AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS,

Otago Witness, Issue 2170, 26 September 1895, Page 4

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS,

Mr S. S. Cameron, M.R.C.V.S., Melbourne, who has been appointed expert inspector of the Dnnedin abattoirs, lenders for the construction of which are now being invited, arrived by tho Hnuroto on the 17tb, snd it is understood will take up his duties at onco. Prior to his departure from Melbourne Mr Cameron waa honoured with a ' farewell complimentary banquet at which many professional and leading public men were . present. Highly complimentary notice! of Mr Cameron's abilities have been publittbed in Melbourne, and Duucdin is oongratuUted upon securing tfce services of a gentleman of such high professional ability. The experiment about to bo nv.de in Dunedin will be clcsely watched in Melbourne, and it successful the lead will probably be followed. Entiio* for the annual horse parade held under tte auspices of the Ot»go Agricultural and P*storal Society at Tahuu* Park on Thursday, the 26rb, cloaod o» Fiiday. The number of eatriee received up to Friday aight aro bh follow .— ClydesdaJfs 27, thoroughbreds 6, carriage hackneys 12 These include auiniiUs from Korao of the principal breeders in Ocugo, Southland, aid South Canterbury ; aud also a Clydt-sdsls stallion and nnre just landed (ex Himroto) i'n-m Melbourne, the property of Me John TiestraiJ. Now South W.»lej bullocko in tlie form of lit roes of beef are now on their way to Siberia by the steamer Menmuir. It is an experimental 1 Shiprceofc. The Gothic if) to take Home a consignments of b»c:ni cured by Mr Hetemeyer, of Foilding. The crnMgianeut is beiug Bent with a view of opi-niiitf up a regular trade. Th.j p.". Mount Sirion took away a shipment of hornet for C*lcuttn. 'Xhey were a mixed ■ lot, including some big-boned artillery horses standing 15.3, a number of lighter eorrs inteuded for cavalry remountß, and a few poniea. The horses were mestly fiom Canterbury, but a few wero from Otago. The Clutha and Matau Agricultural and Paaforal Association commence fc!:e year with a ' credit; balance of £14 5-i Id Mr Bryce was ! elt-cted {>ns : (lr-nfc, Messw J. Findlay snd C. Shmd vice-president*, with Mr T. M'Donald as secretary and Mr J. Turnbull ai treasuror. At the annutl metting of the Stirling Dairy Factory Company the secretary reported thftfc the directors bad had under consideration tha question of tho desirr-bility of cormnynrring milk condensing, and had obtained all information on the subject. It was found that a capital of £9000 to £10,000 would be required to embark in the enterprise. The shareho'ders carried a resolution to take no further steps in the ra&tfcer. Tho Chrislchnrch Pre»s says that by tho San Fra'cisoo mail Mr L. Davie3 received a letter from Mr H. Fuhrmann, who is at present in London, stating that wherever he had shown the Brcokside Patent Milker it tud been most favourably noticed. He bad received an offer of 5000 £L shares from a syndicate, who propose to float a company to purchase the patent rights in England. The syndicate propose to find £5000 ca<-h to place the patent Ixsfore the pub'ie, the New Zealand proprietors to receive one-tbird of the profit on each machine solo?. The proprietors look upon this as an excellent offer, and it speaks well for tbe introduction of the milker in other parts of the world. A reduction in the size of wheat bags is being agitated by the South Australian Bure&u o£ Agriculture. At a meeting held to consider the question, it was resolved after diecuseion by m large majority that the bureau favours the reduction in the capaoity of tho wheat aack to 2001b, and that tho reduction should bo in widch, to make the bags moro convenient foe stacking. A new milk aerator has been invented by Mr G. Humpbrieß, of Port Fairy. The features o£ the macLinc are, according to the Australasian, its simplicity and sheapness, as it involves very little labour, aud can be worked by even a boy, whilst the whole affair will not cost more than Zoi. The aerator can be briefly described. There is a email cylinder, 2ft in lpngth, through which a steel bar runs, and attached to it is a piece of wood, which runs along the cylinder. It forces the air through tabes to the bottom ©2

the can, and it ia stated that a person o,\nnob keep hia head over the bucket of milk whilst the Contrivance is being worked owing to the unpleasant odour which is expelled from the milk by the action of the aerator. "We are ioformed that the directors of the O"c»go Farmers' Co-operative Association have iuatructed their Executive Committee to make tho necessary arrangements to start business at once. The Wyndham Herald records quite a number of cases of ailing horse 3in that district during the past week or two, but there has been nothing cf an endemic or serious n&ture. Mr J. R. Caaswell, a Lincolnshire farmer, reports to the Live Stock Journal an extraordinary case of fertility with a shorthorn cow. She faai produced 10 calves in flva yy c ars— as a heifer one, then twins three times in succession, and now triplets (all doing well). She has prodnced tha last five calves in less than 12 months. The calve* have batn by three different sire* of tbe Polled Aberdeen- Angus breed, and all black. The day after giving birth to the tri pie's she w»i tLreatened with milk fev*r, but, with care, that has pasted off. The arrival at New York a few weeks ago of ft Bttsmer from the Argentine Republic with a cargo of 120,000 bushels of fl*x seed has brought to light some interesting facts. It s r ems that quite a trade has been going ou in the Uuited btaloß m Bced from the Argentina for some time past. The flax seed, although dirty, i« reported to be very good in quality, and the price is equal to about 5s 4d ptt bushel, duty paid, the latter amounting to 10d per bushel. Crashers gtt a rebate on oil cake exported, which makes the net price abjut 5s p*id for tbe Sjuth American article. Aw.c r ic*n fUx eeed is quoted at about 6a 3J to 6* s£d,uominally. It is interesting to note (ssys the Bicedero' G.zjttc, frjtn which we take the sbjve particulars) that two years ago America exported Jarge quantities of 11 ax seed ; now she ia importing. "G.J.8.,"' West Australia, writes in tbe Auhtrala&iau :—": — " Cad you or any of your re^deis inform me how to remove the horns from young rattle co as to prevent the:r making a scjvr.d gio.irth. yooie three years ajjo I got from America a dehorning machine, and have ustd iv evtr since according to dirtc ions, Mi'li the rtoult that iv «very instance the horns have grown again. They do net take thtir orgiuU frbape, but nearly all grow ei'hftr down snU into the cheeks, or otherwise lay back on the beast's neck. When they t«ke the former course they must be watched and cut, off a second time. No doubt though the horns grov, they are in such shapes that cattle cannot injare each other as when in their original i«trt.te, I aud 1 Gnd it a great advantage when y*r<Hi-g, as they do not get homed in any \v*y, end are | undoubtedly much quieter. I have alto u»cd euutic i.ot.iah, but found it imp .siibk in a dry country with a l.irge herd lo gfit the calvca sufficiently >oung for lhe operation. Any jufocmotiou you cm give through your coluxius will be very thankfully rewivtd. The ftdv»n'nge of pol»ys ov< r hon.ed ca^tk: ftr either ih'ppmg or trucking is so very great that there o*o be no qutsiiou as to the advantage of drh rnirg." lor rapidity in the devekptnetit of the dftiry industry, there hswj been probably nobbing to compare with the exawplu of t l ae Mate of thnneed* auics vihett-grcwing b'jotnw uui*oUtable. I'our yeara »go the first co o}'<r«tive creaniury wa* established in i'raoborn County, aud now lh*re are 25 cremariea in tlul county alcne. Nearly all fcLe other ccu-itics site, dotted over with thcoe institutiona, and probably Ihrre are uot Its* than 300 of them in tho Stute. Oae firm fi U'd up 43 in tho present year. Last year ifc '■? sad, th^ 00-operating faroaers arcr»gfd !ioc a lb for their butter, a price which paja them much bc'.ler th»n growing VfheAt At 10c to 500 a bushel. Mr J. Hotton, who has j<isb returned from bis London vifdt, givis his views lo on Aga interviiiwer. On the m-.ut qtieitiun he siyri : "I tlo not think anything ia lo he gained by opening retail shops to deal directly with the consumer. 'IbeE.ngtuh dealers serve toe public very well. To omiete with them would require very great commaiid of capital, and I think the attempt v;ou:d most likely brtfck down. I met with oue remirkhble instai cc of effective distribution which sniill shoi/Ueepi-rs woulcl h*ve to contend with. A co<-t«rm<xiger told me it has b ti\ his practice for souie time |)**t to invest £20 every Saturday in Anrtraiiiu frozen moat. This he ordinarily «c'l3 cloauout the fiame night for £27 10i. • What dj you do on tho other d^yi of lhe witk?' I a*kvd. •Oh,' s*i'i the man, 'stay at home, or drive out th*. mi.-su^ and kida.'" The TbMtle Milker, the inrei'ifn of Hi Sbic's, oc thermoatat f.ioje, and Me Eilibtt, a Glasgow auctioneer, is coming greatly int j use at hfirif, tie makers having orVro in hund Vfbich it will take 12 ni mths to iulfil. A nu Her t f great irup'iit^uce to (to-ko\vu<srs ljas> 1) -en under the attention of the MiLi-V.r for Agriculture of Victoria. S -mi munLlib ago he was furnished with a proposal to c-tibliih a trust for the purpose of developing the in a1;a 1 ; txp^rt trade. It was propo?ed that the Government should pass a toll enabling the *tockownccs of Victoria to form },hem*ilvfs into a trust and givetk&t b *ly power to lery n rate of 2s per 100 sheep or 20 head of cattle upon all stock in th© colony for the purpose of providing funds to undertake the export of meat en aa extensive scale. It was felt tbat not only would the export of largo xjiimbor<3 of c-rcises of beef and mutttn relieve the giutt'd local m.-vket f,r.d thereby cau so belk r price .-> to be ob tainc d l>y 6tonkownwsstlliugcatLk 1 or sheep here, but that if the export trade were nv.de a sueo jsßj s8 tho-e who had fctood akof would step in and bo no fit by the efforts of thofe who had incurred expanse In estiVlieJiing the iniuft-y. For thssorci^ons, therefore, it wa? proposed that the trust should have power to levy a ra l .c on all stock in Victoria. Tho trust was to erect killing aud fretz : ng works at MeHourue and other suitable pluce*, the uiocey for the ertclion of the buildings beiog raised by the issue of debentures guaranteed by the Government, and to be repaid out of the proceeds of the tax. Mr Taverner promised to consult the pastoral and agricultural sccif-ties as to the necessity for tho tru»t aad on the details of the scheme. The Agricultural department sent circulars to the societies embodying the proposals referred to above, and about half of them have replied disapproving of the scheme, while the remainder gave a more or less qualified approval. — Australa«ian. In Denmark and Sweden a judging committee of butter experts receive from all buttermakers a sample of their product ones a forbnight. If the aitic!? falls short of the standard cf excellence, the maker is told wherein the defects li«. If the next sample slv.ws no improvement, an inspector pajs a viut to discover the cause; tho cows aro examined, thu manufacture watched and suggestions nude, meanwhile the first position is withheld from the factory until a permanent improvement has been effected. It is only with such infinite pains that Scandinavia holds the premier place in the Eti'optau butter market. A case of interest to stockowners and their Bgt-uts waa partly heard in Sydney last week,--gix different firms of auctioneers are being^proeeeded against for having exposad cajole for

that bed caught their eye. Aid ia tbis qu-ry was disclosjd the secret <-f Iho Ta^maniau sue- . cess, Rnd the direction in which Ne-v Zealand must look for hers in the cxnwt trade. The J print to be aisied at is to be able to fill Urge orders of a few favourite varieties. The TasDva.aia.as cultivata only a comiiarativ* ly £m»H Rumber of sort-p, wid it is an udvan'a^e r.-^faer th*n a clttrruont that a ni.Wa n-sxt n ifehbiur gro^S th« Btim-i toi'.a as himfrlf, ss by cimbiuition Ui*-y rau ii.ll a big Hue." Several of the buyers told Mr Blpctim -re thit thoy vould come to New Z"a!aiid next yiv.r if ha could gimrsii.t c lUfirgr-tting 10,000 c*s*s eat-h of two oc th^co good eorti. In will be soen from vhis that Mr B'ackniire's previously exprtssod opinion that cultivation must bo on a Urge tc^le to secure a market was ar.d is p«rlectly corcec", and tie will u-ge more than ever the iaiportance ot putting large sieas under a fe^ varieties only. Mr Shooini'g- 1 , a largo orchaidi«t, who had j'Jst returned from a visit to London, p»id for ths purpose of studying that mtrkb^, state.l that the kind? in favour tht.re, and the beit foe shipping, wrM Btnrmor pippin, ecirk't noiijjßTiel, Ol»op^tra, ribst-on p ppii, kin h 'of the pippin, D.ik-h rnignon, and tbe Frt-ncb crab Ttn-ae are the varieties chit-fly grown and shipped by Tt.s:mnia now ; the kinds ranking next being Cox's orange (teito aromatic) aud Dake of Clarence (singular ,to say, with the exception of two, the whole ot theec apples were being grown uuder wrcng names) the thren most valuable being the S'urmer, scarli.t p ; ppin, and Cleopatra. Mr B'ackraore his beta through Central Otago guile recently in connecUon with selecting a site for an experiment il f-titinn, which will most likely bo cDtublished in the Alexandra district. The Christchurch Press says :— " Mr John F. Batey, the manager at the Tai Tapu D*iry Factory, at the cud of last season sent Home, by way of experiment, 601b of butter (frozen) containing 2£ per cent, of salt, in lib prints. From experieuce and information he had received he believed there was a market in the provincial caitrea for butter made up in lib packets, hence his experiment. The consignee, who writes under date of August 9, 1895, from Carlisle, Enghnd, stated in his letter that, though the buHer nas not received nntil three rmiiths after manufacture, it had kept well, and Le Rfkel that he might be sent the recipe by the use of which the butter had kept such good condition. Though not advised as to the price the article realised, Mr Batey is satisfied with the experiment, as it has convinced him that butter can be successfully shipped in such small parcels." A aapposed ewe of anthrax is reported to bA7e occurred on the farm of Mrs Maloney, "Waharoa, Auckland. Three cows are dead and two more are sick. The inspector has secured part of one cow for analysis.

male rabbit', and ssys that ths more he gots the better he ia placed. O.i the oits'de of his ring fenuts of r» ting he has traps lor catching bis neighbours' tablets : the cloos are killed find the bucks fchrowu ou to h's owfl laud, because the the pieponck-mKe of m\!ei over the fetn-itrfi the greater and qnickor the death rate of il,es. The proof of the puidi"g is in che eatinjr, and tho f*rt tia«fe Mr K«ii«r has mauagrd to hold his Urge run aniUx.-eudso nui- h in fencing is rather »tro»>g evidence in fa"«OJr ot hia pl.'.n. I miut admit that; I was ] surprised to hear of him ngaio as a fl lurching Fquatt'.r, for if I lvmrmber wight, I agreed with others in ridiculing Li^ tcheine sevou jeirs ::go, and according to the usual destiny ol faddists, he should have butn swallow ei uo ere now in the Sydnf-y crowd of unemployed, which incluiiei rcitny w fortunate rabbit-ruin-jd squatters. If he and I are pp-red for ancthcr seven ye»w, I hope to )k a i' ot him again as living cltamd his orig'n-M run of rabbits, and also as having ann-xtd the rur.s of his unbsiieviug neighbours, who, pianiDg their faith upon ordinary mc'hods of poisoning, &c, have com* to financial grief.

The last number of the R.A.S. Journal contains two special articles on this subCrossbred ject by two different practical Sheep. men, bub the condition? are so different there, aud the subject ia viewed from fuch an entirely different standpoint to that which we are accustomed to, that after carefully looking through t bun I do not see that anything new is brought to bear upon the subject, cr anything, that is likely to be interesting or ustful to colonial sheepfarmers. Reference is made to the usual generalities, such as : "Soils, seasous, and management — especially managenunt — have more to do with the profit; or loss of breeding and feeding sheep then the specific character of the breeds." One writer very truly says of those who make a particular hobby of a certain bre.-d that it is natural a breeder should have a pref< lvnce and partiality for the breed of which he knows most, bub his ignorance of the comparative merits of other breeds which he has not tried docs not make him a fair judge. Both thesa British writers seem to have discovered that difficulty which has also been the stumbling block to colonial sheepbreeders— namely, that the trouble begins at the tecond cross, when a very marked difference is observed in a crossbred flock. Type is not well maintained, says one, and size is uncertain. The writer of the second paper on the subject Bays that after the firat cross great care and judgment U necessary ia selecting the ewes to breed from, and it is hard to know what rams to use. After the first cross, he says, the results sre not uniform and rarely successful, and it will take many years of careful breeding to establish auythiDg like uniformity of type. This is claimed to have been established in crossbred sheep here, however, by more than one breeder, so that

animals." With regard to the method of infaction the professor says that in most cases the disease is brought on to a farm by a diseased calf, and reappears every season as a rmttor of course. He mentions a case ss a sample :—: — "Ringworm was unknown upon a certain farm uutil four years ago, when some calves wera bought that had tue disease. They recovered in time with goad treatment, but overy followiDg reason moat of the calves became d-'sea^cd after being brought on to the farm. It could nob have been au accident th\t every frer-h- lot of ddres bought for grazing were mfectwi with tho disease, atnl the larnier concluded that tho tirst lot had left some infecting en&torikl about the sheds or pastures. The orchard treea were searched, and found to have finall buadles of hair clinging to the ba-k. These were examined under a raicrosflopo six months after the calves had beta running there, and found to ouUin ringworm fuugua in a state of vitality and quite capable of infecting fresh animals that spring, although the winter had been a very revere ouo. Thuu, while thi* fungus will thrive be^t ami-Jsfc warmth and decomposing matter, it will also survive expoauro to a long period of frost on the clean bark of a tree or upon the post, of a shed or g*te."

Prevention is bfclter than cure, but if rirgworm accidentally or uukuowRemedial iegly gf.ta upon a farm, it Measures, appears from the foregoing lo be difficult lo prevent it from reappearing from time to time. The disease is said to roach its full development in 6ix weeks, and mutt run its course, its duration being according to tho general stato of the animal's health. The profeEsor inoculated a calf with ringworm on December 21 last year. On January 14 the ekin was rough and pimply; five days later ringworm was well defined and the skin was covered with scurf. By the end of February the calf was clean- again, but it had not been allowed to lick itself or to spie'vd the disease over its body. While, therefore, it is a disease that runs its course and in time disappears, it gives the calf a check and is an undesirable and unwholesome thing, and should be avoided if possible. Keeping calves healthy and thriving and free from contact with diseased ones is the best plan, but as a cure there are many disinfecting washes recommended, any of which will serve if strong enough. A good smearing of vaseline will prevent the spread over sound parts. I do not think that ringworm is so common here as in the old country, for during a long colonial ex> psrience I have had little trouble with it. The ordinary grey ringworm of calves is known as Tricophjton tonsurans, and that which occurs most often in mice, cats, and dogs under the name of mange is known as Achorion Schonleinii, and with this interesting little bit ot information I must conclude.

I came aorofls a note the other day oft tho profit of growing intiaGrowlng tard seed for the mustard mill. Mustard Scot?. Iv tho note referred fco it wai etitod that Norwioh in England owes it success to mustard. Tho commercial importauco of the town was at one time declin* ing very rapidly, but the inauguration of thfi mustard industry by the Messrs Colman practically saved it. The industry ia Norwich enploys over 2000 men, women, and children. The works have a river frontage of the best part of a mile, and the buildings cover about 25 aores of ground. Mustar.i-growing has steadily extended over that part of Bugland ab one time termed E ist Aa^lia, and large quantities ace imported from Holland. Two kinds of seed arq employed in the manufacture of tho condiment —the brown and tho white seed. The brown seed has the pungency and is the more expensive ;' the white sred ta almo3t tasteless, but by using it a little of the brown seed gooa a long way P It is by the judicious combination of the two varieties tHat the propsr colour of the raurtard is obtained. I have given these pattioulars to call attention to the matter, for I sco no good reason why mustard-growing for profit should not be taken in hand in New Zealand. The eced would find a ready sale in England if more .than the local demand were grown. There are "many places in the colony where tha crop could bo grown to perfoctiou, and I would suggest that some of our farmer reader* try a small quantity of the seed by way of experiment, with tho view to extending tho cultivation of mustard if tho results are sufficiently encouraging. Any profifr&bia crop to vary the general Ccresl crop?, whioh so often prove unprofitable, would bo a welcome change. For tho 6null farmer these sid« crops arc most important, and it is by multiplying the products of ihe farm that soiell farming can best be made to pay. It is a good plan to have more thau one harvest every year ; and it is by grow* ing various crops that that can bo be3t attained.

Although we have not heard much as yet about the occurrence of s.bnrlion in Abortion cow?, it is only a quf>ntion of in time when that troubleioma Com. disease will be added to the many ills that tend to make the life of the farmer miserable. While oar pMtur< 0 are clean wo sru not likely to be troubled much with abDrtioQ in cither cattle or cheep ; but whrn our pastures become old and contaminated by stock the caoe is entirely different. In England, abor'iou is called "the curse o£ cattle," the ocrutreuce of abort'oa being ga frequrnt that the ltoval Agricutuml Society found it expedient to invo I3,ate tho subject. & lsrge amount of informatioa was collated, much of which was of a very conflicting nature. Aftei- the investigation the society recommended the front ment employed with so great bucccfs by Frofc ssor Noc&rd, chief of the Fivnch Vtt-riraiy Institute at Alforfc, who hag made the subject a special study for years, and was the first to recommend antiroptio treat* mcut. Tho plan recoaamanded by the profesior is to u« a lotion of 2gal rain water to which 2£dr oorroaivo sublimate and 2^z hydrochloric acid hate been added. This lotion is a powerful poison, and is used wit,h a sponge daily, tho cow s'al'a b«ng disinfected with a liberal ppri- kling of carbolic ncid at the rate one part ncid to 50 of water. By this means all fear of infection is avoided. The treatment has been before tha veterinary world for two or tbree years now, and hat given tho vety bint results. Prior to that carbolic acid wai employed with a fair measure if success. Tto greatest danger to in-calf cows arises from contagion; hence the necessity fof antiseptic troatmei/t. It has been generally held that eating ergotised grass has had a great deal to do with the production of abortion, and that belief has been freely held for the past 20 ye»rs. Yet in giving evidence beforo the Royal Agriculf oral Society Professor Axe stated that he bad admiuuterod ergot at tho rate of loz daily to cows in calf for 10 days and l^oz for seven days without any unfavourable results whatever. In the face of this and other like exptrt cv Hence the ergot theory will havo to bo abandoned. The theory cow propounded, and which is evidently tho correct one, is that the trae source of the disease is infection from aborted cows. Treatment must therefore be directed towards preventing infection. Two learned profetsora who conducted a eeriea of experiments on behalf of tho Highland Society entirely discredited the sympathy theory that w*e at one time eet op, and one of them stated that there is not a particle of evidence to short that ergot is ever a cause. In 19 cum out ol 20, the same expert Bays y the caosft o»nnot b* discovered. The question has net been finally settled s-inosigAfc the experts themselves. Thk bacteriolog'sts favour the contagion theory, while other* believe that sympathy is the true came. To sum the matter up, it may be (aid that there are occasional cases of abortion that arc caused by accident ; th»t epidemic abortion is au infectious or contagious diaeas* ;' and that contact bslween cows which are infected and cows which are healthy is certain to result in an outbreak. For this reason too great care can* not be taken to isolate the disease. Every indij vidutl cue of abottion ought to be isolitea and treated antiseptically to be quite on the safe side.

The Chicago Breeders' Gszstte has been diav cussing the question of the in* Tho Inflnenco fluenceofclimate on type of sheep of Climate and the nature of the wool pro* on Wool, duced, and the conclusion arrived at is that climate his a good deal to do with the matter. Cloiely connected with type ie the influence of altitude on aiz3. The writer contends that the Lincoln or tho Leicester would not long retain their mammoth proportions without the infusion of fresh blood if forced to graze in the rugged glens of the great Cheviot, which runs to a height of 2676 ft obave sea level ; as it is equally unlikely tho Cheviot sheop would retain its characteristic type if compelled to graze on the lowlands. A flodk of Leicester* kept on hilly ground was found to be inferior in health, and there wa* a great difficulty in keeping up the type. On the lowest land in America — that of Prince Edward Island — the Leicestera were the finest of sheep in every respect. Under tho samo conditions the dark-faced Canadian sheep dwindled in a single generation. Cheviots have beon noticed to lose wool, heart, and thriftiness under condition)! adapted for the heavier breeds, and yet these same effects of Nature in her effort _to adapt, make the Cheviot the champion grazers of rough and exposed pastures. The effect o£ climate, too, is noticed in the flesh of the animal a? well aB mere outward physical type. An expetiencad breeder says so great is the influeuca and effect of climate and soil that the fine flavour of the Southdown mutton may bs changed in time to the coarse tallowy meat of the Leicester or other loDg-woolled sheep.

sale that were affected with taberculo-is. The first case taken was against the firm of Messrs Young and Co. Mr Pilcher, Q.C., who appeared for tho defendants, referred to the insuperable difficulty encounter? d iv seeking to ascertain whether living animals were suffering from tuberculosis or not. The chtuces of detecting the disease, he said, were 100 to 1, which was clearly demonstrated by the fact that the animals found to be diseased had previously been passed by the inspector. The new, and said to be approved, method of curing hama or bacon by the mo of prepared briue injected into tho meat with a syringe is by L. M. Douglas, the author of " A Manual of Bacon Caring," in which he describes the process. The brine is the most essential part. It must be thoroughly well prepared to ensure success. It is composed as follows: — Salt, 451b; food preservative, 41b; sil^.petre, 3;b; cone sugar, 3lb -made up to 20gal with water. If tho solution is not very clear, boil it until it is ; that is to say, *Idm from the surface all the orgauic matter which maybs thrown up. When the sides arc pumped, they are laid on the floor of the cellar and dattjd over with t'ae following mixture :— Oue part food preservative, one part fine saltpetre, and are then lightly covered with finely rowdprcd salt. At the end of three days remove this B*lt, and add qorae fresh stuff, then allow it to nm*in for four or five days more, when the bacoa will be ourcd. Toe only thing necessary now is (o vra^h it with cold water and hung it up to diy, duiting it over with a little preservative and Sharp's dust. If it is required as smoked bacon, the (lusting should bo done finely ground peaueal, and the smoking ihould last about t^o or three days, according to t.isto »nd tbe^izc of the sida. The Dun«tan Times ssys that t'-c quantity of grain in Central OUgo at pi 0M;nl is not equal to tho demand The rcprosculuMfea of the Maniototo Milling Company bought 000 bags at liawta, and were ptepircd to buy imro. Mr Black more, the Govc rnmfiit pi mo'.ogist, ; ii at prwentin Southland, «fttr having o'one the Lftkus and Oeiitral Ota^o districts. In an interview with a SoutbLtiid Tim^-i reporter h« said, spcaiiug of hi« Isto Australian four : " 'Fun Thsmaoiau gr-iwora tx;>rtbSv,tl hiu|.)''^e lh»l a Ciuntry that c Jil'd grow snc'i fruit ( hotiM ni'fd | to import auy, and siii ini^cd that t'uoy would vety soon have to look el»e«here for m.wk-ita for Uio quantity hiUißrto abunbed bf N-w Zi'uliiud. The question cf the Bugluh buyers, on the other hand, wa«, ' Can you give us in one lino 10,000 ci»fs of this, oi* this, or this,' po'ntiug to Bp-cim:na j