annual show of the Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association for three successive years. He was bred by Mr David Warnock, who pronounced him to be the best Ayrshire bull he had ever raised. Ayrshire King's heifers obtained champion prize at the Invercargill shows in 1885 and 1886.

A correspondent in the Argus suggests the use of gas lime instead of chloride of lime in the extirpation of thistles. He says: — " This article is a most powerful agent in destroying vegetation of any kind, and is obtained at all gasworks at the rate of a few shillings per cartload, and, providing it is fresh from the purifying boxes, would, in my opinion, be quite as efficacious as the more expensive article."

The Southland News says:— "Great execution is being done among the small birds on Mr W. J. Hamilton's property near Thornbury. Some of the youngsters have been going out at night with torches along the hedges, and the birds, attracted by the light, fly towards it, and are easily disposed of. In this way several hundreds have lately been bagged.

The accuracy of Government agricultural statistics is always open to doubt, and that there is some reason for taking them with a grain of salt has apparently been demonstrated in Victoria. The statistics stated that the total yield of potatoes in the Warrnambool district, would greatly exceed that of 1886, whereas the exports show that the crop has proved greatly below that of the former year. During the months of January, February, March, April, and May of the present year 9517^ tons of potatoes have been exported, while during the same months of 1886 a total quantity of 14,994£ tons was sent away, thus showing that up to the present time the past season has resulted in a falling off of 5476f tons.

The efficiency of bisulphide of carbon as an agent for the destruction of rabbits has been seriously questioned by the Flinders and Kangarong Shire Council. Public tests made in the neighbourhood of Sorrento have given rise to the opinion that the carbon supplied is not so strong as that formerly used with deadly effect in the district.

The Tapanui Courier has the following on the gorse nuisance: — "Years ago, before rabbits became a nuisance, most of the settlers in this part of New Zealand delighted in sowing as much live gorse for shelter and ornament in their fences as their means would afford. The gorse answered both purposes for a time, until careless landowners let it spread and the rabbits came, and of late years it has been a curse to farmers rather than a blessing. Lately the far-seeing class amongst the landowners have spared neither trouble nor expense in getting rid of the gorse; but they find it almost as hard to clear as the rabbits. Near watercourses it has been a great nuisance, as the seed carried down during flood-time has settled on the banks of the creek, and formed impenetrable plantations, which the rabbits have taken advantage of for protection and cover. County councils and other local bodies have at last taken the alarm, and landowners are now intimated that they must keep the gorse nuisance in check. What with ordinary taxes, the small birds, rabbits, thistles, gorse, &c, the landowners in this cslony have sufficient evils to contend with. But the gorse must go."

It is known to our readers (says the Melbourne Leader) that Dr Macdonald, Coleraine, after a refusal by the Victorian Government, took bis plan for the extermination of rabbits to Sydney, where he was courteously received. He was first introduced to Mr Abigail, the Minister of Mines, whose department has the management of the rabbit extermination expenditure. The Minister granted him a private audience, and Dr Macdonald explained his plans, after which he requested the Minister to offer £10,000 as a bonus to the discoverer of an effectual remedy for the pest. The Minister adopted the exceptional course of appointing three practical gentlemen, who were then in Sydney attending a landowners' conference on the land tax, to decide upon the merits of the plan. He further agreed to consult his colleagues with a view to a definite sum being offered for a successful rabbit extermination plan. The three gentlemen appointed heard Dr Macdonald's explanation, and held various conferences subsequently, but their decision will only be known after they have verified some of the matters alluded to in the doctor's plan. Should it be decided to put the plan to the test on some estate, the Minister of Mines has generously consented to defray the whole of Dr Macdonald's expenses to supervise the test. This exceptional liberality was exhibited by Mr Abigail after he had heard the doctor's plan, and indicates that it is worthy of consideration.

The Maerawhenua correspondent of the Oamaru Mail writes as follows with reference to the frozen meat'industry : — " The exportation of the frozen meat has hitherto been a very unprofitable game in consequence of the inadequate prices which have been obtained, and unless better prices are likely to be realised in the future, stock owners will be shy of exporting, for they will have to do it at a loss. Of course they must carry out present engagements with the various refrigerating companies, but as soon as those are fulfilled, iinless some alteration takes place for the better, I think a great many of

the present importers are likely to cease to ' be so, hence the need for some reform, if'

possible On looking over cablegrams and other communications on the subject, I see that frozen mutton is being sold at an average of about 4d per lb wholesale, and being retailed at something like 8d per lb, giving the butcher (or middleman) just as much for retailing our meat in London and other centres of population as the producer gets for it delivered in London. Now, what I would suggest, so as to remedy this defect to a certain extent, would be to keep the retailing of our meat in our own hands, as undoubtedly if there is anything in the trade at all it is in the retailing of the meat. To enable us to do this I would suggest, for instance, that the New Zealand Refrigerating Company issue, say 20,000 fresh shares, the same to be sold (if possible) in the London or other principal markets of Great Britain. This, of itself, in the first instance, would be the means of augmenting the funds of the Company so as to enable them to erect a freezing chamber in London for the reception of our meat when it arrived, and establish a retail shop, &c, in all ' other centres of population throughout the Kingdom. Further, the selling of the shares in the Home markets would give shareholders and their friends .such an interest in the industry, that it would give it an impetus not hitherto experienced since its inauguration. In order to carry out these suggestions effectually, I would be in favour of sending Home (or employing at Home) a thoroughly competent manager at a good salary and a certain percentage on all profits accruing from the industry. His business would be to look after the industry, and that only, as I don't believe in divided interests in such matters. Now, supposing we had to retail meat, at say 6d per lb (instead of 8d as at present), and supposing we send Home 200,000 carcasses, weighing 601b each, for the year, that would mean £100,000 sterling additional return on the year's transactions, which, I think, would defray all expenses and leave a handsome profit.

Anything that tends to enhance the intrinsic value of Australian wool is a matter of real national interest. As regards the market "get up," the opinion of Mi' F. H. Bowman, F.R.S., the well known expert, as appears in his published report, is well worth perusing. As regards the Australian exhibits at the late London show, he says that " they were all of a first-class order, and might be said to indicate the high-water mark of our present possibility of sheep culture, and most of them might be taken in their respective classes as samples worthy of imitation by all who seek to excel as woolgrowers. Indeed, taken as a whole, probably no exhibit of wool ever equalled it, and a feeling of astonishment was created in the mind that such results could have been obtained within the comparatively short period since the foundation of many of the colonies. In judging of the quality of the wool, such characteristics as evenness of length, soundness of fibre, softness and curl have all to be taken into account, and in all ' these respects many of the exhibits — I might indeed say the great majority of them — displayed all these characteristics in their, highest state of perfection." As to the advice tendered by Mr Bowman as to the most marketable preparation of wool, he gives the following ' " tips " : — Each of the colonies have generally their distinctive character displayed in their wools, and those who are accustomed commercially to their use know how very marked this is in some cases. Most of the wool was shown in its natural condition — that is, in the grease or simply washed with water and not scoured ; and it may be noticed in passing that this is very much the best way of sending wool which has to be compressed in bales. The natural grease or suint, which is secreted along with the wool, serves the purpose of protecting the delicate surface of the wool fibres from attrition and felting, and the pressure they are subjected to in packing, and the vibration in transit, is, therefore, comparatively harmless, whereas if the wool is scoured beforehand it can never be opened out again with the same degree of freedom, and can never be manipulated with the same degree of perfection. When once the natural fat has been removed from the fibres, the sooner they are passed into the process of manufacture the better. The greatest care should be exercised by the farmer as to the nature of the dips and washes and smears which he uses for the sheep, because many of those which are in common use are most deleterious to the wool, and are the frequent cause of subsequent difficulties in manufacture and dyeing. It cannot be too strongly urged that the more natural the condition of the wool the better for all concerned, and that care and attention to cleanliness and condition in the sheep themselves will always amply repay the trouble required to secure it. This matter ought to receive the very best attention on the part of all woolgrowers, since it is notorious that many brands of colonial wool would stand far higher in the market if more' care was bestowed upon the condition of the wool and its classification. Although many of the defects may afterwards be removed, the process always costs both time and money, and in many cases the wool suffers in the operation. Special note ought to be made in regard to scoured wools of the necessity for preventing the introduction of any foreign substances into the wool, such as hemp or other vegetable matter, from the bagging or any other source. In the process all rollers should never be wrapped by hemp, cotton, or any other foreign material, because even minute quantities present in the wool are a fatal objection to its use in a large number of instances, and may prove ruinous to the user, because they will not take the dye along with wool and spoil all the goods into which they are introduced. — Sydney Tribune.