AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2209, 2 July 1896, Page 14

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

There is a possibility of Danedm losmg the services of Mr S. S. Oamuron, tlie veterinary expert who was appointed in anticipation of the" erection of abattoirs. The Melbourne "Weekly Times state3>that the Victorias Board of Health were asked to nomioate a veterinary expert to supervise the dairy herds aad inspecfc the. abattoirs of Victoria. Mr Cameron was oce of a large number of applicants, and it is understood the Board of Health recommended the.Grovf romstt to appoint him. The Cubimt, it is said, will shortly ratify the selection, and Mr Cameron's return from New Zealand to Victoria is expeoted shortly. A lady has-been chosen as manager of the Mataura Dairy Factory. There were 11 applicants (says the Wyndham Farmer), and the choice of the directors was unanimously in favour of Miss Lizzie Dumbleton, a member of a well-known family of cheese-makers. Miss Dumbleton has the unique distinction, so far as we are aware, of being the first woman in this colony who has. been appointed ■ to the' responsible position of the managership of a co-operative chetse factory. She has had Beveral years' experience -at assistant to her brothers at Woodlands, Q'tara, and Mataura. ' The 23rd ulr. is described as having been a redletter day in the Green Island and Buih district, ! as on that day no le.ver than 23 farmers turned out with their t»-»nib to give a da>'s ploughing to Mr Andrew Cn-wfovd, of Lower Greeq Island, j who has receutlj lalcu up a Bewfarm. Messrs W. Hamilton, jun., W. Sprott. J. Dempster, D. Mills, J. Alexander, G. MLaren, W. Kuox, D. Kane, J. Har.-y, J. C«vm^btll, J. Wuraook, T. Thomson, A. aud J. Kirkland, J. DavidsoD, W. Fauldr, Graham, Barne-, J. Black, Murdock, Irving, and atother whose name is unkuown til took part in the proceedings. Keen interest was .displayed by the. various ploughmen in their friendly rivalry to turn; oui tbe be-ife work The gathering of ploughmen was the largest that has taken place in the distriofe,,and afforded . gratifying evideuca tKittlieneighbottrlyfeeling; ■which Wb loug exvte_d between the f aimer ß.oT Gceen Island acd its' surroundings is as tfarsa as -of yore. -After the day's work f a vory. pleasant tvehing" jsai spent with -songs and conversation tverf various, topics of interest. Mr and Mrs Crawford did all iu-their power to make these present ecjoy themselves, and that they succeeded in doing so . was the verdict of •11. - ' I Applications were \received,-at Dunedin and Palmerston on Friday for the subdivisions of the M&kaceao estate, compriting 1931 acres ' of agricultural land whioh bat been opened for, Selection on leases in perpetuity. The property j is pai'b of the Waihemo Grange ettate, recently < purchased under the Land for Settlement* Act, and is situated close to the Dunback railway station, about nine miles north-west of Palmerston. Included in the land is what is known as tbe B'fg Blue Mountain block, and this is off .-red i under tbe small grsz-ng run system. Applica- 1 *lons for the subdivisions were received from 221 peraoni, who, on an average, applied for three sections each. The ballot for the land will take place at Palmer's ton Monday. Mr.Jame^-iSawere, manager of tbe Wyndhtm | Dsiry Factory, succeeds -his brother us dairy I expert for the colony^ s - | With reference to a transaction which has already been mentioned in these columns the Southland Times says :—',' Last year Messrs Rots and Glendin'ing, station-holders in Central Otago, imported a»numbef of very high-class 6tud ewen and a couple of rams, selected from the celebrated Hindhope flock of Mr J. E. Elliott on ~the Border, the present representative of a long line of successful breeders of the hardy Cheviot. Oce of these ram* w»s, considered by, the judges to be the second best shearling of his" year in Scotland. ■ The shipment has created a large amount of intensh amoug eheetf irmers because it is daily becoming more evident tbat Cheviot; crosses are tnest suitable mutton for export. Previously thsre bad been only cue flock of Cheviot, that of the Hon. id. Bo'.mes at Castlcrook in this island. That fleck is a very old one, baring, originated from a " t-hipraent from Stobo Castle, Peeblesshire, in 1857 to Mr T., Murray, of Mount Staart, near Milton. By 'judioions selections, cbitfly from the Elliott strain, the £}sstlero:k flock has mainkniced a high standard of quality and now rfumbsis about 1500 puiM ewes and 30,000 Cheviot crcssbreds ~on the estate. Tbe advent of the fine animals of Messrs Boss and GlendiuiDg wts therefore a matter of importance to Mr Holmes as givisg an opportunity to introduce fresh blood. Accordingly, Mr Robt. Watedu was despatched iuto the interior to view and lvport upon these sheep. ■As the result of this visit the Hon. M. Holmes has arranged for the service of 20 of bis selected ntudPewes by Messrs Ross and Glendiniug's imported rams, the service fee being lOOgs. No higher tribute to the excellence and purity of breeding of Messrs Ross and Glendiuing's sheep can be given (han the statement of this fact. The Cheviot?, for seme reason, ' probably becau«e changes of strain could only ba got from Scotland, have not.had the recognition in New Zealand tbat their qualities merit. They did well on the rich, heavy downs about Oamara, aad ; multiplied on the scant tunock\>f cold Central Ot»go; supplanted the merino about Te Anau, and throve to perfection at Castlerock. Messrs Helden 'and Awdrjf, of Redcliff station, in January '94, started* a modest stud flock of Cheviots, but have been unfortunate through deaths. The Cheviot is worthy of more attention ,-tbao it has received in these parfcg. As » mutton and wool-carrying sheep of hardy type it is h&rd to beat.'** ■ ' From "various parts of the county we (Tuapekit Times) learn that the poisoned grain has not taken well with the rabbits this year,'probably on account of the unusually fine winter experienced. Many farmers have tried pollard as an alternative and have had better success, Trapping for the factories is this year being conducted on an extensive scale, large numbers ■ of rabbits being sent from this district. I Southland papers mention that Mr I. W.

Raymond, Wyndham, has purchased 300 acres of the well-knota Oaklands estate, the pries being £lZoo.tsiwhr The lime fever is now on, and cur farmers are busy cartiog from the Milburn kilaa. Never before, perhaps, has there been suoh a ' run on' lime as is now taking place, and ib would appear 4s if^ihe company's trip to Edendale had proved a profitable experiment already.— Bruce Herald.