OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET

Otago Witness, Issue 2356, 20 April 1899, Page 14

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET

CFkom Oub Own CoHßxspoNDKirr.) • CHKISTCHURCH, April 17* The heavy rains of the last three weeks have

given the land a thorough Agricultural, soaking, which will enable ploughing to be better done as soon as it can be resumed; but they have also put a stop to threshing and carting grain, and damaged many stacks of both sheaves and threshed grain, and on heavyland have done muoh injury to potatoes^ Farmers are now anxious for a spell of good weather to let them get on with threshing, carting, and potato-digging. Even had the weather been fine, there must have been some delay, as sacks have been unobtainable. A large proportion of wheat has come forward in a bad condition, and what has been well stacked and is yet to thresh will have the preference. The Chamber of Commerce sfanda'rd samples of wheat are very poor, containing much broken grain and. more shrivellod berries than should be seen In average crops this season. A great deal of ploughing is being done, the cheapness of grass seed being an inducement to lay down pasture. Turnips have made great improvement during the month, and grass has made such growth as has never before been seen here in the autumn.

Tho abundance of feed has intensified the demand for storo and breed Sheep. ing sheep, and prices are now higher than at any previous period of the season,- while many requirements, particularly for ewes, are unsatisfied. Tho dealers' mob 3 which were brought from remote parts — Nelson, Marlborough, and Otago — in t'.io early part of the season, and were looked. .tv unfavourably by farmers owing to their pt&>_quality and worse condition, have at la.ss moved off well, as sheep of some sort 11111=1. bo had; but I fear tho effects of last year's enforced destruction of good ewes will bo lonpc felt in Canterbury. Some very nice hall'breds from Central Otago and a few good linc3 from Marlborough have been our best importations. The Waikakahi sheep were too big *nd coarse for farmers, many of them being grade Lincolns. If Southdown rams could be had to put with these ewes a good lot of lambs could have been obtained; but not x Southdown, Shropshire, oi. even half bred (" Corriedale ") ram is to be had. Failing Southdowns, however, the best thing the settlers can do is to use compactly-made, fine-woolled English Leicestei rams. They will get good lambs if they want to fatten them, and if they want to keep the ewe lambs they will make a flock of something like "prime Canterbury" quality. It was common remark amongst the " freezing " buyers at the sale that sheep of good quality weighing 101b less would have been worth more money, and this is borne out by a comparison of tho prices with those current at tho Amuri sale a week later. The Waikakahi fat two-tooth wethers sold at 12s Bdjto 13s 6d, just the price of stores at Culvorden;fat lambs (Waikakahi), 10s 6d to 10s 8d; Balmoral (fourth draft), 11s 4d; store iambs, Waikakahi 6s to 7s lOd, Amuri (ono, small line) 9s 7d. The Amuri sale was a clearing lip for the season; Waikakahi was the whole set.son'B sheep and lambs. It is diffioulfc tc see where Canterbury's breeding ewes are to come from unless the large sheepfarmers in Otago and the northern provinces will breed according to Canterbury requirements. Scotch farmers found it good business to breed a clasf of sheep that would suit English and Irish farmers and graziers, and it may prove more profitable for many farmers in bad fattening districts to produce good store and breeding sheep for other localities. Just now a good lino of freezing wethers is scarcely to be seen ; wethers not really first-class fetched up to 163 4d at Addington last week.

Mr John M'Lachlan, ex-M.H.R. for Ashburton, and a member of the CanLauil Ballot terbury Land Board, was in Complaints. his best (or worst) form at the Waikakahi ballot at Waimate Just as the Commissioner was about to start proceedings Mr M'Lachlan rose in the hall and denounced the board foi having conducted the inquiries into the applicants with partiality, and with having admitted some who possessed 12D0 and 1500 acres of good land. The Commissioner Endeavoured Co check Mr M'Lachlan, but the lattoi had his say, and not a whisper of Teply was vouchsafed. It was subsequently stated that applicants who were practically landless — that is, their sections could nob keen them — were excluded and as to" this also" there is no explanation. At tho next meeting of the Land Board the matter came up in tho form of the following resolution — "That this 'board exceedingly regrets the unseemly conduct of Mr M'Lachlan while tho board was conducting tho 'ballot of _tho Wakakahi settlement, and also his rude and discourteous behaviour towards the Commissioner and members when disagreeing with a majority of the board while tho applicants were under examination. That a copy o£ this resolution be forwarded tc the Hon. Minister for Lands." This was moved by Mr D. M'Millan, and Mr M'Lachlan at onco jumped up and seconded it, saying that he wanted the whole matter inquired into. Mr Pringle and Mr Weetman expressed their concurrence with the motion, which was carried. Mr M'Lachlan certainly was very trying at tho ballot, but his allegations cannofc be allowed to rest. It is no secret that the charges are directed against a North Canterbury M.H.R. who is on the board.

"I hope I don't intrude" when I offer a remark on the sale of Horses. Awamoa mares at Oamaru.

Though tho sale appeared to bo spirited, it is just a. question whether the moßt of this- element was not supplied by the auctioneer, who certainly discharged his duty, ably. The mares were all round a grand llort r and my opinion is that it was the cljeapesC sale which has been held for many a dayj Tho mares which were sold at from 40gd to 60gs wore wortli. as much without pedigree, and it was satisfactory to see that mosb o£ them went into good hands. Their produce will make vho shows interesting in two on three yean-. On the other hand, the horsea at Waikakahi fetched prices far above re* cent market values, and it can only he as* sumocl that much of the land will be broken 1

OrimEon Clover sown in autumn gives si heavy crop of green food in spring, makes capital hay, and is greatly relished by all kinds of stock. Try it. Nntuo and Blaib*

Wp at once and the settlers must have horses »t -any price.

9Che new* .president; Mr George Rhodes, of Ellesmere, and the commitCant«rbury A. & tee and sub-committees for T. Association, the year have been elected, and it is to be hoped the association will now get to work. Next to nothing has yet been done to push the win-

ter show, and it looks as if the Christchurch Meat Company was being depended upon to make an exhibition. Messrs W. Boag and H. Overton are off to England, and Mr H. F. Gray goes almost at once. These three gentlemen are also members of the Board of Governors of the Agricultural College, and their absence will probably involve new appointments in their place.