AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1911, 6 July 1888, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The Pall Mall Gazette makes tbe extraordinary assertion that South America " possesses natural advantages over Australia dnd New Zealand, in its proximity to the English markets, superior soil and climate, &c ," and expresses the opinion that " the only possible chance of the latter competing successfully with the former lies in their making the most of their superiority in the quality of their stock. Unless this advantage is fully maintained, it appears to the writer that Australia must be beaten by such countries as the Argentine Republic, and Uruguay— that b,so far ay supplying the Old Country with frozen or tinned meat is concerned." So far as New Zealand is concerned, this calumny is easily refuted by simply qnoting a few incontrovertible facts. A country which experiences neithtr prolonged droughts nor extremes of temperature has nothing to fear in comparison with one wUioli is subject" to both. Taking Otago— generally regarded as the most rigorous part of New Zealand — we find that tho lowest; and highest temperature during any month in the year is respectively 37*7 in July and 58*4 in February, and that there only five months with aa average under 50deg, and only one under 40dej. There is only a variation of ?deg in the remaining seven mouths, making a record so far as evenness of climate is concerned which it would be difficult to excel. Our position as regards fruitfulness is equally unassailable. The average yields of cereals for the colony are: wheat, 26 bushels ; barley, 29 bushels ; oats, 35 bushels ; while our frozen meat holds the highest position in tho Home market, and New Zealand butterand cheese — although only introduced during the past two years — have already commanded attention at Home, and are realising good prices. In addition, it may be mentioned that the colony is, with the exception of two cases of scab in sheep in remote corners, free from disease in all kinds of stock, which thrive well at all seasons of the year, even with a modicum of Attention. So far as distance from thn Home markets is concerned our South American rivals certainly have the advantage, but with a record like the above we scarcely tnink our contemporary is justified in disparaging New Zealand " soil and climate.'

The export of butter to countries of which the climate prevents its home preparation has long been a hope in the chemical mind. This seems now to have become possible by a discovery of Pierre Grosfils, of Vervier, who finds that a solution of a small amount of salicylic acid in lactic acid, when mixed with the butter, will keep it indefinitely without altering its properties or impairing its ta^te. Rabbit poisoning if being much more generally entered into this year than usual, and with, as a rule, extremely favourable results. The rabbits are said to be taking the poisoned gram more readily than usual, and a good record for the poisoning season is anticipated. The Southern Standard gives some particulars of a trial of Pruyn's patent potato lifter at the farmof Mr Hack, Fendalton,whichareof interest. The machine consists of a set of flat-pointed prongs, which, can be lowered and raised at will. When at work, these plough the ground under the rows of potatoes, lifting the soil and potatoes on to a travelling platform, after the fashion of an elevator. The platform is made of rods of iron, sufficiently close to prevent potatoes from falling through. As the machine moves along the potatoes and soil are throws into a revolving racket, which completely disintegrates the soil and throws the potatoes clear of all on to the surfacebehind, which is left quite pulverised. Twitch grass and sorrel nre also shaken clear of the soil as well, which is a great advantage, leaving them .ready to be gathered for burning. Of course the machine works best whure there are no weeds and where the potato vines have withered away. Tho machine is mounted on a pair of wheels, which run in th«j furrows on each side of the drill being operated upon. There is a seat for the driver in the centre. A pair of strong horses are quite up to the work, but three horses might be used with advantage under certain circumstances. Mr Hack is of opinion that the machine is capable of digging and rai'sfug from three to four acres of potatoes per day. As regards the comparative cost of harvesting the crop by the machine or in the •rdinary way of digging, the following figures are supplied to us : It costs 6A per bag to dig and bag a fair crop, which at 12 sacks to the ton means 6s a ton. The machine will raise four acres per day, costing the hire of a pair or three horses, a driver, and pickers. The potatoes can be picked for 2d per sack, when if we allow3os per day as the hire of hordes and drivers, w,o have four acres dug for 7s 6d per acre, and if wo have five tons per acre, making 20 ton?, at 2d per sack, the cost of picking the four acres would be £2, or a total cost for digging and picking of 17s C 1 per acre, as against 6<l per hat; for rligemg CO bags per acre, £1 10s, or a difference of 12s 6d in favour of the machine.

The question of branding cattle so as to cause the least damage to their hidus has (says the Jlelbourne Leader) formed tho subject for discussion by several agricultural societies since it was brought under thn notico of the Minister of Agriculture by the tanners and curriers, who complained of the damage caused by the operation as generally practised. Some difficulty has been expprienced iv arriving at the mast desirable part of a beast to place the brand, so that the least inj jsry might be done. Pour different positions have been suggested— the shoulder, the neck, the cheek, arid the hoof. In regard to the latter, while no damage would be caused to the hide, it was objected that tho brand would be difficult to see in that position ; but the suggestor stated that the hoof was the part on which the brand was placed in the part of Ireland where he was brought up, where it proved satisfactory. The great loss that is constantly occasioned to dairy farmers through the tainting of butter by the casks and boxes in which it is packed (says the Australasian) induced Mr D. Wilson, a well-known farmer at Mount Bgerton, to write recently to the Secretary of Agriculture, and to ask whether the agricultural chemist (Mr A. N. Pearson) could suggest some sort of gum varnish which, when applied to the wood, would withstand the salt and heat, and preserve the butter from contamination. Mr Pearson has carried out some experiments with that object, and now recommends shellac varnish as suitable for tbe purpose. The recipe is as follows:— "Take of shellac ljlb, and methylated spirit one quart ; place in a large corked bottle or jar, and shake occasionally until tho shellac is dissolved, which will be in about 24 hours. The wood to which this varnish is to be applied must be perfectly dry and seasoned. Paint on the varnish rapidly with a broad brush, and allow to dry in a warm place for two days ; then paint

over a second coat of the varnish and allow to dry for a week, when the wood will be.ready for use. If a still harder enamel should be required, the shellac can be melted on to the wood, though to do this effectively special appliances will be necessary. 1 '

Mr R. Henry, of Mararoa, writes the following letter to the Southland Times on the actions of the Rabbit Conference at Sydney :— " When a dog recognises the smell of mange, and, if unaffected, will lie shivering in the cold rather than occupy an infected kfennel) is ib not likely that he may be able to avoid other diseases by this means ? We know but, little of the rabbit's sense of smell, but what we do know is to their credit, so that it is equally likely that it may enable them to avoid contamination. We know least of all about the animal knowledge of medicine. When they have their liberties they may be able to find remedies for half the ills that would be fatal to them in captivity ; yet the conference prepared an enclosure of 100 yds square for their experiments near Melbourne to be covered with Jin netting for safety, as if there were no blowflies about there. If a disease will not be effective in good pastures, if it only kills when the pasturage is nearly exhaust eJ or offensive, it is likely to do more harm than good. Poverty kindly provides many diseases to save its victims from starvation — the worst disease of all i so that in this line wo need no patent ones that may become invigorated by transporation, and ultimately a thousand times worse than the rabbits. It is a well-known fact that a mouse or a rat is able to leave in ft trap some mysterious warning for it« fellows ; and I have seen a drove of horses crossing flooded ground arnongscrub,where one of the leaders got bogged but struggled out with difficulty, then every other horse that was not hurried avoided thab particular spot j even those that could not have seen the accident. This I could only account for by the supposition that, the horse in distress left a scent there intelligible to the others. If this or some such faculty exists (which is widely admitted) it will render abortive all our contamination schemes i o far as the rabbits at liberty are concerned ; but not so for animals that are enclosed. It is not long since it was discovered that several diseases thought to be peculiar to lower animals were in fact only stages in the life history of diseases fatal to man ; and may it not be that soma of those importations that we are threatened with are only stages in the life history of dreaded diseases. Then we know of such things as 4 periods of incubation.' A recent case of hydrophobia took years to incubate ;* and it is beginning to be suspected that some of those diseases that were formerly thought to be hereditary are only instances of long periods of incubation. On page 9of • Origin of Species ' we have an instance of a disease attacking white pigs, while black ones were exempt. Now, just fancy the number of experiments that will have to bo made, the time that they will take, and the way the conference is going about it. first, they have a Sydney palaver, then they go scouring away 1200 miles for an Adelaide palaver, to jumble experiences in hopes of evolving an elixir of death that will be equally efficient on the snowy mountains of New Zealand and the parched plains of South Australia. All we may expect is that they will either recommend some dangerous plunges or honestly spend their lives inquiring. But all the time New Zealand alone is losing at least £1000 a day, to increase with every year, while talk and waste hold all the run ning, with useful action nowhere."

We are pleased to learn that the advice tendered by Mr Miles, rabbitjinspector.to landowners and others concerned in the rabbit pest in the matter of preparing phosphorised oats, has been generally acted upon, and with the most gratifying results. Mr Miles advised that instead of lib of phosphorus to 1001b of oats, 21b of phosphorus should be used. Oars thus treated have been found to act admirably, the rabbits taking it dying almost immediately. One grain is sufficient to cause death ; whereas, with the lesser quantity of phosphorus, rabbits have been known to eat two or three grains without any effect beyond a temporary illness. On Cargill and Anderson's station, where tha grain was prepared according to Mr Miles' receipt, the rabbits have been thinned out in an extraordinary manner. A great deal of good appears to have been done by the poisoned grain this winter. Reports from all parts of tbe district say that rabbits have not been so scarce for a long time.

The Mark Lane Express is taking cocsidsrable interest in the opening of colonial ports to British stock. Our contemporary says : — " Australian visitors te England will find that great changes have taken place among shorthorn breeders since they were buyers here. Many of the old names have gone and new onpi nome; the syatem of ' line breeding,' for which there has been such an infatuation during the past 20 years, is • pkyed out ' ; the days of ' inflated • prices for curious pedigrees have gone by, and the lesson of the hard times is being taken to heartr—viz., that pedigree and utility must go hind in hand. Batesmen, who went only by the book, have been wise enough, though rather late in the day, to see that a cross must bo taken, and Warlaby has regained its lost vigour by a timely visit to Lincolnshire, while at all the shows the evidence is cle« that beat cattle are ♦ not line bred.' Perhaps never during the last half century has value in shorthorns so closely followed merit ; there is now a really good trade for good animals, but pedigree ' weeds ' are worth no more than other weeds. This is as it should be, and Australian breeders, it they are wise, as they are generally believed to be, will not be slow in availing themselves of shorthorns of the type most approved by the practical farmers of this country, wkich may be described as not excessively big, well covered with flesh of prime quality (no bare bones), broad backs, full thighs, and well sprung ribs, on short legs, not tco close together, which will lay on flesh rapidly, and not succumb to slight hardships and privations." In commenting on the action of our Government in refusing to remove tbo reitrictions, the Express says :— " We charitably suppose that they are afrai-1 of importing disease, and not antagonistic to the improvement of their long-isolated herds and flocks. We do not think, however, there is now the very least cause for apprehension on this score."

Farming in America must be in a bad way if we are to place any reliance in the following paragraph from a San Francisco paper :— Our Western farms are mortgaged for 3,000,000,000d01, while the total mine of their improvementsarelessthanl,ooo.ooo.ooodol. This is the net result of the unremitting toil of a generation, of intelligent Americans bestowed on the most productive soil on earth. From break of day till long past dark, from 12 to 14 hours daily, without pauss, almost without rest, they hava for 30 years now bent them to the plough, theaxe.thespade; they havelived soberly, hardly, frugally ; and their net reward is debt— a debt equal to that of a gigantic and disastrous war.

" A Dairyman " has been contributing a series of letters to the Oamaru Mail on bad butter. In one of these he says : — " It is the unanimous opinion of experts that, as soon as the butter appears (some say the size of grains of wheat, others say the size of mustard seed), the buttermilk should be withdrawn and water added to wash the butter. But tell some of our butfcermakers that, apd they will very quaintly rep'y

that they have tried that And found they got little mof c than half the batter. What becomes of the other half they do not know; or, if they do know; it flays them to keep that to themselves. But I hope the following will sufficiently explain the matter: — l"wO adjoining neighbours kept a cow each, and, I bsliere, tried to make the most of them. One of them codld make only 71b of butter a week, the other never bad below 101b and very often 111b a week. They were good caws, but to my mind not good enough for so large a return as 111b of butter in one week I managed to obtain lib of each of the butters, and found the 71b butter as good as needs be — I believe it would have kept for winter use if tried ; but the lllb batter was nearly half cream and buttermilk."