AGRICULTURAL A.ND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2317, 28 July 1898, Page 4

AGRICULTURAL A.ND PASTORAL NEWS.

Tn a report of the proceedings of Uic annual meetine* of shareholders of Hold.-brouprh, Mort, and Company (Limited), the Melbourne Arsruf says • "There gathered in the meetinp;rooro of Menzies Hotel. i\lcjbouni6. or. June 2S, o l.ody of men who know more of tho effects of the drought in Australia than, perhaps, any other section of the people of the continent, the malice fa"iner» not excepted. They were pa3toralifcts, most of them holding interest? iv diOcrent colonies and as shareholders of Goldsbroueh. Mort, and Company (Limited), the most extensive dealers in pastoral produce, their interests were widespread. H was reassuring to notice thai the keynote of the proceeding* was one of hope, and a belie/ of better times at hand, for which the beavv rcun* gnve hill warrant" In tho eourss 0/ has address, the chairman of director assured the shareholders that the

company still maintained its position as tho leading wool brokers of Australia, its sales in Melbourne and Sydney having shown an improvement, although the total Australian clip iva,-, J 73,000 bales short, as compared with the previous yoaj. Having dealt with the affairs of 1 lie company, ho aslcerl those present to bwir in mind that, they had just passed ilirnnjjh three yoars dreadful drought. \s (.howinp what the drought cost Victoria, he would ask their attention to the figures of the Vicionnn Statist on this matter. These fig uivw u'oro most eloquent of what a drought meant.. In the three years IEB2-3 4, the aver:n\<> area under wheat in Victoria was I.vA'j.lY? acres, giving a gross return for tho il>k.«j ywirs of 41,515,723 bushels. The next t.in(Hi vpsirs, ir.95 6 7, tht> average area, under «l<o:ii was 1.54^,789 acres, yielding only 'A).If\S.96G bushels for the three 3'eai\j, <«• 18.329.757 bushels less than lor (ho three preceding years. This defin»:,c>y taken at tho moderate estimate of ' < i v er bushel showed a, loss to Victoria of i.vtV/i.nS]. A comparison of the sam« period m regard lo hay. oats, and potatoes showed a los-- to Victoria of not less than £5,148,583. Tli<> yield of wool for all Australia last year «;>» 173.000 bales less than for the previous ye«i\ which at a fair estimate showed a loss of i''.i, ooo.(loo. Taking wool and all other pro tl.ji (•- Uigfel.her. he would not. be far out in wiyum that last year's drought alone had cost Vu-mrin fully £10,000,000. Given an ordinary run <it "good seasons, the colony would soon si gam occupy the proud position which she l'iul previously enjoyed.

At the anniversary meeting of the Royal Af,'vicultura,l Society of England, a subject was discussed whicb is entitled to serious consideration by buyers of clover seeds in the colonies. Tho council stated that the most important, matter demanding the attention of ihe consulting botanist during the spring months of 1898 has bepn tho extensive injury to clovers by the attack of tho parasitic fungus f't'lcrntmia trifoliorum, whicb was observed f«>r tlie first, time in England only a year ago. It is this year spreading over the whole country, and in many places has destroyed mm*« than half of tho clover. Red clover, trefoil, and sainfoin havo been completely killed where the attack has been severe. Where the root ha« not been destroyed, how«vf>r. there is a hope that vigorous and healthy shoots may yet ba produced. The zoologist has dealt with many applications concerning; such familial- ppst.-s as wireworm. surface caterpillars, warble fly. and whout bulb fly. Many cases of clover sickness bad been reported, but. though pel worm had been occasionally prosent and tho grubs of Sitones weevils have b^en unusually numerous at the roots, failure lias generally been found to lip due to the presence of tho fungus reported by tho consuiting botanist.

If. is reported in Tlie Field (London, .Tune 4) that Mr A.. Henderson, of Buscot Park, has boen offered the tempting; sum of £5000 for his two-year-old Shire colt Eusoot Harold, tho sensational champion stallion at this year's London show. A.nd the same report state 1 ! that tha temptation to part with the noted Bon of Markeston Royal Ilnrold — Avjrea, themselves both London champions, has been successfully resisted- Mr Henderson is assuredly n fortunate individual. No price approaching: this huge figuro has ever been prud for an anunaJ of tho breed, tho highest sum over given for a shiro stallion probably being £2500. the price paid Mr A. B. Duncombe by Lord Dungattock for Prince Ilnrold. Bury Vidor Chief cost Mr "Waimvrighl £2000 whou » two-year-old. and at the game agre Princp Wilham wa? bought by Lord Wantage for £1500. and several other four-figure prices have been chronicled, but the rejected offer that, came to Mr Henderson eclipses all previous record? Since it remains but an offer it leaves the £3000 which Sir John Gilmour paid for the Clydesdale stallion Prince of Albion, when a two-year-old some half score pears aijo, still tho highest figure ever realised lor a cart horse-

Mr Thomas Ayfon scnrls the Wyndharo Pnrraer an account of his experience in making- ensilage for feerljng" dairy onwp in winler. Tlr> writes: — " Lnsi yoar J may say J ijied my 'prentice hand on a small stack of grass liul a? T did not treat it properly Hie experiment was a failure. However, profiling l>y -ilipf lesson, a* well as from advjre received ■from other sources, J resolved lo have anorhei' ■)rv this season T set lo work on n slack of nl^out 50 tons green oolp and peas (grown wived). a.ud am pleased to say that it has ■iiirnpd out 0 complete success, far beyond niv most sanguine anticipations. My cows Imvo oateu it greedily from Iho first — they <'l°;m it up. leaving no waste, as would he iho case with oaten hay, when a good deal of ihe slieaf butt* would bo left over. I'cr llie information of your readers I beg; to detail hliorUy how to make ensilage without the aid <"» f n proper press. Cut UlO stuff in a green f>late. nnd lead at once, whether tho weather i* wcl or dry; build a section of the stack 6ft high : put ivon pipe of l>liu diameter into middle of stack, to allow insertion of thermometer to ascertain temperature; when lemperature is up to HOdeg build on another fj.t. changing the pipe into the new section; cniunme thus until stack 10 finished; then cover with weights equal to 9011; to eacb superficial foot on top; finish off stack witb head of any sort, to keep dry; put greatest weight on outer edges, to keep air out and minimise waste by moisture. J used ba"» of grave] round the outside, filling the clntre with loose stones. Care must 'bo taken to keep the temperature under 150deg, and as aear 135deg as possible; this can be done

during the building by adding weight faster, should the temporatiire rise too high. Be sure and tio(. make tlie base of I lie stack 100 large, as 6ft of nowly built stuff will, wlien pressed, sink down to Iff, and a 20 x 20 br.te will hold ovor 100 tons. I :im convinced that ensilage thus prepared is far ahead of turnips for winter feed for dairy cattle. Ensilago can bo secured in summer when the ground is dry, thereby saving a lot of the 'slushing' in tho mud entailed in turnip feeding ; also it tends (« a richer and fuller milk flow, and, most important of all, leaves no taint. in either milk or butter, which is more thau can be said of turnips. I need not say any more at present, but if further particulars are requested by any of your dairy friends I will b» only too pleased to supply them to the best of iry ability."

Tho Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association hao ordered from England a machine for weighing live fat stock at the shows, and at last week's meeting of the committee a sub-committee was appointed to arrange what, difference in weight, should ba allowed between the animals alive and dead.

Attention has again been drawn by European experts to the defective skinning of Australian pelts, which often cpaises a loss of from 2s to 2s 6d per dozen to the consignor. In comparison, the Argentine pelts are superior and realise higher values.

The Oamaru Mail of the J3tl> says: — " Notwithstanding all the inducements offered by the southern meat -freezing companies, a great number of sheep continue to be sent, to tho Canterbury. Moat Freezing Company's works. Yesterday three trains loaded with sheen came up from tho south, and, having been made into two trains, wero sent on to the northern works. One train whicb we counted comprised 4<2 trucks, nnrl altogether thero were over 70 trucks in the two trains. The sheep were railed from Southland, and o» the laco of it., it soonis strange that it should pay betler to carry them some 350 miles by train thau to t» Le advantage of th<* freezing works down suuMi. The explanalioJi if th;>t not- only aro tl o terms offeieci by the CVaterbury Company superior to those given by others, but. the prices realised at. Ilome foi ' I'nme Canterbury ' mutton are better than can be ob- , tamed for any other brand. That is wl y southern sheep aie sent to the Canterbury works for slaiighlor, freezing, am! export, and the result is thnt union of the mutton ( sent Homo with the brand 'Prune Canteibury' is the product of Otago. Tins remark - docs not. however, strictly apply to tlio j sheep that. went, north yefitejtlay. They were Canterbury sheep which had, in consequence of thfl scamity ot feed causcil by iho drought, been sent, to (Southland to be fattened. The Southland turnips appeal to have agreed with them immensely, foi they j were a remarkably fine 10t.." 1

One of the largest transactions in freezing j sheep which havo taken place this season t was (says the Lytte.lton Time? of the 21st) completed during the present week. Messrs G King and Co, ottered privately a line of 4600 four-tooth crossbiod wethers fer Messrs Thacker Bros., of Okam'n Bay and after several buyers had inspected them on (he property, they wore eventually purchased by Mr W. Murlilt for Mr W. Acton-Adams, anil , early next week they will be sent to tho Bel- j fast factory to bp slaughtered and frozen.

Owing io tlie English markets .being glutted with continental rabbits during Juno and the early parl of July, no rabbils havo been shipped from Victoria to London for several weeks, the exporters finding it cheaper to store them her? than m England. During the last few clajs, h«vwc\er (says t tie Auslra lasian of the 9lls), (he rhipments have been ienewed. the 1\ M.S. Oceana taking away 22,800 rabbits' on (he 20th ult., the R.M.B. Oriiha 35.90* ami il lc > *. s Gulf of Taranto 53.061 on the LPlli. (he s.s Thomopyla? 20,610 yesterday, making n folal of 13^.384-. There ai'o still many thousands stored in the Go vermpont cooj stores. Flinders street, and these will be shipped in a few days. This expoi 1 trade tends largely to. keep the rabbit pos-t in check, and affords employment to a number of i rappers.

LaM season attention \va9 drawn in these (Lvltelton Times) columns to the eiuelty practised in bringing ewes which were lambnig- to the local markets. On Wednesday, at the Addington yards, a linu of crossbred ewes was entered for sale, and during the day some 20 lambs were bom in the yard? Later in Hip day, after iho sheep were sold, these cwos had lo be driven away while several of Micm were unfit to travel, and the lambe which were born in tho pens were taken nway 1)j n handcart.

At the Magiftrnte'e Couit at Nelson last week a local butcher was summoned by a constable, a new arrival, for cruelty to some pigs, the cruelty consisting in hoisting them out cf a small vessel into a cart, on the wharf by means of a cord slung round one log. Defendant was defended by counsel. The prosecuting constable said he had fccu pigs landed on the West Coast, but they were always put in crates to be hoisted. He had seen thousands of pigs landed, but had never, (ill he came to Nelson, seen pigs hoisted in the Nelson way. llp was told when he 6j:ol\0 to 1 lie man Iliat it was the customary way. but he thought il cruel ; it must strain the muscles and FUievva of the leg. Defending counsel said this manner of hoisting pigs lad been practised at Nelson for over 30 years. The defendant said he had been a butcher fcr 24 years, and had landed thousands of pigs in that way. and had never seen any mark of injury on them. Pigs cry out when they are

1 in pain, but they do not cry out when being hoisted by the hind leg. Gmtes might do for quiet pigi. or foi any pigs if they would go into Ihern; but these were half v/ild pigs, and would not go into them A shipping oleik said he had had a lot of experience in fihi[j ping pigs, and he did not. think this was a cruel way. He had seen this method in mo for 20 years. The pigs did not cry out ; but they cry out a good deal if a man carries (hem by the ears. The oars wero evidently more tender than tho hind parts of a pig. The bench did not consider any untiecessaiy pain or suffering had been inflicted upon tha pigs, therefore the case was dismissed. Tlie bench suggested that some packing might be put. inside the loop attached to the pig's leg to make it easier for the animal.

The Lyttelton Times of the loth gays:-- " Some splendid lines of sheep were sold at. tho Darfield yards on Friday, including US crossbreds se,nt m by Mr Ambrose Bealty, of Coalgato. Of these 20 heavy-weight wether? brought 23s 6d, live freezing wetheis ]fis, and 4f maiden ewes l?s. Mi H. A. Knight, of Racecourse Hill, sent forward 399 two and four-tooth halfbrcc! wethers, spleudid freezers, which realised 17s lOd for the line."

The Queensland' Government express ihoir willingness lo invite Parliament to voto a sum of money as a bonus for three years to secure the establishment of regular wool sales in the colony. The idea is to pay per ton during the first year, 15s per ton during the second year, and 10s per ton tlm third year on all wool bona fide sold at recognised wool sales, and shipped m Queensland foi export beyond Australia.

The home separator is almost a necessity in rough country whero ilie roads are bad. Jn Gippsland, Victoria, there are many separators on the farms, it being rarely impossible to get to the creameries with loads of milk.

The London correspondent of the Adelaide Observe; ivrites on Juno 3: — "The Whitsun holidays delayed the sales of fruit brought by the vessel Ormuz, but Mr Young has been able to dispose of the small lot of 40 cases consigned to him at almost record prices. Stone pippins, it is true, only realised ißs, but for Dunn's seedlings from 20s lo 24s were obtained. By the TParrigal Mr 'Young has received 60 hogsheads of wine in good condition. I may mention that, Mr J. J. Duncan and Mr J. Gordon visited the depot yesterday, and expressed themselves as much pleased wilh what they saw. Messrs Garcia, Jacobs and Co. inform me that the 125 cases ot South Australian apples forwarded to them by tho OrimiK realised the following prices . Cleopatras, which were in exceptionally good condition, 16s to 19s: Dunn's seedlings, 15s bd; Rome beauties, 18s Cxi; London pippins. 12>> 6d to 15s; strawberry pippins, described an being rather wet., lls to I2s. The Tasiruuiian apples by the same vessel wore in excellent condition. Stunners bi ought at auction 12s 6d to 14s, lYeneh crabs and scarlet nonpareil l?.s to 13s 6d, and New York pippins 16s to Ifis. Considering that strawberries are now cheap and plcutiful, these are regarded as very satisfactory rates. Consignee? are still talking of the failure of the Gulf of Bothnia experiment. This is legaided -\a especially unfortunate, as it bars the way to a ionn of competition with the cool-chymber system of carnage, which it was hoped would havo proved effective. Much annoyance is being felt at a statement appearing in a trade journal to the effect that the shipment turned out well. As a matter of fact, nmoh of (he fruit was quite unsaleable."

Swamp iirewood must be exceptionally inflammable. Not long ;igo a load of it. on a id ay drawn by horses took fire as it was going along the roud near Temuka. On Friday (says tho Timaru Herald) another load of swamp avoocl was burned in the township, but n> tins case there was no mystery as to the euusp oi the /he, as thero was in tha former case. Mi SoanneU was hauling two trucks of wood with a ti act ion engine, wheu one of them — presumably fiom a tpaik !>• m tho engine— was found to bo on firo A. still nor' -wester was blowing, nnd the kuul was soon in full flame. A numbei of people tried to throw off the load, but the heat, vns too much for them, and <\i> attempt to pull itoil with tho engine failed. An alano was given to the fire brigade, and they arrived in time to save the trucks (new ones) from being seriously damaged. TL-e oddity of the turn-out was increased by one of the fiiemon twjc<' narrowly escaping 1 being iui< over by the Si 8 engine.

!L<f Kuiuw p'.ojlii .srrak of rabbits-up the WftiUki ut a ihiug of the past. They say that they bvvß fw-zeo all the rabbits, and now nothing remains lo be done but to prir.ou the department.— Oataaru Mail.

The Department of Agriculture has received a cable from the Agent-general that the hemp market is very dull, and there is no demand.

A creamery is to be started at Moeraki, near the railway station, by the Taieri and Peniu* Eula Milk Supply Company, Prime Canterbury once again I On Thursday 35 double decker trucks, containing about 2030 Bhcfp, all prime freez^re. passed through Milton from Wallecetown en route for Canterbury. — Bruce Herald,

Over a million^ rabbits Lave been exported from the Bluff this ecasoH.

On Juec 3 the United States Government made a contract for 300,000 barrels of " winter wheat straights," prompt delivery, to be packed iv half-barrels, at 3,33d0l per balf-barrcl, The equivalent in sterling is £13 15s pel ton, or, say £U2,500 for the whole contract, The pries is much higher than the Average price of the

day, but doubtless it wag affected by terms and position of delivery, promptness being an important feature. The narce of the firm securing this great contract of nearly half a miliiin sterling 13 Messrs Austin, Nichols, aud Co,