AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1893, 2 March 1888, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

At a trial of reapers and binders held under the auspices of the Southland Agricultural aud Pastoral Assocation last week the Hornsby secured first place, with 50 points ; the Howard second, 47 points ; the Johnston third, 38 points ; and the Reid and Grey fourth, 32 points. The last-named machine appears, however, to have been somewhat handicapped through the inexperience of its driver and tho fact that its portion of the field was very heavy and somewhat laid ; whilst the Hornsby, on the other hand , was more than usually fortunate in both respects. In roost trials of the kiud strength, durability, and simplicity of construction ia taken into consideration, but in this one tho stewards thought a decision as to the working capabilities of the respective machines alone was requisite. They therefore arranged that the maximum number of points should bo 50, distributed as follows : Sheaf, 15 (size 5, shape 5, tightness 5) ; cut, 10 ; delivery, 10 ; security of kuofc, 5 ; and absence of .stoppages and loose sheaves, 10. The following table shows in detail tho number of poiuts gained by each machine :— ! Hornsby H'w'rd J'n'sVu. R. & «•

We (Auckland Now;;) have boon shown a sample of factory butter, produced by Mr Henry lleynoltls, Nmvstuad, "Waikato. The quality is excellent. For sonio timo past he has been using separator.", and has four now in daily use — one each at Newstead, Pukekura, Pukerimu, and Cambridge. He deals daily with tho milk of 1200 cows. He purchases the milk from the farmers at the rate of 2J per gallon, and uses the skim milk for pigieediug. He estimates that the skim milk is worth at least £ri per gallon for pig feeding, so thab the price paid for the milk for butter-making purposes is really 2jd per gallon. Thirteen tons of excellent butter have already been exported this year for the London market. It has been packed in various ways — some in Pond's boxes, some' in tins, some in kegs, some in lib tins fastened witbcub soldering, &c. The object of these varieties of packages is for the purpose of testing which is the one that secures the largest price at Home. This being known, that form of package will be adopted for the future. Mr Reynolds has put up a considerable quantity in lib tins, which has found a ready market in Brisbane. Indeed, the Queensland market is one ot Mr Reynolds' regular outlets for butter, for he send-, a, fortnightly consignment there. The butter has very little salt added, but experience has shown that it keeps quite good for three to four weeks after arrival, aud during tho time Mr Reynolds has been supplying the Brisbane market only four or live lib tins have gone to bad. The present output is about 30001b weekly. Tbe churning is done at each of the creameries, and not at one centr-l Nation, as is done by the Frozen Meat Company. It is to bo hopsid that all these eiforta to provide a profitable export for our dairy produce will result suficos-sfally, as with our genial climate ami Jiiapla moisture New Zealand should he chief nrnong dairy countries on this side of the equator. So long as Britain sends away many millions every year to foreign countries for butter aDd cheese, it is to be hoped New Zealand settlers will have enterprise enough to secure a large share of this overflowing wealth.

Wheat freights for the coming season (says tho South Canterbury Co-operative Frcwj's' Journal) seems likely to range from 35i t'i 40<, and as there will be a large surplus for export, farmers should weigh well the advantages of

shipping on their own account before accepting ibeiow rates now offering for the new season's grain. Taking the highest quotation for freight — viz, 40s— and the average price of prime New Zealand wheat in London at 34s per quarter, v?e arrive at a net return of at least 3s per %>ushel. We notice that cargoes Ot new season's igraiu from Australian port? have been sold at S7s for forward dtilivcty \ and as the bulk of the Canterbury grain promises to turn out of superior, quality, the turn of the market is likely to be in favour of sellers. Barley is likely to prove a paying crop if harvested iv good condition, having a net value of form 4s 0d to 4s lOd for shipment to Australian port 3. Oats, we feat, will realise low prices) during the coming season, owiug to the abundant CJops both in Australian and local markets.

The Victorians are pernisfcenlJn their endeavours to secure the invention Of an effective pea crusher, and the ttial this season was much more promising t&aii those of former years. Hand threshing costs 2s per bag, but the machine will Jiave to xtork for less than Is per bag to effect any saving; for the paying and providing for the flar#q number of hands required is a heavy charge. In its uotico of the competition the Leader says : — •' The work done> in the opiniou of the judges, was not quite up to the requirements of pea growers, but a very decided improvement oa Fast year's trial was apparent. The threshing was performed without injury to tbhe peas, but on examination it was found that a good deal of grain escaped iv the haulm. The shakers were not considered satisfactory, and a (greater length of riddles was recommended. Out •of a possible 500 points, Hanson's machine gained 325, while to Love and Cudy 295 points were given. Taking into consideration the excellent sample of grain turned out by both machines, the judges decided on recommending that £50 be awarded to Hanson and £30 to ILove and Uuddy. In order to stimulate inventors, they further advised thab the Minister •of Agriculture be requested to again offer the tootlus next year, wheu it is hoped the desired object will be gained. The decision gave general satisfaction to the farmers present, the majority of whom were well pleased at the improvement ou last year's machines."

The New South Wales Government are about <bo make & new departure in dealing with the jvabbit pest. The Sydney Mail says :— " During Shis tfecont tour through New Zealand the Minister for Lands satisfied himself regarding usefulness of what ia known as rabbit-proof fencing, which he vow regards as the ouly effective means of reducing the pest. The new bill is so framed that both lessees and 1 freeholders will be able to borrow froni the State the money necessary to erect the fencing. Thus it will be seen that something is being done, but the main' part of tho action hinges on the passage of the Land BilK If it is delayed, as such bills usually are, the rabbits will have sufficient time to reach •hhe eastern country. Mr Garrett hopes to have th« bill through in three mouths. Let us hope that he is not over-sanguine in the matter." Tho farm of the Mississippi Agricultural College not only pays expenses, but is a source oi revenue. What is more, the land is constantly improving. The farm was an old cotton plantation that had been devoted to raising one crop so long that it had becomo practically unproductive. By adopting a system of rotation, keeping dairy cows, and ploughing under green crops, the land has become very productive.

A typo of horse which we would like to have back jamoug us (writes the Live Stock Journal) is the old long-distance trotter, which is not to be couf. used with the American trotting racer. This old. long-distance trotter was very common just Hbout the time stage coaches were developed, aud was a great favourite amongst butchers, graziers, and others, being indeed indispensable in the purchasing of cattle in those days. This style of horse may be simply described by a quotation from'an old magazine :—: — "On Monday, July 18th, 1787, a trotting match from Monkbridge, near York, to Malton, about 17^ miles, was performed for a considerable wager foetweeu Mr John Harrison, butcher, and Mr Siinpsou, innkeeper, both of York, [each riding his own marc, which was won eahily by the former. Mr Harrison, who was in the 62nd year of bis age, and rode IBst 121b, went the distance in lhr 21-^rnin. Mr Simpson rode lOsb 61b. Great sums were depending on tho result of the match." This was 100 years ago last July. We fancy that a mare that cau take a man 18sfe 121b 17 i miles along a country road would prove a very useful one nowadays for most purposes.

The centrifugal cream separator is now thoroughly established in this colony (says the Queenslfiuder) from the Southern Downs to Cooktown in tho north, and the query has already come to us for information as to what should" bo put into the fresh separated milk to make of it a perfect calf food. This has been well answered by Professor E. W. Stewart in the Cultivator and Country Gentleman (U.S.), as follows : — " The first thing to do is to restore the cream, or as near its equivalent as possible. This, perhaps, is nearest done by adding the oil of flaxseed to the separated milk ; and the best way to add this oil is in the form of flaxseed jelly, produced by boiling clean sound flaxseed in about five or six times its bulk of water. It will form a thiu jelly. In this form it will be added to the skim milk. The next point is — how much flaxseed jelly should be used ? Ordinary skitn milk still retains 0 7 of 1 per cent, of fat. Wo will add 2 per cenfc. of Haxseed oil, or we will add s.Vlb of flaxseeil to 1001b of skim milk. This will restore 2 pur cent, of fat in, probably, tho best form it can bo restored. Our skim milk now has. estimated as common skim milk, nearly 3 per cent, of fat, and cau almost be considered normal milk. We do not say that the separated milk has as much fab left, but its quality in other respects is more than equivalent i.o make up that difference. Besides "this, add foe the young calf up to 60 days old 2lb of finished middlings to the 1001b of milk. When th>3 s£lb of flaxseed is boiled, use six times its bulk of water, and when ths jelly is formed stir in the 2lb of middlings ami cook for a few minutes. This will all be added to tho skitn milk together. This may not bo 'a perfect calf food,' but if it be giveu by a skilful feeder-it will test expert judgment to point out the difference between calves fed in this way and those fed oa new milk."

Although the prices for pedigree shorthorns have fallen very low within the last few years, they are still higher than they were before Earl Ducie's famous sale which dated the commencement of a long run of fabulous prices, altogether disproportionate to the real value of the animals. An English paper compares tite average of shorthorn sales in ISSI with thoso of 1887, with the result that last year'.s averages were considerably above those of 36 years ago.

There are indications of a cheese factory boom in Victoria. The Leader says : — " The surprising statement is made that the recently established factories at Newbridge aud Bridgewater are paying something like GO per cent, interest on the capital invested, and, however incredible it may appear to some minds, it is evident thab tney must be doing well, even allowing for a large amount of exaggeration."

An inexpensive and efficient clod-crusher is comingiutou.se in America, flitch is thus described: — It is made of three hardwood 2-inch planks, lft wide and SFfc long, the edges lap 2in, and are secured by cleats across the top. Tha plauk laid down first is the one to hitch the

team to ; this is done by nailing an old horseshoe near eatih. end and passing a chain through, to v/ntch the swingle-trees are attached. The crusher must be weighted with stones, or the driver may ride. A land roller drives many clods into the yielding ground without breaking them up ; this implement pushes the clods ahead, and finally attacks them in a vulnerable spot and crushes them. It leaves the surface smooths

Haifbred sheep have for many years been produced in the South of Scotland, and are now, in the opinion of a prominent breeder, as pure a breed as any. It was held that five deacents made & pure animal, and many farmers in that neighbourhood have been breeding this stock for 25 years. The3e sheep have usurped tho place of the Cheviot, and on mixed arable and pasture farms they have taken the place formerly held by the Cheviot. It has helped farmers very much to tide over the period of depression, and but for that stock it would have been a collapse with many of them. * it is a stock that enables fi, farmer to pay a higher rental. There are farmers who, by keeping this breed, are sending 41b of mutton to the market for every pound they sent before, at the same time growing more wool. The halfbred might be called a poor man's sheep, and. yet a good rich man's sheep. Mr Elliott, Blackhaugh, Galashiels, the breeder to whom we (Mark Lane Express) have referred, holds that it is ao true a breed as tho Border Leicester.

Tho Mount Stuart correspondent of the Tuapeka Times mentions an instance of a horse being attacked by a ferret. The latter, which was sleeping near the roadside, being disturbed by a passing waggon, it immediately attacked one of the horses, and was only with great difficulty induced to Jet go its hold.

Hi) eat : Size... Shapo Tightness Cut ... Delivery Security of knot ... Absence of stoppages and loose sheaves R 5 5 10 10 5 10 n 5 9 0 5 ' 9 3 5 7 8 5 5 5 2 ft 0 8 5 7 Total points .., 50 47 33 :3'i