AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 17 August 1888, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The Oamaru Mail states that Mr William M'Bride took to Sydney by the Hauroto a number of draught Worses and useful hacks. The 12 hacks comprise — two good pairs bayp, which stand upwards of 16 hands, three of them being by Marrnion, and the fourth by Guardsman; three carriage horses of medium height; ; the racing mare Jenny Liud ; a dark brown mare Lubra, formerly driven by Mr Fleming ; a bay mare of about 16 hands, very handsome and built like a jumper; a uoble-lookiug grey by Shales, ii very- fast horse; and a light roan mare by Rapid Roan, bred by Mr John Grigg, of Longbeach, standing 16 hands liv, and haid to possess exceptional speed. The difficulty between the Ofcaraa milk suppliers and the proprietors of the local dairy factory has been settled, the latter agreeing to pay 3d per gallon of lC%lb, l£d cash and the remainder when the factory closes for the season. Writing on the drain plough, " Delta," in the Mataura Ensign, says :—": — " We may here consider the cost of draining a paddock of a given area. The paddock which I have in my mind's eye has produced a crop of turnips and two fair crops of oats, and the first two seasons an excellent sole of grass. But owing to the superabundance of surface water, the native grasses after that time took the places to a considerable extent of the imported grasses The paddock is a rectangle, probably 17 chains by eight chains, and will therefore contain 13a 2c l(3p. Draining across at two drains to the chain (that would be enough) there would bo 34 drains measuring 272 chains, or, draining lengthwise, 16 drains measuring the same. At 3d per per chain, £3 8s for the whole paddeck. Now, I am sure that on this paddock the yield has been reduced 10 bushels per acre by the surplus water, so that a sum more than double the cost of the drainage would be lost in one season. As the drains would stand for many years, one can easily see that the drain plough is an invaluable instrument if all accounts be true. " " Farmers in these districts," write* the Waimumu and Charlton correspouduit of the Southland Times, " especially in Charlton, are breaking up a large area of lea land iv order to see whether it has benefited by haviug lain several years in grass. A farmer remarked to me. the other day that he would decide whether- he should retain his holding or give it up by the return from his land thus treated. The settlers are beginning to see plainer their mistake in taking up land in this quarter. Tho land has certainly deceived many experienced as well as inexperienced men. Those who have spent all their capital on the land are fain to * vamoose the ranch,' although the N Z. and A Land Company are making some liberal compromises with several." Farmers in this colony (nays "Agricola," in the Auckland Naws) are apS to become desponding or irritable at the low prica they often receive for the produce of their fields ; and some of them go so far as to say that it is utterly impossible, with such poor prices, to make farming pay. Take the growing of wheat, for instance Years ago it was stated that the cereal could not be raised at less than 5-> a bushel. But now it is a difficult matter to get. more than 3_s and some growers, who are> not among the desponding class, affirm that with the present machinery and appliances, wheat pays as well at 3s a bushel as once it did at sj. Now, it i 3 sometimes a matter for satisfaction to fiud, on comparing ourselves with others, how much better off we are than they. As a case iv point, I may mention the report of wheat crops on some of the great prairie lands of Ames ica ; and these reports are said_ by an English paper to be taken frorc official and reliable sources. Here then are the figures regarding the yield of r/heat, the price per bushel, and the v.Uiie i;er r.cre in a few ot the Western 'States, as the result of last ye&i-V crops: —

Comparing the average yield of wheat in this country with these States, it is about three times as heavy, the price of the product also being more. But coming nearer home, what are the average yield* of wheat ia the other Austr&l-

asian colonies? Much lower than they are here, as the following averages for eight years (leaving out the fractions) will show : New Zealand, 27 bushels; Tasmania, 17; New South Wa'es, 14; Queensland, 13 ; Victorip, 12; West Australia, 12 ; South Australia, 8. Comparing, therefore, what can be accompli.-bed in the wheat-growing Hue in this colony with what can be done in the places above enumerated, farmers here need not fear competition ; tor with a soil and cliroate such as we pa«Fe c .. c , probably no country c\n rurpass us in.the production vi this important cereal. The Taieri Advocate states that butter- niakii g is in full swing at the Henley Dairy Factory. At the time of the reporter's visit Mr Henderson, the butfcer-im.ker, wis engaged scldc-riug up the butter in tius for expert, and a sample in an open tin, made a fortnight previously, proved as sweet as some made that morning. Our contemporary learns from Mr Sreeriwood, the working manager, that the factory refuses to accept milk taken from turnip-fed cows, and to this fact, t o a large extent, is attributed the excellence of the butter and cheese produced by the factory. Mr John Stevenson, manager for the Henley Company, built a large stack of ensilage last season, and it proved a most successful experiment, the ra tie taking to it at once anil thriving well upon it. Ths following items are also from the Advocate: — "A flax mill is in full working order at Waihola. The proprietors of the mill have made arrangements with the Henley Company to cut the flax on tbe Henley estate.— YW. are informed that Mr William Heonan, of Maungatua, intends erecting a dairy factory for the district in which he resides. He has the plans and specifications prepared, and will.it is said, order the plant from America. — Woeful countenances and dismal utterances have been so common amongst our farmers and eve) yone else for f-uch a long time now, that it is q lite refreshing to hear hopeful remarks. One of our West Taieri farmers says that he is quite sure we have 'turned the corner.' Wool is up, frozen meat is up, butter and cheese sell well, there is some prospect, he declares, of getting a fair price for wheat, and the farmers may expect better times in a very little while. Is this the beginning of the ' confitlence' that our colonists have been lacking in."

!Vi3Consin Minnesota iowa... Nebraska Dakota Yield per Acre. Bushels. ... 10-3 ... 8 7 ... 10-0 ... 10-7 ... 10*5 Pr.ce per Uushe!. s d 2 7 2 5 2 6 2 2 2 2 Value poi Acre. £ s d 16 7 10 0 15 0 1 3 -2 12 9