AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2397, 8 February 1900, Page 14

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The Head of Lake correspondent of the County Press writes : For the past fortnight the weather has been most suitable for the farmers and graziers. All the different kinds of crops are growing apace. There will be very heavy yields of both potatoes and turnips. The harvest will be late in most cases, and very heavy. Pasture is in great abundance, and stock of all descriptions are in splendid condition. There will be an unusually large supply of fat stock this reason, which I have no doubt will find a ready sale, through the scarcity of fat stock down south. The New Zealand producers receive at present a very fair price tor their different sorts of produce. This is cau&ed through Britain's vast consumption over and above her producing power. New Zealand is but in its infancy yet with respect to the benefits she will derive from the British markets — and not alone from the British markets, but America, the Cape, and the Australian colonies. All of those markets in turn will year by year increase the price of New Zealand's produce, as well as the quantity required. At the last meeting of the Lake County Council it was resolved" to discontinue the purchase of birds' eggs at the end of February. All the meat consumed in Invercargill now comes from the Waikiwi abattoirs, where the carcases are subjected to a thorough examination uy a qualified man. ITor this great imp.royeinen.t jthe town hag to thank its, present

energetic M.H.R. — Mr J. A. Hawaii — who was the first to strongly advocate the erection of abattoirs. Harvesting has commenced in this district at both ends — Green "Valley and Lower Shag Valley. Mr C. M'Gregor, who is a thorough practical farmer, was cutting oats on his- tarin 10 days ago ; and other crops in the district — principally oats — are. in a forward state. The crops, however, are not so heavy or the ear so well filled as the favourable weather we have had would lead one to expeot, owing to too much wet in the spring, and the yield will probably be deficient from the same cause and the absence of more heat. — Palmerston Times. The weather at Balfour for the past month has, on the average, says the correspondent of the Southern Standard, been very good, with the exception of a few gales, which are nothing out of the way for this place. Todoy (February 1) we had a splendid shower, just the thing to bring on the turnips. On the 30th and 31&t ult. we had heavy, hot winds, which changed the colour of the grain crops wonderfully sudden. However, the harvest will not be quite as early as last year, but 1 think that it will be slightly heavier. A line of stud Romney Marsh rams from the flock of Mr John Reid. Elderslie, topped the market at the Lower Hutt ram fair on Thursday last, bringing lligf. — Oamaru Mail. The Timaru Herald has heard from several sources that brown-grey caterpillars are doing great damage among some of the crops in the neighbourhood of Geraldine. They do not attack wheat, but show a strong preference for barley and young grass. The sparrows do not touch them, but the starlings are doing their best to eradicate the pest. With reference 10 the statement that codlin moth has reappeared at Ashburton, it may be mentioned, says the Lyttelton Times, that the presance of the peot in the district has been known for several years. The Government pomologists have from time to time given instructions to orclijirdists and gardeners upon combatting the pest, but; with few exceptions, Ihe advice has not been followed. - In fact, jViY JTitch, who has several times lately inspected orchards in the district, has within the last few days made a special inspection, and urged the adoption of the repressive measures which have proved successful elsewhere. The diffieu'ty appears to be that at A&hburton the orchards are in the linnets of people who do no depend upon them for an income, and consequently are not forced to keep them in cleanness and productiveness. The ninth annual report of the Queensland Meat Expqit and Agency Company show* that the operations for the past financial year have resulted in a net profit of £40.800 6s Id, which, adclort to £9851 14s 2cl brought forward from the previous year, gives a total of £50,652 0k 3d at credit of profit and loss account. During the year ending 30th November, 1899, 52.000 cattle and 26.700 sheep have been deult with at Eagle Farm Works, and 35,140 cattlft and 14,120 sheep at Ross River— in all. 87,140 cattle and 40,820 sheep. The satisfactory result from the year's operations is largely due to the profitable sales of frozen and other meats which the company have been able to effect. "i-'ne outlook is still encouraging, but, on the other hand, supplies of fat stock for the current season's requirements aro scarce and dear. — Australian Meat Trades' Journal. The weather at Eatanui lately has been very rough, wet, and stormy, considerably hindering the operations with the hay, much of which' is still unstacked. and sonic uncut. The supply of inil'k at the dairy factory is steadily decreasing, and at present is about 350 gal daily, but it is a consolation to know that the test is rising, and at present is about 3.8. — Clutha Leader. Harvest is now in full swing in the Ellesmere district (write? the Press correspondent) The nor'-wester experienced on Tuesday and Wednesday last week has just come in time to complete the ripening of the late and backward crops. Owing to the rust, crops were ripening very irreouiarly, and this will to a certain extent damage ohe samples. Unless farmers are careful to make the threshing machines screen heavily, the samples of grain will not be as good as was anticipated. Now that crops are being cut and handled, it is seen that they are not turning out as good or heavily as appearances warranted one to expect. All over the country the grain is very irregular, there being a quantity of short straw with short heads imperfectly filled with grain. This deficiency is more noticeable in wheat than in the barley crops, but the barley has suffered too. The agricultural statictics place the wheat yield for New Zealand at 29 bushels, barley at 33, and oats at 36 bushels per acre. Inclusive of Southland the yield of oats should prove correct, but the wheat and barley estimates are both too high. As far as I can estimate (and 1 do this after examining crops in various parts of the country) I put the average wheat yield down at 20 to 25 bushels, and barley at 25 to_ 30 bushels per acre. When including the various localities with light and heavy lands, it will be seen that even this is a heavy yield for a season following such a wet winter. After fcliq »Qt'-w.esfc w.eathe£ grain is in fin© ord^eij,

and a large acreage is now ready to thresh out of stook. A few machines have already commenced threshing oats and barley, which, are both turning out in good order. A noticeable thing is the almost total absence of grass peed. The country has not been ?a bare of ryegraf-s seed for some years, while what there is is light and thin. The National Provisioner (an American paper) wants "some daily paper to rise upf now and baste the Government a bit for purchasing and shipping from Australia to our soldiers in Manila the poor, blue, stringy^ sinewy beef of that continent." The excellence of all Australian meat is everywhere j admitted, and we (Meat Trades' Journal) caa only assume that this puerile vilification of our beef — to which no serious reply is necessary — is caused by the knowledge which is being forced upon our trans-Pacific cousins that our colonial meat can and does hold its own against the best productions of the United States. The Timaru Post states that the liessian fly has done considerable damage to several farms in the Kingsdown district, patches here and there being very bad with it. This pest hasi caused much loss this season. About this time two years ago the Hessian fly made its first appearance in New Zealand. We had then an exceptionally dry season, and it is a mystery how it got here. One farmer burned his stubble, skim-ploughed, then cross-ploughed the ground, and still has the pest in the same paddock. It is said that damp, mild weather is favourable to the development of the pest, and the present season bears out this opinion,; though it is strange that it made its first apearance in New Zealand during an exceptionally dry season. Farmers are advised by the Department of Agriculture to plough infested fields as soon as possible after harvest, to as to thoroughly bury the stubble, and also to carefully burn all screenings or rubbish from the threshing machine; as these form perfect nurseries for the pesfc. This plan, however, was tried on Mr Craigie's farm afc Eing.«dowu, but the pest re-appeared first iix the paddock experimented on. It would be very interesting to hear the experiences of farmers in other districts dealing with this pest. The following figures show the areas under giain crops, and the estimated yield of wheat, oats, and barley for threshing ; also the quanI tity of wheat on hand at 30th November, 18S9, I compared with the year lE9B : — For Canterbury the figures are — Wheat, 169;073 acres against 249,852 acres : oats, threshing. 136,111 ceres, against 142,743 acres; for chaffing, '16,037 acres, against 55,263 acres; barley, i?.7'f2. against 14.600 acres ; peas, 3592 acres, j against 3453 acres ; beans, 2487 acres, against 1979 acres. Otago— Wheat, 60,915 acres, against 99,752 acres; oats, threshing, 209,938 I feres, against 220,427 acres; for chaffing, I 60.264 acre*, against 66,262 acres; barley, 12.606 acres, against 14,063 acres ; linseed, b23 acres, against 390 acres. i Mr G. G. Stead, of Climtehurch, says the Oamaru Mail, has placed himself in communication with Mr J. F. Re-id, of Elderslie, with the object of securing a number of really good horses for the Rough Riders Contingent. The animals must be from four to eight years old, j 15.1 to 15.3 in height, sound, good weightj carriers, and quiet. Greys will not be taken. Anybody having a horse of this stamp should communicate with Mr Keid. The Government veterinarian will visit the district to inspect the horse?. | It is no wonder, says the British Australasian, that colonial shippers are up in arms over the unfair condemnation of Australian, mutton at the hands of the Smithfiold market inspectors. No one will object to unsound meal being seized — in fact, the salesmen themselves draw the inspector's attention to such cases. But of late a new departure has been made, under which carcases of mutton ficm Australia are impounded simply because they are thin, and very considerable seizures l)Ef\e been made of this kind. The market authorities work under an old act, and no explanation is written on the certificates which are issued. But it is understood that they . c oize these thin sheep believing that emaciation is the result of disease existing before the animals were killed. This contention coloniats, of cour»e, screnuously dispute, well knowing that the sheep in question are in poor condition owing to drought. But if buyers like to purchase thin sheep, why should they not be allowed to do so? The new regulations, as applicable to the manufacture and sale of margarine, will soon come into force in Great Britain, "and then chat marvellous clause that Mr Long so strenuously insisted on — viz., that no margarine should contain more than 10 per cent, of butter fat, will be put into operation. What particular benefit such a prohibition will confer upon dairy farmers we ha\e never vet been able to understand. Mr Long says it will be a safeguard, both for the dairy farjufiera and the public, so we suppose it is all right. The Sale of Food and Drugs' Act, passed during the summer, comes into force on the Ist oc January next, and then we shall see what we shall fee. But a more unsatisfactory Act was never passed, professedly in the interests or ony cla^s, in which the wishes and opinions of those most interested were so persistently ignored. Mr Long practically told the dairy farmers of this country that they were a lot of: ignoramuses, and did not understand their own business, and that he should ignore their deliberate i equests, as he alone understood what was good for them. — Scottish Farmer, December 9. The Waitahuna correspondent of the Tuapeka Times write., : — -I am glad to see from Mr Robert Craig's remarks at the last meeting of the Farmers' Club, that the proposed Farmers' Union of Otago and Southland is nob likely to be lost sight of. I noted from the report of the proceedings at the Farmers' Conference, held at Dunedin during the late show, that Mr Craig made some good, practical suggestions, and in every way proved himself to be a very capable representative of our local Farmers' Club. What the settlers want in order to get the rabbit question and other questions affecting their interests put on a proper basis is an amalgamation of the various farmers' organisations and men of Mr Craig's clamp who are capable of giving suitable expression to the opinions of their class. The Timaru Herald says : "The s.s. Claverdon left for Lyttelton on Friday evening with 14,222 sacks of oats shipped at this port by Messrs Turnbul] and Co., and about 26,000 shipped further south. She picks up 8000 more at Lyttelton. and then sails for the Cape. The same firm have the s.s. Knight Templar coming for more oats about this day week." There is still a large quantity of oats held in this district that farmers would be glad to get rid of. The Victorian Minister for A griculture intends to have a large nunibei of experimental plots established through Victoria during the coming sowing season, so that trials may be given with the different brands of artificial manures on the market. The fertilisers will be purchased in the open market, and it will not be known when the purchase is mad© that the manure supplied is to the order fit j&q Agricultural department. In tbi»

wayit is hoped to make trials with the same fertilisers as are sold to farmers. The Government agricultural chemist has been busily engaged with hies assistant selecting suitable sites for these experimental plots. Four drills, which put in the seed and manure at the same time, will be employed in carrying cmt the tests, this number being required to treat the numerous plots which will be established, and which will be sown -simultaneously under supervision. The Minister is fully satisfied that if the value of fertilisers can be brought under the attention of farmers an a practical way by the establishment of these plots, they will soon obtain drills, and employ artificial manures in growing their crops, as the increased production will far imore than repay the cost of the implement and the fertilisers. Several large mobs of sheep are on the way to Christchurch from districts around Kaikoura, and farther north. About 40,000, it is stated, will be' driven through within the next month, mostly breeding ewes. The Norfolk Island correspondent of the Christchurch Press, under date January 8, reports that there has, practically, been no rain since the end of August last, and things are looking serious. "The maize and kumera crops are a complete failure, and I am afraid it will fare hard with many families before the winter is over. The pastures are withered up, not a blade of green grass is to be seen, and cattle and horses are suffering much from ■want of food." Reports from the country, says the Oamaru Mail, state that no harm was done by last Thursday's heavy rain, which was fortunately followed by a good drying wind, so that the etooks bore no signs yesterday of the previous day's Heavy downpour. Generally speaking, really good yields are confidently anticipated, and, if the elements enable the safe in-gather-ing of the grain, the quality will be remarkably fine. Two purebred merino rams, sent from South 'Australia by Messrs Elder, Smith, and Co., and intended for Mount Parnassits station, arrived at Lyttelton by the s.s. Mokoia on Friday last, and were sent to Quail Island to undergo the customary period of quarantine. — Lyttelton Times. The average prices of British corn per quarter for the weeking ending November 25 were as follows : — Wheat, 25s 8d ; barley, 26s 2d; oats, 16s 7d;. The prices for the corresponding week last year were: Wheat, 27s 9d; barley, 28s 4d ; oats, 17s Id. The London Flour Millers' Association's official prices of flour per sack of 2801b for the week ending November 27 were : London whites, 265; town households, 235.