OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2400, 1 March 1900, Page 15

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

JFrom Otjb Own Corbespondent.) CHRISTCHUBCH, "February 21-. • Harvest is nearly finished in North Canterbury, and I cannot remember. The in the last 20 years, a good : Harvest. harvest, until this season, having been secured in good ' order. 'There ( have been some showers — and ' heavy ones — but they were followed by cold, '. dry. winds, ' and the damage done to the crops ' wiich we're still in" the field "was confined to a slight discolouration of some" of the barley .and the disarranging of a few stooks. ,The 'first "nor'-wester .of the season came this week, 'and the few standing crops -as well as stooks and badly-built stacks have suffered, but the loss bears a very infinitesimal proportion to the total yield. Much more; harm has been done by the small birds and the Hessian fly. Caterpillars also have infested some localities, but they did not make their appearance in time to materialy affect the yield.- There is no- doubt resolute efforts will have to be made to suppress the various pests which are attacking the crops; otherwise the farmers will lose the fruits of their labour and expenditure. The good farmers in South Canterbury are ploughing in he stvtbble of Hessian fly-infested crops without delay, and will keep the land in roots for a couple of seaebns, though this may bring forth another pest in sorr,el. Indeed, some wheat crops had sheep turned into them when the attack ■of the fly -was discovered, and others were straightway ploughed in. Despite these drawbacks the crops are yielding splendidly, in many cases quite a3 well as last year. The Secretary for Agriculture's estimate of an average yield of 29 biishels per acre of wheat is high compared with the average of the last ten years, but there is little doubt that it will be realised, if not exceeded, in Canterbury. Threshings so far have been entirely satisfactory, both as to quantity and .quality. • The official return of area in in this province, 179,073 acres, agrees _very closely' with my estimate formed' in De.cember of 180,000 acres. My estimate of the area in oats was below the; mark, more having been' sown in the "Ell'esmere district, the country near the western nil's and in 1 and South Canterburj than I anticipated, and instead of ~150,000 acres there are 182,118 acres. Some of • the earliest crops, on poor land, were very 1 light, but most of the later crops a,ve very 'heavy, and the official estimate of 36 bushels, 'though not extravagant, will barely "be reached. Most of the crops of barley are very .fine, arid the estimate of 33 bushels will be exceeded. .The area is 17,742 acres, as against my forecast of 15.000 acres. The country lately has been a feast fo. the eyes: the splendid crops changing colour, the grass and clover in such profusion as has never before been seen here, the rape growing most luxuriantly, most of the turnips already almost covering the ground, and the potatoes, except here and there a spot blackened by frost, giving promise 'of a heavy crop. Sheep, lamb 3, cattle, and- horses are all in Jie blooming condition which shows that they are in the midst of plenty. There was some fear early in the season of a scarcity of labour, but the -great reduction in the crop area brought the work comfortably within the compass of the available hands.

There was a rush of lambs to the freezing

works at the end of January, 'The Stock when most of the lambs are

Markets. weaned. There was a slight block for a few days, and during -that period prices iropped about Is a head. There was a rapid recovery, and prices have continued extremely firm, good freezers commanding un to 13s on the farm, specially prime lines up to 14-s, and even more for selected pens. The opening of the London market for New Zealand Ipynb at 5d shows that buyers of lambs in the colony have none the worst of the bargain after, all. The Jambs this season are the best that have ever jbeen shipped since the trade began,, and it is to be hoped they will be sold well at Home. Many farmers have the. courage to resist the temptation of high prices, as they see that if they sell their lambs ..hey cannot buy other sheep to replace them unless at a still higherprice. The position is this : Fat lambs, whole lines, are worth 12s 6d ; shore wethers, not veiy well-grown and in only fail condition,

' 13s 6d. Th lamb has Is worth j more wool on it, and will take much less feed to keep it thriving through the year, and will then be a better sheep than the wether. Breeding ewes are at extremely high prices, up to 15s being paid for good, but not large, four-tooth "half breds at country sales. There has been a good sale for both fab and store cattle 11 lately, beef being wanted for freezing and stores for the abundance of 'feed there is on some of the stations'. Well-bred yearlings to two-year-olds are worth more than double what they were a year ago. Pigs have been low — down to 2J?d for good baconers — but are now brisker again, and baconers are selling at 2|d to 3id, porkers ivp to 3|d, and 'stores at prices nigh in proportion to fat values. Draught horses keep up their high values. A good many farmers jhink that • though the .cropping area will be smaller for two" or three years now that so much of the country is newly laid down in grass, there will before long be a limitation of the hours of farm laboui and a weekly half -holiday, which will necessitate the employment of more teams. It is surprising how many farmers there are who would welcome a mid-week's half -holiday. It would certainly do much to 1 make farm work less unattractive. If ' mounted rifle corps and clubs are formed in i the rural districts," something of the sort will I be essential to. their success. ,

The . annual meeting of the Ohristchurch Meat Company passed off Freezing quietly, only a bare quorum Companies being present. Contrary to the general impression, the great majority of the shareholders are farmers, who will not trouble to attend meetings in town when everything is_ going on satisfactorily. Nine per cent, is a good dividerd for a year like last. Vv!.en the bulk of the business was done in the latter part of the year in a -steadily-falling market. It will be remembered that at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company in December, the chairman stated that the directors intended to take proceedings with regard to statements made in some interviews which had appeared in the Chrisichurch papers, ancl which had been made improper uso of by a rival company. (The interviews appeared in the Press, and were, it is understood, reprinted and circulated by the Christchurch Meat Company.) It is rumoured that proceedings have now been taken, but of their nature all that can be said is that everybody has a different version. If the case goes -into the court some more information about London market methods may be forthcoming. It is a remarkable fact that several of the largest exporteis of every previous season are this year selling in the colony. One of them remarked that he "was not going to send hi? lambs Home to be swindled over them." The Christchurch Meat Company has made radical alterations at- Islington and Sniithfield. having converted the old original Haslam freezing machines into. the cold-biast system, which is claimed to be not only more economical than the Hercules or Linde systems, but. also has the important' advantage of preserving the "bloom"", of the meat, so that its appearance, when exposed for sale, is more attractive. There have also been great extensions at both works, and 'others are in progress, and the managing director's statement that when these are completed the works will be equal to the whole requirements of the province for years to come appears likely to be fully borne out.

The report of the director of the Canterbury Agricultural Co'sege, Linliinrolii coin, on the past year's opeCollege rations shows that there has been an enormous volume of work done. The results are being prepared for publication. The whole institution" is in perfect order, and it is really surprising that its valuable instruction is not more generally availed of. Eleven new students have so far entered for the term now beginning.

The third contingent has been got away, and the horses for the Undaunted The Third \ a ve been obtained. There Contingent. is no scarcity of men, but sound horses are deplorablj'rare. The present experience is a strong argument in favour of the inspection and licensing of stallions. Out of 70 horses examined one day, 14- were accepted, and of other lots one was taken of 25, none from 19, ihree from another lot of 19, three of 10 from Westland, and so on; and it is important to bear in mind that all these horses were submitted a's being suitable.