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Otago Witness, Issue 2513, 14 May 1902, Page 7

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

trappers, who -have to work from 15 to 18 hours out of the 24. The' freezer also means rabbit farming, and if it had not been for the heavy rains last year and this year the rabbits would have been swarming, as all the young brood for two months were killed by the heavy rains. Many of the rabbit trappers in the Lawrence and surrounding districts are making £5 a week, and some much more. The Tapanui Courier writes: "In future xabbiters who deposit their catch at the roadsides where there is traffic will be prosecuted. Several accidents have happened owing to horses shying at rabbits hung on fences." Mr A. W. Hogg, M.H.R., has intimated his willingness to take charge of the bill in reference to the betterment principle, as requested by the Masterton Borough Council. The Waitaki County Council last year purohased 230,000 heads and eggs of small birds at a cost of £175. During last winter and last spring they spread 136 bushels of poisoned grain at a. cost of £96 19s 2d. The Lawrence branch of the Farmers Union passed the following resolution at its last meeting : — " That the Lawrence Borough Council be communicated with, and asked to take such action as will restrict the number of birds in the town and so protect the farmers in the district from their depredations." Two very well grown bullocks, bred by Mr H. Brown, of Mount Thomas, were sold by auction by the North Canterbury Co-operative Stores Comoany on Tuesday at Raugiora realising £12 12s 6d. Mr A. S. Ford was the purchaser (says the Press), and the carcases will be frozen for the English market. "Many farmers find rabbit-trapping more profitable than grain-growing,' said the chairman of' the Lawrence Farmers' Union at their meeting last week, and he brought up for dispiission "the" question, "How to improve .the. rabbi.t.-trapping trade." The farmers present,, howeyer, strongly opposed any attempt on the part of the union to peddle with the industry inimical to their interests, and -the matter was dropped. The Mataura Freezing Works (reports the Ensign) have been extremely busy for the last few weeks. A large quantity of rabbits are now being put through, and the rabbit agents are kept steady at their work early and late. Some 60 or 70 head of cattle have been killed at the works for freezing, and it is understood this is only the beginning of other large numbers which will be killed and frozen in the near future. The butchers are killing at present on an average of 700 carcases of mutton per day. The loading out for the steamship Morayshire is now completed, and 11,000 carcases of mutton Lave been despatched from Mataura. The following have been elected the committee of management of the Woodlands Farmers' Union for the ensuing year: — Messrs Edie, A. Batger, J. D. Trotter, George Dawson, John M'Kerchar, F. C. Smith, James M'Kerchar, George Shand, William Alexander, Dugald M'Kenzie, L. Evans, R. Berry, and James Saddler. Mr James M'Kerchar was elected chairman, F. C. Smith secretary and treasurer, and W. L. Taylor auditor. Rabbits are being sent away from Queensiown at an average rate of 10,000 per week. The North Otago Times has been shown the following telegram from Auckland to Oamaru: "Hear American flour weak and dark.' Bakers dubious of accepting balance." On the Clifton estate, Canterbury, over 400 acres have been ploughed within three "weeks, and discking and drilling is also going on, over 50 horses being employed. Tuscan ■wheat is being sown. A drizzling rain fell all day on Friday in the North Canterbury district. It will rather impede ploughing than otherwise (says the Press), and as frosts follow rain, the graziers do not wish to see the grass feed interfered with at present. The Waimate Times writes: — "We underetand that the Canterbury Land Purchase Board have been offered and approached •with a view to purchase, for close settlement, the Waihao Downs estate, and if the price which the owner (Mr John Douglas) is reported to be prepared to accept for this property, including the far-famed Serpentine Valley, be correct, there should be no possible difficulty in now securing it, seeing it has never been quoted to individual purchasers at anything like so favourable terms. Besides, the kernel of the estate, still intact, has hitherto been ' taboo ' to the individual purchasers, and this property being intersected by roada and railway, and the land being of the best quality, in the highest state of cultivation, makes its acquisition a still greater boon for close settlement." At the last meeting of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce a statement was received from the German Consul showing *hat from 1891 to 1900 wool to the value of £40,530,000 had been imported into Germany from Australasia. . The annual meeting of the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held at Oamaru on the 3rd inst. The attendance was a good one, and representative of the various parts of the district. The president (Mr G. Livingstone) was in the chair. The Secretary read the report and balance sheet. The balance sheet showed ihat whereas the balance at the beginning Of tiiß rear vu £29$ 14c 2*L that at 4&e

end of the year was £435 12s lid. The report and balance sheet were adopted.

The Wyndham Farmer reports: — The local farmer whom we referred to in a recent issue as having refused a, straight-out offer of 2s 6d per bushel (with the bags supplied him gratis) for a line of 1000 bags oats has since closed a deal at the very satisfactory price of 2s 9d a bushel, f.o.b. Wyndham and bags supplied, for 500 bags. He still retains the balance of his crop.

At the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association's November show a silver medal was awarded to Messrs Andrews and Beaven for the potato-digger exhibited by that firm, but there was a promise given that the award should be made a gold medal if, after a practical test in the potato season, the judges were satisfied as to the value of the machine for actual work. Messrs Andrews and Beaven made an effort to win the more valuable prize on Saturday week. They brought two machines to a paddock at the Sunnyside Asylum lent for the purpose of the trial by Dr Levinge, and the " Hinemoa" potato-digger, exhibited at the show by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, was also put into work on the crop for exhibition, The paddock was an excellent one for the trial, the land being fairly friable and free from weeds, while the crop was average as to abundance. Professor Lowrie and Mr J. Overton were the judges, and they subjected all three machines to close inspection. Of course the judges will report to the association's committee, so that their verdict cannot be available till submitted to that authority. A largely-attended meeting of farmers, convened by Mr R. Anderson, was held at Harrington's to take into consideration the advisability of erecting a dairy factory. Representatives of two dairy factory companies have recently visited the district, and are unanimous in the opinion that there 13 an excellent opening for a creamery. A strong committee was appointed at the meeting, and negotiations are in progress to carry out the object in view. — Southland News.

It is stated that the capital of the company which has been formed in Wellington and Auckland to work the extensive totara forests near Taupo will be £350,000. The scheme involves the construction of a railway to connect with the Rotorua-AucMand railway. It is understood that another largo totara bush in the Taupo district has been secured by Mr P. Bartholomew, of Levin.

On the afternoon of the 2nd inst. the members of the Clutha and Matau Agricultural and Pastoral Society met in the Cri- j terion Hotel, Balclutha, to bid farewell to j their president, Mr J. C. Bishop, who is about to take a trip to the old country. Mr J. _R. Renton, vice-president, occupied the chair, and said they were met to wish ' their president bon voyage, and also to , present him with an address in recognition, of his many services to the society during a period of 36 year". Mr Renton then read the address, which he felt sure voiced the feelings of all present, and wished Mr Bishop a pleasant and successful trip and a safe return to take up his work amongst them with renewed vigour. The address, which was tastefully executed at the Clutha Leader office, is printed on white satin and mounted on polished' rollers of native wood. Mr Bishop, in reply, hoped they would not expect a speech from him after all the kind things that had been said. If spared he would come back and do his best to advance , the interest 1 ? of the society. The singing of a vpr.=p of " Auld lang syne " concluded : a pleasant hour. ]

A meeting of Kapua settlers was held in the Kapua Schoolroom on Friday evening:. 2nd inst.. when Mr J. Corcoran occupied the chair, and there were present about 30 settlers. The Chairman said that pinco holding their last meeting. ?t which a resolution was passed iv favour of acec-pting the offer of the South Canterbury Dairy Company to erect a creamery, an offer had been made by tbo North Otaeo Dairy Comnany. and he had thpreforp. caUpcl the meeting to enablp intending shareholders to consider both offers. The meeting did not terminate till 11.15. and the discussion, which at one 6ta«ro of the proceedings was fxceedinglv heated, was very nrotrac-ted. It was ultimately decided — "That both the companies which had made offers be a^ki^d to put the same in writing, which will then be considered at a later meeting."

The monthly meeting of the committop of the Gore Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held on the 3rd inst . Mr A. Murdoch in the ehnir. The president and vice-presidents of the association werp ap- ' pointed delegates to attend the annual conference, in be held in Dunedin at the time of the Winter show. — A communication was receivpd from Mr. .M.. .Murphy, secretary of the Agricultural Conference. suggesting the j compilation of a list of. gentlemen competent < to act as judges at shows, the same to be registered. It was decided to comDly with the suggestion, and a list, of members was , nominated as show judges. — Mr Scoular brought up the question of th«> management of the recent ram fnir. and said it was apparent that there had ber>n a lack of proper siToerrision. Tlie Chairman agreed with Mr Sconlnr. nnrl «ml it was romc-iiied that their rum fnir had been wrncHeal'v a bungle. Th<ro s^emon to ho confusion from start to finish, and the association should aHrjDt Borne plan on the E&xae lines as the

Christchurch association for their future guidance. In reply to the Chairman, the Secretary said that the fair had been the most successful, financially, yet held. The receipts amounted to about £25 and the expenditure to about £4 4s. A long and temperate debate ensued, and eventually the following motion was carried : — ( "That in future all pens be numbered, sheep catalogued, and all registered sheep be sold first ; order of sale to be determined by the committee." — The secretary was instructed to ask) the Stock Department to allow a copy of the brands and earmarks of all stock in the Gore district to be kept in Gore.

The Warepa corespondent of the Clutha Free Press writes : — Leading-in is almost completed now; a few odd loads to finish, when everything ought to be secure, although rather late in the season. The mills are hard at work, and the agents are chasing after the mills getting samples. Very good prices have been got this year, as high as 2s s£d being paid on trucks at station. Chaff has been in over-supply, and prices have reduced considerably. A good deal of the chaff sent in will not keep, and so had to be sold at any price to get rid of it. The weather of late has improved, and time too. The farmers will be next at the potato crop. I have not heard of any startling yields. Dipping is now on with the sheepowners, and the weather is favourable. Farmers throughout the Waimate district have at last, after wearisome waiting for dry woather, gathered their grain harvests, and mills are now busily engaged threshing. The results of the heavy rain and the following few weeks of damp weather are not so severe as anticipated^ although, no doubt, a certain amount of loss has been sustained all over the county — on the aggregate heavy.. The rise in the price of grain will almost balance the loss for damaged crops, as the price of wheat fowl-feed this season is more per bushel than for first-class wheat or oats 12 months ago. There is much damaged straw, which will cause good quality of straw chaff to be scarce, and consequently dear, throughout the remainder of the present year. On the flat and low-lying land potatoes have succumbed to the long-con-tinued drenched state of the ground, and doubtless good sound tubers will be valuable in this part of the country.

Mr F. B. Aymes, late of Seadown, has been appointed secretary to the South Canterbury Company. He was formerly a director.

Prom last Thursday's Southland Times: — Since we gave the last set of figures relative to the grain returns for the season the volume of traffic over the railways has gone steadily on, and the figures are amounting up to a very respectable total. The farmers are jubilant over the splendid prices now ruling, and are putting forth all their energies to get their crops away at once. The total quantity of grain passed over the railway this season up to Saturday last amounts to 257,105 sacks. The figures for last week — Monday, April 28, to Saturday, May 3, inclusive — amount to 49,516 sacks, showing an increase of 4977 sacks over the corresponding period of last year. The largest amount of traffic on any one day this season was registered on April 24, when the tally ran up to 12,128 sacks. A meeting of Canterbury sheep-owners was held at Christchurch on Wednesday last. Mr G. B. Starky presided. It was decided to form a Canterbury Sheep-owners' Industrial Union of Employers. A provisional committee was appointed, and Mr P. H. Labatt (interim secretary) was directed to send circulars to sheep-owners covering a draft of the proposed rules. In farming matters in the North Canterbury district (reports the Press) the work of autumn ploughing is the most prominent, and. since the rains, fields are turning up easily under the plough. It is expected that a larger breadth of wheat than usual will be planted. There is in the first place much land to be broken up and rcsown with grass, and the wheat crop has not been so well attended to for some years. To the present, although there have been some frosts, the graziers' supply has been ample, and there is a good_-«toek of turnips and rape. Since experiments in feeding sheep in sheds during rough winters in England havo proved «o successful, it may be possible to try a similar system here. Though it is not perhaps likely to find favour with colonial idea*, hay, crushed oats, and barley fed to Scottish sheep in Lanarkshire have produced sonw excellent rpturns in weight o£ shenp and quality of the mutton, and the plan may be worth a trial.

The metrir system of weights and measures finds favour with the WaiVato Farmers' Club, according to tho Po?t. That body recently approached the Railway Department on the subject, and has received a reply from the general manager to the effect that, although the department was thoroughly in sympathy with the objects of the club, it could not adopt the system until it had been brought into use by the community generally, as to havo a method of computing rates on the railwaya different from that in use by merrTiants and others would lead to endless trouble and confusion. If the commercial community adopted the proposed system for trade purposes the Railway Department was quite prepared to at oncp fall into line with the traders.

Tho veterinary staff of the Department of Ajjapulturfl U&a been reinforaed by the an-

' p'ointment of Mr Frank Glover, M.R.C.V.S., and Mr D. Spilman, M.R.C.V.S.,' both of whom have recently arrived from Great Britain. For the present Mr Glover will be stationed at Picton and Mr Spilman at Ngahauranga, on inspection duty at the freezing works at those places. Merrivale notes, in the Western Star: — The fine weather of the past week has enabled farmers to get the outstanding portions of grain into the stack in fair order. The I sample may not be so bright, but colour is not considered much when oats are scarce. Things are brisk, with so many meetings about dairy factories. One is to be erected on Mr D. Torpy's section, and the Dairy Supply Company are going to erect a creamery near Mr Sutherland's store. How the two are going to be run on payable lines is a mystery in so small a district of settlers. The rabbit trade is brisk. Mr Sutherland, of Orawia, is running two traps to the Waiau, and he has heavy loads daily. Mr Black's trap takes Mr Sutherland's rabbits on to Otautau. Mr Thompson, Gap road, Winton, has a trap from Otautau to meet the one from Clifden, and, judging by the loads, the rabbits must be getting a good thinning. If poisoning follows the trapping, it ought t& make bunny scarce in the Waiau for a time. It is stated that the price of mutton must fall 5s per head at Sydney before shipping to England can be resumed at a profit. Although the Taranaki potato crop is fairly good this season, it will not (says an exchange) be sufficient for local requirements. During the past 25 years the wheat acreage of the United Kingdom has fallen from 3| million acres to well under 2 million acres; the acreage of all corn crops has declined from 11£ million acres to 8f million acres; flax from 136.000 acres to 48,000 acres ; hops from 64,000 to 51,000 acres. Yet the head of cattle has only increased from 10 millions to 11 millions, while the number of sheep has declined from 33 millions to 31 millions, and there is a slight decline in the number of pigs. —Home paper.

Every week I notice paragraphs in the papers saying that the good Grain prices of this season will reltenis. suit in a much larger area being town this autumn and in the coming spring, and that wheat especially will receive much more attention than it has for a year or two past. I suppose it is true that there are a great many farmers who will cling to the erroneous idea that it is good policy to try to jump with the markets, and ptrt in as much grain a» possible because the price is high at seed-time, notwithstanding the fact that they have done so many times before and found the result to be contrary to their expectations. The rise in the price of wheat is entirely due to local circumstances, and it is just about double its value for export to London, where our wheat would bring about 2s 3d per bushel at 28s per quarter. Tho decrease in the area of wheat and the large quantity damaged accounts for the recent strong demand, which is likely to be of a temporary nature, because, as I think, the fear of a 'scarcity will prove to be unfounded, and I should advise all wheatgrowers to sell as soon as possible. Apart from extraordinary circumstances of a purely colonial nature, the London market and London prices are what we ha.ye to consider, and if a large area is put into wheat and an average yield is obtained, there will be a large surplus for export, and London values will govern the price. It is possible that London values may improve before our next crop is ready for the bags, but the chances of that are remote, as the price has remained steadily (with occasional slight and brief spurts) on the wrong side of 30s per quarter. I fee that some growers are looking for 5s per bushel for good wheat this year, but I do not see how their hopes can be realised, seeing that it is stated that our Canadian brethren can send wheat here at a profit when 4s or 4s 3d is obtainable here. It may be thought that I am writing in a very pessimistic strain, but what I say is what I think, and I should not like any wheat-grower to lose the present paying returns through expecting too much. I have done that myself more than once in my long experience, and should not like to refuse 4s 6d and have to accept half that prico later on. A great deal of wheat has gone into =tack in such a soft condition that if will require several months in the stack to harden, and I cannot understand the statement about a farmpr who threshed a lot of wheat out of the stook late la&t month. If wheat is bagged and stored whilp s.oft and damp, it will co black and mouldy, quite unfit for anything but pig feed, and bad for the pies, too.( If only in the condition known as " cold," it will improve with time in sacks, but cannot be fit for grinding for some months. The condition of whf>at is indicated by it B- weight, and whr-at which, when dry. would weigh 621b per bushH will not weigh more than about s£lb when soft and damp, a fourbushel sack only taking in about 3^ bushels. Iv the ra°T-> of the oat market oircumctancefi are different, and the prospects arc good for a mai'itcmanoo of a strong dpmand. The South African market ie to our »-iry!u3 oats what* in ordinarx time*, tho London market

11s to our surplus wheat, and as there is every probability of immense quantities of oatfl > being required in" South' Africa for a year > or two, we should endeavour to make {the • most of our chances and supply the War 1 Office with all they will take at a payingprice. The thick husk of the oat protecl? ■ the kernel from much damage, though th«s • husk may be stained and dirty. Of course, when the damage amounts to actual sprout- ! nig, the kernel is done for, and the crop is i of little value. It is wonderful what a lot of wet and exposure a well-stooked crop ti • oats will stand without sustaining serious 1 damage; nevertheless, many a sheaf greerwith sprouting grain has gone into Eticl- ■ recently, and the only course is to lot the stacks stand until the surouted grain h«s • dried and shrivelled up, and then it- will !-■> blown away, with the chaff, and the ren'ainmg sample will be of a fairly sound natu-o. It is pretty generally known that new varien. ** es °* oats have been ob- • f BQ Oats tamed in recent years by Cross means of artificial cross-fer-Aaturally? tilisation, and ,some of the most popular kinds havo been thus produced by the Garton Brothers, of Cheshire, England. A writer in a Home paper now says that cross-fertilisation takes , place naturally if two or more varieties that bloom; about the same time are grown together, and also asserts that an increased yield is obtained by mixing the seed of sere ral varieties of oats, and that this latter fact is owing to the crossing which takes place. He does not say that crossing tabes place in all the heads, but only in a certain number, more or less according as the circumstances are favourable.' Anothei* writer throws doubt upon this matter of natural cross-fertilisation, and -says, that ' i£ is contrary to_ common experience, and quotes the statement of Messrs ' Garton to the effect that each, floret is self-fertilising and cannot fertilise a floret upon another stalk without artificial assistance. "He goes on to say that, at any rate, promiscuous crossing is of no use, as there is a great; diversity among first crosses, and " in. order to achieve any good result it is necessary and essential to select on© type and grow it again and again, eliminating the numerous "sports" which occur, until a fixed and improved type h»s been secuied. Tho moot point is, however, not whether first crosses in grain are of any use or not, but whether several different kinds of oats which bloom at the same time will naturally cross-fer-tilise each other when grown together — that is, by mixing the seed and sowing together. The' writer who says that this does take place is an associate of the Agricultural Research Association, and he says that not only ia he satisfied about the truth of the matter himself, but that many other members of the association have seen unmistakable evidence of the natural crossing in the man- ■ ncr stated. I — i Several country correspondents have recently 1 mentioned the fact that . Grain-Buying agents for city firms have Agents. been moving about tho country on an oat-buying mis- ' sion, and that they were doing a fcur amount of business. Ido not believe in selling grain to travelling agents, as the farmer is «t n disadvantage as to a knowledge of the position of the market. The agent is well yiMteH in all the movements of the market, an-1 is bound to get the best of a bargain. When I have grain ready for market I much prefer to go to headquarters and deal with the principals, after seeing how things are going Ido not see any advantage in selling to the itinerant agents, and there is alwr.vj a chance of being taken at a disadvantage. Certain Southland farmers have cause to remember the way in which they were- "had" some years ago through selling to travelling agents, who got to business before th€ news of a sudden rise in oats had reached the backblocks. Hairy-legged horses are liable to get greasy heels when working much I The fcftnse j n muddy roads on wel=, and Core arable land during the winof Grease. ter unless they are properly looked after. Some horses are much more subject to it than others, and when that is the case all the more care is necessary in the matter of grooming their legs right down to the hoof. Those horses which are most subject to greasy heels are thoae with round bones and "gummy" legs, and these require watching in order to prevent the disease getting a hold upon them which is not easily cured. Grease ir<«y be caused by standing in dirty and illdrained stables, but in most cases is due to neglect in the matter of grooming hairy fetlocks that get caked with mud evry day. Wet mud should be washed off when the day's work is done, and the legs we 1 ! dried by. rubbing with a coarse cloth or wisp of straw. Thorough drying ig important, becau-e it ia very harmful to allow a horse to stand in the stable with wet stockings. It may not bet,