TARANAKI FARM NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2295, 24 February 1898, Page 7

TARANAKI FARM NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.} February 13.

THE WEATHEB AKD CROPS.

The weather up to Sunday last continued dry, but we have since had a heavy fall of rain, which, besides stopping the bush fire», which owing fco the dry we&ther and heavy winds threatened to do much damage, has been of great benefit to the pastures and root crops. At the same time it has not seriously interfered with harvest operations. It has, I think, been the grandest harveas weather ever known on this coabt, and the crops, as a rule, notwithstanding the dry weather, are better than usual, root crops, of course, excepted, as they did nob get a chance to start well, bub they have yet time to m%ke up a good deal of the lost ground. GOVERNMENT VETERINARIAN. The Government veterinarian has been in Hawera gtving an exposition of the tuberculin test and a\t>o lecturing on tha disease. Three out of eighteen beasts tested were condemned, and found on examination to be diseased Two others were put aside as doublfal. Ido not know how the cattle tested , wj-re Obtained — whether tbey were condemned by the inspector or just picked up promiscuously for the trial. In justice to the inspector I think this should have been made clear, as the inspector has been accused of occasionally making mistakes. I have had a trip or two with him, and he ba<? certainly made no mistakes on those occasions ; but after all, what is ths use of condemning aud slaughtering a few hundred bead of cattle while they are being bred by the thousand ? Until it is made compulsory to pasteurise all milk and whey at factories the trouble will not be lessened. COCKSFOOT. The cocksfoot harvest is now all in, and in good condition, and owing to the large extent of pasture destroyed by the fires better prices are obtainable than was anticipated. CATTLE SALES. The sale yards are well filled with cattle, bub the prices are ruinous to sellers, as unless they are prepared to accept a mere nominal sum they must go home again. Sheep are more saleable, but low prices have to be taken to effect sales. The pig market, on the other hand, is booming, and good prices are obtainable for fat pigs. Up to 12 months ago there was no market here for this stock in any quantity, but since the advent of ana or two bacon

1 fr>etoms pigs have paid better than cattle. I don't know how long it will last, but I am atraid not long. We cannot produce ham? an£ bacon cheap enough for the Home market, and ■ the colonial market is limited. DAIRYING. The supply of milk to the dairy factories is steadily decreasing — more so than usual oa account of the dry season and the destruction of pasture by the fires ; still the output from this district ot dairy produce will greatly exceed that, of aoy formar year, and though the prices realised hay« uofc been so good as last I year, I think on the whole dairjmen will come out pretty right. The great drawback to the industry at present is th 9 difficulty of obtaining regular shipment, «nd this matter seems to be going from bid to worse. Steps should be taken f.o rectify this before next , seison. I he« a, meeting of those iat created is ho be held in N?w Plymouth nt-xfc month, when j the question will be threshed out, and I hope some satisfactory conclusion arrived at.