OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULRAL BUDGET. CLEANING SEED.

Otago Witness, Issue 1951, 11 April 1889, Page 7

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULRAL BUDGET.

CLEANING SEED.

; (BT.OJUa BPBOIAL AgbICTJI/TUBAI, OOBBBSPONDENT.) '"' "" * OHfiisicHUJßcn, April 8. , Tflß HABV£ST. The harvest is ended, and although a few of ►the -latest, crops, were overtaken by rain the damage done was trifling, and not sufficient to destroy the character gained by this season of being the best as regards harvest weather that has ever been experienced here. Threshing Is being- busily proceeded withj delayed only, in some cases, by scarcity of sacks, the yields proving much heavier than were calculated upon. Wheat grown oh heavy land is sometimes turning out of soulewhat disappointing quality—probably owing to the effects of the cold spring ; but elsewhere no fault can be found with the grain. Oats continue to turn out irregularly— some very heavy, others very light,and that sometimes off the same far ni It is said that a Wakanui farmer threshed 70 bushels and 10 bushels from adjoining paddocks. Some splendid barley has been grown, the favourite season .making this. crop for once a universal succeas. I.t is now generally admitted that the official returns have greatly underrated the yields of grain. To make out, as these figures do, that this wheat crop was almost or quite the lightest average on record for the province was Coo much at variance with the estimates of all who saw anything of the country just before or during harvest to pass muster. The production of wheat in Canterbury has been estimated at an average at least three bushels an acre too low— that is to say, 700,000 bushels, possibly a million bushels, below the actual yield. WJhen errors of such magnitude are made (and, as I have before said, it is admitted that there are errors, and serious ones) it is quite clear that it is time a change were made in the method of collecting the returns. Contrary to anticipatiensj the increase in the area of grain' crops is in oats and barley, wheat actually showing a falling off. This was due to the wet spring, which caused oats to take the place intended for wheat in late localities. PHICES. " What price ought farmers to got for their wheat?" ia the burning question here, as " bags extra " seems to be in Dunedin. There is not the slightest doubt that the possibility of Australia deriving supplies from California has had a depressing effect upon prices of New Zealand wheat. Buyers were forced at the opening of the season to operate largely in order to load vessels already chartered. . These wants were in a great measure supplied by the purchase of the two i largest lines of wheat grown in Canterbury— namely, those of Mr John., Grigg (120,000 bushels) and Messrs Gould . and .Cameron (upwards of (100,000 bushels). Prices were not published in either case, but rumour has it that neither transaction was at so high a figure as 4s f.o.b. Of course the wheat was of various varieties, Tuscan being the smaller proportion. Shipments to Sydney have not resulted altogether satisfactorily, old Tuscan, for which 4s Bd, f.0.b., was refused during the height of the excitement last spring, sold lately in Sydney at 4s 9d, c.i.f., and good new Tuscan has been sold at 4s 6d, s.i.f., Sydney. All this has had a tendency to weaken prices here. Oats and barley ' are selling well, a large proportion of the purchase! being speculative. Prices all round seem good enough for farmers to accept; without fear of " losing the rise." There is bound to be a lull in the demand when Califoroian wheat! begins to arrive, and then it may be Ootober or November before there is a recovery. Reckon* ing storage, interest, insurance, loss of weight, &c, 4s 0d in November is very little, if any, better to the farmer than 4s now. Selling at present prices seems the safest policy. THE WEATHBR. The drought has at last broken up, and good rains have fallen. Grass is springing up nicely, but the season is so far advanced that it is feared frost 3 will come before the growth is sufficient to supply winter requirements. Turnips that had any life left in them have improved greatly; but there is a scanty crop, as a rule, and stockowners are facing the winter with much apprehension. Catch-crops are being put in, mostly Cape barley and rape, and if we get a mild autumn all may yet be well. Ploughing is going on apace since the rain made the land workable; and as a great deal of the stubble grass is a failure there will be a large area in crop again during the coming season. Potatoes will be a poor yield, with a large proportion of small. Second growth is also very prevalent. LIVE STOCK. Sheep are on the upward move, and good qualities are bound to be dear during the next few months. Crossbred ewes, good mouths, are readily taken up by farmers, but the supply of merino ewes exceeds the demand, and dealers who bought in the Northern districts will evidently have to go a long way south to find buyers at prices to cover cost. The prohibitive railway rates have driven the travelling sheep to the roads, and it is fortunate that rain was not longer withheld. The stoppage of importation of Dutch sheep into the United Kingdom must have an effect upon the price of frozen mutton. Freezing has not yet begun at the Templeton Works, but large num 1 ers .of old. sheep are being boiled down or tinned there. It was rumoured that the new company — the ChristohurchMeat Company, Limited— intended to freeze a lower class of mutton than that exported from the Belfast Works, which holds the highest place on the English market, but this has been emphatically ■ disclaimed by Mr Cooke, of the Loan and Mercantile Agency Company— to whom rumour assigns a considerable interest in the new concern. Cattle are at a very low ebb, and there is not much sign of improvement. Pigs are as good as gold, all sorts and sizes fetching high prices. _ The importance of the pig as a profit* able animal for the farm is being widely recognised. Mr James Rowe has a ready sale for all < the etud pigs he can breed, and other breeders are also faring well in this respect. Canterbury j sheep-breeders of standing have also had a good j season, few of them being left with unsold stock. The North Island has been a valuable outlet, i and the various ram fairs have been fairly successful. The sheep this year, as a rule, are very good. A few sales of shorthorns have been made, but prices are only a.bout one-tenth of

what they ased to be,* and there id a very poor fettirti for the capital sank in this class of stock. Jerseys are increasing in favour with the extension of dairying; CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL iHD' PASTORAL , ASSOCIATION. The annual meeting of this association passed off quietly. The treasurer wants the debt redae'ed, ' dnd several members, spoke to the seriousness of the noxious weeds question. Two new names appear on the committee, but there is still an absence ,of the much-wanted "hew blood." Mr. John Ferguson* the 1 Well* known grazier, was., elected president, and Mr John Griggt vice-president. Mr Grigg* bowe/er, accepted his appointment only to imniediately resign, being tillable to take any additional duties upon himself. -He is already as busy a man as there is in Canterbury! even though a worthy son , lightens his labours at " tlie farm " considerably. The general committee last week accepted the suggestion of Mr Thomas Acland that prizes should be given for the best farms of various sizes. Mr George &in& wno brought the matter before .the committee, undertook, on behalf of Mr Acland and himself, to collect the necessary funds for the prizes. CANTBRBITBy FREEZING COMFANT. The shareholders flf the Canterbury Frozen Meat and Dairy Produce Export Company (Limited) held their seventh annual meeting on March 22 Everything was satisfactory— unless some of the shareholders may grumble at the 30s toll, The taQCh-desired Id per lb freight is still a tbiug of the future, but the Used fates for three years of l£d for mutton, l|d for lamb, at)d l£d for beef, are reasonable in the present state of the freight irarket. Mr John Cooke retired from the, directorate, and another good man (Mr John Deans) tdok his place. The other directors were re«tleoted. HORSES. There « a decided move in the direction of g better demand and better prices for good horses, both hacks and draughts. The best selection seems to be offered at the country towns — principally Ashburton, where the season has opened well. A draft from Lowcliffe (a large property on the seacoast, near Rangifcata) gold lately at from £14 to £22 for unbroken three and four year old medium draughts; a couple of good hacks at £17 and £H; and others from £6 upwards. Last Saturday Mr John Small, the well-known Tinwald farmer and horse-breeder, sent a draft to auction at Ashburton, and realised prices as follow :— Three-year-o!d geldings, up to £32 10s : four to six-year-old mares, from £18 to £29 10s; unbroken three-year-old colts and fillies, medium sorts, from £13 10s to £19l0a. O?HE NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITION. As farm and station produce will figure largely in the Canterbury exhibits at the Dunedin Exhibition next November, it will not be out of place here' to mention that the project is meeting with hearty support throughout Canterbury. Iv addition to the influential central committee inChristcburcb, local committees have been formed at Timaru and Ashburton for the purpose of securing the proper representation of those districts, each of which ' has its special features which it does not wish overlooked in the general display. The visit paid by Mr Twopeny and Mr Kiusey, the Canterbury secretary, to the various districts has done a lot to promote the success of the Exhibition, and at the same time has shown 'those gentlemen, especially ' the executive commissioner, a great deal of wealth whose existence was unsuspected by those who judged of the country by what can be seen from the windows or platform of the express. . SMALL BIRDS. Farmers in many localities have suffered greatly from the ravages of small birds this season. Several road boards have discontinued poisoning and offering rewards for eggs and heads, with the natural result that the pest has increased to a serious extent, and grain growing near any cover has been destroyed as soon as in ear. Rpad boards and other local authorities and individuals who carry oufc repressive measures have good cause to complain of the default of their neighbours who neglect tbe evil, and it is to be hoped that the legislature will make it compulsory that measures be taken to cope with this pest, as well as noxious weeds, the codlin moth, and other plagues that threaten to cause serious loss to farmers and gardeners. There has been another invasion of paroquets from the West Coaat ; but they did not come until tbe most of the small fruit was gathered, and were nob so numerous as on their visit four years ago. • FRUIT-GEOWINa is becoming yearly of more importance. Associations ate being formed in several districts for the promotion and protection of the interests of this industry, and members of Parliament are being deputationised with the view of furthering the objects of the associations. The Christchurch Horticultural Society's last show contained a splendid exhibition of fruit, and orchards are being planted in all parts of the country. This has been a bad fruit year, the hailstorms in the spring damaging the young fruit so that a cherry was a rarity, and an apple or pear that was not badly scarred was equally scarce. Tomatoes were crippled by the frosts which prevailed almost to Christmas, and have already recommenced, yet the owner of the new gardens at Sutnner speaks of having grown 10 or 12 tons this season. The projected jam factories do not seem to go ahead, though the business should pay well. The " Economies" are badly neglected by gardeners and farmers. Men will not try to make or save a profit for themselves, for feat anybody else should make anything out of it.

There is now little doubt that the growing export trade in New Zealand seeds, grass seeds especially, is capable of very considerable expansion. Heretofore the business has been restricted by the difficulty experienced in procuring clean parcels of approximately pure seeds up to the standard required for export to the Australian and British markets. Farmers' parcels, as a rule, are exceedingly foul, because the growers too frequently started with an indifferent selection and, secondly, cannot afford to invest in the costly machinery and appliances required for the cleaning and purification of grass seeds. Others, therefore, have to provide the necessary plant, and as Messrs Howden and Moncrieff, seed merchants, Princes street, recently erected one of Drummond's largest machines, an opportunity was afforded of inspecting the plant in operation and noting the efficiency of the process. The machinery, engine, &c. are placed in the firm's store in Stuart street, opposite the- gaol. The holding capacity of the premises is sufficient for 300 sacks grass seed, and on the occasion of the visit there were 300 sacks forward for cleaning, 186 sacks having been just previously treated. Although the machinery is apparently complex, the adjustment is so perfect that from ib«s emptying of the foul seed into the receiver, from whence it is lifted by the elevators to the rea or separator, until the bags info which tbe

clean seed is finally deposited and sewn upland stacked, a man and a boy are sufficient to perform the light work necessary. When, the rough . material is discharged into the rea, which by A peculiar motion imparts 1 to the contents a circular movement, seeds of weeds such as dock, 80»rel, and the like, are separated, and falling through the sieve descend through shoots into bags attached. ■ The rea also separates and discbarges rough matter such w broken clover leaf,, rough straw, &c. The best Of the seed after travelling over the rea descends to the fanner, whiah winnows out the chaff, Yorkshire fog, and light seeds. From the fanner the seed so far purified is raised by an elevator to a sieve with a back and forward motion, which cleans off other impurities, and from the extremity of this sieve the seed drops inta the " stepper." Falling down from step to step as a waterfall, the seed travels the length of the oifcve (the wire meshes of which intercept tab* grass). andT i* dropped a clean sample into bags attached to shoots. There are altogether about 168 square feet of sieves waich the seed passes over from first, to last. To each of the sieves there is a lever attached so that the elevation may be adjusted, as for different Btffflpfes special adjustment ;ia necessary. The machinery^ is driven by a 4rhorse power Ofcfco silent gas engine, but ordinarily 2shoi bo power is found to be sufficient. In reply to inquiries Messrs Howden and! MoncrieS stated that in- their experience there U maen diversity in the foulness and inipuriSy of parcels forwarded to be cleaned. In ope let? of 300 sacks there were over 30 sacks of sorrel taken, besides quantities of hair grass and Yorkshire fog. Fro/11 " farmers' pnrceU ; ' sometimes" as muoh as a third will be removed by the machine, while others are comparatively clean. The lot that was being put through during the time the store s were visited was to fill an Aus« trillion order, and undoubtedly the clean sampte was a yer? h'gh class seed. The growers were quite williag to guarantee ib perennial ryegrass; but whether "Pacey's" or no, were not quite certain. It was the only variety, however, that had stood the test of time with them. If; appears there is an occasional demand for Yorkshire fog in Australia, and sometimes in this colony, with the intention !of sowing it on bush land. One impression left by the visit is that farmers who are not yet con« viuced of the folly of sowing foul seeds because they are cheap would do well to call and see this machine of Messrs Howden and Moncrieff's in operation.