AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2105, 28 June 1894, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

MeEsrs H. Trengrouse and Co., writing from London under date May 4, say :—: — Since last week Irish factory butter has dropped Bs, Danish 4s (3d, and other kinds in accordance Irish may be had to day at 81s, Danish 91s ; so we think the prices we have realised this week should please our Otago friends — viz. : Shag Valley Factory, 90s to 98s Koputai (Port Chalmers), 90a to 96a Dairy butter, 60s to 70a. The Fifeshire and Perthshire are both discharging, and should there be any difficulty in getting

fair values for their consignments, jye purpose storing until October or until market improves. Cheese keep up— s6s to 60s, though not many are realising the latter figure. Frozen chamber butter per Duke of Westminster turned out best, and Bold. That in cool chamber still on hand. Though we wißh prices were higher, it is satisfactory to note that our Otago butter holds its own with Danish, and that our best cheese also commands fair rates. We note also tbat the frozen chamber for butter again, as in the past, proves the best ; and evidently the plan of the National Dairy Association for one chamber only for butter, to be kept below freezing point, is tbe right one. We also note that the remarks in the National Dairy Association's report as to good prices being obtainable for a good article are substantiated by Messrs H. Trpngronse and Co.'s letter, as above. A meeting of farmers was held at Mrs Sinclair's Mopgiel Ho'e 1 on Thursday night for the purpose of considering the question of the commission paid to the stock agents ah the Burnside sale yards. There were present — Messrs R. Charters (in the chair), Jaa. Gow, Wm Charters, Jas. Harrison, Win. Lindsay, David Andrew, D Miller, Thos. Craig. David Marshall, J. C. Renton, A. Grieve, D. Sutherland, Wm. Jaffray, jun., John Findlay, W. C Todd, W. Blackip, R. Gibson, Jap. Wylie, Jas Findlay, S. Young, Alex. Blair, and John Allan. After some discussion, the secretary was instructed to write to all the agricultural societies and farmers' clubs in tbe surrounding districts, and ask them to appoint delegates to attend another meeting to be held at Ross's Hotel, at Burnside, on the 18th July, to further consider the question. A committee was also appointed to make arrangements for the meeting.

Messrs H. Reynolds, B. C. Reynolds, and J. R. Scott (secretory National Dairy Association), the deputation appointed at the last annual meeting of the association, waited on the Minister for Lands and on Mr J. D Ritchie (Secretary for Agriculture) in Wellington last week, and as the result of their interview it is presumed that the reforms and improvements in the Dairy Act in matters dealing with the dairy industry will be upon tbe lires laid down in the suggestions from tbe National Dairy Association and the Agricultural Conferecce We hear that Mr B. Wayfce, of Obama Bridge, has been appointed one of the six new deity instructors. MrWayte was a most succes-iful oheesemaker before leaving for London to perfect his knowledge in Eogland, winning the prize for cheese at tbe Victorian show. He spent two years in England at several agricultural colleges, bearing away prizes in butter and cheese making, milk analysis, &c, and receiving the highest certificates of competency. It is eaid that he was very nearly being selected instead of Mr Valentine when the Agent-general was dealing with tbe appointment of an expert. Mr Robbins, of Gore, has also been offered »n appointment.

The uniting of the factories in the North! Island with the National Dairy Association is now almost an accomplished fact, and a local secretary will be shortly appointed for Wellington. From the Wellington press telegram it might be supposed that the management of ihe association was to be centralized in Wellington, but this is not so. Local secretaries are to be appointed at Wellington, Cbristchurcb, and Auckland under the control of the committee here. Messrs Rowe and Kelly, the Victorian emissaries of the Victoria Agricultural department to India and the East, find a demand for wines', hams, bacon, butter, cheese, concentrated milk, preserved meats and fruits, jams, and leather. - There is a large demand in India for strawberry jam, which is more extensively used than any .other. At the ports in India visited by Messrs Rowe and Kelly it was ascertained that supplies of good fresh fruit would be very acceptable, such as apples, pears, and grapes. Great care would, however, have to be exercised in the picking and packing, bo tbat the fruit would be landed in good condition. As a general rule, the terms "hogg" and "hogget" are used synonymously. Strictly speaking, however, the term '• hogget," which is, etymologicftlly, a diminutive of " hogg," means a sheep rising one year old, which has not been clipped, whereas the term " hogg," as distinguished from hogget, means a one-year-old sheep that has been clipped. A Melbourne paper states that the company which was formed in Romsey last year for the purchase and preservation of egga have every reason to be satisfied with their venture, as the eggs they are now marketing are returning a handsome profit on the cost and expenses of handling them. It will startle some people to learn that if no American meat is imported into the London market for two days the price of all kinds of meat goeß up. Moreover, it is also a fact that if the American supply were entirely cut off we should have famine prices in force, bo large is the quantity consumed. — London Figaro.) On the subject of butter washing Mr F. N. Menzies, late secretary of the Highland and I Agricultural Society, writes as follows :—": — " I hold that, by the system of butter-making now taught, the whole bloom, colour, and taste of the butter is washed out ; moreover, it takes as much trouble to get the water out of the butter as it does to get the buttermilk out. My system is, when the butter forms into small granulations, to run -off the buttermilk and

allow it to draw off tbe batter for a few minutes ; then lift it out with wooden scoops or spoons, and put it on the butter worker, and press as much of the buttermilk out with •Sootoh hands' (little wooden flat spades) as possible; then place all the butter on a oold elate, and work it in portions in the butter worker till it appears quite solid, and all the milk is out of it. If the butter is to be kept frssh, ib is then weighed into pounds ; if it is to be kept pickled or powdered, this is done in the butter worker after it has been weighed, and it is salted according to taste. I use a mixture of lib of granulated cane sugar to 31b of Scotch sea salt. I may add that I have for many years got tbe highest price going for my butter, and oould sell a vast deal more than I have to spare."

Instances of spontaneous combustion in the wool shipped from Australia to England are (writes " Bruni," in the Australasian) said to have become somewhat frequent of late, and no doubt tbis circumstance will be cited ia support of tbe shearers' delegates' contention that they should have a say as to when tbe sheep at shearing time are dry or not. Now lam quite convinced that the owner of large flocks would never dream of doing so suicidal an act as to ship his wool in a damp state. The brands of all the Australian woolgrowers are well known in the markets of Europe, and any negligence in this respect would soon bring its own punishment. TheD, again, there are others who produce wool as well as the owners of large flocks. A very large proportion of the wool shipped from Australia is grown by farmers, and though I would not 'even hint that any of them are intentionally careless about their shearing, still they have not the conveniences of a large pastoral property, aad there is therefore a greater probability of sheep being shorn damp on a farm than on a large estate. A large quantity of wool, too, is scoured in these colonies, and I cannot help thinking that the chance of wool being packed damp is greater at a wool-scour-ing establishment than on either a farm or a large pastoral estate. It would, however, be quite as serious a mistake for the scourer to ship damp wool as for the large flockowner to do so. Wool shipped in a damp condition would be landed in a state that would teud to a considerable reduction in its price, and rh<\t result is no more desired by the scourer than the woolgrower. That shipping damp wool would entail considerable loss on tbe shipper is sufficient to deter anyone from doing such an act intentionally. Now that public attention in EDgland is directed to this matter there is a prospect that we may obtain some information as to the causes of spontaneous combustion in wool. It may be that wool containing a heavier amount of yolk is the cause of some of the wool being either burned on the voyage or arriving in England in a charred condition.

The North British Agriculturist says :: — •• In the Dumfries Police Court a local fiesher was prosecuted, at the instance of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, for

having neglected to provide food and water to 29 calves, which were brought from Castle Douglas to Dumfries slaughterhouse. From the evidence it appeared that the calves were bought in the mart at Castle Douglas at 11 o'clock in the morning, brought to Dumfries at 7 in the evening, and had no food during the 15 hours they were there before being killed. The cries of the animals were said to have been pitiful. For the defence, it was stated that it was the use and wont of dealers to keep the calves without food before slaughter so as to improve the quality of the veal. The magistrate found the charge proven, but in consideration of the custom of the trade he would only give a caution in this instance, and not impose a penalty."

The actiog chief inspector of stock for New South Wales, Mr R. D. Jones, reports that anthrax is increasing in the colony. This is largely attributable to the non-destruction by fire of animals dying from that disease. There is no better or more effectual means of destroying sources of infection than fire, and all animals dying from whatever cause should be completely destroyed by that means, and there ia no surer way of disseminating this disease than leaving dead carcases on the surface undestroyed. Instructions have been given to the various inspectors to be vigilant in detecting and rigorously prosecuting and pressing for fullest penalties allowed by law all persons leaving dead stock undestroyed on the travelling stock reserves or within the legal distance (half a mile) of any public road.

A few months ago I noticed (writes "Bruni," in the Australasian) two shipments of frozen wethers from Messrs J. Hotson and Co.'s works, Newport, which appeared to me the very finest sheep I ever saw shipped from Melbourne. One consisted of a draft of wethers from Messrs M'Farland's Barooga estate, by Lincoln rams from Barooga ewes, which are largely bred to the Vermont strain. The other lot were 500 wethers from Mr A. Chirnside's Eoort Koort Nong estate, which appeared to be threequarters bred Lincoln, and I guessed to be six-tooth, while the Barooga wethers were fourtooth. I have just received from Messrs J. Hotson and Co. the particulars of the sale of these sheep. The Koort Koort Nong wethers averaged 721b, and realised net 13s 3d, the price being 4'7d per lb, and the Barooga wethers averaged 621b, and realised 10s 6d net, the price being 4--9 d per lb. Looking at the carcaees in the freezing chamber, I was under the impression -that there would be a greater difference in the price per lb in favour of the Barooga wethers, which were the perfection of mutton. The test, though a good one, is not final as to which is the best description of sheep for exportation, a3 the two lots were not sold at the same time. That they were considered of the best quality by the London buyers is shown by the fact that at the same sales prime Canterbury wethers realised only 4d per lb. These are the highest prices yet realised by Australian mutton in the English market.

Under tha heading " Tuberculosis among Ayrehires," the North British Agriculturist says :—" The evidenoe that is being led before Mr Speir, the sub-commissioner for the dairy districts, is on much the same lines as that led before Mr Hope. In the dairy districts, however, the farmers are complaining bitterly about one most important matter which was scarcely ever mentioned at the meetings in the east country. The farmers in the dairy districts are complaining that the extraordinary prevalence of tuberculosis is the most serious trouble that | they have to contend with at the present time. Their statements on this point at the public meetings are couched in rather general terms; but we happen to know that some of the most prominent breeders of pedigreed Ayrshire stock have sent communications to Mr Speir, stating that the mortality in their herds from this cause may be fairly put at from 15 to 18 per cent, per annum. The cause of this extreme prevalence of tuberculosis among the Ayrshire stocks is freely admitted to be mainly due to in-breeding | for the sake of securing the 'quality' which the judges at shows set so much store by. This is a most serious matter, and surely it is high time that the Board of Agriculture should take in hand the Heroulean task of stamping out this dire disease. We had occasion some time ago to warn the breeders of polled Angus oattle that some of them were in danger of repeating the fatal mistake which ruined the < Duonessea,' audit now appears that the great body of Ayrshire breeders have made the same mistake. The eliciting of this most important faot is one good effect that has already resulted from the appointment of a sub-commissioner for $he dairy districts." Milk frozen solid in oans .is now sold in France. It has been discovered that milk can be kept perfectly fresh in a Frozen condition for more than a month. It is frozen by means of an ordinary ice-making machine, and despatched by road, rail, or steamer to its destina ° tion. The customer who purchases the frozen milk has simply to thaw it when it is required for use. Out Lauder and Ida Valley way a number of farmers are (according to the Dunsfcan Times) stated to be carting their wheat into the Naseby flour mill, getting it gristed, and carting the flour and bran back, and selling it locally, By doing this they find that they can get a better price than selling the wheat straight oub at the very low prices now ruling. The Mataura Ensign says that during the" hearing of the lousy sheep cases at the Magi' strate's Court on Thursday Stock laspec of Turner said he wished to warn farmers and drovers that they were liable to a penalty of not less than £2 and up to £100 for driving sheep infected with lice on any highroad with' out permission. He wished this to be gene* rally known, as the defendants in the cases that) diy were liable not only for exposing fcbetn in a public yard, but also for driving them along a highway.

(Continued on page 12.)