AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2083, 25 January 1894, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Mr Charlton, the Government veterinary surgeon, reporting upon the mortality among sheep on the west coast of the North Island, traces the cause to the enormous excess of food, particularly trefolia, containing albuminoid. For treatment, the transfer of affected stock to comparatively poor country is chiefly recommended, or, when the change is not practicable, to be yarded at night.

I have paid a visit (writes our Wellington correspondent on the 17th) with the Secretary for Agriculture to the Soames Island quarantine, where there are now very complete arrangements for the care of imported stock during detention, and precautions against tho introduction of disease, particularly scab in sheep and pleuro-pneumonia in cattle. Just now there are a very fine lot of imported sheep at the island that should prove a good investment to their enterprising owners. They include two remarkably fine high-class Southdown rams imported by Mr Stuckey, of Wairarapa; two Romney rams and 10 ewes imported by Mr Wheeler, of Halcombe, near Palmerßton North; two Romney rams imported by Mr Batchelor ; three Hampshire Down rams, three Romney rams, and two ewes imported by Mr O'Brien, Manawatu. There is a fiDe lot of longwoolled sheep imported by Mr Tanner, Napier, especially three English Leicester rams and three ewes, and a Kirkham Lincoln ram, full brother to a notable English prizetaker. During my visit an admirably contrived new sheep-dip was being brought into use, a solution of lime and sulphur being used for the bath. The proportions of these, the temperature of the heater, and duration of immersion will be furnished by the Agricultural department to inquirers interested. A young Scotch Shorthorn bull, imported by Mr Hunter, of Hawera, was recovering from a bad knocking about during the voyage. He is of famous lineage, and cost £250 from the breeder. The island comprises about 80 acres, and its natural advantages have been supplemented by carefully planned improvements necessary to cope with any emergency. There are seven paddocks, divided by a wide plantation of from three to five rows of pinus insignis and macrocarpa to keep infected sheep apart, and secure shelter. The land is fairly well grassed, and will carry two sheep to the acre. Additional wharfage accommodation, with a crane for slinging cattle from the ship to shore, is wanted and being provided. The existence of scab in Scotland and pleuro in Australia at the present time make precautionary measures a question of national importance. Cattle from Australia are now quarantined for 90 days as against 60 days for English cattle. Upon the question of admitting Australian cattle at all,

Mr Ritchie consulted by letter all the principal owners and breeders of the colony, and the result was a great preponderance of opinion that 90 days' detention] would suffice. Pleuropneumonia has proved a dreadful scourge in the cattle herds of Australia, and some good judges consider that it might be latent in a beast for six months. Still, the department here has been thoroughly imbued with its great responsibility, and has elioited the best pro- 1 curable testimony on the whole question. Owing to the moist season (writes the Ellesmere correspondent of the Christchurch Press) a very large acreage in this district is kept for cowgrass and clover seed. Complaints are being made that that grand fertiliser, the humble bee, is not so plentiful or so active as in former seasons. This means a very largo decrease in the yield of clover seed. The decrease in the bees this season is very noticeable everywhere.

A new method of milk-testing has been tried at; the Euroa Butter Factory in Victoria, and the manager recently explained the process to an interviewer. "We adopt," he said, "the drip sampling method, which is automatic, and gives scarcely any extra work on the milkreceiving platform. Each supplier's milk is passed through a combined strainer and sampler of my own invention. From the strainer it rushes through a pipe to the general tank, and in this pipe is a tiny hole through "which a perfectly homogeneous sample (which I regard as the bed-rock of the system) drips into a small and handy receptacle. This sample is transferred to a specially-made bottle, with the name of the supplier attached to the neck, and containing a small portion of boric acid to act as a preservative. This is repeated every morn- " ing for a week, and then the milk is tested. It is, as you see, kept in perfect condition, and might be for a longer period if the necessity arose. By testing this composite sample we thus arrive at the value of the week's supply from each of 100 patrons, and this occupies me only one afternoon. The butter percentages from these tests are entered in a book, and the average of each supplier's weekly tests is struck at the end of the month. To'arrive at the differential rates we use my table of gallon values, which is based on the butter equivalents. Thus, at our present purchasing rate, milk that averaged 3 per cent, would be worth 2^d per gallon, and 4 per cent. 3 l-16d, and so on per gallon." It is claimed for the system that it gives complete satisfaction to the farmers, and gives thoroughly accurate results in the test.

Messrs Valentine and Sawers have been inspecting the butter for shipment per Rimu* taka, and found some inferior packages. It is intended to ask for power to brand such consignments. Cool storage chambers are to be

erected at the ports. There are now 172 dairy factories in the colony. Two hundred and fif fey packages of produce from Auckland and 2f 50 packages from Taranaki were brought to Wellington by the Takapuna on the 17th for transhipment to the s.s. Rimutaka. As a result of an examination by the dairy experts of the butter sent down for shipment by the Rimutaka some prosecutions are likely to take place for failure to comply with the law as to branding.

The dairy produce shipped Home by the Rimutaka from Wellington consisted of -317 tons of butter and 38 tons of cheese. The Auckland and Lyttelton portions comprised 46 and 51 tons respectively, making a total of 462 tons from the colony. The s.s. Taupo, with about 800 purebred sheep from Oamaru, has arrived safely at Napier. Messrs Stronaeh Bros, and Merris, the agents for Ness and Co.'a sheep dip, are bringing the advantages claimed for the dip before the agricultural and pastoral community, and an advertisement in this connection will be found on page 10. The Northern Echo, of Darlington, County Durham, has the followirg to say with reference to the firm's exhibits at the Chicago Exhibition: — "We are informed that Messrs Ness and Co., of Darlington, manufacturers of disinfecting preparations and sheep dips, heard by cable some time ago that the jurors of the World's Fair, Chicago, had granted them the medal (the highest award) for their exhibit, and we understand they have now received official confirmation of this from Sir Henry Truman Wood, the secretary of the British Commission. As this firm have secured three gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal at previous exhibitions, they are to be congratulated upon the position taken by their well-known specialties in public competition."

The New Zealand Dairy Farmers' Cooperative Company have completed arrangements for the erection of a creamery at Waitati on the old mill site on Mr J. Elmer's property, this site having been recommended by Mr Hay, C.E., as the most suitable in every respect out of eight which were under offer to the company. The building ia to be commenced at once, and no time will be los'o in having the creamery at work.

Mr Valentine, the new Government dairy expert, has returned from his flying visit to the butter factories in the Manawatu and Taranaki districts. He went as far as Stratford, and was much impressed with the magnificence of the dairy country he passed through. After having visited the chief dairy countries of the world, Mr Valentine is of opinion that tho country ho him already passed through in New Zealand excels anything of the kind he has yet

Been, Mr Valentine was also pleased with what he saw in the factories visited, but sees, room for various improvements, with which he wjjl deal later. Notable amongst these is the necessity for some freezing apparatus for the production of cold air in order that an even temperature may be maintained in certain processes of manufacture.

The Sydney Mail of January 6 publishes an article, •• Some Home Notes and Queries," by J. Ai Barry, from whioh we quote the following :— " Speaking to a gentleman, manager for a great provision house in Belfast, whose imports_ of butter, bacon, and cheese from the colonies are growing yearly larger and larger, he said that the improvement both in packing and quality of these articles was steadily growing ; indeed, he mentioned that he had lately received a line of New Zealand butter which it would be difficult even for an expert to distinguish from the very best Danish. Higher praise could not be given. In his opinion the butter and bacon trade is tho chief one of the near future. Now as to that much-vexed and eternally-being-discussed question of the frozen meat. After making inquiries in every direction, and of all sorta and conditions of people, I must confess that out of all the conflicting evidence tendered me I came away with but one clear impression. In praise of New Zealand beef and mutton everybody was unanimous. But for the Australian meat I could find few to say a good word. It was small. It went black at the bone when cooked. The fleshier parts smelled badly when cut into. It was flabby and • squashy.' And every housewife professed to be able to tell the difference between the two in a second, either in the butcher's shop or on the table. No 6elf-respecting tradesman, to the west of the City Griffin at least, would dare to offer a customer any joint except as ' Real New Zealand,' although it may have never been nearer there than, say, Liverpool Plains. Even the poorer classes, who do not eat meat every day in the week, do not care about touching Australian mutton."

The local Courier says that one of the best ryegrass crops in the Tapanui district is now ia stook en Conical Hills station. Mr Shennan estimates it to yield him over 40 bushels per acre.

\ (Continued on page 11.)