AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1904, 18 May 1888, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

An assertion which cannot do otherwise than ' cause considerable surprise was made by Dr Fischer in his interview with the Daily Times reporter. One of the great merits of M. Pasteur's proposed method of exterminating tho rabbits was that the disease would be spread from rabbit to rabbit after a few had been affected. This, Dr Fischer, asserts, is not the the case ; although it is highly contagious among domestic fowls and other birds, it ia not so with quadrupeds. In the case of rabbits the animal infected dies but does not spread the contagion. As Dr Fischer bases his assertions on experiments persqnally undertaken in Berlin, it is evident that lie has given the subject sufficient attention to be able to speak with some degree of authority, and the reply from M. Pastour's agents in New South Wales will be eagerly looked for by those interested. If this is really the case the much-vaunted panacea will actually present no greater promise than the use of poisoned grain, while it will have the disadvantage of introducing, or at all events spreading, a muchdreaded scourge throughout the poultry yards of the colonies. We trust this phase of the question will be brought under the notice of the commission in time for them to make conclusive experiments ere giving their decision. The probability of an extensive trade in butter between this colony and the Home Country being commenced during the ensuing ceason should direct attention to the advisability of utilising some of our light woods for packing purposes. This has hitherto been out of the question, as those tried so far have been found to taint the butter coming into contact with it. That this difficulty can be easily overcome, however, by utilising some cheap veneer for the inside of the packages there can be no doubt, and we hear that the matter is receiving some attention in more than one quarter in Dunedin with a view to commencing the manufacture of butter boxes on a scale commensurate with the possibilities of the trade. In this connection it may be mentioned that an impervious enamel for wood and similar substances which as come into general use in America is a solution of shellac in methylated spirit. A first coat is applied, and then a second is laid on at a high temperature and under great pressure. The process seems to be a very simple one, and could be tried on a small scale at a cost of a few shillings.

The project for the establishment of travelling working dairies in Victoria has taken definite form. _ The movement has been initiated by a committee of gentlemen interested in dairy pursuits, and the Minister of Agriculture has virtually promised a subsidy of £5000. It is'proposed to establish two working dairies, one for dealing with the milk of 80 cows and the other for 20 cows. These, it is proposed, should be exhibited at all the agricultural shows through the country, and should show the most approved methods of dealing with milk from the time it is received from the cow until it is converted into butter or cheese. Instruction as to the best means of keeping these products in a fresh condition will also be given. In addition to these model dairying "systems, it is proposed to map the. colony out into three districts, and have a working dairy plant in each of them, temporarily located at the farm of a representative person who carries on dairying. Particulars of the pattern plant reoommended by the committee havp been, asked for, by Mr Dow in order that one may be obtained from England in time for the National Agricultural Society's annual show. /

The weather in Southland has been remarkably fine for several weeks past, and now that tho harvest operations are concluded it is found that the quantity and condition of the yield has not suffered by the previous bad weather to nearly the extent supposed. Grain buyers speak well of the quality of the crops. Immense quantities of grain are coming forward for shipment, and the railways are taxed to keep abreast of the traffic, while the Union Company's steamers cannot give cargo the space required There isa perceptible movement of the finance companies to part with large estates in the district that have fallen into their hands at considerable reductions on rates ruling a few years ago. Inquiries for land are becoming more frequent, some being from Victorian farmers.

Sir James Hector is endeavouring to arrange to take with him to Sydney, on Friday, specimens of tho rabbit liver-fluke disease. He has laid before the conference his idea that it and other diseasfs may be cultivated with moat destructive effects on the rabbit pest if only a satisfactory intermediary animal can be found to develop the parasite, which requires this as docs the tapeworm. Sir James Hector states that during his residence in Canada this disease completely swept off the rabbits in large districts, with the result of pearly starving the Indian tribes, who had previously lived on them. But in that case rabbits infected with the complaint had been devoured by foxes, through whose excreta the germs were spread far and wide in a virulent form. Unfortunately, when dogs or cats are the intermediary animal the disease seems to lose its virulence, and becomes so mild as to be useless as a rabbit exterminator. An interesting case of nasal gleet came under our (Sydney Mail) notice recently. A three-year-old draught colt had a severo attack of influenza about 12 months since, and had been suffering for tho last, nine months with a chick, unhealthy discharge from the off nostril. Lately a gradual enlargement of the bones over side of face over the masilary sinus took place. At the owner's request the horse was operated on by Mr Scott, M.RC.V.S. A round piece of skin and the tissue underneath about the size of a half-a-crown was dissected away from the face, exposing the bone over the enlargement. Into this hole a circular bone saw (a trephine) was inserted and ( worked round like a bit and brace until a piece of bone came out of the aperture along with the saw, exposing the interior of the hollow in face. After syringing the sinus a large piece of diseased tissue, which filled up the hollow, was removed by forceps. Since the operation the discharge from the nostril has ceased, and the enlargement on face is gradually diminishing.

As showing the decrease in the importation of guano to Britain, it is stated that- £4,000,000 was spent on guano in' 1850— £2,500,000 and £3,500,000 in 1860 aud 1869— and about £2,000,000 worth was imported annually up till 1878. Since then it has dropped to less than £1,500,000, and now to £250,000 per annum. From 350,000 tons in 1858 it has dropped to 25,000 tons in 1885

Regarding the merits and demerits of grain threshed out of the stook and that threshed out

of the stack after it has been allowed to "sweat,** a well-known miller in the Winchester; district informed one of the representatives ' of ■ the Timaru Herald that millers can do nothing with grain threshed out of the stook. The grain must remain in stack until it has thoroughly sweated, and thereby become ready for the zniH or the ship. • ; . Mr Samuel Fletcher is about to try a shipment of Southland beef on the Home market. With this object in view he has purchased 60 head of cattle from Mr James HoJmes, of Waimahaka, ' whose Hereford and polled Angus herds are famed throughout the colony, and has killed the animals and prepared the carcasses for freezing at the local slaughter yards. • ' ;' India is coming to the front as a barley-pro-ducing country. The Government of Madras is putting forth" a special effort to encourage the growing of barley, on the hills. They, have issued instructions for a' memorandum to be*prep&red detailing the description of barley required for malting purposes, and stating the method in which it can be best grown and prepared for the market. They have also intimated to their civil 1 officer's tbatno opportunity should be lost of impresbiug upon the ryots the great advantage which will result to them in the way of obtaining a ready and remunerative market for grain,' if carefully grown and prepared. That the experiment will ultimately prove 'a success •if energetically pushed there can he no .reason to doubt. Last year the exports of Pnnjaub barley from the port of Bombay amounted in value to eight lakhs of rupees, and of this thr'ee-f ourtbs went to the United Kingdom. This trade has sprung up only in the Insfc year or two, but it now shows every chance i f proving an important and thriving industry. '".'', Professor Hillard, of the Experimental Station, University of California, claims .for a variety of wheat named the Messoyen that it is proof ! against attacks of the Hessian fly. On the poor soil of his station, be says, this wheat last harves yielded 33 bushels to the acre, while nonresisting wheats were destroyed or *' reduced to the fraction of a crop "by the fly. Two others resisting sorts, the Atlanti and the Vqlo, yielded 27 and 20 bushels per acre respectively. These three varieties are described as " solid stemmed" and originally dark hard wheats, but fast becoming white and starchy without losing,' so far, their resisting qualities. Judging from the following paragraph from a Home paper, there is a possibility of the English market being opened to the colonial producer in ■mother direction : — "A sample of New Zealand young potatoes, the first exported to thin country, has just arrived in London, having been despatched in November. They are in splendid condition, and their quality is that of the finest Bnglish*grown potatoes." Our contemporary does not mention' what the sample spoken of realised, but the quotations in Spitalfields market for the week ending March 17 were : — Magnum bonum, 55s to 00s per ton ; beauty of Hebron, 86s to 120s ; York regents, 70s to 80s ; Scotch regents, 73* to 955 ; Victorias and Scotch champion, 60.-* to 70s. The novelty of hew potatoesfor Christmas dinner at Home would surely prove sufficiently attractive ' to realise a high enough price to pay the exporter well. A machine known as the Lightning Tree Planter is now in uso in California. The machine ia something like a post-holo augur, mounted on wheels, and is capable of being driven downward ' o make the hole by a horsoweep when turned in one direction. When turned in the opposite, ifc lifts the augur with the earth cut through, leaving the hole ready for planting. ' It bores holes 36in deep and 24in in diameter. With two ;neu and one horse, good of their kind, and in favourable soil, 300 trees can be planted in 10 hours. ' '• As showing the danger of allowing cows to •)rii;k bad water, Professor Law, of Cornell University (says the Southern Planter) caused ,^ome cows to drink for several days from j* stagnant pool of water that existed in a swale, and having examined the milk found it full pf iving organisms. Then the water frojn tba pool, was examined, and the same- living i reatuns were found. Then the cows wore ex* aniined, and they were found to,be in a feverish condition, the result of their blood being charged <vith these minute organisms. Then some pure milk was taken and some of this, pond water j>ufc with it, and these same creatures multiplied within a few hours so as to take possessiop of tho milk. After this test no one can dispute (hat living organisms maybe introduced 'into milk by the using of improper food' and drink, It. also shows that there is a, close relation between good pure water and fine good, keeping ■ Sairy produce. From a sanitary ; standpoint the lives and health of tho consumers are to a certain extent dependent upon the character of liubter and milk. Radical cleanliness can alone be tolerated in the dairy of 1888. ■' n/

Au illustration of improving the bii'ter yield is given in the caso of a veteran American dairy:uao. Ho bad some old grade Ayrshire cows, v/hich had been in his herd for years. ' Tbeso <ows were giving a beautiful yield of milk,' and paid their wny, making about J Jib of butter v per .lay. He put a thoroughbred Jersey bull at the head of his herd, and now has grade Jersey heifers from the Fame cows, which are yielding him l^lb a cloy. These heifera, by virtue of the •mproved butter qualities they had received from tbeir .sirr, are turning out; £lb more butter a 'lay, and cotvuruo less food to do it with. i ' A good move has been taken by the National Agricultural Socisty of Victoria in endeavouring to obtain from the Government a grant of £5000 for th« purpose of ptftblisbing a model dairy plant and exhibiting- it in proper working order Throughout those parts of the colony in which dairying is most extensively carried on. The 'imputation for this purpose that waited upon 'he Minister of Agriculture (Mr J. L. Dow) was n large and influential one. They informed the Minister that "in Ennland, Ireland, and Scotland the travelling da ; ry had, as « medium for instruction, proved a great succets, and the butter maWe by the new methods hu'l sp far improved in quality that it wnu worth 3d per pound more 'hau formerly. Previously Ihe. Doninh- butter had always tak»:n the first prizes at; the great Kensington show, but immediately upon the introduction of Iho travelling dairy, with its improved methods of manufacture, the Irish bntter, n'hich had never gained higher than a third prize before, was placed first and second; betting the l>egfc of the European butter*. At Home the question of a model dairy was taken in hand by seveiM ji^n-.lt-Djen as n. public question, and as vow worked tho aytttin was an admirable one. As f»»r as tony had at. present matured the s-ch-tnd in Victoria it wns to establish three travelling dairies, and divide the colony into •hrfce separate districts, in each of which one (Jairy would travfl. With each dairy an export au<l two assistants would be required, and ifc was estimated that each of these model plants could he worked for a year at a cost of (tlightly under £1060. Ifc was proposed to take the plant to, say, the largest; dairy in each. locality aud keep ifc in work there for three .weeks, duringwhich time all the farmers of the district would have an opportunity of acquiring :t knowledge of its working. At Home those -who wished to become acqnaiuted with the. beat modern methods of butter making attended the dairy, and on proving themselves familiar with all details received a certificate to that effect." The Minister of Agriculture, ip reply, suggested.

fhat a comnritte9.be Bppp^itecland,theiwh9ler f; matte* uedteea to figures.and fixed plans. ., The •, ddheme wotfld jbhen; commend itself to $ie people <Jf the" Colony, and shey;wqold fca\re the,(^overnr menU heartily f witjh ; them.. not a good, flung; hotfev©*,- to. help peeople nnjLess th ey wejre inclined to help themselves, and unl^s thosg, interested in dairying; were inclined |p do more in the direction, the. jcomm^teja, 'desired thfe money would practically be' wasted.. Men who believe that. they could make' butter were not apt to fall in atonce with the views E 6f these who told them that they knew nothing at all about it. He sympathised, entirely with the gentlemen who had taken this matter up, and, his concern was not about the sum of £5000, but to ascertain something definite as to what improvement fa dairying , operations would follow p< its expenditure. .. f , It » stated that there is' likely to be- a scarcity of «a,t#e in the United, States, which it fe considered, will have 9. good effect' upon the 1 British cattle trade. Afirm. Ip Chicago.has'eenfc out some ,500;,inguiriea ag to the prosperity of the American cattle business,.., and, the coricluBions at which they, arrive are as follow :— "1: That the, heavy, run on medium cattle and female Bfr>ck is likely to continue. 2. ,That good cattle axe [scarcer than ever known before, and wilj; continue to appreciate in value.'/ 3., That- wg* may look for the' receipts^ become, lighter after April, and consequently values will increase.,, 4. That notwithstanding /th^ high price, of/fjeed-.it'wul!psy to feed'fqr the Mffft,' June, and' July ,markets. t 5. Reports show that ' all classes of stock, more especially horses, 'ire healthiei? than usual, but that during the last 30 days, feeding cattle have made no advance in condition on account , of the stormy' weather.".-,., ■ , „ ,».'-'... .' „, A correspondent recently made fiome inquiries in the^Field jas .tor wHere' f Sew Zealand «ats could be obtained , In the succeeding .issne- a; number of addresses .were, quoted by different correspondents'* one of whom, wrote :— " I hare^ been a larger user of oats, for 40 years and ,up^" wards, in ..the first place from Dum'f rjesshire,' then from Berwick, and finally, in , September 1881, 1 -tried some from ijTew Zealand, hornegrown oats being so uncertain,- owing to the wet weather, &o. I have always bought them since, the last parceVlOOqr, at 30s per 3841b" in London, weighing 511b natural weight, August 1887, , which I have not begun ,to use yet. On January 23, 1888, 1 was offered 300qr at 29s per 3841b weighing sl£lb natural weight, which ldeclined. I find them very goo.d and sweet, plenty of meal inside, and thin skinned; the best I ever .tried, but dear, only, you have the heavy weight." "B. L.'l writes , as follows in , Monday's Daily Times :— ■" In ", your paper of Saturday I observe a local, stating, that in the .first three, months' of this year » 10,000. itons of barley, were imported from San Francisco to Australasia.' Part of this quantity actually came to Nev7 Zealand. , Surely. • there s is' something^ wrong our own ground in, an article which this fiolony is so. well fitted to produce iv pßrfev^tidrl. This is what.is wrong., We in New Zealand actually pay the freight on this American barley' to compete with our own product. 'A great pa.? t of it comes by the mail steamers which we subsidise,* our subsidy enabling the steamers to .rry the barley, at a nominal rate of freight. We would be acting more reasonably if we paid ! all the subsidy we can afford to pay to the direct steamer?, and stipulated that they should carry steerage passengers, say at £5 per, head, within 40 days, from Great Britain. Then we might expect to, see our polony peopled as America and Canada are now being peopled." Mr Wesley Spragg, of the Auckland Freezing Company, who has had extensive experience in purchasing and manipulating butter for some years past, does not approve of the Government sending out of the' colony for a dairy expert. He states that there are to his .knowledge several ■' persons in the. Auckland district alone both cnpable'aud iwjlling to undertake the work if it is 'desirable to give the system a trial, of which he ' is by no means certain. < He continues:—"Given, a large number of. capable dairy people, working- with a variety of breeds of cattle, .upon soils, of .varying, character, producing , different ■ classes of food, the different positions, " and surroundings ■ giving different atmospheric conditions, , the. result,. even if the butter • produced -is good, is so many different kinds of good butter, and this variety is, in itself' a serious objection, either for a local or an export market. "What is required, in my opinion, is a system that will produce not only excellence, but uniformity. Of course; this at once indicates the necessity for the- institution of the factory system* which, I submit, is the only means likely to secure the desired result. What the country requires is either co-operation or individual en- , terprise in establishing factories, and not either an oral or written- repetition of the instruction already supplied by reports, pamphlets, books, and newspapers.- I take, it for granted .that the objeot of' improving the quality of the New Zealand make of butter, &c, is chiefly to fit it for export, §0 that it may realise payable prices in foreign' markets. Here again even excellence and uniformity of quality may be wasted. ■ Cooperation >and enterprise are as necessary in marketing the butter as in producing it. Prejudice and, worse still, interests have ■ to be fought, and New -Zealand butter will require to be thrust by sheer business force past existing opposition into the consumer's hands before sue- - cess can be reached." A good' deal of 'attention has been devoted, in New 1 Zealand recently to the cultivation of beet' for sugar' production, but by all accounts sorghum' would ' be much more profitable to farmers! ' The British Consul at Chicago, in a report just laid before' Parliament, describes the.re-, suits of experiments inade'dnring the past seven years in the United States to obtain sugar from sorghum juide. ; " Aided by Government grants, these'experiments-were so successful last year that they have, "it is confidently believed, placed 'sorghum sugar making among the profit-, able industries of the country." The State of Kansas has been the first to demonstrate that it is practicable to extract sugar profitably from sorghum. The consul states that the experiments" show that, taking 7£" tons of clean' cane as an average yield per' acre of land cultivated' with sorghum (and good cultivation can increase the yield to 10 and even 12 tons),' this will produce 7501b of sugar, 10001b of molasses, 9001b of seed, 15001b of fodder, and 15001b of; exhausted chips (dried), and that the total value of sugar, molasses, and seed is about £11 ~lßs.' For the corresponding gross yield of 10 tons of sorghum, at 8s per ton, the farmer will make £4 per acre for his crop, or more than double the yield of a crop of wheat or corn, while as a gross product of agriculture and manufacture it is said that six times as much per acre will be realised from this industry as is usually realised from cereals in the ' State of' Kansas. Sorghum seed is said to be of about equal ; value with corn for feeding purposes.- Mr Fisher describes in detail the working of one of the experimental factories during 1887,' and the Various processes through which tlje cane goes. The ■ farmer's part is the most i'uportrsufe of all, and it is thought that much may be done s by experiments to improve the canes, on the same principle as beet for sugar has be'en improved, by careful nursing, producing different hybrids, and preserving seed only from such cane as has been shown by analysis to contain the greatest amount of sugar. It is* also

Ijhougljit that'the leiigjih of the 'season for working sorghum may be -extended by tjh'e s development jor earli&r varieties vr ahd by^cultivation." TW matter 'his attracted a -good delftl bf 1 , attention' in Vibtbriai and the Minister of Lands ,iind Agriculture there has written to the Hon. X^orman • J.. Colma'n,' Commissioner *o£ Agriculture 1 , it Washington, requesting him* in the, cv- ent of the report, of the erystalisation of sorghiim juice with sugar having been effected being 'correct, to forward to the Government a plant' for. 'experiment' upon the sbrghiini,, which '■> is this se ason growing in the Goulburn Valley, and as a pattern for, the f manufacture of future machine: ry in the colony. Tlie sorghum growing .in 1 the Goulburn Valley is the finest sugar 'variety- -the amber — and it-is reported to be -growing in the dry districts with the profusion, of J a we cd. , This, together with .the fact that ,tne' percentage ,of sugar 'in amber sorghum 'fereatljr > exceeds that in the 1 ordinary sugar-cane, poinfsjt 6 yast possibilities for the- sugar-growing iadustry-.' in Victoria should the manufacturing, difficult;?. ,J)e, overcome,. //The, New. .Zealand . climate,. must also be adapted to its growth. ' ' 'Ztanzig the three months ended ' March 31, Saii f FH tiicisco expdrted to' Australia, chiefly to Mdbojtcrne; fully -10,000 tons-of barley; It is, 1 veay strange that our farmers in this colony should jallow the Americans to beat them in a thaafcefc spclose'at home" for an articlewhich can* eksilyl "be raised here. The demand for barley* hiis increased ' greatly ' the 'last few year? ' in ' Australia'; at 'the' '«ame' time Hhid colony 11 has f produced 'less;-' In 1861, New Zealan'd'had ' in hand il;030,010' bushels, 1 while in 1886' shd"bnly had 540,500 bushels. -' ' ' r ' •' ■■>'' ■ It is understood that ah island on the East ' Coasli, north of Lyttelton, has been placed at the disposal of the Government on which to' makejexpewnehts with M: Pasteur's and other methods of ' rabbit destruction:' ' ,