AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2274, 30 September 1897, Page 14

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Lecturing before the Wellington Philosophical Society last week, Mr G. H. Barker, of the Agricultural department, said the Government veterinary officer* have no authenticated case of the death of a horse being caused by the bot-fly, although no doubt the fly is a contributory cause of 'the death." Mr Barker quoted an American authority who had laid ib down that bots in horses aided digestion, that they did not injure a horse -until they became diseased, and (hit anything given the horse to kill the bots is just as likely to kill the horee. Some truth and a great deal of uonsense wa.s, he said, mixed up in these statements. The department had found that nothing would kill bols except nilric' acid or boiling water, but either of these ' jrejnedie?, unfortunately, was calculated to cauee serious damage to the unfortunate bon-e. r Tbe fly was natural to .horsep, and pestered them for 10 months in the year.

. At a meeting of the committee of the Manavatn A. and P. Association, it was resolved that tbe time for the points prizes be txlended to 16th October. Fifty-two>raembors were- elected, bringing the membership up to 558. It was reported that indications pointed to the November chow being the most successful yet held.

The Timaru Herald says, in speaking of tbe successes attained by Messrs Reid end Gray's plough? *t the late Ger»ldine match: — "The result. of the ploughing match at Geraldine should be peculiarly gratifying to Messrs Rf-id and Gray, whose ploughs were naucb. in evidence 'en that occasion. The winner of the champion class (Alexander Hall, Oatnaru) used a plough of that make, and the work done had to' be compared with th*t of various other implements, one of which at least was specially designed to compete in special trials of the kind. In 'class B, tco, the winner (W. Brown, Orarij used one of their ploughs, and those present at the match had little hesitation in picking .his work out as likely to catch the judge's eye, bar untoward circumstances, long before he had ploughed .out the land allotted him. All the credit must not, of course, be given to the plough, but it was abundantly' evident that in good hands these ploughs are capable of* doing work that will stand any test. The following are the particulars : — Class A : Champion. — First prize, one ton Islington manure, value £5, and Mr D. Henry's eet skeiths ; Alexander Hall, Oamaru. The winntr used a Reid and Gray plough, splec* didly horsed by Messrs A. Tcotney and Son. Second prize, 50a and R«id and Gray's prize, value 30?, and Mr R Hughes's trophy, value 17s 6d: Charles White, Papakaio. Fowler's (Mocgiel) pkugh and Mr De Reczy's team. Third prize, £0a and Mr J. Kennedy's prize, value 18«, and-Mr W. S. Maslin's pr'ze, value 7s 6d : W. Filzpstrick. Reid and Gray plough ; own team. Other competitors were : M. Brophy (Orari), Reid and Gray plough, own team ; John Brown (Hampden), Douglas plough, Mr F. P*rkes'a team ; and John Kmg, Msssey-Harris plough, Mr A. Mackenzie's team. The last-mentioned entry waa really for exhibitioD, as no attempt was made to do the c!«as of ploughing accepted as correct."

Mr Robert Gawn, of the Taieri, has disposed of hia draught stallion King of Quality to an Ashburton breeder. The price paid is understood to have been 300g3.

Blr Hooley, the millionaire, has many hobbies, the chief of them being farming. He is tbe biggest sheep-breeder iv England, though cot pethaps in tbe United Kingdom. He is fond of buying royal ttock, and some of his most successful purchases hr.ye consisted of Shropshire ewes bred at Sandringham.

A large fruit-grower in Nelson has (says the "Wairampa Times) found that a tin vessel containing ordinary gas tar hung en each of his apple trees is the very best method of preventirg the codlin moth getting into his fruit. A very small percentage of his fruit was touched by the codlic moth, while that in (he neighbouring orchards was complrtt-ly destroyed. Ho did nothing else whatever to his trees.