AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1989, 7 April 1892, Page 11

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

(Continued from page 7)

The total number of objections to assessments of land received up to date at the Joffice of the Commissioner of Taxes is 10,300. Of these 3367 have been allowed, 1729 have been disallowed or allowed partly, 3308 have been referred to the assessors for their reports and not yet been returned to the office, and 1895 received in the last few days are being dealt with in the Land Tax Office. A considerable number of objections are to ownership on matters other than value. All objections to value are referred to assessors for their report. We learn that fewer of the intercolonial Bteamers of the Union Steam Ship Company's fleet are running at present than is usual at this period of the year ; bub the grain season will shortly open, and the company are in hopes this will induce a considerable revival in trade. It is significant, though, as an indication of the effect of the Protection bariffs of the pxincipal Australian colonies, that shippers express their determination not to forward grain on consignment, bub only to execute orders from Australia ; and this absence of speculation will necessarily curbail the volume of braffic.

Mr Hanlon, the fruib expert, has forwarded a report to the Minister of Lands making various suggestions as to improvements in the cool chambers of steamers, and in the method of handling fruit when being shipped. He says at present the fruit is greatly knocked about and wants supervision, also better slings. He suggests the adoption of uniform-sized Americanshaped cases, which will save 40s per 100 cases in freight and 9s 5d in cost ; also the granting of a small subsidy— say LlO per 50 cases— for orchard-grown fruit shipped from the colony. In our advertising columns appears a notice inviting applications from competent shearers for shearing work in the early districts of New South Wales. The secretary of tho Pastoralists' Union (Mr Whiteley King) informs us that this invitation is not addressed to New Zealanders because there is any present or threatening difficulty with the local men, but because he bus been deluged with letters from New Zealand shearers asking for particulars of the approaching shearing, &c, and he is anxious to keep the promise he made to the men who worked under the pastoralists' agreement last year when there was a difficulty with the local unionist shearers — viz., that if they complete" I their engagements satisfactorily they should be provided with work in succeeding seasons. The bulk of the shearing in New Soufch| Wales {(60,000,000) will be conducted under the immediate supei vision of tho Pastoralists' Union during the ensuing season, and arrangements are now completed for the necessary preliminary operations on the Paroo and Darling rivers, where shearing will begin in June, and engagements for the first 10 or 12 sheds (involving the emplcyment of about 600 shearers and shed-hands) will be made about the middle of April. If, therefore, New Zealand shearers who desire to participate in the shearing wages fuud of Australia make early application in the terms of the advertisement appearing elsewhere they will receive the same consideration as the applications of local men.

It seems scarcely credible that a paper of the standing of the Northßritish Agriculburisb could take such a Litblc Peddlingbon view of our labe Governor's experiment of sending a few frozen colonial sheep to some of his Home friends as that evinced in the subjoined paragraph, which appeared in our contemporary of February 3. New Zealand trout have been sent Home from time to time with the request that the recipients should give their opinions of its quality, &c, but our Scottish contemporary has nob deigned to attribute motives so far as that product is concerned ; and why should he do so in the case of frozen mutton ? That the latter is sold in the London market in opposition to Scottish mutton is surely no reason why a Governor's friends should not be asked to express an opinion as bo bhe resulbs of freezing on the quality of the mutton. Our contemporary heads his paragraph "A Cheap Testimonial," and writes: — "Lord Onslow, the retiring Governor of New Zealand, is evidently a shrewd gentleman who knows how to get a cheap advertisement. Of late years persistent attempts have been made to bpom the frozen mutton from the Antipodes as being equal in quality to the best home-bred mutton. Even books by learned authors have been written professedly for the purpose of telling all about the Australian colonies, but in reality for the purpose of trying to prove that it was only prejudice which prevented the Bribish consumer from recognising the superior value of the frozen mutton from these colonies. Probably, however, this style of advertising the superior quality of frozen mutton was found to be rather a cosbly one, and ib remained for Lord Onslow to invent a cheaper plan. Accordingly he recently sent some carcases of Canterbury sheep to some half-dozen prominent gentlemen, including among others Lord Rosebery, who is founding a flock of Border Leicesters himself, Sir Morell Mackenzie, who knows all about the

bhroab, and Sir ' Gus ' Harris, bhe versabile manager of bhe Drury L-ino Theabre, London The carcases in quosbion were senb, ' nob as a presenb, bub for bhoir imparbial opinion as bhe qualiby of bhe meat.' But of course the distinguished recipients of these carcases were far too polite to look a gift sheep in the mouth, and, as was only to be expected in the circumstances, they all found that the meat was 'mosb excellent.' It may therefore be expected that a strong attempt will n >w be made to ' boom ' Australasian mutton on the strengbh of the testimonials so skilfully extracted out of the polite receivers of tire*; frozen carcases. Some eminent personages are wide enough awake to sucure a handsome ' consideration' before appending their names to testimonials puffing up patent soaps and Other things of that sort, which seem to be the staff of life to so many publishers and bill-posters. But Lord Onslow has secured a glowing testimonial as to the ' most excellent ' quality oi; New Zealand mutton by merely presenting to some very polite English gentlemen a few frozen carcases, the value of which would be about 4d per Ib. But tho British consumer maj' be trusted to abide by the testimony^ his own taste, which tells him that bhe besb homebred and home-fed multon is 4 immensely superior bo tho frozen carcases of sheep imported from the Antipodes."

The present season has (says the Adelaide Observer) shown the groat advanbage of hoeing the green fodder crops. Wherever the kail,' sorghum, maize, millet, &c , has been sown broadcast (thus making the hoeing and loosening of the surface impossible) the crops are poor indeed ; but where sown in drills and "cultivated" fair crops have resulted. The same thing has been illustrated in some newlyplanted vineyards — side by side. Where the surface has been continually loosened the plants and even cuttings have grown splendidly, whilst nearly every vine in the other vineyards has died through the caking down of the-soil,> and consequenb evaporation of moisture.

The Mark Lane Express of February 1 says : — "At the Rochdale Police Court on Friday, John Shaw, farmer and cattle dealer, was charged with cruelly ill-treating a cow by neglecting to relieve it of milk iv the Rochdale Cattle Market] on the 18th inst. Inspector Ford, of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Mr A. Herbert, veterinary surgeon, gave evidence against the defendant, saying that they saw a red heifer of the defendant's overstocked with milk and 'suffering pain. Ford added that when he called John Shaw's attention to the fact, he refused to milk it, but did so on his second visib some bime afberwards. Mr Wilkinson, bhe chief consbable, informed the magistrates that the defendant hud been convicted four times' for a similar offence. The chairman said bhat the magistrates had decided to send John Shaw to prison for one month to hard labour. At the conclusion of the court Mr J. T. Worth, solicitor, said that he had been instrucbed by John Shaw's son to appeal to a superior court against bhe decision of bhe magisbrabes, and he wished bo know if bhey would allow his client out on bail. The magistrates granted bhe application, John Shaw in L 25, and two sureties in LlO each.

Saturday's Tuapeka Times says :—": — " Thej weather during the past week or two has greatly facilitated harvest operations, which in some degree compensates for the stormy weather that accompanied the commencement of the harvest season. A number of farmers in the Waitahuna and Waitahuna Wesb districts are now busily engaged leading in, there being still a large area of grain standing in the stook. Threshing operations have been commenced on several farms, the grain in every instance proving to be of good quality. There is also {yi abundance of straw in every direction this season, though it has not been saved in quite the best condibion owing bo bhe unusual violence of bhe weather experienced some few weeks ago."

We (Hawera Star) hear that the fleece off the merino ram which took first prize at the Wellington show, and was bred and exhibited by Mr Charles Goulter, of Hawkesbury, Marlborough, was sent to Europe. It has since been shown in competition with wool from all parts of the world, taking first prize at London and Paris. This is regarded as a great coup for New Zealand.

Under the heading, " New Method of Training Hedges," a contemporary says : " Nothing is more attractive around a place than a well-kept hedge. But there is no beauty in a hedgerow unsightly and unbrimmed, wibh parb of ib dead, obher parbs ball and ungainly. A new method of braining hedges is meebiug wibh favour and success in some parbs of bhe counbry. The firsb sbep is to plough and manure the strip of ground heavily where the hedge is to be planbed. Osage orange sprouts of a year's growth are then planted Biu apart, and the ground kept mellow and free from weeds the firsb season. The nexb year the sprouts are braided on a flat sinuous iron fencing rod stretched horizontally about 6in from the ground. The nexb growbh of sprouts of course grows straight up, and the

second season anobher of bhe rods is fastened in the same way, and likewise the third. A hedge of this kind was planted three years ago in this place and now is complete, and a more beautiful fence would be hard to find. The growth is from the ground, and is compact clear to the top, and no animal can get through ib or over it. It is wide at the base and slopes upward. An old hedgerow running along bhe highway was cut down close to the ground, and the following season when tho sprouts came up they were braided as described above. The sprouts from bhis old hedge grew 7ft in one season, of course making from the large mass of roobs a much more rapid growth bhan bhose from the young cuttings, and producing a neat and attractive appearance."

A Kempsey farmer sent 80 bags of potatoes to Sydney and received nine penny stamps as the neb proceeds of sale.

The vexed question in dairying at the pre- ; sent moment is (says the Australasian) whether i cream churned sweet or sour will yield the best quality of butter. • Mr David Wilson, the Victorian dairy expert, approves of churning the cream sweet when bheobjecb aimed ab is to take ,a .prize at some local show, but in the case of batter for export he has recommended that 'jyjTuring of the cream is necessary. This advice iS thoroughly sound, and agrees in the main with the best scientists of bhe world. The Jabe Dr Voelcker, chemisb bo the Royal Agricultural Society of Eugland, took strong ground against churning cream sour. He laid as much stress upon having cream sweet as upon having it clean. Common sense would seem to hold with Voelcker. That milk when it is turned sour is started on the road to decomposition is not questioned by anybody, even by the advocates of sour cream. Either the sweetcream or the sour-cream theory must be at faSilt. Both cannot be right. There is, however, an old adage which says that " the truth lies between extremes." Possibly there may be a compromise between bhese opposing views, and that it will be found in the end that cream before churning requires some ago or ripening, but should not quite reach acidity.

The value placed upon the system of lending money bo municipal bodies bo purchase wire nebbing for farmers is (remarks bhe Melbourne Leader) evidenced by bhe numerous applications for loans received by tho chief inspector under the Vermin Destruction Act. The sum set apart for this purpose by the GilliesDeakin Government was L 150,000, which has bo be repaid in 10 yearly instalments of L 15.000, with interest added. The whole of bhe money was speedily allocated, and such was the demand that almost double the amount would have been taken if it had been available. Last year nearly the whole of the L 15,000 was repaid to the Treasury, only one shire having an oubsbanding balance. Another L 15.000 is due in May, and already a porbion of bhe amount has been received by the Treasuiy. Although no definite arrangement has been arrived ab, ib is undersbood bhab L 30.000 will be reloaned next year to those shires which did not parbicipabe in bhe concession.

What appears to be an excellent and expedibious mode of cutting thistles is given in the Mark Lane Express: — "Many years ago the labe Mr William Lloyd, machinisb, of Lyneham, near Wobbon»Basseit, Wilts, invented a most useful plan for cubbing bhem by affixing to the rakes of a haymaking machine steel knives, which answer the purpose admirably. Theso knives, above 3in wide, arc perforated with holes bhough which the poinbs of the tines jusb go, and are each secured bo bhe sbocks or cylinders of the rakes by two screw-pins and four nuts. The motion is sufficiently rapid to cut off the thistles if they are affixed to alternate rakes. They are easily sharpened. Mr L. S. Lloyd, son of the inventor, who resides at the same place, still constructs the appliances, which, as beforemenbioned, is mosb successful in cutting off these pests, and a great amounb of work in this way can be done in a very shorb time." Where thisbles are a nuisance bo bhe agriculburisb this plan of cutting them •maybe adopted with advanbage, and ib should be equally useful where it is intended to convert a heavy growth of bhisbles inbo ensilage. Says an Australian contemporary : — Mr A. Paterson, manager of the Lake's Creek Meat Works, Queensland, is of opinion that until the conditions of the London market are altered, and much more extensive cold storage provided there, a bonus on frozen meat will only intensify bhe difficulties in placing our meat inth at market. He states that in November and December last, when there was a large influx of frozen meat into London, it was discovered that there was not sufficient cold storage available, the result being thab the meat was forced on bhe trade and prices fell until freezing charges were little more than covered, and did nob harden unbil demand again everbook supply. This is a serious mabber, says bhe Qucenslander, and gives additional emphasis to the argument used by several correspondents in these columns, that we ought nob to be so dependent on London for a market, seeing thab ib is a common depot for almost the whole of the

frozen meat arriving in Great Britain. Mr Paterson is of opinion, that it is a debatable point whether a direct bonus on the export of frozen meat is the best or even a good way to foster and develop the trade, ab least until our selling channels are greatly enlarged and more widely developed. He thinks that the pastoralists should concentrate all their efforbs in one direcbion, and bhat is to obtain increased cold storage in London and to open up cold stores in every populous centre of the United Kingdom and in the nearest Continental cities. To effect this he recommends bhab a guarantee of 5 per cent be offered for a term of years on the construction of as many cold stores as may be required at all big centres of population. There is much in this contention, and coining as it does from bhe only man in Queensland who has had practical experience in the shipment of frozen meat to England his opinion is deserving of duo consideration.

Tho high rates ruling for live sbock in the New Zealand markets (writes "Bruni") are a striking contrast to tho low prices for which sheep and cattle are almost given away in New South Wales and Queensland. ... In New South Wales and Queensland old store ewes are altnosb unsaleable ab any price, while bhe market for fats is in such an extremely depressed condition that holders are resorting to boiling down to get rid of them. .There could be no bebber argument in favour of establishing the frozen meat industry in the North than a comparison in the market price of stock in Northern Australia and New Zealand. Favourable reports as to the establishment of a creamery at Tatura have been received, and ib has been menbioned bhat there is a prospect of accepting the terms offered by the Fresh and Frozen Food Company, Melbourne, for the erection of a creamery and carrying it on under their auspices. Another creamery is being established at North Mooroopna, which is bo be managed by an experb from a large Melbourne company, The creamery business is spreading rapidly in the district, and is shown to be immensely beneficial to farmers. — Leader.

The Christchurch Press speaks of Lyttelton as crowded with Shipping chartered to carry Home the wheat from the late harvest. But sound shipping wheat is coming to hand slowly, and merchants are giving comparatively high, or even fictitious, prices in order to get their ships filled and sent away. The farmers are gaining on the merchants this year. There has lately been some correspondence in a Christchurch paper on the price of flour, " A Breadwinner " arguing that flour is much boo dear, and bhe millers making boo large profits. Evidently the writer knows something of accounts, and he says that, making liberal allowances to tho millers, flour ought to be selling at L 9 5s ab mosb, whereas ib is Ll2 per bon.

The Wyndham correspondent of the Southland Times writes: — "Threshing is well advanced, and only a few late crops remain to stack. Mr James Spratt, Mataura Island, had a return of 76 bushels per acre all over— a very satisfactory yield considering the way the crop was laid early in January. Other yields equally good are reported from the same quarter. The new season's crop is now to be seen ab wayside stations, and soon the Railway department will be in the throes of a big grain season. The price is low, but a big line of good oats has been sold ab a little under Is sd, f.o.b at wayside station."

During the past twoscasons (says the Norbh Otago Times) the flour manufactured in Oamaru failed to maintain tho reputation it had earned in previous years, and, consequently, there were numerous complaints. This season, we are gratified to learn, there is a decided improvement, nobwithstanding the wet weather at harvest time, and the reported damage to wheat, and millers have received very complimentary remarks from the customers, both local and in other towns. The fact fippeurs to be that during the pasb bwo years bhe droughb deprived bhe wheab of some constituent that goes to make good flour, but this year the rain has supplied the wanb of previous years, and bhe resulb is bhab bhe flour is up bo ibs usual standard. Our readers will observe the improvement in their bread. The millers were puzzled to account for the bad quality of their flour last year and the year before, and they have now satisfied themselves that too much dry weather, or too much drought, is nob a good bhing for wheat. A farmer at Tai Tapu, Canterbury, refused L3O an acre for his farm which he desires to sell.