NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 5

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

I notice a correspondent from far-aw&y Wai-

kftto, writing in a recent issue

Holding for a Rise.

of the Witness, strongly *aviees those who have wheat to hold it

for m time in the almost certain prospect of a rise. lv support of his conbeatinn ha practically tries to show that the world's visible supply at the present time falls short of the requirements, of the people. Well, that Ss a* debatable question. The sstiraatfs prepared fry our own Government bave been proved vsry misleading, and the estimated yield of the harvest just pssb was very far in excess of the actual yield. Ie ia just as likely that the estiniabes taken in other parts of the world are nothing snore than broad generalisations, which may quite well fall short or go in excess of the actual yield.- It is true the London market, which is the. pul.«e cf the world's markets, shows a rising tendency for wheat, but the immediate cause of that may be the corner .in wheat in America ; and when the very large Indian supplies reach London there is certain to be a fall. If most of our New Zealand wheat-growers were to take Mr Morgan's advice and hold back their grain instead of selling it ab current prices, the first result would be to create an artificial rise, bub we may be certain ib would be short-lived, for wheab that could be sold at a lower price would soon come in from abroao. In these day* of great ooean steamers and rapid transit, the markets for wheat in the remotest corner of the world must he in the end controlled by the price of wheat elsewhere. Wheat i* ao universally grown now that any appreciable shortage in the world's supply is a contingency scarcely to be thought of. If there are poor crops over any considerable area thab is tolerably certain to be counterbalanced by good crops over some corresponding area in • another parb of the world. And it must not ba overlooked that the wheat-growing araa i 3 always expanding. That may nob be the case in the more densely prolific portions of the globp, where agriculture has been carried on for centuries ; bub in the newer lauds the wheat area is capable of very great expansion. Even in our own colony by the aid of irrigation largo additions csn be made to the colony's wheat lands. In South America there are wide tracts thst only require to be cleared and brought under cultivation, and in India and Egypt the possibilities of wheat- growing under irrigation musb not be underr/ded. Taking the wheat lands of the world all toge'bxr, I think euch a thing as a general shortage need never be looked for. The opinion, therefore, put forth by your correspondent that for every peuny wheat may fall in the London market it stands a good chance to rise a shilling is rather a bold statement. The only thing thab might run wheat up at such a rate in the London market would be the demand of war risks by the insurers, and in that case New Zealand settlors would derive no benefit. JJfhile nob advising those who hold stocks of wheat to rush their grain into the market ab present prices, I would advise them to be careful not to hold back too long, for the vagaries of the wheat market are ab time 3 very peculiar.

The Mark Lane Express of a recent date deals with the statisbics of the

Th.c Grain Production of the United States.

The Grain American Board of Agriculture, Production and takes that body somewhat of the severely to task for the misleadTJnited States, ing figures ib has published abroad to the world. The statistician of the American Board of Agriculture, it seems, in September estimated the American wheat crop afc 57 v 9lo,oooqr, while in January the estimate was given at eS^GO^OOqr. Not a word of explanation is given as to how the increase of 8,350,000qr is arrived at — a difference, as the Mark Lane Express points out, equal to the entire English crop. The same thing occurs regarding the maize crops 5 the first estimate placed that crop at 218,750,000qr, while the later estimate gave 237,870,000qr. This juggling with figures on the part of the slatis-

tician has a disorganising effecb upon the market. Yet there appears bo bo some reason in the madness of the, American statistician. Ib would appear that in 189* and 1895 " Beerbohm's List" published an "early " and aho a "definite" estimate of the American wheat crop, and these estimates we/c based upon the figures of the American Department of Agriculture. A corresponding discrepancy was noticeable on both occasions. It is evident thab if transactions in wheat are based upon the esbimabes of the Department of Agriculture as first published, the publication of another set of figures musb have a disturbing effect. Taking the two years 1891-5 there was * differeccn of about 5,000,000qr between toe first list and the final list on both occasions. The best thing therefore to do in estimating the American wheat crop is to add a few million quarters to the first published estimate. The figures published afber harvest oughb to be a fair guide to the visible wheat supply ; so that those who have based their opinions upon the earlier figures must modify thab opinion now. The very large increase in both wheab and maize show by the final figures would make the American surplus for export far in excess of what ib has geterally been considered bo ba. This shows how difficult it is to base our dealings in wheat wholly upon published returns.

I have been favoured with extracts from Auckland pacers describing experi-

Cheirings's Fescue.

ments made with certain grosses by Mr F. D. Rich, of Wood-

stock, Waikato. Mr Rich claims that he has solved the permanent pasture question by proving that Chewings's fescue is the only grass that so far has proved capable of maintaining -a permanent pas tors in this colony, and more especially in the Waikato and Thames Valley, where the soil is such that no other grass will last more than a few years. About seven years ago I took a look round the North Island, and went through the Waikato and Thames Valleys, and I said at the time thab the pasture in those districts was the poorest I had ever seen. All the grass on sown land was of the most wretched-looking description, with few exceptions, and had » weak, aickly, and worn-out appearance. According to Mr Rich and other good authorities the Chewinga's fescue from Southland is going to change all that. Mr Rich says in a letter to the Auckland A. and P. Society :—": — " In the near future this unfortunate fibate of things will be remedied. . . The fescue practically never dies oub and give* a good sward." The opinions and theories resppcting the origin and true name of what is known here as Chewings'a fescue, and in the North as Rich and Chewinge's fescue, aro so conflicting that it is useless to endeavour to arrive at the correct solution of the problem, but that is unimportant, and the main thing to consider is that having such a good grass how is ib to be utilised in the besb way H Ib ia certain, in my opinioD, thab if this gra's will continue permanenband profibable in the Waikato land it requires no further or better advertisement, bub when Mr Rich says that by means of it that country can be made to carry a sheep per acre per annum I am afraid that his enthusiasm is carrying him a little 1001 00 far. Ir. seems thab Mr Rich heard of a grass known as hard fescue while he was on a visit to Southland <ome 10 or 12 years ago, which grass was giving satisfaction on all kinds of land. He procured a few hundred pouuds of it, and upon seeing the result In the Thames Valley he at once came to the conclusion thab he hud ab last obtained " the grass for the district." He then ordered a large quantity of hard fescue from BDgland, which turned oub an utter failure, bo thab he was forced to the conclusion that the Southland fescue was something different and superior to the ordinary hard fescue in the market. Mr J. C. Buckland, of Taieri station, s&3 s in a letter to Mr Rich that Chewings'a fescue is a variety of Festuca ovina, or sheep fescue. Mr Buckland in another place is said to have described it as being Festuca sabulicola, or sandhill fescue ; but Mr Rich sent a specimen to the botanisb of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, and also to Messrs Sutton and Son, Reading, and these high authorities failed to idenbify ib with any grass known to them. Ido not think tbat Chewings's fescue can be any variety of hard fescue, for the true hard fescue is always a tufted grass, and never has a creeping stem. The botanical description is as follows : — One-sidr d spreading, bluish granicle, round culm, flat leaves, and the florets longer than the leaves.

I am fortunate enough to possess a copy of a

] Our NRtive Grasses.

manual on New Zealand grasses which is now out of prinb. The work was prepared and pub-

lished by command of New Zealand Parliament, and carried out by Dr Hector, F.R S., bub the illustrations were drawn and the botanical descriptions furnished by Mr J. Buchanan, FL S. It is there stated that we have only three native fescues : — The seaside feEcue, Festuca littoralis, a wiry, bard-leaved grass, forming ugly tufts on sandhills and of no agricultural value ; the broom fescue, F. tcoparia, similar to the last and of no value, bufe interesting bo the bo L anisb as forming the connecting link between the pods and fescues. The third New Zealand species is called a hard fescue by Mr Buchanan, Festuca duriecula, and described as a tall, slender, densely-tufted grass, seed stems from lft to 2ft h<gb. Of this grass Mr Buchanan says: — "A very

50,000 mixed Daffodils sent post free to any address in New Zealand foj.' Ib per d^zan by NIMMO AND BIAIH,

valuable grays, occupying a prominent pV.ce in all mountain pastures, being productive in every variety of soil, *nd possessing a great T capacity of adapbabion to bobh aridity and moisture. Ib is subjecb everywhere to much j variation, and several of the varieties are j known by other names. Ib springs rather early, and the produce is remarkably fine and succulent, common to both islands of New Zealand from sea level bo 4-OOOfb altitude." So much for the fescues, from which ib is evidenb that all the hard fescue?, whether native or European, are i of a tufted habit, which characberiatic is not j Vf ry prominent in Chewings's fescue. > Now, with regard -to another good native gra*« — Danthonia seini-annularii<, popular name isheep oat gragß, or dwarf ring grass (annularis, frotnannulus, a ring). This graes wassown by Mr 1 Rich in an experimental plot along with Chewings's fescue and a number of obher grasses. The edibor of the New Zealand Farmer having been invited to visit and report upon the plots, gives ifc as his opinion that Danthonia and Chewings'a fescue were the only two grasses making a good ahovr, and these were the only two which , struck him favourably. The lattar, says tha report, showed evidences of proving itself as I well suited to the local conditions as the ; Chewingß'*s having a good grip of- the ground and making equally good progress with the Southland grass. Of the Danthonia, Mr ' Buchanan gays : "A slender, fine-leaved perennial grass, a valuable sheep grass, often fearing a thick sward suitable for a lp.wn grass." He says ib will prove permanent on dry upland?, where imported grasses die oub. Repeated burnings, however, and overstocking by sheep and rabbits have pretty well destroyed this grass in many parts on the hill country. There is bo doubt that a few of the best of our native grasses are woith cultivating for p»s-" I turage, but there is always a tendency to pass I over that which is near at hand -and native to • i the soil Jn f&vour of grasses imported from 3 other .countries. 1 I Lave heard ib argued that newly-threshed j wheat is not suitable for autumn

New or Old Seed.

sowing, and that seed from a previoua year's crop is much better, Tho reason given is

'• that the plant therefrom is apt to be delicate on 1 *ccount of the newness of the seed. It may be that the germ becomes stronger and hardier by the wheat being kept a year before sowing, but ib is quite evident that the newly -threshed seed wheab comes up with a strong and healthy braird, and no seed could do more than that. There is no dcubt that new seed jjerminates

mors quickly than that which is older, but it does not follow that plants from new seed are • not as capable of withstanding the inclemency 1 of the winter as those from seed of more mature ; age. I think that acclimatisation has much i more to do with hardiness and vigour, for ! seed wheat from a, warm district is nob so

suitable for aatunin sowing in a colder climate as thab which has been acclimatised. With re-

gard to the use of naw or old seed as applied generally to all kinds of farm seeds, ifa mutt be remembered that new and old are comparative terms, and an age which would be old tor one kind of seed would not be so for another. For example, wheat has beeu proved J able bo retain its vitality in sufficient strength for 10 years [I will not vouch for the truth of j the statement about wheab being found in a mummy case, and focrad good at 3000 years i old], but no sane farmer -would sow turnip or rape seed when more than two year 3 old, I though it is said th&t much depends upon the I way in which such seed is kept. I have heard j a seed merchant say that strong" turnip seed, ' kept in a dry place and nob allowed to get ' damp and lusty, will grow all' right at five or six ' yeari old, bub I should nob care to risk using > such. The selection of seed of all kinds ia a matter of the greatest importance- to farmers. Cost of seed is a small consideration, for pence in the seed may mean pounds in the crop. In all cases ib pays best to use the best seed, and not to sow that about which there is ' any doubb whabever. j I daresay mosb readers of th« Witness have | heard of the wild white cattle of •

The Wild White Cattle.

Britain. There are now only three herds in bhe country — j namely, at Chilii"gham Park, '

Northumberland, the property of the Earl of T&nkerville ; at Cadzow Forest, the property of the Duke of Hamilton ; and at Chartley, Staffordshire, the estate of the Earl of Ferrers. These wild cattle are suppoaed to bs descendants of the aboriginal forest cabbie of ancient times. As these herds have been kept isolated for a century or so ib follows that the breed has been perpetuated by in-and-in breeding, which has reduced the size very much and also made them shy breeders ; 80 thai if the breed is maintained intact ib is only a question of time for these curious cattle to die out altogether. At present the rate of annual increase of the breed is only one in five, and there are only about 100 head in the three herds. It is suspected that a little fresh blood must get into the herd occasionally, for certain characteristics have changed of late years. A writer describing them about 60 years ago says that they were of a creamy white with black : muzzles and hoofa, white horns upturned at J the points, ears red inside and outside, also at : the tip, and that the bulls grew a stiff white ! mane about five or six inohes in length. This j description does not quite agree with their present appearance, bub then all the three herds are not marked alike. There is a tradition that a West Highland bull broke into the Chillingham Park herd many years ago and imported a little more horn to the breed. These fancy I herds cost their owners a great deal in feeding '

and in looking after' their welfare generally. It is said that their constitution is not at all hardy, and that they get into very low condition during winter in spite of liberal feeding. A black calf or a calf -improperly marked is not allowed to spoil the uniform appearance of the herd, and mast therefore be promptly destroyed or reared in aorae other way, These cattle are very ferocious, and although they get aceugtomed to a man being about for feeding, &c, he has to be pretty careful, and any slaughter* ing has to be done by means of the rifle. They are small in size and rarely exceed 5001b ia weight, bub the beef i 3 of good quality. Judging from photographs of the different herds, the Chillingham Park cattle are the largest and most robust looking specimens of this kind of rich man's toy. Aqbicola.