TARANAKI AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2317, 28 July 1898, Page 7

TARANAKI AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(From Ohk Own Cokueeponihjnt.)

JtjtY 16. — The weather continues cold, but without frost or the amount, or rainfall usual at this period of the year, and. considering the scarcity of grass, stock of all descriptions so far have wintered fairly well, and provided the remainder of the winter is i>o worso than that, which is past will come through without much loss. Several new co-operative dairy factories and a few private creameries are being erected. Most of them will be finished in time for the now season's work. Motorua Freezing works aro also busy Greeting the new machinery to cope wilh the expected ii'orease in (.lie season's output, which is reckoned to wu>l. 100,000 hoxo-s of butler and a ro:isiderah)<3 amount, of chee«cj.

Owing no doubt in greal. moaruro to the return shipments of butter to Australia and some small parcels to New Zealand, the mar Let has utterly collapsed, and sales are vow difficult to effect, considerable quantities being in store —^oitio of it being the produca of factories that, refused 13d per Ib for it. a short Lime ago, and would now bo p,lad to ijuil at considerably few. Most -factories, ospeoi.-illv a> opi'iative, pocui to have an idea whtM) hijrh puces are offered for their prodnro lint Iho middleman is going to make a big tiling out of them, and so conclude not. to sell just then, forgetting that the world is nol so f.irgp tut il used to be. and when :> scarcity occurs in any one place Hie grip is soon tiller! up from &om« other place where there is an abundance, fam not a particular friend of the middleman, but I recognise it is diliiruilt to gel on without him, and if he chooses to speculate I do not begrudge him his profit; but 1 am of opinion it is nlways S/iffl (o sell when <i good payable pr'ne is onVroJ.. and i think n good many fai'lory directors will have come to the same opinion thii ivinto.r.

Ti:? anruul mooting of the National Dairy Association <\r,s hold al ELuvera on July H. The 'ittend.uve was cood, find a good deal of business w*s gol through. Among other things, the question of gr.nliug and marking caused n long discussion, many members being of opinion that, while grading was useful as an education (o niana>> < 2rs of fictones, the practk* of marking was unticwary, nnd hurtful to (he sale of produce at homo, con tending thai in may cases second-grade Gutter brought as good prices as first grade. But. no one gave the number of graders' points scored by such firot and second-class paroeb. Now, as the lowest number of points for first (lii« 3 i-j ?5, which includes fine-, choice, and choicest, is il mA possible that the fir*t grade may jufl Ivws reached that i n,nL'f;i', qi.> the siH-Piul gvado tiut brought the same price been jiut a point or two below? I do not think anyone will contend that butter graded at 80 point? will bring as much as that graded at 95. Perhaps instead of marking boxes Ist, 2nd, or 3rd, it would be better to mark the number of points on each parcel.

It was also resolved to ask the South Island Association to state definitely whether they would joia the association or not. I have previously expressed nay opinions as to the

iidvisnlnlily of Ihe south agreeing to join, and I sincerely ti list, (hoy may sec iheir ivay to do so Tho import. kliows Iho incro<ise of the export, dairy produce for the Uibt reason, as follows : —

BD'f TRU. Increase. ISP7-HS -North Island. 2!1.:i78i.wt = 47 per cent. 18.*7 S)S-Houth JhUnil. 2,l7scvvt = 17 pet cent. CIIKKSK

Jnc/rjsc— North Lsland, 9,Klsc\vt. = ol per cent. Decrease— South Itland, 2,7!>Bcivt "" 7 per cent

llitther a novel departure re prizes at dairy bhows was taken by the directors of (he Cardiff Factory. On the application of the Tar*ruiLi Agricultural and Pastoral Hociety for a subscription towards purchasing a substantial Liophy tor competition by butler factories, (he directors wore willing to subscribe on condition that, thtt exhibits wore judgod in Mie iiMia.l manner by points, the maker of the winning butler to receive, say, £!), but the ttophy bhaJl not lie awarded until the close of Iho grading season, when Uie wuipetilors rn'ist send in Uioir grader's reports, t.h« avera<vo poin(, s awarded by '<ho grader to he added to the show points, the highest, aggregate to bo th© holder of the trophy; Iho directors being of tho opinion that Uiia would Klimulato managers to make show bailor the eoa. son through.'

The stock market is very dull, and shows no improvement.