AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2375, 7 September 1899, Page 14

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

By the Union Company's Wanaka on Monday afternoon Messrs A. and J. M'Farlane shipped 13 Ayrshire cows and heifers and one bull to Mr James Struthers, of Warren, New South Wales. The cattle were a particularly fine lot, mostly first prize-takers at the Dunedin A. and P. Shows, and were bred by Messrs R. A. Ewing and Peter Ireland. Mr Struthers commissioned Mr Andrew M'Farlane to purchase for him the nucleus of an Ayrshire herd, and the animals shipped yesterday were the best he could get. " They were in splendid condition," and, given a fineweather passage, they should be landed in Sydney little the worse for the voyage. They were driven on board, and went very quietly, giving not the slightest trouble. Special closed-in pens have been erected on deck for j their accommodation. Mr P. Ireland goes over in charge of the cattle. The Wyndham Farmer says: — Mr David , Doull, the well-known practical dairyman of | Crescent farm, Wyndham, is the latest recruit to the growing band in this district of admirers of Jersey cattle for butter purposes. Five years ago, the district dairy-farmer who mooted the introduction of the Jersey would have been laughed at for his pains. To-day what do we find ? Ohisholm, Ayson, Winter, Dcull, Allan, Gaw, Dodd, and several other of the recognised progressives all singing the praises of the small, shapely mouse-coloured bovines. Mr Doull has made a notable purchase, as it includes the very pick of Mr F. Hillyer's (Otago Peninsula) champion herd. He has secured a" bull rising 3 years, three cows, a 2-year-old heifer, and two calves (a bull and a heifer), making seven in all. The bull and one 'of the cows were first and champion ia their respective classes at the Otago A. and P. Society's Summer Show last year. The cow, Primrose by name, is quite a celebrity ; she is rising 4 years, and has already secured a dozen championships and 21 first prizes. Mr Doull is to be congratulated on his enterprise. All of the herd are pedigreed. Mr A. W. Rutherford, of Mend?p Hills, Amuri, who returned on Saturday, says the Christchurch Press, from his trip to Australia, brought with him the stud merino rams he purchased in South Australia,, with the exception of his 500 guinea purchase, which he does not take delivery of until January, 1901, the bargain having been made on those terms. The Tarns were transhipped at Port Chalmers from the Talune to the Corinna, and they arrived at Lyttelton yesterday morning, where they were taken charge of by Messrs Holderness and Cunningham of the Stock Department, and removed to the quarantine island. The South Australian Register " contains a report from Messrs Smith, Elder and Co., on the sale of these rams to Mr Rutherford. On account of Mr John Murray, of Rhine Park, there were seven stud rams, by such famous stud sires as Nelson 11, Cromwell 11, Commonwealth and Dungan. These were some of Mr John Murray's best sires, and run back in their pecli- ! grees to the champion rams, Wool Prince, ! Prince Imperial, Sir John, Duke of Edin- ; burgh, and Cappeedee. The sires in these are all heavy cutters of a strong wool of great 1 character, and are large-framed, robusl sheep. On account of Mr A lick Murray, Mount Crawfcrd, they sold to Mr Rutherford eight stud rams by the Mount Crawford stud sires Record, Renown, Mount Crawford, and Port- | sea's Heir. These have all won prizes, and tTace back to the champion sheep The Baron, Wool Prince, Prince Imperial Duke of Edinburgh, and Oappeedee. Mr Rutherford bought the extra-special stud ram Fame. This grand youngster is by the prize ram Renown, and traces through several prizo animals to the champion prize ram The Baron. Ho is said to be deep-framed, with grand covering and great thigh ; is beautifully balanced, with remarkable constitution, and carries a heavy fleece of bold wool of extremely nice character- Mr Rutherford had to pay 500 guineas "for thiß splendid sheep, and has to leave him at Mount Crawford until Mr Murray has two seasons' use of him in his stud. This h said to be the best yam Mr Alick Murray has sold, and only the right to use him for two seasons tempted him to part with him. The fifteen roms Mr Rutherford brought over with him are a splendidly-framed lot, and beautifully wcolled all over, and they are especially well covered underneath. The wool is of nice length, and of medium strong character. The sheep are all two-tooths. Dairy Factory items: — The Toilois flrill according to the Fortrose correspondent of the Southland Time?, this year pa} r BJd against 7£d last year. — The whole of the Mataura Fac-

torys season's output of cheese, amounting to fully 146 tons, was, with the exception of 100 pases, sold in the colony at prices which the directors considered very satisfactory, while the 100 cases consigned to Britain realised the highest price going at the time they were sold, the profit on the year's transactions amounted to £354- 15s 3d ; from this it was recommended that a dividend of five per cent, on the capital be paid, which would absorb £89 9s, leaving a balance of £265 6s 3d to be carried forward. — The output from the Otara factory for the season was 57 tons,all of which was disposed of in the colony. — The balance sheet of the Waimea Plains Factory shows the profit for the year to have been £104 13s 6d, enabling £28 5s 4d to be written pff for depreciation, etc., the payment of the usual 5 per cent, dividend, and an additional per lb for butter fat (making a total of 8d) and leaving a balance to be carried forward of £9 11s 2d. During the season 632,3291b of milk was received, producing 62,3841b cheese. As the result of negotiations now proceeding for the disposal of next season's cheese, it'was anticipated 3d per gallon could be guaranteed for the milk supply- _ The Russian Government is willing to subsidise a fast line of steamers between Russia and Great Britain for the purpose of putting Russian refrigerated beef, poultry, game, mutton, butter, and other agricultural produce upon the English markets. It is made a condition that the ships shall be thoroughly fitted up with refrigerating machinery. A Henry county (Kansas) steer recently fell and broke its leg. Instead of killing the animal, the owner called in a veterinary surgeon, and had the steer's leg amputated. The-ani-mal rapidly recovered, and hobbled around on three legs, taking on flesh as fa_st as any of the other steers in the lot. The animal was sold the other day to a Clinton butcher. — American Exchange.