AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Mr Henry Reynolds (of the firm of Messrs Reynolds and Co., Limited) has justreturned to Auok* land after a six weeks' tour of the colony, during which he visited most of the leading butter and cheese faobories in New Zealand. All spoken to have agreed to join and form a dairy association for both the North and South Islands, with secretaries at Wellington and Dunedin, whence fortnightly shipments of produce are to be regularly made. •• I am fully satisfied," siys Mr RejnoJds. "that we shall have all the help we asked for from the Government at the Wellington Agricultural Conference and tbe Dairy Conference at Dunediu in connection with insulated trucks, cold storage, grading, &c. An amendment to the Dairy Act is now being printed to effect these, and a grant is being provided for them. It the grant is paesed by Parliament — and Beeing the dairy industry is cow the backbone of the colony, we don'c expect anyone to vote against it—we can .rely upon what we want being carried. The Secretary for Agriculture hid this matter in hand before my arrival in the colony, but as conferences were to be held in Wellington and Duuedin it was held back to ccc whether we should a)l move in the same direction. As 1 have told you, we are all in accord, and if the suggestion be but carried out, we cau confidently expect next session will see a very marked improvement in the quality of New Zealand butter when landed in London, and so obviate the great complaints that have been made regarding the quality of the produce lately expt rttd. lam more than ever satisfied

tiers were willing to agree to this, but a few stood out, not considering the offer good enough. It is said that some regret their indifference in the matter, and wish that they had given it more consideration. I do not know that this is the case, but I am told that Mr Rae is willing to renew his offer in a somewhat modified form, and promises to meet the settlers for this purpose in the beginning of this month."

The Christchurch Pre3s says :—": — " At the Addington yards, on the 27th ulfc., Messrs George KiDg and Co. introduced an improved method of handling the dairy cows under offpr for sale by them. Each animal was provided with a halter ard tied up in tho pens. This prevented them frrm knocking one another abou l ", as is sometimes the case when cow? n>r knowing one another biv. placed together. It also enabled buyers to readily examine and handle the animals before purchasing, The innovation is one that might well be generally adopted at the yards by the vendors of dairy cattle."

11 A Northumbrian Farmer," under tha heading •• Is Ensilage a Failure ?" writes as follows in the Field i— •♦ Being confined to the housa by a severe cold, consequently not able to attend to outside work, my eye has rested on some numbers of the Field which had not been opened previously, and in those for May and June 1892 I have read with interest and amtuem«nb letters signed •H. S. G.,' •I. O L ,' and 'John Fletcher,' with the former of whom I have most sympathy, as b.9 honestly admits his failure to make good silage, does not attempt to dogmatise, but wisely seeks information from others. After nine annual attempts to do 80, endisg '£t3b July, I have come to the conclusion that ifc is not only not a failure, but is a most valuable ad junot to farming. Undoubtedly it requires more care aad intelligence than hay-making ; for while the latter in sunny breezy weather will nearly make itself, the former would be spoiled under those influences, b£ cause of tte rapid evaporation of the natural sap which constitutes its chief value. In my opinion the best silage is that which most closely resembles in every way the material of which it is made ; and the better that material is, includirg condition, the better will the silage be. Partially dry or withered grass put into silo will not n,ake good silage, as I know to rry cost ; and watering it, as some have done, is a delusion. The first element of success is to preserve as much of the natural sap as possible, and as little rain water. My plan has been of late years to fill the silo quickly, keeping plenty of men in it to level and tread each load down tight, and, when full, to put on automatic weight at onee — consist iog of clean gravel, underneath which is a close covering of

boards the whole size of the silo, with zinc sheets above the boards to prevent any gravel getting on to the grass ; the boards and sheets mil last for years. During my nine years' experience I never had so satisfactory an output as last year, owing to the application of acquired information. Filling by degrees has always failed with me, because of heating or fermentation. This, being the initial stage of tire, chemically changed the natural condition of the material and left a deep layer of mould between the respective fillings, which was lost, besides injuring a certain proportion above and below itself. So far as I understand 'I O. L,' this appears to be the plan he so strongly advi» cates, but yet his sheep do nob approve of it, as he says they will not eat it. Nature warned them against it, and, seeing that, it would have been wise of him to reconsider his principle. But for silage I do nob know What would have become of my breeding ewes and other sheep stock' these last two winters, as they numbared over 600 head. I had only one acre and a-halt of turnips, and no other description of succulent food. Turnips aro too costly and precarious for my taste. My sheep of all kinds eat the silage as fast as it ia carted out to- their racks in the fields, and lie down when they oau eat no more. The ewes have abundance of milk, and all are doing well. There was one case ot abortion out of 200 ewes. If •H. S. G. happens to read this letter, I advise him to keep clear of all expensive appliances for making silage ; the patentees and agents get the best of their use. From past experience, if it were possible, I would cut tho grass, fill the silo, and weight it down for good all in one day, putting l^cwb superincumbent weight to the square foot of surface."

Now that the weather is more settled farm work in the Temuka district (writes the local correspondent of the Ctiri^tchurch Press) is progressing rapidly. Ouly t c heavy swamp lands are unfit for the plough ; the balance of fallow and lea is being rapid ! y sown. The grass has fallen off during the lato severe weather, and stock have gone back a little. The last sale at the Temuka yards, although there was a comparatively small entry, showed that if anything prices for good young stock had improved. Turnips are by no means plentiful, and it is probable there will be a scarcity of spring feed except where green crops have been grown. Mr Wareing, whose crop of clover has already received some notice, submitted a sample for sale lately, and has received a very payable offer. His enterprise in starting clover-grow-ing is likely to meet with success, and others are following in his footsteps. To meet the demand for threshing Mr M. Scannell has purchased from Messrs Andrews and Beaven one of their latest improved clover shelters and dressers, and promises of support are by no means rare. Business in pigs is falling off slightly except for prime baooners, which fetched average prices. Ordinary trade is interfered with a good deal by the action of farmers holding ordinary slaughter licenses, who are enabled to practically flood the market with meat at intervals. A horse belonging to Mr Gray, butcher, Armagh street Ease, has (says the Christchuroh Press) succumbed, it is believed, to the larvps of the bot fly, which was found in enormous quantities attached to the lining of the stomach. Not long ago this same animal voided a quantity of the larva), and it was hoped that the danger was passed. However^ this was not so. We are informed that the animal was examined and prescribed for by more than one veterinary surgeon. We also understand that the Government Veterinary Surgeon has seen the case, and no doubt a report will be made to the Department of Agriculture. This and other similar cases will doubtless form matter for one of those useful little " Leaflets for Farmers " which ara frequently issued by the department.

Agricultural reports from over 25,000 farms in the United States indicate it costs 20.22d0l to grow an acre of wheit in New England, 28.03d0l an acre of corn. In Middle States 18.18dol for an acre of wheat, and 21.53d0l for an acre of corn. In Western States 10.89d0l for wheat, and for corn ll.Oßdol. On Pacific Coast 13.98d0l for wheat, and 18.36d0l for corn, making a total average of 11 39d0l for an acre of wheat, and 11.71d0l for an acre of coin. The value given last December was 6.16d0l fcr an acre of wheat, and 8.21d0l for an acre of corn. It has been reported reaper companies will lay off two-thirds of their help on account of light seeding in tr c North-west. Some crop dressera predict a spring whtat shortage in 1894 of 25 per cent. Illinois reports winter wheat acreage as 1,821,000 against 1,348,000 cut last year. Nearly all consuming markets quote wheat lower than ever before. Freights from Chicago to Liverpool are but ll|c per bushel, corn ll^c, and flour 22c per barrel. Prices seem low eßO'jgh to jußtify investment purchases.

Mr Geoffrey Drage, in his Report on Russia, t just issued by the Royal Commission on Labour, Las condensed a great amount of interesting information, derived from official and other sources, relating t:> the rural economy of the great empire. The preponderating importance of the agricultural over all the industries in Russia is shown by the fact that in the entire empire, including the A&iafr'c portions, the rural population in 1890 was 102 016,800. against 13,972,643 for the town?, the former being nearly 88 per cent, of tbe whole. According to statistics published in 1893, the total number of adults of both sex's in the working rla.«s s was 35,700,000, and of this number 29,000,000, or 81*2 per c nt., wereeipa el in agriculture, besides 2,000,000 engaged ia forestry, and nearly 2,000,000 in the rearing of live stock, hunting, fishing, and o'her occupations. Alto* ' gether it is estimated that 92 4 per cent, of the adults are engaged iv rural pursuits, Aftef giving an Interesting account of the communal and other systems of land tenure prevalent ia Russia, Mr Drage comes to the consideration of wages— a difficult and complicated subject) owing to the greit vail itions or circumstances Under which labour is carrbd on. The great majority of tie peasants are possessors Of land* either as communal or private owners, and iti, many cases they work for the proprietors of great estates in return for land, or under a contract Bvtttrd which involves the use of their own horeei and implements. The wages of day labourers vary greatly, not only in diffe l tent parts of the empire, but also in different seasons. Thß average daily payment for all seasons of the year together appears to range from a little over a shilling to half-a-crowuj ha 1 ; the more common range is from Is 4d to la lOd. Men engaged by the year, and sup* plitd with boa'd and lodging, commonly gob from £8 to £12 in money, rising to £18 in two provinces, and their board ia estimated to cost) from two-thirds of their money wages to an equal amount. In some cases a whole village community contracts to perform certain work for a great landowner in return for the right of grazing the village cattle on put of his land, or for other privileges. The methods of cultivation are still generally of the most primitive character, not only on the land of the peasants, but also on that of the nobles. All classes of landowners are greatly embarrassed by debt, while heavy taxation frequently deprive s land of almost its entire value to the, possessor. ( Continued on page 11.)