AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1866, 26 August 1887, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The weather during the eight or ten days previous to the 22nd was very favourable for out-door work, and ploughing and spring sowiug were got well ahead. The autumn-sown crops are, as a rule, looking remarkably well, a ad grass is more plentiful than usual at this time of year. As a result, the turnips have been economised, and stock have been brought through the winter months in a highly satisfactory condition. The early lambs have had a favourable start, and should no prolonged period of wet weather be experienced during the next few weeks, they will, no doubt, give a good account of themselves. The rough weather experienced at the beginning of the current week must, however, have been very trying to those in cases in which efficient shelter has not been provided.

According to official information supplied to the Wellington Post the State Forest department did substantial work during the past year. The income for the year ended 31st March was estimated in the report of last year at £3500, but notwithstanding the depressed condition of the timber trade, the amount actually received was £3874, of which one-half was paid during the last quarter of the financial year — that is, since the new regulations came into force. If the cost of the agricultural section be deducted from the total expenditure, the outlay on forestry proper for the last year exceeds the income by the sum of £845 only. Forest revenue is derived solely from royalties on timber, and as these are extremely low — only threepence per 100 ft superficial for the common kinds — it is obvious that no hindrance is throw in the way of the converter. The total expenditure for the year amounts to £5770. Of this amount £1261 has been spent upor. conservation and £2181 upon plantations. Progress is being made at the Wangarei School of Forestry for getting into order about 1900 acres of the main reserve. It bus been determined to commence the formation of plantations on reserves at Grimmerburn, in the Maniototo district, where it is intended to plough and subsoil about 200 acres this season and erect about four miles of fencing. The land will be planted with red and cider gums, and subsequently a further area will bt> planted with English oak and ash, and Miudry quick-growiug pines. The reserves are situated in such a position that it will be possiVile to irrigate portions of them during the summer at small expense. The chief conservator states that it would be difficult to overrate the value of plantations in this district, if looked at simply from a climatic point of view. The continuous droughts of summer, and the excessive frosts of winter, would be mitigated, and great facilities afforded for the advances of agriculture. From a commercial point of view the advantages would be equally great. The cost of firewood and fencing stuff is so high that even the first thinning of the plantations would find a ready market, while an important item of freight would be prepared for the railways of the future. It is estimated that the forest revenue for the year ending 31st March 1888 will amount to £4800. Should trade exhibit any marked improvement a larger sum may be anticipated. Referring to the matter of the Shearers Union, the Mount Ida Chronicle learns from a' reliable source that tbe sheepfarraers of Otago and Canterbury, while admitting the right of the men to form a union and declining up to the present time to enter into a bond not to employ union men, have determined that if the extraordinary rules promulgated by the men for the management of sheds are persisted in the most energetic retaliatory measures will be at once set about. The principal objection seems to be to the manner of engaging the men, and it has been unanimously agreed to engage strictly on the present system, as well as to pay the present price. If the rules are not altered, it is understood that in the month of October all the large sheep farmers will advertise for from 10 to 20 learners, principally lads and young men, who will be assigned a thousand sheep or so between them to try their 'prentipe hands upon, and will be guaranteed engagements throughout the season. Free passses for a few shiploads of shearers will also be arranged after the termination of the Australian season, and it is expected that by this means about 500 learners and about as many good Australian shearers will be ready for ,the new se,ason. No union shearers are under any circumstances to be employed at any work except shearing throughout the year. A successful trial pi- gtenhouse and Smith's rabbit exerminator took place at Dumfree station, Marlborough, Q» the 12th inst., in tbe presence of a large

number of interested spectators.' The exterminator is thus, described : — There is a pan of sulphur with a sliding lid. From the pan a nozzle in sections to suit the shape of the mouth of the burrow projects downwards. The sulphur is lighted, and in order to facilitate quick burning a little bisulphide of carbon (a chemical about as savoury as assafsetida) is poured on it, though this is not absolutely necessary. At the time of the trial a gen t < southerly wind was blowing, and in a few seconds the smoke could be seen issuing from the other mouths pf the burrow, plainly showing how rapidly the fatal fumes of sulphuric acid gas pass through and do their deadly work. There can be very little doubt that the oxygen in the burrows is very quickly exhausted ; that the fumes penetrate into every part of them, including the side pockets ; and that the suffocation of any living thing is practically instataneous. This fact was actually proved on Friday by 'a rabbit being caught and placed in the sulphurous smoke. It exhibited all the signs of suffocation, the white of the eyes being all that was turned to the spectators, and it died in a few moments. In all, three burrows were fumigated, and, at the special request of the visitors, one was dug out almost directly after the machines had been applied, and before the fumes could hav^e .thoroughly penetrated and exhausted the oxygen. The results were, however, striking and satisfactory, a number of dead rabbits, perfectly warm, being taken out. General surprise was expressed at the way in which the exterminators acted, and Mr Stenhouse, as the inventor, and as one who has spared neither time nor money to make them perfect, was warmly congratulated by everybody present, and by nobody more so than by the rabbit inspectors. The opinion was expressed, however, that as the settlers of the district had imported the natural enemies of the rabbit on an extensive scale, the exterminator could not be profitably adopted, as it would destroy the weasels, ferrets, &c. in the burrows as well as the rabbits. A peculiar feature was noticed in connection with the trial — viz., that the bucks were only in the proportion of onethird to the does. Various causes were assigned, but inspectors were of opinion that; the bucks take the poison more readily than the does; consequently, are mnch less numerous. Instead of acknowledging its unfair treatment of Otago stockbreeders, our Canterbury contemporary of fictitious pedigree fame in its last issue indulges in a futile attempt to pose as a martyr to duty, but conveniently ignores the actual point in dispute. The assertions to which we took exception as being unfair to two or three of our leading breeders, who were at the time written of exporting freely had reference to the export of Ayrshire cattle, and so far as we can remember at this remote date horses were not even mentioned. Having localised its charges, in common fairness to the breeders mentioned our contemporary should have gone a step further, and exposed the parties alleged to have been concerned in sharp practices, and thus, instead of meriting reprobation in the course it adopted, have secured the support of its southern contemporaries. As a matter of fact, it turned out that no one connected with this colony had anything to do with the false representations for which Otago breeders were so recklessly blamed, the fictitious pedigrees having been affixed after the cattle had changed hands more than once subsequently to their leaving New Zealand, It is surely quite enough to blame New Zealand exporters for their actual misdeeds without trumping up accusations against them without the slightest foundation in fact so far as they are concerned ; and we trust our contemporary will take to heart the lesson it has learned, and on a future occasion make sure of the ground on which it stands before making charges which, as in the case under notice, it may find impossible to substantiate.

Mr J. C. Brown (writes our Home correspondent on August 13) has been making a tour throughout the northern and midland counties, calling at the chief centres of population, with a view to effecting arrangements for a direct supply of frozen mutton to the large butchers of these districts. Practically Mr Brown has completed his preparations for establishing three depots at London, Liverpool, and Glasgow, from which butchers in the adjoining districts will be able to receive supplies of meat twice a week. They will undertake to dispose of a certain fixed minimum, and will pay an average price of 5d per lb for mutton and Id or 2d per lb more for lamb. These prices, Mr Brown declares, will give a distinct advantage to consignors, for they will not have to pay out of them the various charges to middlemen, agents, salesmen, andothers which obtain under the present system. He estimates that the contracts he has entered into willabsorb something like 10,000 carcasses a week ; and, of course, he entertains hopes that the trade will develop. When he gets back to New Zealand ho will arrange with the refrigerating companies in Otago, Canterbury, and Napier to supply the requisite number- of carcasses.

I The wool trade (says the Melbourne Leader) is full of anomalies, one is that it does not, as it 1 expands, afford a proportionate employment of local labour, either during growth or local disposition. Stations are now worked op the strictest commercial principles, every item balanced and audited to a fraction, the ways and means carefully considered before another hand is engaged or a pound expended on improvements. The f ellmongering trade in the old days of tab and fork employed quite a small army of men throughout the colonies. Now for one establishment going there are two idle, and a large proportion of all the skins shipped unworked, to be dealt with elsewhere. AH this and more is due to the improved means of oommunication and the keen competition wbich prevails from oue end of the world to the other. The discussion on washing versus shearing in the grease still continues to be carried on in the Live Stock Journal, and, if it has had no other effect, it has brought out some valuable information which the woolgrowers may turn to useful account. Both sides of the question have had a fair hearing. -On one side Mr John Scriven, an extensive wool buyer • and i manufacturer, and Dr B.owman a scientist in that particular line, have pronounced, unmistakeably, in favour of shearing in the grease. On the other side a few sheepbreeders have writteu upholding the practice of washing; but their arguments have been exceedingly weak. Their stock argument appears to be that as their forefathers have washed for so many years the practice must hays paid them better than it would have done to sell in the grease. One farmer goes so far as to hint that it does pay better to wash on the sheep's back ; or rather his remarks will bear that construction, as he says : — " Let the manufaptureva pay us as well foe unwashed as they do for washed wool and we will at once abandon the practice." In reply to this Mr Scriven suggests a practical test by dividing a whole flock, washing one half and | shearing the other half in the grease, and crediting the unwashed half with the risk and expense of washing. This appears to be a very fair test and one that can easily be applied in this colony. Supposing, for instance, that half of a flock of 200Q sheep were washed and the wopl of the other 1000 shipped in the greasej th.a.t the greasy" 4eece weighed 7, lb and

the others lost 50 per cent, in the process of washing. Assuming that the greasy wool sold at' 9d and the washed at Is 6d, which would appear rather favourable than otherwise to the washed wool, judging from the past season's sales, the gross proceeds would be the same in both cases—namely, £262 10s. The washed wool would, however, have to be credited with the smaller cost of carriage to port and freight to London ; but, on the other hand, the greasy lot would be entitled to be credited with the saving of cost of washing and theris.k attending it, which is more real than apparent. — Queenslander. According to the Leader, shearing is in pro-, gress in the early districts of Victoria, and the clip promises to be unusually good both in quality and quantity. Owing to the long-con-tinued rains many wheatgrowers have been unable to get their seed into the ground. Everything points to an unusually early spring, and if we should be favoured with a few showers, from time to time, to maintain vigorous growth and bring the grain to maturity, an unusually good harvest may be confidently expected by agricultural as well as by pastoral settlers. : There is a good deal of trouble both in Victoria and New South Wales in connection with the Shearers' Union. In the Ivanhoe district, New South Wales, 200 men are on strike. In that district the trouble is more in connection with the rules than anything else, as it is stated 'that the station owners are willing to pay the price asked for — 20s per 100 sheep, — but contend they are at the mercy of the men.

Messrs Campbell, Pratt, and Co., Melbourne, in their weekly report state : — On Monday, August 8, we sold a consignment of carriage, brougham horses and hacks from New Zealand, the property of Messrs D. and J. Bacon. Carriage pairs sold to 14ogs, hunters to 90gs, and ordinary hacks to 40gs. The clearance was considered highly satisfactory. On Tuesday, August 9, we sold a consignment of Ayrshires, ex steamer Waihora, from New Zealand, averagjing£l2 10s per head. ' The Press states that Mr Edward Barber, of 'Wellington, who has for some months past been making arrangements to open an establishment 'in London for the sale, wholesale and retail, of ■< frozen mutton, is sending his own man Home by the Doric to manage the business. Within two months New Zealand frozen mutton will be retailed direct to the London public from a New Zealand store opened in the great metropolis, and under the management of a man who thoroughly understands the requirements of the trade in the colony and is devoted to its interests alone.

By the last mail Captain Daveny received several communications in reference to the scheme which he has projected for the formation of a settlement of pensioners from the 1 Imperial Army on a block of land in the North Island. Lord Sandhurst, who visited New Zea- ' land a short time since, has gone heartily into the matter, and has had printed the statements of Captain Daveny, the letters of Colonel Forbes, Sir George Grey, and Sir Maurice O'Rorke in pamphlet form, for circulation among&t members of Parliament. Sir Edward | Walter, London, writes a letter to Captain , Daveny on the subject. He says : " I shall ' prqbahly sent out an officer this autumn to Sydney to commence operations, and if successful there (of which I entertain no doubt), it will 1 be only a matter of time before we get to New Zealand. Ido not intend to ask for any assistance from any Government, either home or I abroad." , The North Otago Agricultural and' Pastoral 1 Association have decided to have for their next ! show one judge for shorthorns, three for Ayr- • shires, one for polled Angus, one for fat stock, i one for merinos, three for Leicesters, three for Lincolns, one for Romney Marsh, one for ' Downs, one for pigs, one for poultry, three for dairy produce, one for grain, one for seeds, one for roots, and one for dogs. ' The Lovell's Flat correspondent of the Clutha , Leader says : — " Never since the introduction of the use of phosphorised oats has the poisoning been attended with such great effect. In June dead rabbits were gathered in cartloads, but now it is a rare occurrence to see either a dead or living rabbit on any farm in the district. On ' both sides of the lake, and from Mount Misery i across the plain to Hillend, bunny has been 'knocked hors de combat. I-speak from careful observation, and I believe that nob oneihundredth pait of the number of last year's rabbits are now living in this locality. Where I formerly hundreds could be seen in a day's ' walk,,uow it is rare to see a single rabbit, Fully ' 20,000 skins have been sold from this district. , This satisfactory result is the outcome of united iaction in poisoning." ■ Mr Robert Ijlliot (says the Ta.panui Courier) is planting an additional lot of forest trees on !his farm at the Fladden this year, some thousands of trees having arrived to his order this jseason. Mr Elliot has already some good plantationa of forest trees, and with the quantity going in this year he will have the largest area of land und,er forest trees of any land.owner in $his. part of"Ota.go — viz., nearly 20 acres. The bulk of the trees are larch t but many other varieties are being experimented with" for future guidance. Mr Elliot's example is well worth imitating by landowners In this district.