AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1895, 16 March 1888, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Sixty acres of land between Studholme and Hook have just changed hands at £20 10s per acre. The price must be regarded as a very good one in these times, although the quality of the land is exceptionally fine. Mr Haunay, assistant general manager of railways, has forwarded a reply to the complaint of the Oamaru Chamber of Commerce as to the excess rates charged on grain iv bags over 2401b. He points out that the regulation is nob a new one. It was relaxed just before the season of 1882, but the consequence was that the weight of bags sent by rail became so excessive that there was a complete block at Lyttelton (at which port many thousands of bags are stored annually by the department), ib being found impossible, with the enormous quantity of grain handled there, to get men who could do the necessary labour. The regulation was reiutroduced early in the same seasou, with the full concurrence of the Canterbury grain merchants, and no difficulty was experienced in that district since in keeping within its requirements. The matter will be referred by the Minister, however, to the commissioners when they are appointed. Mr Hudson, who was sent up by the Government to Rangitikei to make investigations concerning the Hessian fly, states that nearly half the specimens he is keeping contain parasites. Thw, of course, means that nearly half the insects never reach maturity. He also states that he observed a hrge number of flies which aca now proved boyond doubt to be a parisite of the Hessian fly atnougst the infected wheat paddocks at Marton. If the assertion that the fly has been known to exist for years past is to be relied upon, this fact may account for so little having been heard of it. The Clutha Leader mentions as an instance of the efficacy of summer poisoning of rabbits that Mr P. Ayson, Corydon, Warepa, recently prepared and laid poisoned oats in his paddocks, in the bush, gullies, &c, aud ib proved in the highest degree successful. Where rabbits were extremely numerous before, scarcely one is now to be seen ; bub their carcasses were found in hundreds, and where their burrows were numerous the whole air was for a short tima polluted with the stench of their remains. There can be no doubt whatever as to the success of the poisouing. Were all the settlers in the neighbourhood to follow Mr Ayson's example, the district would soon be rid of the pest. The Ota.go Agricultural and Pastoral Association intend to coutiuue the experiment of last year of holding a ram and ewe fair at Tahuna Park. Thursday, tho sth April, has been fixed as the date.

According to the Wairarapa Star, there ia great mortality on the East Coast of the North Island among sheep from scouring aud lung worm. Ib is stated that on one station the number that have died, chiefly within the last two months, is about 7030. The first shipment of butter to England by the Auckland Freeziug Company resulted in a loss.

The Mount Ida Chronicle states that Mr M'Master, of Bast Kyeburn station, has just threshed 1300 bags of nice, cleau grass seed, the product of 1,50 acres of land, being nearly 50 bushels per acre. The following (says the Ghristchurch Press) shows the total yielcj of grain for the provincial district of Canterbury : —

The most complete summary of last years trade in purebred stock in Scotland is that published by the Banffshire Journal. In 1887 the total number of polled Aberdeen-Angus and shorthorn cattle sold was 1602 head ; the total amount realised being £30,538. The previous year the amount realised for 1800 head was £41,397 ; and in 1885 the amount realised for 1804 head was £44,885. The average price of 1602 cattle sold last year was £19 Is 3d. The average price for 1800 head sold in 1886 was £22 14a 4-j[d. Of Aberdeen-Angus cattle 849 were aold at an average of £17 Is lOd. In 1886 ths average for 814 head was £24 15s sd. Of shorthorns 753 were sold at au average of £21 5s 9d. The previous year 98G were sold at an average of £21 10s Bd. It is stated that although prices were lower than in any former year, I§B7 closed with a more hopeful outlook for the pure stockbreeder.

The Government scheme for improving the breed of horses in Ireland is at present receiving much attention. The selection of the entire being m^de, the mares competing for free service will be inspected by a committee, and the bust ones sent forward. In noting selection of what it describes as "that great and good horse Herberstawn " for the Ulster district, the Belfast Newsletter says:-— "lt is expected that there 7/\\[ ha at least 100 in competition, out of which number not more than 20 could be selected. There will be a close competition for this boon, which, doubtless, will do much to stimulate and encourage an improvement iv our breed of horse?.

In noticing the farm of Mr Davidson, on the Mataura-Switzers road, the reporter of the Southern Standard says :— " Mr Davidson was engaged cutting his barley, which waa not as good a crop as could be wished for. His wheat and oats, however, like all the others on the river flats, were well headed, and would return a fair yield. Mr Davidson was somewhat concerned about a weed which has gained a footing in one of his clover paddocks. In two different places in the paddock, about 4ft in circumference, are spaces ofjf which the clover- has been completely eater), or has died away. On examination qf the edges o,f the clover next to the affected spot a small wiry-Jooking plant of a reddish colour was seen fin,circliug itself litre ivy around each stem of clover, and spreading about in all directions. In its operations the intruder has in no case exceeded Gin in breadth ; outside of that no trace of it Js to be found, In my presence Mr Davidson burned the dead stjug, and ia going to take note how fast the weed will travel in a given time. The farmers in the neighbourhood have never seen anything of the kind before, and would like some information upon the subject. Is it the dodder ? " The fly is devastating the turnip crop at Cambridge (Auckland), and raiu is eagerly looked for to check its ravages.

In commenting on the cable news regarding the sale of Gore and Fairfax companies' cheese at Home the Southland News says : — " It will interest readers to learn, that tb.B Fairfax cheese that realised 46s was old cheese, while the case that brought 54s was not more than two months old at date of shipment. This would point to the faot that new cheese oan be shipped Home without material risk of arriving ip bad order, providing shipping conditions are satisfactory."

There are 650 butter and cream factories in lowa, 497 in Illinois, 130 in Wisconsin, 100 iv Kansas, 100 in Minnesota, 61 in Missouri, 50 in Indiana, and 49 in Nebraska—a total of 1788 in eight States. :The value of the dairy products of lowa in 1884 was ,£10,000,000, and that of the United States was £100,000,000. The value of the wlcii cows of the United, States ia put at

£140,000,000 in excess of the entire capital stock of all the national banks and trust companies in the country.

The Knapdale correspondent of the Mataura Ensign writes : — " The oats are coming in very irregularly this year, partly on account of bad sowing and partly on account of the variable season. Taken all over the crops are perhaps somewhat bulkier than they were last year, and are ever so much better filled, consequently expectations may more nearly be realised. We have had some very sharp frosts lately, and it is more than lik«ly some of the late wheat will be somewhat frosted. It appears that some of your correspondents do not believe in frosted wheat, and think ' that when the bloom is off there is no feai I .' Perhaps they may have cause to alter au opinion tlut seems to have been founded on hearsay and not on actual experience if the present season proves the contrary. Potatoes were very low iv price last year owing to there being too many in the country, and many of those who had large supplies last year will have none for sale this season, so that in all probability the friends of the poor man will bo scarce. The frosts spoken of above havo blackened a lob of them."

Some valuable experiments with rust-proof wheat were tried in Queensland during tho past season, by Messrs Joyce Bros., of Cregmore, Dalby, in conjunction with Dr Bancroft, and the experiments have proved successful, for, although tested by being sown between lines of rusty wheat, they showed no signs of infection, and gave a return of 46$ bushels per acre, with about four tons of straw. The samples which were sent to the Department of Agriculture consist of three kinds—a bearded wheat and two varieties without awns. The bearded variety is rust proof en low swampy ground, and the others ou higher ground. Joyce Bros., writing to the Undersecretary for Agriculture, say:— "These wheats got no rain from the time they were 12in high until reaped, and averaged 46|- bushels per acre. Although Indian wheats are generally considered too vitreous by millers for making good flour, Messrs Kates and Hayes on seeing samples of these varieties offered full market quotations, and the Victerian farmers who came as delegates to inspect the Jimbour land saw the wheat in sheaves, and reported that it was tho only clean wheat or oats entirely fres from rusb they had seen in Queensland."

The projected dairy factory at Pleasant Points will (says the South Canterbury Farmers' Cooperative Journal) greatly benefit the farmers in that district when once fairly established, and is likely to prove in every respect a profitable industry if worked upon business lines. Dairy factories in New Zealand have not hitherto been a success, simply because farmers expect too much for their milk. With butter selling at sil and cheese at 4&d in the local market, there is no room to give 3d per gallon for milk ; but whether the farmor can deliver it at a lower figure and still show a profit is another matter. The price now ruling in the English market for colonial butter and cheese shows conclusively that it is hopeleß3 for individual farmers to compete against the factory system now generally adopted in Canada. The exports of cheese and butter from that couutry to Great Britain amount to 90,000,0001b and 8,000,0001b respectively a year. Canadian dairy products am in groat favour in England, owing to their uniform quality and condition, whilst New Zealand consignments have been pretty freely condemned in consequence of their failing to comply with this very essential requirement of the Home market. Under a well managed factory system dairying should be a more profitable industry than graingrowing, irrespective of the reduction in the capital value of the land entailed by the colonial system of frequeufc cropping.

The Convention of Cattlegrowers heH recently at Kansas adopted the following rev solution relative to the importation of British cattlu: — "Whereas, American breeders have, during the last 100 years, been importing from foreign countries the best cattlo to be obtained in those countries, until at tho present time wo hava a large and ample supply of the most improved breeds, and whereas, the most con~ tagious and deadly diseases known to exist among the cattlo of the United States are exotio diseases, imported f rum foreign countries, where those diseases are still prevailing; therefore bo it resolved, that it is the sense of this Convention that sound public polioy demands that for the present all importations of cattle shall be suspended until suoh time as the respective countries from whioh we havo been drawing ouc supplies 6baJl have adopted and forced measures for the thorough aud complete eradication of those dteeass3B known respectively as plearopneumonia, foot-and-mouth disease, and rinderpest. — Resolved, that a copy of these resolutions be forwarded to the Secretary of the United States Treasury, and that he twj respectfully urged to suspend for the prosent the importation of cattle from all foreign countries."

We learn from the Popotunoa Chronicle that at a farmers' meeting h»ld at Waipahi last week (he feeling appewredto prevail that merchants had too great y, share of the profits in their dealings with sutlers, and the latter were thus defrauded of a considerable sum. Mr Cawthorne, who convened the meeting and was voted to the chair, stated that his opinion was that if farmers would combine, the system of buying oats without allowing the price of bags or returning the latter might be overturned in tho district. It: was thought advisable to, co-operate with tho Gore A?sociation t which had opened negotiations with Messrs GoKlsbrough, Melbourne. Before separating, Mr Cawthorne was appointed secretary, and was instructed to obtain information from Gore ; and on the subject of threshing mills being introduced ifc was thought by the, majority that no more than 10 meu should a©-* company a mill, and should carry six forks, thai* being tho number necessary for the work of a mill.

In connection with the establishment of butter and cheese factoiies iv that colony* the Melbourne Loader says that it has been found that small farmers in Victoria who undeytake dairying are either deficient in the means for making a good article, or if obliged to send small quantities to distant markets labour under great disadvantages in regard to tho carriage and disposal of that produce, and that combination and the establishment, of factories is the only means of overcoming the evil.

One of the most abundant harvests over seen in Canterbury (says the Farmers' Co-operative Journal) has for the moKC part been garnered in excellent condition, tho sample of wheat,, oats, and barley being in most casp.3 everything that can be desired. In some localities the wheat suffered from the parching winds, and in others considerable damage was done by hailstorms about the latter end of January, but taking the. season throughout farmers have on the whole not much to complain of. Wo wish we could say as much for the prices which, with the exception of that ruling for barley, leave a very bare margin of profit. By cutting everything as fine as possible an average crop of wheat, say 30 bushels, can be sown, harvested, Hhreshod, and delivered a moderate distance, 15 or 20 miles, for 43s per acre. Add, to this 12a pc acre for rent, and we have a total ccfst of 55s pc acre. Oa the credit side of the ledger we hay 30 bushels of wheat at 2s 6d, equal to £3 15 showing a profit of £1 per ncre, but allowUv

nothing for risks to horses and machinery, insurance and contingencies, to cover which there is only the straw at what it is worth for feeding purposes. The Canterbury papers publish the agricultural statistics for the current season for the Counties of Ashburton, Selwyn, Akaroa, Ashley, andAmuri South. From the tables we learn that the area under wheat is 174.977J acres, the estimated gross produce of which is 4,148,973 bushels; oats, 27,223| acres for green food, 77,903 for grain, estimated produce, 2,189,159 bushels; barley, 9036| acres, 241,805 bushels; rye, 786|d acres, 11,823 bushels; peas, 2607 acres, 108,903 bushels ; beans, 2C07 acres, 92,516 bushels; potatoes, 5089 acres, 31,436f tons; turnip or rape, 62,794£ acres. According to Miss Ormerod seven distinctparaBites infesting the Hessian fly have already been discovered, and curiously enough they are not only all Russian , but embraceall the parasites known to Dr Lindeman. It is (says a Home paper) very interesting to have this confirmation as to the suspected Russian origin of the pest, just as it is comforting to know that the Hessian fly has brought all his known enemies with him into the country. ' Mr H. Carswell, of Invercargill, has donated to the Mataura A. and P. Society two prizes of £3 and £2 respectively for the best cured butter for export, to be shown at the association's next show, in not less than sGlb packages. At a meeting of the society held last week Mr Raymond moved—" That the co - operation of kindred societies be solicited towards approaching the Minister of Public Works Jwifch a view of securing a substantial reduction in the rail carriage of on agriculturaljlime and other artificial manure." The mover stated that at present the carriage of lime was 50 per cent, over the cost of the article, so the using of this fertiliser was prohibitory. He felt Gatisfied that the department might make a considerable concession, and then be more in pocket. The resolution was carried. The Adelaide Observer has the following on the experiments made by Dr Butcher with diseased rabbits in New South Wales :— " This is known as the ' Tintinallogy Scheme,' from the facfc that it has been put into action at the station bearing that name. It owed its origin to the discovery by Dr Herbert Butcher of a contagious disease in rabbits running about the station. One of these rabbits was caught, and from it was obtained infected matter, which the doctor, as the Western Grazier pathetically says. has cultivated as a gardener cultivates flowers." Having first caught his diseased rabbit, Dr Butcher conducted experiments within a fenced area of about 500 acres on the Darling, which was placed at his disposal for the by one of the proprietors of Tintinallogy Station. He had hardly begun his work of scientific observation before imperative orders were received from Sydney for the destruction of the diseased rabbits in the enclosure, and thus the enterprise was severely handicapped. If the New South Wales Government had ordered the destruction of the sound rabbits outside the 500-acre block one could have understood the proceeding; but it certainly does seem to have been most unnecessary to Jtill moribund pest 6 who could not escape from eoniinement. The stupidity of the order was sooa officially recognised, and Dr Butcher set to work again. Since then 829 rabbits have been Snoculafced with the disease, and of these 822 have died from its operation. Of the remaining four three have resisted the disease, ' though eittce infection they have never recovered condition.' The fourth was wiser. He would not catch the 'disease, but, rather than linger in bad condition, he broke his leg and got himself killed. Mr Stanley, the New South Wales Government veterinary surgeon, has carefully examined the process, in the management of which Dr Ellis, of Sydney, a pupil of jjt, Pasteur, is concerned, and is understood to have sent in a report of the most tra-vourable character. It is at any rate known -that Mr Stanley has in the most public manner <(3fcated bis belief and confidence that the method adopted grould not in any way affect stock injuriously-; that the disease from which these J322 rabbits died was not communicable to other animals than those which formed the subject of experiment. This, however, is a matter of too much importance to be left to the judgment of any single expert, inasmuch as the conditions of life and the possibility of contagion are very different in a 500-acre paddock from what they wculd be in a whole colony-; nor are wo much impressed with the statement made in the Western Grazier that the men on the station freely drink milk obtained from a cow who has been inoculated wifch the disease. With different animals a common -disease takes different forms and acts In various ways, and so, whilst we admire the ri«)lf-«acrifief or .wonder at the thirst of the-t- • iuin, we :w noi. prepared to accept their testimony as proof positive of the single application of the malady. The 500 acres are full of good ft-ed, and there are placed in them at intervals hutches containing rabbits in various siages, inoculated or intected by different means. There ars, besides, enclosures— 2oft by 24ft— in which, the rabbits having greater freedom, greater and more convincing opportunities are given for a practical trial of the experiment. Further, rabbits are allowed to run free— always, of course, within observation—and the representative of the Western Grazier (whom we must congratulate on a very full and graphic description of the method pursued) found that these rabbits showed a surprising want of spirit and activity. A paragraph in another column describes the visit to Tiutinallogy of Mr Hogarth, an experienced Wiistoralist, who was plainly gratified with the progress of the experiment. The very words, Show/iver, in which this gratification is expressed <cnli for consideration. Mr Hogarth was 'entirely •satisfied ivifcu having seen hundredsof dead rabbits on the Jafected country.' Living rabbits are bad enough*— what are we to do with the corpses titf diseased rabbits? The Commission on fche matter will doubtless deal with this aspect of the question. The interests involved are so great that the closest investigation should be made of any scheme which promises to be a remedy for the evil, for the purpose of ascertaining first whether it is likely to be an effectual remedy, and next whether the cure, even if complete, will not bo worse than the evil."

'otal 1888 !otal 1887 Wheat, Bushels. 5,976,413 4,012,790 Oats. Barley. Bushels. Bushels, 3,(5c6,401 312,473 3,870,519 238,074