AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 17

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

A correspondent writes to the Daily Mail : The export of Russian butter to England in ISOO amounted to over £2,000,000, and for the current year the Minister of Finance estimates it at nearly £4,500,000. Why this enormous increase? Is Russian butter so vastly superior? Or is John Bull still asleep? Are we to buy and eat Russian butter,. and thus help to increase the prosperity of that country? I would suggest that the British public ask for and demand colonial butter, "pure creamery butter," New Zealand produce, etc., etc. We should thus be strengthening the bonds of loyalty and affection between the old mother country and those colonies who so willingly sent their best treasures into the Transvaal for the glory of England.

Obituary Notices. — From the Southland Times, 21st inst. : Considerable regret will be expressed by the many friends of Mr John Milne, who breathed his last at his home at Seaward Downs at 11 o'clock on iWednesday night. Deceased, who wab a powerfully built man, and was in the prime of life, strained the muscles of his heart a. month or so ago when lifting bags pf oats, which brought on paralysis. He was well known in the Edendale and Woodlands districts as a farmer, but better known as a ploughman at the various matches, having been champion in quite a number of matches. Ho was greatly respected, and was of a modest disposition. Ho was a son of the late ■Mr Peter Milne, of Woodlands, and a brother of Mr Charles Milne, who became falnous through the Edendale poisoning case — From the Christchurch Press: We regret to announce the death of Mr Samuel Garforth, of Spreydon. Deceased was 62 years of age. iTvas one of the foundera of the Canterbury 'A. and P. Association, and was among the best known and most highly respected of the old Canterbury agriculturists. The late Mr Garfqrth also took a keen interest in the formation of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company, and had been for the past Q. 6 years a director of the company. Under date June 19 the Lake Wakatipu correspondent of the Wyndham Farmer ■writes : — Despite the comparatively low (prices ruling a largo quantity of grain has ibeen sold from this district. About 9000 eacks of barley have already been sent across the lake, nearly all for Dunedin. During the last week or two, those who hold on to their oats have been pleased to note »n

upward tendency in the price offered, and several sales have been effected at Is 6d per bushel on trucks, which is a mrrked increase on what was to be had at the beginning of the season. Trapping is now m full swing, and some good catches are being made. "Bunny" is as- -numerous as ever he was, but the roughness of the weather precludes the trappers from operating in places where Brer Rabbit is to be found in the greatest numbers. Notwithstanding this disadvantage, most of the trappers are knocking up really good cheques monthly. Traversing the Hon. Mr Twomey's original idea that the Government should maintain the price of grain at a fixed puce, or el«e offer a bounty on its export so as not to allow it to fall below paying point, " Rusticus " in the Bruce Herald makes the following practical observations : — From a farmer's point of view this would be an admirable move on the part of the Government, but, unfortunately, the taxpayer, who will have to provide the necessary funds, will have to be consulted, and, callous-heai'ted man that he is, he will most probably throw cold water on the scheme. So that the chances are that the Government will be unable to interfere, and the farmer will be safer to trust to his own exertions to tide him over till the good time comes. The Hyde correspondent of the Mount. Ida Chronicle writes: — Ploughing has been started en several farms since the rains softened the ground sufficiently to allow of its being worked. Some are buoy breaking up tussock land for next season's turnip crops, while others are laying down old fields in grass. The fine weather has been beneficial to slock. Consequently all kinds are looking well, although feed is not so plentiful as could be wished, the turnip crop with a few exceptions being a failure and the dry weather during April and May dried up the pasture and prevented any autumn growth. Trapping is being carried on vigorously, the soft weather being in the trappers' favour. Prices, however, are low compared with those ruling last year, but the trappers appear content to accept the ineutab l e. and fair cheques may still be made. >VhctK«r the drop in price is clue to the market at Home or the exporters in Diuipdin bcinsj more of a " happy family " than heretofore it is hard to say; but the majority of the trappers think the latter. A meeting of the General Committee ~of the Palmerston and Waihemo County A. and P. Association was held on the 15th insl. ; Mr T. Muir (president) in the chair. — A letter was received from the secretary of the Otago A. and P. Association, inquiring as to the dates on which the last three annual shows of the Waihemo Association took place. The secretary was instructed to supply the information. — A resolution was approved that application be made to the Government to allow the draught entire Danger Signal to stand in the Palmerston dietrict.

The Wyndham Farmer of the 21st in^t. states that oats are still rising. Yesterday a Wyndham man was offered Is s^d a bushel for his oats — wtfch is an advance of l^d on the ruling price quoted by us three days ago. A purebred Arab colt, imported by Mr J. F. Herbert, of Ardmore, has arrived at its owner's station. The Courier describes the importation as a chestnut, three years old, by name Rasyf, and states that its sire was valued at lOOOgs. There is only one other Arab stallion in the Middle Island, and it is located at Christchurch.

At a meeting of milk suppliers in the Jacobs Rivers district, Southland, it was unanimously decided to form themselves into an association. Two of their number were appointed to attend the sale of the dairy factory on the 29th inst., and to \nirchase the property on "behalf of the association, if it can be obtained at a reasonable price, with the view of working the same on the co-operative principles. Clydesdale Stud Book, volume 23, mares Nos. 14-.124 — 14-,161, and stallions Nos. 10,951 — 11,234-, is to hand. The stallion selected for illustration is Prince Thomas (10,262), winner of the president's medal as best Clydesdale stallion at the Highland and Agricultural Society's Show, Stirling, in July, 1906. An experiment recently made in France (writes the Agricultural World) amply demonstrates the value of Eelecting seeds. For three years the largest kernels of seed wheat were selected for planting in one place, and the smallest for another, lot. At the end of the three years the increase of crop from the larger seed was very marked, and the plants from it grew more vigorously, developed faster, and matured earlier. The same experimenter also tested planting the earliest grains to ripen with the grains of the later ones, and in three years had the two crops growing side by "side, and that from the early-ripening seed matured faix days earlier than the other. A custom prevails ill several parts of Britain, but more especially in North Britain (writes the Agricultural World) of farmers letting out their herds of cows for the year. This is called " bowing," and it appears that in Kirkcudbright the farmer is paid either by a cheese rent or a money rent. The farmer supplies grass, straw, sometimes hay, yellow turnips in autumn, and swedes in winter, giving in addition £1 worth of bean meal per cow, the bower paying for any additional meal required. The bower usually pays a Tent of 19 to 20 stones of cheese per cow, and 16 stones per heifer, stone of cheese being 241b. Where a money rent is paid it is usually on a basis of 19 stones of cheese at 6d per lb, which comes to £11 Bs. The bowing rents for milk-selling dairies vary immensely, according to valuation as regards markets, and also as to the number^ of dry cows to be drawn and replaced by others in profit.