AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 2454, 27 March 1901, Page 4

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS

Judging by a number of samples of wheat ■-hovui us by Mr John C. Gow, miller, of Palmer-ton, the Agricultuial department lu'\e a good deal to learn before they will make much improvement in the value of tho grain grown in the colony. With the object of introducing' improved varieties in li:s district, Mr (4ow last year obtained some «eed from the department. On its arrhal it wr>* found to be of such a mixed charactpr that the farmers of the district refused to Boy. it, L.it a sample of what was alleged to be white wr.-. given a trial. The re-s-uH is tru'y surprising. In one sheaf no fewer than s- x have been found, including white bearded Tuscan, red Tv-can, a hybrid velvet, a poor sample of hurley, and a nondescript specimen of wheat which might almost be imagined to ha\e been in cultnation at the tim" of Xoal>. It i- a pity t':at tlie department should 'pcil tho good work it is undoubtedly doing by euch a gross exhibition of carelefsne?= and incompetence as i<< evinced m this instance. ('are wa^ taken with the samples on exhibition at the la'-t winter shows, and surely it is not too much to expect all samples to be carefully overhauled before being sold for seed purpose?. 11>e following gratifying announcement appeared in a late issue of the London Grocer, the leading organ of the provision trade in London: — "Colonial butter is now rapidly superseding all other descriptions." The Ashburton Guardian hears of an exceptionally heavy yield of oats at Rangijata, Mr Duncan Taylor, jun., Orton, South Rangitata, having ju^t threshed from a 14-acre paddock a total of 1438 bushels, or an average of 102 J, bu°hcls per acre. The oats were sown down in August after a previous crop of rape. The ciop preceding tho rape was wheat, wlm-h threshed 47s bushels per acre. In another paddock Mr Taylor had over 60 busheU of Canadian oats per acre. Our Pilmeiv-ton correspondent writes: — Ip consequence cf the heavy losses sustained by tho rabbit merchants last season, they fixed the price for the coming season at 4d per pair. The trappers held a meeting at Gilmore's Hotel, Dimback, on Tuesday evenii q. and determined to strike unless 5d per paii- was allowed. The rabbits in the meantime are having a respite. Since the opening of the Government poultry depot in Dunedm, Mr Lc:hy, the grader, has passed through about 150 head, principally ducklings, for export. The bulk of the consignment is intended for So/uth Africa. Large consignments) are expected to come in shortly, in time for the departure of the Eangatira. Tl;e Hon. T. V Duncan, Minister of Lands, in company with the Hon. James M'Cxowan, Minister of Mines and Justice, recently paid a visit of inspection to Mcfsi\3 L. D. Nathan's ostrich farm at Whitford Park, in the Auckland district. There are at present on the farm some 125 young ostriches, from three weeks to three months old, and all the birds, totalling 600, look healihy and vigorous. Mr Duncan was evidently impressed. He said he had previously had no idea of the progress already made, and of the scale of the industry. He felt confident that ostrich farming withborne judicious assistance from the SRats would prove quite successful in North New Zealand, and that in districts on the coast, where land could be utilised for the purpose, being partly cultivated land and partly sandhill*, there would be veiy good returns for capital invested. He would consider what could be done by his department to encourage the industry. It may be mentioned that the feathers are worked up for the market on the farm. It is suggested in Auckland that tlie Government should give the industry a start by appointing cadets to learn the business " at Nathan's farm, and to instruct settlers at a small charge per month. ■ The clover crop this season will, it is anticipated, prove •disappointing (says a Christchurch paper). The seed head" aie not filling, and already some farmers have turned stock into their clo\cr fields. The cause ef the practical failure of the crop is not. very certain, but probably it is due either to the absence of warm weather during the season or to the insufficient number of bees to fertilise the large areas now in this, crop. The codhn moth in the North Island ip dying out, a fly attacking the egt>- and destroying it. Tina, howe-^er. it is alleged, is only where in-ectii-ideb have not been used. Tho fruit tree-, must be left in a neglected ronrhlion, ns in-ectioidea clestioy the fly, and lha cod lin moth increase*. Pheasants appear to bo thriving and inoreasin:? mi the Tokomairiio district. A locjl fanner recently informed the Bruce Herald that he had seeu two broods on hts land. To s!io-,v how the price of dairy stock i- advancing in the colony it may bo stated dial ;>t a sale at Behidere, near Carterton, Hit week, dairy cows realised £10. £11 £12, and up to £13 10* a head. The sale comprised 45 co\\ s . ordinary dairy .-took. These prices ha^e ruled, too, on the West Cca=t of the North Island lately. The co-t of clearing the rabbits from the Ciown laud^ in Hu\\ke*» Bay is e^Uinatid at £4000 or £5000. The Hawke's Bay Rabbit Board decided to ask the Government to assist it in the work. Owner., of horse stock in the New Plymouth district report that the hot fly ha? been very active t his season, and has been very troublesome to the objeeta of its attention. * It is estimated that about 1400 bales of wool were grown in the Nul>aka and Mahia districts this season, ccclvsive of Maori dips. About nine years ago not more than 400 bales were produced from the same area. The New South Wales Minister of Mines and Agriculture (Mr Fegan) has resolved to pioceecl at once witli the construction of grain elevators and cold storage premises at the port of Newcastle. The works will be of an extensive character, involving an ex penditure, it is anticipated, of about £60,000. The Rangilata correspondent of the Timaru Heigh^ 3 l 'it&s,ir"4fi exceptionally

heavy yield cf oats corner from Kaiigitatn. Mr Duncan Taylor, jun.. Orton, Lower Rangitata, has ju=t thic^hcd fiom a 14-r>fie paddock a total ol 1438 bushel.-, or an a\eiagc of lOZg buthelb per : ire. Tlip oats wcie sown cliwn in August after a previous crop of lape. la smother paddock T.iylor has o\cr 60 bushels of Canadian oai» per acre. Many of tho crops in the dic--trict are turning out very well. Mr Hugh Taylor, of Oroti Plains, with tv<-o or three others and a few dogs, succeeded m killing 150 rats within 20 niinu^s the other day in the remains of an old ?lra\v stark nr-ar the Orcti Ri\er, the banks of which abound with the rodent«. The Lunuden correspondent of Hie Southland Times wnte=: — Businc-s and work aie hi a -\ ory satisfactory state in thi< place; at present it would be hard to find a man wanting a day's woik. Harvest is going; on rapidly, and a good bit of thicshing is bring done out of the i-tcok, as the weather .«o fpr ha^ been fa\ouiablc. Rabbit-trapping will be aciive in a few day-. I don't anticipate thcie will be any difficulty in getting men for tliis c'a^s of work, as they make good wages, and ?re practically their own bojsps: can work all hours to suit thenihchc*! Like everyone else, the trapper who sticks be 3 t to his work leaps the largest benefit. It is a" pity that en some of the estates poisoning is boing bept up lather longer than is judicious if ti dipping is to follow. There will be no lack of agents and bujers here. Mr Palter-:-o'i, who ha>- already announced himself, has been taking- iabbits from the Ist inst.. and -perm to hare done wel 1 . Messrs White and (Jo. have again appointed Mr L. .T. Jonp<* their agent lieie am! at Balfour. Mr (1. F._ Johnson ha» again placed Mr Henry (4. Key :n charge. He will travel between Lum:"den and Kn.g'ton on the tram days, and toke de'ivrry. Aery pxten>ne alterations aie thought to be neces-ary in the Rabbit Aci. and there i- a probability that a meeting will bo called at an curly c'ate to put certain mucli-rcecled mne-dmtnts before t'.e Minister It h thought the power* of inspectors and agems want curtailing to a considerable extent. C Jr. cpoi, dents cf tl'o Southern Standard: Iletlirohono • Lcailing-in ib now general, Liufc tho wcathir lias been lather unfavourpb l c for it. . The grain crop- have been Aery good this year. and_ Mie yields thould be aboie the average. The scarcity of hai\p B t hand has been felt here. Trapping has now started, ond the trap'oer? urc c'.oiug \ciy well, &•? i:ibb'ts are fairly plentiful. CVi-ts are run to all parts of the di-hict, and theie ?ecni3 to be keen conipfition anionq buycrt. — Riverac'iJo: Ilarve^cing operations are "till beinokrpt ba-jk on account or tho broken state of the weather. Btook tlue<-hing i^ al-o bein^ leiarded through the same cau=e. Tlie farmers are evidently gcinu to be well utlcncVd to in regard to thi-ething. as there arc two new mills in tho di-ti.ct t'l.b i-pas<_n. r.."!.bits still continue to come in in large i.i*m!:rrs, and they aie — no doubt oving to feed being fo plentiful — in splendid condition this eea^on. Despite the general opinion at the beginning of harvest with rega-d to the scarcity of labour, there are still a number of idle men about the township. Tlie number of swaggers (o be epcu on the "wallaby" is really surprbmo. Those men who were de^ msnding 1« per hour are now quite content to work for lOd. Waimate notes, in Oamaru Mail, 19th inst. : Thrro is a considp^iblo area under rath stiil in tb'e stook?, and The changeable weather has delayed the sta'k"ig Knd threshing. Practically all the whoot and oats are cut in this district, and the wheat is stacked, but there is a good yie'd of oat- vet to stack. The wheat is not so good a vii Id ,is was expected. Oats aie well above the average. Some of the bigge-t prices ever paid for r-heep ia^e been givo'i for mermct-. Twenty rams were ?oUI in one lot by Baron Ton Homeyer, of Germany, for £4000. One ram. sold for £1100. cue for £1500, and several fur £'jOO3. The two Dudding iams bought by Mr Manual J. Cohe, of Argentina, for lOQOg-s each — at an interval of two yeais — secured the highest price ever paid in Ergland. The Wellington s-pccial ccue'-pondeni of tin- Christch-irch Press writer: — Mr Duncan. Minister for Land", has been making himself closely at q-iaiu* ad v. itli tlie rcquiiemems of <ho North Island settlers in regaid to the countiy in t^.e nevtu of Auckiiand. Mr Durcai thinks that on account of the gumfiel''s nnd the timber irad<\ the Auoklan'l people liavp Hiidere.siiinai'»d the importance of the lsnd qupstiou. The young people in that di'lrict have not gone upon the land because tl ey f«w a kind of independence in these other mdu^hir-s, but, he says, there is a great fi.ture befoie that paft of the country. The climate is exceptionally finp, whilst the woiet land they hove could be made good enough u> carry one sheep to the acre. Fruit is grown in the lioi'th of Auckland to perfection, especially apples. He saw apples theie that he had never «een equalled anyvhoie. The chief trouble of tlie fruit-growers is the uncertainty of transport, ar.d the codlm moth. The latter pe-t, howe-ier, i? djiiig out, as «-ome fly has appeared which attacks it. 4-j for transport facilities, these vwl l be incroased by the railway now under construction in the direction of Port Albert. The Government of South Australia. «ays tho Oamaru Mail. gi\ es moie help lo faimer?, in one direction, than docs our-. Thete they li.no a Produce Export department, which lia- its abattoirs, frfcz.ir.f> woik*. and depots to which the fanner i an =i r.d hi- piodnce. Tl.e department uvdertakiv the kil'iug, frcezir^, packing, insnnncr. &pel i -lii)"']J)!!2 of the prodiup. and a!-~o the =a3e of it in the Old Country, where then* aie depot- for it- reception. Advances are al-o made against the piodvrf* by the (Jovcimnent. The undertaking is practically a co-opciative or.c. tine 1 the dcpaitirent doc- iv t c o?l; to make a large profir, Luc chaiges prai iieilly the bare co-t of wmknicf to the jModuter.* who thn? get- the full piofit of his toil. The depai tint m lia> been pmincntly >-ik c<" > s*fi'l. and i- a great boon to the farmei- in South Aiisimlia. A sim - lar doparhnont heio would be equally a boon. I'hn Picmiei 1 "- told Mr Fie'd, M.H.R . tlu<fc if farmers wor'J i i'irr ia I'ini "'ul tliow thir fair m-ices ucic n >i bciug paid, tlion 1.0 v, oul>' lu'Cl tlif pror.ii-o lie nude vt PaUiaiua. ar.d establish woik-e on the lines of the Adelaide ones. Mr 3Ye Id recommends the farmers of Wellington to accept t'n. invitation, nnd put the position foicibly to the Government. Mr F. Buike. who has sold out his farm afc Hedgehopo, and is leaving for Clifton, was pnt«»rtiined the othc ovcuiitj by the rc-idcnt=s of tl p district. About 150 people s->t down fo c'.mner, which was admirably sorted. Several toast.* luring hern duly hononred. 11 i Cliairman (Mr A. M'Kay) presented Mr Burke with a 'silver-mounted walking stick,and Mrs Burke with a handsome biscuit barrel. Mr Bxirke, in a neat speech, thanked

If you wish to grow vet?elal'le= ■uiecp-sfullv and with comfort, buy a '"Planel Jr" whcc-1 line. Full particular fioin Niiiiio

th^ donors for their gifts. A dance followed, make such an assertion, nor have we the rewhich- was kept going with great spirit till motcst intention of making it. ... But an early hour in the morning. in thus speaking some discrimination must be While in England last year, Mr James made. There are, we are aware, a number Bennet proprietor of the Reliance butter of settlers who are prepared to throw them factory spent much of his time, says the selves with energy into any movement in f'.e Poverty Bay Herald, in watching New Zea- district having for its object tue establishment land butter and cheese. He found that of a dairy factory. All that is re» .iired is Danish butter was pushed everywhere, while that the initiative should be taken that the the great mass of the people knew nothing of movement should be given a start. After the good qualities of our butter. To remedy that success will follow. this Mr Bennet suggests that lecturers should Endeavours are being made by the Departbe 'sent Home to lecture on the chief food menfcof Agriculture to ascertain as closely as products of the colony, and that samples of poswible the average number of pounds of butbutter and cheese should be distributed to ter produced yearly or during the milking those present at the lectures. period by cows in ISew Zealand. A circular The improved prices for horseflesh extend 1S bei ?g sent *>. dai ]7 company ?nd factory to wi?d hor<e Jof all descriptions. Last week, proprietor* aslcmg for the following returns to wiia noises vi <vi v""'iv ""'i f , w an _ for last sea=m: — 1) dumber of cows Irom says the Taihape correspondent of Ihe Wan ' ganui Chronicle, the Maoris were ßelling un- premises and skimming stations) S^l^t^^^i* fJ^d^fe; ™s obtained"; (2) the total weigh-in pounds 2S ITS* seLons would only command of -^received ; J3, the amount in pounds from ±.1 to k*- . , p iQ^ of cheese output. If both butter and cheese Notes from the h^K have been made the department requires to be informed of the amount of milk, in pounds, =Srweatht says the yielded 99 bushels per acre The pad do*. Standard of the 19th inst, has al■urns «nwn in oats following wiieat last yeai. » The oate^CTe drilled in on one furrow, and the lowed farmers to gather in most prrimd Mt rouKh without rolling or discing, of their grain, although the heavy dew ground leit rougti wi™ . r B f Z on occasional mornings prevented operations -An opening m South Africa for *«•«*££« beil comme nced till well on in the day. is likely to occur very shortly for Messrs fc commencing in the district. Vecht and Stockvis who ' « c On the whole the crops are better than was bacon factory in South Africa, under contract in th earl £ mmer and the yie ld s , with the De Beers Company, expect^ to^pur P > chase part of the raw P"*«tm «£ "g™"^ The only trouble at present appears to be the It is proposed at first ; to 2 00^pigs per y does not seem to be much s*^&^^s^ss p-cL? ftf £t rising aWe worlß 6d for mild curing.— A gentleman at present tho following comments on the recent ram Saying in GiXme, and recently from fair : -The »h story of the Christchuroh ram Cheviot with the greater part of which he fair of 1901 is pretty amply written in the is thoroughly familiar, says that the prospects reports which will be found in otner columns, of success are assured in the case of fully What is still discussed, without a satisfactory 90 per cent, of the settlers there. The best conclusion being arrived at is the question test of their position is, perhaps, that they what caused the collapse of the sales on the would not be willing to sell out except at a second day, when only about 100 flock rams considerable premium. The outlook, he con- were sold out of 600 offered consisting mostly riders with the prospect of rapidly neanng of Shiopshires and Southdowns, for which railwa'v connection is of the most hopeful, it was understood there was an unlimited deBlunders there certainly have been in the mand. Two reasons are mentioned— first, establishment of the settlement, but not more the large number of inferior rams, principally than there would have been under any other Shropshires, offered towards the close of the d inistration " rst ° ay e> an( * eca y on * ne second day ; On some of the district stations around Al- and second, the offering of so many dealers' Tmrv New South Wales, where phosphorised or speculators lines. Both causes had, withnollard has been extensively laid as rabbit out doubt, an adverse influence. It is years Poison numbers of sheep have been found since so many bad sheep were seen, and some dead t'hrouzh eating the substance. Cross- of the dealers' lots were amongst the worst, bred sheep in particular are partial to the though it must be admitted that some really hait It is estimated that on one district good sheep were sent in by speculators, who Tironertv where these methods of rabbit had purchased them from the breeders months poisoning have lately been adopted, hundreds ago in anticipation of small entries and big of thousands of rodents have been destroyed, prices at this fair. Some of these enterprisNow that green feed is scarce, rabbits eagerly ing gentlemen burnt their fingers pretty seeat up poisoned pollard, laid in small furrows verely, and it is doubtful if any of them made made by poison-distributing machines. much profit This is a form of speculation According to the Wool and Cotton Re- which, if detected, deters farmers entirely nnrter the sceptre has passed away from from! bidding, and it can very well be dispensed Kansas and Missouri as sheep States in with in the ram trade Many of the Otago America though there is a tendency in Kansas English Leicesters and Shropshires and Aucktowards' recovery in the number of flocks, land Shropshires were in miserable condiATontana and Utah, however, are considered tion— so poor that they should never have the best wool-producing States, and the grad- been sent to a ram fair. The latter confirmed in<* un in them and in Eastern Colorada is what has been paid about the rams sold at the remarkable Fifteen years ago, 75 per cent, fairs in the Auckland district, and the forU the wool' in these and other Western States mers up north must be warned that they can "' oratled as coarse carpet wool, but now , never expect to establish a trade in fat lambs the nrooortion is not over 10 per cent. The if they breed from such rubbish. There were change has been brought about by the im- a. few fair sheep amongst them, indeed, one ©Station of well-bred rams. „,.,, or tw ? h J m were fairly well-bred, but. they A number of farmers who have had fields | were badly classed, and the inferior snimals laid down in clover, says the Ly ttelton Times, | overwhelmed the good The folly of sendins ar" turning the stock in or cutting the clover such brutes to Canterbury was demonstrated Jor hay as this season it has turned out prac- by a number being sold at half-a-guinea each, ticallv useless for threshing purposes. Sacral the cost of transit alone being something like Sons are given, but the farmers generally , 15a a head. The Otago farmers, also will l v™rtnt tho cau«e was that the wet season ' have to use something better than some of the ™nted the bees' from fertilising the lines sent here if they want to breed lambs flowers and as so much clover was sown, or sheep which can be converted mto prime and only a limited amount could be fertilised, Canterbury" Of course some of the Terv few crops have been worth threshing. southern Shropshires were first rate r and the veiy icw % _, nro otyt>p!»lk to Lmcolns ana Border Leicesters were all that The Tuapeka Tunes onee ' ™°«£PP^ B £ could be degired> in both breeding and conthe district farmers, in their own i ntere. t to , « Srv "Thf SidiT witi^th^the'daYr^g value being in Ue highest-priced loU Hcic, is one of the most hope ful . Bigns of the tames C1 ° sgbredg P There can be nothh but loss as far as concerns the future of the fnmuj, sheep-breeding. A good procommunity m the colony and, co inciden ta ny, t] J th 3 colony itself. For at the P'e^nt £ comparative few fetched more than ment there is no other mdustiy "» V^ Z f*. Soc { ralea . Many of the really good sheep land, not even excepting the gold —gm y y B i dustry, so rich in promise of P«manent o g bargains to f heir uye r, ; no wealth a, that of dairying. Ie *th"d doubt the sale was affected by the fiasco in mers of the colony m any measure beiimcl hand in realising and taking pr^ornpt achan Zed&nOL Sheepbreedcr.,' tage of that pregnant fact. In ""y duu.cc A .t - f dit necess to t^ ke action that offers any hope of euppoit aai iy , breeders of English Leiccsfactory the settlers are up and dmng at , q had .g. g once and the necessar y St -P\ a 'f, ™°; c , stoo d that each had entered more sheep for establish a factory without delay and ,o shaie in the profits which t" 13 , 1^" 81^^ 1^"* 1^ Bnok. and they have been called upon to farmer. One can scarcely take up a paper The coun^, {ms without observing the e3*^l^™^e 3 *^ l^™^ « » . fg t branch of the industry m some dictuct or m caug / for fm , th = r ocedh in ° tlie iv . many districts might it be said. .. • "hat bree ding evident in some oUicr cciiMgnhas been done among the farmers of TuapcU Jnsr B ootlon must C ome if the Flock to share in the profits of this great liida^tij . i , , Absolutely nothing— that is to say. nothing Hook is to be ot an> icaMalue. _ _ nractical, nothing that will lead to any useful We are in rtic market-gardening busine-s of tangible results. The progressive spirit. ( ay? a writer in the American AgncuUurul), the initiative or creative energy, seems to be and have no fears of putting our crop mto sadly lacking amongst them, weury much re- the worst root-bound land, as we have a pvogret to say. Nor can thi-, be for the .^s<r ces, of killing e^ory root of the couch gras«. that the farmers of Tuapeka aio not Wo break a puce of sod in August after the thoroughly conversant with the profitable hay has been i iken oft, then Leep the gracs nature of the dairying industry. It would from making much growth by harrowing once BH be complimentary to their ifttelligence to or twice during the fall mouths, and in the

spring cross-plough the piece, and cut up well, harrow it thoroughly, and plant with any hoed crop, usually the one that the grass will injure the least But, in spite of all the hoeing, the grass .will nourish the first year. After the crop is off, plough the piece well again the same fall, harrow down, and let lie until the following spring, and then plough again, and fit it for another crop. You can put any kind of a crop on the piece now, for there will not be much of the grass to grow the second year. What little there i 3 will soon be destroyed by hoeing. We have never failed to exterminate every root in two years, and seldom is any seen the second year, the main thing in this process is turning the loots up to the weather every spring and fall. By this process all the roots are left to decay in the soil to keep it up light. The General Committee reported at last week's meeting of the Dunedin City Council that during the past fortnight 673 cattle, 2579 sheep, 775- lambs, 142 pigs, and 49 calves were slaughtered at the abattoir, of which eight cattle and one sheep were condemned as unfit for food. On tho information of the Southland County Council, Thomas Ayson. Oteramika, was charged at the In-vercargill Magistrate's Court, on the 19th inst., before Mr. M'Carthy, S.M. , with failing to remove gorse from the roadline in front of his property. Defendant was fined £3, with £2 7s costs.— William Dawson, Toi Tois, was similarly charged. Fined £3, with £1 15s 6d costs. As evidence of the extent of damage done by the recent hailstorm at Duntroon, says the Oamaru Mail, Mr James Tallantire's experience may be taken. He had 28 acres in oats and he estimates that he had 20 cut at the time the stoim occurred, and only the remaining eight acres suffered. From the 20 acres he has threshed out 65 bushels to the acre and he commenced to thresh from the eight acres which were damaged, but after threshing two loads, which he estimated gave aboiU eight bushels to the acre, he gave it up and cut the remainder into chaff. He also estimates that he lost fully four bushels to the acre from the portion of the crop which was in stook at the time. In the Christchurch Press of the 20th inst. the travelling correspondent of that journal writes from Palmerston :— A line of 40 doubledecker trucks of store sheep and lambs (principally the latter) was recently sent through from Palmerston, and driven thence to Mr Q. Murdoch's farm, in the Laminton district. They came down from Mr A. Murch's run in tho Maniototo Plains district, Central Otago, by way of Dunback, and thence by rail to Palmerston and Chertsey. There were about 3500 in the line. Since the Government have cut up the large estates near Cambridge sheep are in greater demand in the district. The new settlers have had a very good year; the high price they have made for their calves being a great help to them. Those who had a little capita l to Ftart with haye made a really good thing of it, but the otfiers have a stiffer fight to face, although the high price of labour has been a help to them this harvest. Mr Chamberlain has been petitioned by St. Kitts, in the West Indies, to send it the myna, or Indian starling, to devour the local scoa' ge of grasshoppers. In Rhodesia the naturalisation of English starlings has abolished tho locust. A case of great interest to horse breeders and dealers was heard at the Magistrate's Court, Tapanui, on the 12th inst., before Mr Stratford, S.M. Mr C. M'Donald, of Crookston, sold and Jeln ered. a colt and received payment, and the purchaser railed the horse to Gore. Several weeks afterwards the buyer, Mr Felix O'Neill, represented the colt as unsound, and wanted Air M'Donald to take the horse back or pay £100 as compensation for breach of warranty. The vendor refused to accede to the request. After a number of witnesses had given evidence, 1113 Worship delivered judgment in favour of defendant, with costs. Commenting on the case the Courier remarks: — The old rule of "taking delivery of the horse and ending the bargain" should apply in all horse transactions. It would be a nice state of affairs if breeders could be made responsible for injuries after animals went out of their possession. The Otiake correspondent of the North Otago Times writes on the 20th inst. :— The har\cst heie is going forward as fast as weather v. ill permit, but it is a few day 3at work and a fow days off. We have not had a whole week of dry weather since the harvest commenced, not that much rain has fallen, but always plenty to slop work The crop, as thre=hed on the flat part of the settlpment, i& turning out very well, and the sample good. One settler off 100 acres averaged 45, smother off 90 acres averaged 50, another off 100 acres averaged 35 bushels pci acre. There is yet a good bit to thresh, but it will hardly give the 'ime average. This i-, wheat. Pome barley gave between 63 and 64 bushels ppr acre. The higher ground will be a good deal, behind the flat. One settler tokl mo lie had threshed 35 bushels, but so far as I can .=ce there will be a good bit more under than over it. What is not threshed i^ mostly in the siack. There might be from 80 to 90 acres yet in stack, but had the weather only kept up (I see two thieshing mills amongst them), a couple of days would almost }>aic finished it. The wet weather is makins; feed plentiful, but causing a good deal of trouble with weed* on the fallowed ground. Theio will be a good deal Ico-s sown in this district thi-, year, the farmer considering, no doubt, owing to the low mice that stock Vvili pay better. A meeting of shareholders iv the Soatlilaud

Farmers' Co-operative .Association was held at Gors on the 18ch inst., and was attended by 32 members. Mr James Kelly, who occupied the chair, said they were called together to hcaf the result of the canvass for shares in the association, and to decide whether they would be justified in registering the company. So far 759 shares had been applied for. Tiie result of the canvass was extremely good. It was for the shareholders present to cay whether they should proceed to register the association or not. The provisional directors were instructed to have the company registered. Mr Murdoch moved, according to notice of motion — "That the voting power of shareholders be as follows : Ito 5 shares, one vote ; 6to 15 shares, two votes ; 16 to 25 shares three votes ; 26 lo 50 shares, femr votes." Jlr Murdoch said it had been suggested that there should be one vote for 10 shares, two for 30 share, and three for 50 shares. Others, again, thought there should be one share one vote. Ho considered his motion the best. On being put to the meeting the motion was carried. Mr Murdoch moved — "That a holder of fi\e shares be qualified to act as a director." Mr Scoullar moved as an amendment — "That the qualification be 10 shares." After a coniderable amount of discussion the motion was put and carried. The scarcity of labour in the country districts is becoming a cause of .embarrassment amongst farmers generally, who are beginning to realise in earnest the sacrifice which the colony has made in sending so many of her young men to South Africa, remarks the New Zealand Times. Mr A. Glass, organising sec-retsn-y of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, writing from Stratford* states that 0 great deal of dissatisfaction at present exists between the farmers and labourers, as men cannot be obtaitisJ to do the milking. Many of the farmers have had to sell their cows in the middle of the season rather than face tho humbug they have to put up with. Oats are lying rotting, for the reason that while it is fine larbour cannot be obtained ; then it rains and the crop is practically spoilt. Another grievance of the farmers is that the valuations on unimproved values are too high. In fact, all along the line there is endless dissatisfaction, and there is no doubE that the matter will be fought out well this time, as the settlers in tho Taranaki districts have determined to see it through. The Chatham Island sheep are beginning to assert themselves in this market. At the Addington market yesterday, says last Thursday's Press, several lines of them were sold at very satisfactory prices, the list being headed by about 150 belonging to Mr B. R. Chudleigh, of the Wharekauri estate, which brought 16s lOd. This was a run out from a draft of 1300 which Mr Chudleigh has ready to ship as soon as his turn arrives for them to be put on board the Toroa. Under the present arrangements the Settlers' Stock Committee ballot for precedence of shipment, and though Mr Chudleigh's sheep were all ready to be embarked his allotted space was only for 150, And the remainder now await their proper term for shipment. These sheep were all soundmouthed, and in very forward condition, the trip over not having done them any harm. Last year Mr J. Barber, of Kaingaroa station, near Mr Chudleigh's property, brought up a consignment of store wethers in such low condition that his manager at the island despaired of the result of the shipment. Mr Barker, however, persisted, brought them to his propetty in the Geraldine district, and has now disposed of them most satisfactorily. Having taken the fleeces from them they have now realised an average of 22s 6d a head. The Wellington National Dairy Association is promoting a winter exhibition of dairy produce and machinery, to be held in July. An important condition, and one -new to the colony, will be imported into the competition -—namely, that in place of a factory manager being able to make an entry when he pleases, anil of specially prepared butter, the competing butter is to be taken from a Home consignment of the factory's produce as it lies in cold storage at the port of shipment, boxes being selected at a time unknown to the factory management by a special committee. A line of lambs of exceptional weight and quality was put through the Fairfield Freezing Works last week by Messrs Capon Bro<*.' of Wir.chmore. The factory report shows that 1036 lambs weighed 52.9921b, or an average of 51.151b per head. They will be shipped to London on Mos«r.-. Capon Bros.' account by Messrs Gould, Beaumont, and Co.