AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 28

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

There was the large entry of 20 000 sheep at Winton sale yesterday, says last Fru'aj'* Record, no les3 than half of them bring owned by clients of the National Mortgage and Agency Company. Lambs averaged from 10s 6d to 11s 6d. The sale otherwise was dull, especially for old ewes iFortrose notes in Wyndham Farmer : — iWe have had some two months very t?Js agreeable, broken weather, which prolonged [the harvest to an unusual extent; but all the crops have been saved in good condition, save perhaps a little discolouration, ftmt not to any great extent. Neirlv a)J are now under thatch, ready for threshing as soon as any inducement in price warrants it. At present prices, very few will launch their crops on the market. There ihave been some heavy crops around Fortroee .-..his season. One of the heaviest was grown J'on the Otara properties of the late Mr K. 10.l O. M'Kenzie. There were also very 1 heai'y t oats grown by Messrs D. Fraser, J. M'Factzien, A. Christie, and J. R. Kidd ; but, taking the crops all over the district, they .•will be barely an average, especially fco for €traw, as most crops are short. The late damo weather has had a beneficial effect on the turnip crop, as some of the latesown would have been no good whatever had we had dry weather in place of nno^bt. Grass is still plentful, and stock are looking well, although they do not jo> k so teleek this season of the year. The winter «oat coming on is responsible for the rhar j.o. The following are shipments of grain end produce from Lyttelton for the •week ended last Friday: — For the United Kingdom, 6239 sacks wheat, 4089 sacks oats; for Australasia, 250 sacks wheat, 6265 sacks oats, 1023 sacks barley, 130 sacks bran, 359 Backs potatoes, 50 sacks shares ; coastwise, 3719 sacks wheat, 3012 saks oats, 571 sacks barley, 194 sacks bran, 1145 sacks 2101 bags and 14 boxes flour, 456 sacks potatoes, 2£o sacks sharps. Total shipments. 10,208 sacks wheat, 13,376 sacks oats, 1594 sacks barley, 324 saoks bran, 1145 sacks 2110 bags 14 boxes flour, 815 sacks potatoes, 330 sacks sharps. All returns under "The Land and Income Assessment Act, 1900," must be sent to the head office, Wellington, before May 1.

On previous occasions, writes the Wyndiham Farmer of the sth inst., we have referred to the important part assumed by the dairy industry throughout this district. We can now furnish further evidence in that direction. For the present season, ap to March 31. Wyndham Factory has turned out over 180 tons cheese, and paid to suppliers for mills during that period £7000. Island Factory, within the same t'me, has turned out 137 tons, and paid away to suppliers £5000. Seaward Downs Factory has produced this season over 50 tons, and paid to suppliers nearly £2000. The bulk

of these outputs has been shipped to the United Kingdom. To take another view of the prospect, we may say, on a reasonably computed estimate, that the suppliers to the various dairy factories situated within Mataura electorate received, during the month just ended, something like ££000 in hard cash for milic.