AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 10 April 1901, Page 4

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The Premier is advised that Lord Rothschild has presented two shiro stallions to the colony, and that they will be shipped by the Gothic.

The formal opening of the main factory of the North Otago Dairy Factory Company took place at Oamaru on the 2nd hist, (says the Mail) in the presence of a number of ladies and gentlemen, who manifested a lively interest in the latest addition to the industries of the town. In addition to the central factory, the company have four creameries in various parts of the district, and it is .anticipated that these will be added to steadily until the whole of North Otago is brought under the influence of the concern The latest addition to the feeders of the factory is the Duntroon creamery, which commenced operations on Monday morning. The Mataura correspondent of the Southern Standard says that the late spell of fine weather has been a blessing to the local farmers, enabling them in most cases to get their grain in in fair order. Those who took their gram in eight or ten days ago, when it was not very dry, now regret having taken it in so soon ; but the weather was so unsettled and so threatening, that it seemed the best thing to do. The crops in most ca.ses have turned out heavier than was exoected.

A Tokomairiro farmer who recently visited Tuapeka informs tbo Bruce Herald that the turnip crop in that district, generally speaking, is a failure. Amongst others, he mentioned the case of one farmer who sowed 80 acres of turnips, and the ground now looks as bare as recently tilled land.

The Ricersdale correspondent of the Gore Standard says the past week has been a splendid one for harvesting, and the farmers have been enabled to make good progress with tbeir work. The threshing mills are all hard at work, and the crops in most ca~e-> are yielding above the farmers' expectations, this being particularly the case in the Wendonside district.

Threshing is now proceeding briskly at Tapanui, and th_p cats are said io be running \ei-y well. The colour of the grain is none too good, ovinsr to damp weather during February and Mart b.

Some gentlemen well known in the Taieri ha.i.c been attempting (says the Advocate) to opon up a cattle trade between Xew Zealand and South Africa. It is said that dairy cows landed at Durban are worth £30. A difficult y, however, has arisen with shipowners. They will not guarantee to land the cattle, and this creates a stumbling block in the way of a cattle trade being dore.

Although the potato crop generally speakinj is not quite up to the Uaiial standard m t'io Milton district this year (=ay=> the Bruce Ili-'ia l '!), a few fine crops are to be seen.

The weather chimi£> the past week was fi»»jyly gmfeU (^ay» the Western Star),, and

piwre-s v> as nnde in harvesting woik. bi'tlii (lot ihc country in all directions, and a lew (lav* new should toe tho whole of the ciop-i sifeiy (,dtlieiL'd. Many faimoib Kno staved thrclung. Milk finer <[ a bad type is pievalcnt in. tno DuntrooA district, writes the oorie^pondor>l ol the Ouinaiu Mail, and a number of t owi >ia\e su(_oaml'e-d. It would be well if J.umeis lealucd the recc-uty ot taking piompt measures in the first stage of the .utaciv, a= it is almost impossible to sa". e t'^e aniin il when once fhe is down. The? nWmcbnce of feed this year is the cause, as c tittle aro apt to bo too fat for lualtLy calving-. Good milkers with the third or fourth" calf are most lihdy to suffer frcm tins eompHint. Wntiug on the Ist in ft., the Clinton correspondent of the CluLha Free Press reports- : Thanks to the late spell of fine weather most of the farmers have tbeir crop in stack, and in not a few ca<=es also threshed. Last Thursday's ptocb falo was tho largest held here, for a long time, nearly all the yards being well filled. The New Zealand Loan and Mci can tile Agency Company yarded some 4000 sheep, and disposed of all the lots offered, the competition being very keen. There was a reduction on the former high pnees ruling of late, lambs being down fully 1» ptr head and wethcis 2a, whilst ev.es maintained their former high price. The same company also sold the far'r.s on the Wairuna estate not previously disposed of at very satisfactory prices, Messrs Brown, Rattray, and George Divara being the purchasers. Rabbit tiapping has again started, and judging frcm the number of buumes despatched daily from the local station the rabbiters pre having a good innings.

The Chatham Islands correspondent of the Christchurch Pre=s writes on March 28: — The steamer Toioa aimed from Lyttekon thiv morning, and sails again this evening with a full caigo of sheep, horses, and pigs.

With a ■wew of taking full advantage of fine weather during the threshing sea=on, an enterprising machine owner in the West Eyreton distiict has fitted a small dynamo to his engine. This supplies an arc lamp ol sufficient power to enable work to be eairied on at night.

According to a recent consular report, scientific forestry in Sweden is a profitable venture. It appears that there are in Sweden 18.000,000 acres ot pubho forest, of which 12,503.000 acres are under scientific management. The t. vporu of foreign pioducts in 1897 amounted to 97.662,700d01. There is," in Sweden, a cenuaL forestry bureau, a forCshy corps for work in the field, (.orr^rismg nine inspectors, 83 chiefs of range, ha\ing equal rank with captains in the regular army,j besides many foresters and watchmen. The State forests a\eragc 166,250 acres in each range. There is a college of foiestry and six schools of forestry. For forestry management, administration, and instruction the State annually expends, according to the report of 1598, 423,659d01. The income to tho Sta4e from forestry the same year was 2,104-, 4-12dol, the forests at the same time growing more valuable every year.

The manufacture of paper fiom esparto grass has been carried on a long time; but the discovery was recently made in England that common grasses can be made into paper. No special process is called for — simply washing in water, treating in hot soda wash ; another water bath, then grinding into a pulp. All the common kinds of grass, it has been found, answer equally in the making of this new paper, only the grass mu3t be cut before it has begun to run to seed. The fibre of the paper thus obtained has remarkable suppleness and strength, which renders the paper especially suitable for writing, drawing, and tracing. It has been reckoned that 21b of dried grass will give of paper — in other words, one quarter of its weight. Two and a-half acres of land wiU produce 50001b of grass.

Mr A. Bennett Robinson, of the staff of the Melbourne Age, who has recently returned from a trip to the Old Country, is at present on a visit to Christchurch. Interviewed by a representath c of tho Lyttelton Times, he gave an amusing instance of the practice some unscrupulous English butchers ad^± in selling "Prime Canterbury"' as "Southdown." A friend of his who came from New Zealand was temporarily at Homo on a vi^it. and, learning that a local butcher was suspected of retailing the frozen commodity a-s English, he called in at the suspect's shop and congratulated him upon the "excellent piece of frozen mutton" he had obtained from him the day previously. The butcher was highly indignant that such an asoersion should be cast upon his fair fame, r and loudly asserted that such a thing as frozen mutton never entered his shop. "Eh, what?" said the visitor, advancing to a, hanging carcase and examining the brand, "why, man, I bred that sheep in New Zealand" myself '" And, sure enough, he had done so. The confused tradesman drew him confidentially into his office and besought his silence, stating that it was a regular practice in the trade to sell the foreign product as English. The modua operandi, he explained, was to purchase half a dozen Southdowns and 15 or 20 New Zealand sheep, and send them in to be cut up together and mixed, on a sort of general average principle. But, despite this, Mr Robinson is of opinion that of late the inducements to sell the meat openly have done much to lessen the illegitimate trade, and that it is only a matter of time before such dealings will cease altogether, as tho illogical prejudice against the frozen aiticle is removed.

When the- late Sir Samuel Wilson established flocks of Angora goats on his Ereildoune and Mount Bute properties, says the Melbourne Leader, many sheepbreeders ridiculed the idea as that of the faddist. The mohair industry at that time had not attracted much attention, but of late years it lias come into more piomineftre. In South Africa the industry has been flourishing, and statibtics show that over 3,000,000 Ansora goats of various grades are kept in that country. In South Australia there are n few breeders of Angoras, who are conducting their operations on an extensive scale, and with some success. The New Zealand Government is endeavouring to encourage the mohair industry in Maoriland, and quite recently the Department of Agrioultur? of New Zealand purchased from the executor of the late Sir Samuel Wilson two pairs of Angoras. These goats were bred on the Mount Bute estate, and wore carefully oelccted and shipped to Welling ton.

The following is the coiuludirg portion of an article in the Tuapeka Times, entitled "The Piogress of Lawrence,"' embiaong a period from the year IS9I to the piCFont day: — Without land settlement there can b'3 neither permanent nor continuous growth or prosperity. Ab far as this (own and di~tuct aie concerned the dredging industry is now at its zenith, and yet it has only contributed an liiciease of population to the to\vu of 24 all told,— -j^t v) a

period of eight ye-u«. The stimulus it lias gnon to business ond iN «cr>' k>l L> ncnu aio of co\T-e manifest iii c»eiy cliw rtion, but; L'cse lack tho quah'y <l pprmaLPiu\ — the ppim-uuncy that belong to a fixed pipvlxticn settled on the land. It is a dit-oh lrg prosperity, hoy, e\cr n.uch it may benefit ir™ tluiclUiil members, of the community. The land alone and the- lndu-lncs it cicatcs, those Industrie-.! of production and export thai> have built up in the coai--c of a, few year* "o many f aiming c!i°tiK'U m the North I'-tand— these are the only permanent and enduring industries. Estate, are be.n^ purcU.'^3cl and cut up for settlement in ainiii'-t e\ory part of the colony, because the people deirand it and insist upon it. In tins c'li~twet, nothing is done or attempted. Tho farmcis' organisations arc lukewaim or apathetic, and the business people, who, in thoir own interests, excluding all other considerations, should take a stiong lead in such mat-" tcr-, betray the same indifference and uacoi'crrn. Should this blind disregard, pnmanly for their own interests, and in a, secondary degree for the general welfare, bo maintained, we shall ha\e a population eight years hence such as we had in IS9I, with all t ; c attendant conditions which such a state of things implies.

Towaicls the latter end of this month, say 3 the Taieri Advocate, of the 3rd inst.. a, c=c will be heard in the Wellington Supreme Court which will be of some interest to this locality. It will be a contested patent ca^e, the patent being the \acuam meat brand with which Me^rs Wright and Mitchell, of Mosgicl, aio largely intere-rcd. A. company was formed time pgo to exploit the biand, but before business operations were entered unoii it was found t! at there were two other Riciimonds m ti e field, who ( ach cWirned the vacuum pr.uripic. One of the claimants threw in his lot with the Wright and Mitc'iell Company, and withdrew opposition. When the applications for a patent came before the legistrar a patent »ai grr-nted both to Wright and Mitchell and to Bolk, the other claimant. The Fupirmp Court will now decide who is entitled vi tl-e sole pac<-'n*-. Tl.eie to be =omc doubt ,b t> who will secure the New Zealand paten i, but dining the pasn nine months the Wright and Mitchell Company have secured the patent in Victoria, Nciv South Wales, and other meat export* in.-j countries, so even if they lose the NewZealand patent they still have the most important countries to v crk upon. The latest; adiiccs are that Wricjht and Mitchell cannot lose, as they are working upon a principle which is ongmal and has not jet been, attempted by ar.y other patentee. Belk, it is said, was approached by the representath es of the Wright and Mitchell Company, and invited to withdraw his opposition and throw in his lot with them. But the terms ho a^ked for were prohibitive, and no business was done. Now that Wright and Mitchell's agent has ieturned from the Australian colonies and secured p? tents there and elsewhere it has, we are informed, been determined to fight the matter out to a finish, money being put up for the purpose. Good business men are on the directorate of the Wright and Mitchell Company, amongthem being Messrs W. Gow, li. Harraway, Stoveii^m (of Irvine and Stevenson), and: R. Cve 1 die. The case will be watched witli intfrest.

The vet profit for the South African Supply and Cold Storage Company's actual trade between July 18, 1899, and June 30, 1900, afte^ liberal depreciation and ample provision, for bad debts, amounts to £126,272 4s lid. Th? directors have placed to general reserve £250,000, carry forward to credit of curlent year's accounts £33,1-22, and recommf»ncl that the balance then remaining be distributed among the holders of ordinary shares in the shape of a bonus of 5s a share. Up to December 31, 1900, the same rate of progress had been made. Writing from Okain's Bay, the correspondent of the Christchurch Press =ays : — Sou'westers still continue their visits in these parts, and some fairly se\ ere ones have been experienced in the past few ivecks. Milkingcows suffered mo=t. and the storms threatened an early shortage in the supply cf miik to the local factory. Thanks, however, to the warmer and more settled weather of tho past ten days, and to the abundance of feed on account of the wet season, a longer season than usual is now ensured. With an ordinary winter, stock of all kinds should do well, a3 at present the hills present almost tha appearance of sprint;, the grass being green and plentiful. Grass =eed cleaning operations are, for the most part, finished, though ono or tvvo stocks remain. The yield is not quite up to lust year's, though better than was at one time anticipated. The quality is aiso better than expected. An advance in prices is looked for. The surplus wheit available for export in the Argentine Republic this season is 74,000,000 bushels, linseed 500,000 tons, maize 50,000,00 bushels, valued at £20,000,000.

It is reported (says the Danne\irke correspondent of the Hawke'a Bay Herald) that the C4ovcrnment lies decided to puirhaso the Mancratoro Estate, and that the official intimation will be made shortly. It is needless to say thi= will ho a good thing for Dn.niie\irke. besides assisting to satisfy tho enormous demand for land for settlement purposes. An impression prevails that much of the estate is only fitted for =alea 1 c m laraesizecl blocks ; but even if tins is so, tho portion acquired by the Government, ex^lur'ir.o the leasehold, would carry 4-0 to 50 setters of the right stamp. Hong Kon<? i« to ha^ c a cold =toiage establishment. Mcv-srs Jardine, Matheson and Co. are novr busy o\ or the preliminary arrangements for tho flotation of a new company to work the cold storage business ca separate lines, and are aho negotiating for a. suitable site for the premises. Years mi>t have i.a^sed since tho subicct was fir-n mooted, but it seems that the ii«e in t'.e price of food commodities has again brought it into prominence, and this ture with satisfictory results.— Australian Meat Trades Journal. . . Note* from Port MolyneuM m the Liulha Free Fre;.s sth iiv=t. :— Har'.est work ha 3 made pood headway dining the l.i=t week, nnd a few more srood days should see the bulk of the crops in stack. On the ridgestin crops are light, =oine \ cry light, but on. the liver flats they are a fair average. Linseed is a crop that is being largely grown on our flats, Messrs J. and B. Taylor and Win. Puthciland ha\mg considerable areas. Mr B. Taylor ,l.as 30 acivs still to cut. When sown in spring the birds fairly devoured it, and he had to sow the second tmie, when they would have repeated the trick if he had not shepherded it for a week. Thi3 year be has 30 acres of oats after linseed,

If you wish to grow vegetable successfully and with comfort, buy a "Planet Jr" wheel hoe. Full particular fiom Nliiiio AXO Blaiis, DuaecUa*

and had a fine upstanding oat crop with about half the usual bulk of straw. Turnips on the ridges are not looking well, the season being too cold and wet, and now

the frost is giving them a stunted ripened appearance. There will be an average crop on the flats. Potatoes do not promise well,

and there are general complaints of

Grass is still fairly plentiful, aB it has been all Bummer. Still, dairy stock have neither

given the yield nor the test of former

seasons. Anderson and Guest have now finished Mr Telford's flax and started last "week to cut Mr Griffiths'Sj which they expect to put through in about three weeks, after •which they will have about six weeks' ecutching, then Mr Anderson will remove part of the machinery on to Mr Morton's property at Puerua.

The Enfield correspondent of the North Otago Times writes : — We are having beautiful weather here just now — sharp frost at night and a. strong sun during the day — in fact, the end of the harvest has been the best part of it. The crops, which gave great promise, axe not threshing nearly as •well as was expected. Loads of straw, poor yields, and low prices don't seem a very bright outlook for the farmer. I believe Mr Todd, of Tottenham, waß lucky enough to be the possessor of a paddock of oats that threshed eighty bushels to the acre ; but this was an exception. Our local factory is going ahead, and judging from the quantity of milk supplied this year, there must have been an enormous quantity of butter put on the market. Great praise is due to our worthy manager, Mr Diver, who has worked hard, and given satisfaction and civility. Now that the central faotory is opened we shall have to fall back to a creamery again.

"Wholesale" writes as follows in the London Daily Mail: — "New Zealander's" suggestion that New Zealand butter is not sold in ■ England as such does not apply to the wholesale trade, all provision houses listing colonial butter as "New Zealand," "Australian," <etc., and describing each kind by the name of the creamery in which it has been made. I agree with your correspondent, however, that the retail dealers should follow this practice, and label the butters in the windows as "New Zealand," "Victorian," etc. As a butter expert I can assure you they need not hesitate to do so on account of the article, for most brands of Antipodean butter being "full grass," and perfectly made, are far and away finer in quality than the poor, thin, and flavourless winter-made butters we are getting from the Continent.

A "Waitahuna correspondent contributes the following notes to the Tuapeka Times : The farmers throughout this district have pretty well all finished their labours in the harvest field, the present fine weather assisting them considerably in rushing their crops out of the paddocks. It cannot be said that the crops this eeason are heavy in the district or that there will be any yields above the average we are accustomed to here. But I question very much if ,the farmers throughout the whole of Otago have not had very much the same experience, and by-and-bya will have the same story to tell as regards the yields. Otr Otago season, which, of late years especially, has become very unreliable, makes agriculture a very risky oocupation, and this more particularly in those cases where the farmer confines himself very largely to cropping. Of late years a good many of our Otago farmers, influenced by the prosperity of the frozen mutton trade and the profits it yields, smothered by the impositions of the middlemen, though it be, "have gone in for mixed farming, and in every case, so far as I have heard, with very satisfactory results. I am inclined to think that this will be more generally the case in the futtlre when new markets have been opened up and producers are not so much dependent on the British markets as they are at present, and the keen competition now being waged is spread over a larger field. Certainly before this has been accomplished an enormous amount of work will have to be done by both our Government and our exporters in the way of providing quick and reasonably cheap transit to our newly-opened-up markets. As a first step in that direction it is satisfactory to know that the Government have already in a practical manner set about discovering those places abroad where our produce will find quick sale and good prices. The usual monthly committee meeting of the Mackenzie Agricultural Society was held on the Ist inst. ; Mr F. R. Gilhngham in the chair. The Secretary reported that nearly £100 had been received in special prizes. It was resolved that the vice-president inshuet the judges that in Classes 2 and 3, freezing lambs, the prizes are to be awarded to freezers, and not necessarily to the heaviest weight.

•it '• is said that this year the valuation on several of the large estates in -South Canterbury has been- considerably increased. Orr one estate, Otaio. it is stated that the valuation ha 3 been increased by £27,000, while on another estate, Holme station, Pareora, it is Faid that it has been increased by £100,000.

•The General Committee of the Canterbury Jc and P. Association met on the 3rd intet. in the new room in the Agricultural and Industrial Hall. Mr F. A^ Archer (president) occupied the chair.— TxVe President announced the election of Dr Levinge as vice-president, and expressed a hope that &• year would be a successful one.— The

Waikaka Valley Farmers' Club wrote, forwarding a resolution to the effect that the period for compulsory dipping of sheep, or at least lambs, should begin on January 1, instead of February 1, and that the Stock Act should be amended accordingly. It was resolved that the association could not see its way clear to join in the recommendation, as the time mentioned in the act was suitable for Canterbury. — Messrs F. A. Archer and George Jameson were appointed as delegates to represent the association at the conference on federation. Mr Archer endeavoured to obtain the views of the members present on federation, and only onemember held up his hand m its favour. The President said he would take that as an indication that the association was not in favour of federation, and this view was acquiesced in .by the meeting. — Fifty-four new members of the association were elected.

At the Levels County Council meeting, held in Timaru on Wednesday last, it was stattV that during the past year the council had spent about £600 in the purchase of birds' eggs and heads. The Chairman remarked that if that continued they would yet have to strike a special rate to pay for these.