AGRICCLTURAL, AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2516, 4 June 1902, Page 17

AGRICCLTURAL, AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The Government Poultry Grader in Wellington and his staff were kept exceedingly busy last week. About 1200 head were accepted at the depot during the latter part of the week. A marked improvement is shown (says tho Post) in the class of birds sent in for grading in Wellington, and only 100 were rejected last week as being below the required standard.

At the Waimate Court the other day two farmers were fined 10s each for leaving stock — a calf and young pigs — in the local ealeyards from the 25th to the 27th ult. without food or shelter.

The North Otago Times states that Hr E Menlove about a fortnight ago offered a further 2200 acres to the Government for close settlement purposes.

A private letter rereived from North Wairarapa states (says the Evening Post) that on one station one man trapped, shot, or caught with dogs, 3000 rabbits in less than three months. Mr Andrew Todd, of Johnston Farm. East

Taieri, the other morning found seven of his sheep lying dead, having been worried by dogs. A number of ot'iers were badly knocked about. Mr Todd has laid poison for dogs on his property.

The one bright spot on the horizon (says the Pastoralists' Review for May) is the con inuous increase in tho price of wool, due in the main no doubt to the shortage of supply and prospect of further shortage next season. Merino wool has already risen fully 20 per cent, this year, and crossbreds from 25 to 30 per cent., whilst both kinds seem likely to go higher. This is grand news for those lucky folk who have wool, and should do something to set off the expense to which most of them are being put for fodder, trucking, new country, and other methods for keeping their sheep alive. The New Zealanders, too, who were-- in despair about the low level to which crossbreds had dropped, must be taking heart again, though it is hard for us in Australia, wht> have so many troubles to face, to spare much sympathy for any mishap to the fortunate sheepowners in those isles of the blest.

Good weather and drying ground favemr ploughing operations in South Canterbury; but so much time was lost through the heavy rains during and after harvest that the area put into winter wheats must be redticed greatly below the average. The Taranaki Land Board at its meeting the other day sounded a note of warning with respect to the high rate of interest that is attempted to be charged to Crown tenante when they require advances, declining to approve of several mortgages where the rate asked was as high as 10 per cent.. _ the view taken being that with such a handicap successful settlement becomes almost an impossibility, and in the end will lead to the lands simpiy falling into the liands of the mortgagee, the probabilities being that h& alone will derive the benefits, and not the actual settler.

The Corporation of Glasgow has just issued a by-law prescribing that "every carcase or portion of a carcase, whether fresh or salted, chilled or frozen, brought into the city for human consumption shall, before being exposed for sale, be conveyed to an examining station for inspection by the veterinary surgeon of the corporation or his assistants." The penalty for contravention of the by-law is a fine not exceeding £5. or 60 days' imprisonment. The London Meat Trades Journal says that breeders of red polled cattle will be pleased at the result of the sale of the well-known herd of Mr James E. Platt, Howbury Hall, Bedford, the average price over 50 head exceeding £56. The top price of 260 guineas was paid twice-^-by Lady Lonsdale for the two-year-old heifer Sleeping Beauty, by Red Knight, and by Sir T. Gooch for the two-year-old bull Pistol, by Champion. The latter purchaser also gave 155 guineas for the four-year-old cow Dormouse, whilst Mr S. A. Converse (U.S.A.) paid 145 guineas for the five-year-old cow Brund, and Lady Lonsdale 80 guineas for the yearling heifer Sweet Rose.

The Berlin correspondent of The Times says that the German law which forbids the employment of boracic acid for the preservation of meat is likely lead to serious difficulties with the United States. The 6,000,000d0l worth of meat prepared with the aid of boracic acid whioh is at present directly exported to Germany every year represents, according to the Frankfurter Zeitung, only a small fraction of the stake which the American meat interest has in this matter. The value of American meat products which find their way to Germany through England, Belgium, and Holland is estimated at betwen 20,000,000d0l and 30,000,000d01, and it may be regarded as certain that the reprisals which have already been threatened will not fail to be enforced. One result is that the Chicago packers are said to have decided not to send any more meat to Germany. The leading firms say that Germany makes so many petty regulations that they prefer to withdraw entirely rather than endure them. The only lady student at a veterinary college in Victoria — or, it is stated on good authority, in Australia — is (says tho Australasian) Miss Reid, daughter of Mr Robert Reid, M.L.C., of Melbourne. She is duly enrolled for a four years' course at the Melbourne Veterinary College, of which Mr W. T. Kendall, M.R.0.V.5., is principal, and is making excellent progress with her studies, her first year's subjects embracing chemistry, physics, botany, zoology, and minor anatomy. The young lady named takes a deep interest in her studies, and gives promise, it is said, of becoming very proficient. Though Miss Reid is the only lady student of veterinary at the present time, she is not the first of her sex to undertake this class of study. She had one predecessor, Miss Carey, who was four years asro enrolled at Mr Kendall's establishment. Her health, however, did not permit of more than one year's pursuit of the study, and she did not go through the complete course as a consequence. The decimation in the flocks of Mr Samuel M'Caughey (the Moree News reports) has been enormous of late years, owing to the drought. The figures show that previous to the drought seasons reigning supreme he possessed the enormous number of 1.250,000 sheep, but now he can only boast of the bare 250.000. The Ids- of 1,000,000 is a tremendous one. Flocks all over the drought stricken areas* hnve been similarly reduced. Surely this should ue enougb to waken our legislators to ponder deeply whether the Government should not step in and help by putting down bores and providing water in abundance, free of cost to stock-owners, so that their annual loses might be at least mitigated. Timaru produce market", from the Post : — Very little business has been pnEfing on the local markets during the past week, but this is not owing to any decrease in values, but solely on account^ of the disinclination of growers to sell at'"~present prices. Notwithstanding the importations of wheat and flour from America, the local markets maintain their buoyancy, and 3s lid can be obtained for prime samples of wheat, on trucks, Timaru. Thi3 offer by a southern miller has been .declined here, farmers expecting to get a little more by holding on. Oats are considerably^ firmer than they were last week, owing to then scarcity. For bright samples of long there is no difficulty in obtaining 2s> s?(\, on trucks, Timaru, while short are worth from 2s 6d to 2s 7d per bushel, on the game basis. A large proportion of those offering are discoloured, and these have to be sold at a considerable reduction on the prices named. In barley there is nothing doing. Potatoes are worth £3 per ton, sacks in, country stations, but growers decline to part at this figure. Chick wheat is worth from 3s to 3s 3d, according to sample.

WOLIT'S SCHNAPPS invigorates the bowek and kidneys. Ask for WOLFE'S.