AGRICULTURE AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2569, 10 June 1903, Page 6

AGRICULTURE AND PASTORAL NEWS.

n F. C'hi'co. who was for many years iT b'!"in A-,oA -,o in 'Lun.iru, and v.is also maragpr of the .South Canterbury Rrfnf;eratinir Company, has started in business as owner cf a > (K.I storage plant i,e;.r the port of Durban, lie ia 'ii communication with the Indu-tr.es a id Comnnree Department witii a \iew to rpcc-uiiiir coi»ui';iinicnts of Xew Zealand I^ei-ibhable fordsluffs for safe custody. Mr Ciulce luos a ponip'cte plant fnr sharp' freezing and sionncf fA«?h fish, and is of opinion, that an immra^ field can be opened up for Xew Zealand blue cod and of or deep soa J:-h. 'I ho Johannesburg goldfields would L«a a spVmh'd fed for trae'e, and thrro is a prospect cf qu.ck and remunerative sale for butter, pouftiy, egg-=, and meat.

A fpaturp of the. d.nin' trade at prr-^nt (-.iys tlio Taranaki Nfws) is the abnormaFy 1.11 n;e •.lock', in store throuphont the colo'.y T.ip fn-o'inp works at Xew Plymouth and J'at'a c&iiP'ial'v nw \i.-y full, and if the pro-vnt p'ow s'sipp'i'ff £"" 5 en a'%inmo'ati in will be nt a. premium.

Tjjpre is still a coui'idariblo nroo of grain oi* m il'e Tn-nanui district wiMi but c-or:y j)p 1 I o-t of jt-i <"pnli;a! inqanliermsr. Ai a me^tin^ of the We*tnort Chamber uf (' -unirce iii t'T 3. d it \V.i,, rr.-ohe<J —

'"'l'li't iliM (h.unb-r endorrfs tho propc.-ai •1' \l.' X it ' .* m. n-, chairman of the let f'op'rinu > ci Chanibrrs. to cal 'c to the I'hmo .Mmi-ter of E-iEf'and in ;-upp«rt- of i'ie lirrpo'al of preferential ti.-.da within tl '• j'lnipire."

The Sour.hlancl Frozen Meat Company lias dining the p.i>t ?rason tivad I an uniu-u.illy largo qi'ant.tv of bcof. o=npeial!y at it> Wallaeotown v.cik : . 1 f'P op i> m1- row l)cc"ininq c" 1 er.i! I i\ - tlir- En ,jrn) ilia.. 111 \ ; e\v of t\ v • bi'iti -rf {rrain i ; b"ir"7 at a h,u lc\(l d,ii . £ tin. oom 11? 11 v- yf.'ir-,, f.u i.irr-. will tuin their attention more '•!o-<>!> to the ui-ing and fattening of bcof for ( \]i(n t

The Muni 'il.mkl V) o/cn Mn- r'omjiany has Indivl tlu> 11 ('Mii-^rv aid li.tsii'.'s f<- r tl,e 11" 1o -> of un 1< i 'i! - i'? 1 1 • ])• -"p n.it on < f "Kind li in a, iti Vh' 1' '\i \.. r\'. a< d thI'l.p I will lie fiKj^fl v, irlrut do'ir. It is 1 .it ( \n < i^.l 1' at it »i I b^ r< ,• '; frr the j/i '•- n' ~> „ 'ii l.'iivi 1 -

\ ; l't <• it tr.r r f <'< lo^alr". rr~a r d p. 5 the 1 Jim J t'.'iv f f'oi" at Ar.hln.l ici 1 ( 'i Mi\ OJ it w.! 1 ' d<"(, tied that no nrami iy cini'il lo prrrt> d in any tll-t 1 n-t wli.eli e'es i".t (i] p'v n 11111 iinum of 2CO rr.us. It was ,i\o ('. , wl'vl that after the at cVs nf ;i, o- < .."i 11 1 .■ ! boon drawn up, a definite li's.o > ' ' 1 ]: > "i\ nlo tie dc-lor ntc <o en." T 'l-e t'i in to in'. "'p t!io li'iniinupi of 9 00 cou.s: a: !'• 1 1 cf that tiT.o a effiTEl Mectiii? of <:\ t i\\n.-. tliould be held to c 7 .<x-,de wlun ;i id \\\ 1 c to start, and io <!eet a boaid of (i.ifp'er-. wi*h power to act

Noriv from thp. Aw-trolian Meat Trade? •Tfiwi.al of Ma»- 26:— In a' .-wcr to a letter from n lorol pie d<>ulri at D»n<ro!j. X.S.W.. St l,il''ii'- tl Parti ti has prorni-Ad to lr'iu.ro I'ito i\,c fin,- nin of the importation c! 'i 'c'ti r :! \ Inr-h is a'l<- \rn<\ to pj.tT fr^e f f f'.i.v, i 'iV 1.-T-.) r c 1 lid.l^'-l po'k a»-e -!."' ' It i- cumjl-d that 50C0 p p* ny >,u\l ,-it llir» Ounsre? f-a!evarth anmiaJ'v. nnd t' at Ihe y.cp would be 10s per |Vad h ; 2l'Pi but for thp iiinrrlation. of frorrn po r k. wii) h rrf.iiio a loq= of £2500 to the produntioii of t!.!= th.tiict alone — Shipment* of fiu/cn btM f li.n\c again rnmraoi'cced fiom Q in l, land, a*id during the rett few mcintlis the wo.Lj should tuxa oil a good many

thousand quarters. T!io Bindekin, "Rose River, Lai- '.3 Creek, Bowcn, Ghdut-one. Rodbank, and Brisbane works are all starting or getting ready to start. Tho price for cattle appeals to be about 20s per 1001b, delivered at the. works. This does not leave any margin for profit at present London, prices, but possibly a good deal of the beef is for contracts iv other parts of the world.— Mr E. Playfair, a wholesale Sydney butcher, was fined 10s and 7s 6d ccste lasb week for emp'oymg a man for half an hour after clo-ing time. Ihis is the way we hiu-ass cur employers ar.d drr. •"" them oufj of the 'country, and this is th^ way wo gimd down our working men ond provenfc tl.cm from working overtime and rising out; of the mck of labour. All such ldiotia legislation as the Early C'lcsiug Bill will have to be repealed before Australia can become prosperous, and a crisis must come before our legislators see the harm they are doing the country.

'"The Argentine is not full of the ploriom pio^perity that we ?.ro inclined to belic\er •ev-ts there," said Mx A. Kaye at the luncheon at the Smithfield Freezing Works lasfc week, "and," he adtjicd, "the press shows us that alongside with the advantages there are always drawbacks. Consider the happy social life- here, and the surroundings you enjoy, and you will agree w-th. mo iliac it ia not for you and mo to think of emigrating to Soiith Am erica." Mr Kaye mentioned that- he had recently received a ktlep from Mr John Oooke, cue of the pioneers of the frozen meat industry in this colony, who wrote that he had gone in for cue- oC thp largo "cr.mps" in Sonth America, but! ad:l«l that, all tho stune, ho was not goiny; to '.no there — he could m?ke his money theia, but did not intend residing in tho country. At the Ohrbtohurch Magnate's Court, on Wedr.esc'ay hst, before Mr Ha=cidon. S.M., John Bie."ze, of B'-amley. was charged with having on March 13 fed his swine with unboiled offal. Mr Stringc-r appeared for the Stock Depaitment. and Mr Joynt for th^ defendant, who denied the charge. The evidence led was interesting, if unpleasant, and shed an unwholesome light upon tho sort of dietary supplied to some pigs. His \Y> oship said ho would impose what was practically a nominal fine of 20s and (04~. Two thousand slic-p havo lately been >-o!d in the Carterton di-'riet to w outh African bv.ver?.

At the luncheon at tli" S.nnhfield Freerin? Works, on Wednesday la't, Mr Gi.lierfc Ancle-i^on raid that a report in the papers ri.ft.rrnd to propc."als of the Government in r.'g.-rd to the me.it track. Whether there was anything in th" report he did not know, but if such a thin;? was necessary, it could only be occasioned by tho "do nothing" polry noticeable- in tho trad". It \>on l eT -pc .k httlo for the irdiv.duality or biH.iios? abil.ty of New Zealandera if they could not manage the? business as did firms in other countries. If tho policy of the- Chiiiichuich, Meat Company were carried out right through New Zealand, there would be no talk of outside assistance, but the freezing com-panieri would de\e-!op flic bbusinesss ->s o t i business lines. Mr A. Kaye said that tlueiPrc.mior \tm doubtless sending forl'h tlils kito to ascertain the trend of public cp." i^n cm the matter. At first sight the e-tabli lira out of Government ictail 'hops might r" r .1 a \cry proper and interesting experiment, but t.here wai the possibility of di=,a-ster fcllowing in its wake. Soon a f ter the- c*unirenceniont of the South Afnenn W^v t'vo ti'overnm'ont endeavoured to d;al 111 oats, with the idea of £a\ing the poor f rimer from tho lapacious middleman. The rc-ult. however, W2S a genual drop of 2d per bu=liel in the price of rats. A similar thing might occur in regard to meat if Mr Seddon's ecliomo were, carried into effect. Tho Premier would not TiecesFarilv .shine in t!.e> butchery business as b-.<r'it!y as he did in oth^r oapacitic-.

Mr Barr, Canadia'i immigra'ioa agent, in, a de-spatch from Winnipeg d ted April ±8, reports that his colony ol immigrants are in good health. lie odm.ts thai they had cause 1 to gmmble pt the accommodation on board ship, but with regard to transporialion he says that he has 200 hor-es coining frcm Toronto, and thnt, in pddition, he has 100 teams with harness, va r 'fio:i=, and outfite to "carry out U 1 work, 110 ha=, moroo.er, made arrangements with the Government to establish three po=;t offices In tho colony to c-airy mail 1 -, exivc^ matter, and bagqago by horcDs. a'ld with Canadian Pacific and Northern Fa'ific railway romiwiiv.B to locate threo site > for towns in tho colony ..!c:'g the propo-ed laiiway loute. The lioru -toads v.'i'l be located by Mr Bair I:t.i«elf a^d (government officrala, and fair play v. id bo given to all whether present or absent. Ahvoip not ratified can choose elsewh^rn Mr Ba;r says he »v. ill 'pend the* i.un'.mrr in the country, ai.d vdl th r :i >eturn to England, and wJI liirg (.: -j 10,003 moie niimigiar-ts nc\t Marc.'.

Ac f-.o llaranui h'ir.s' teaJ. \v'e tciSeM, II in'"~^ from /.-hbinton. on Thuiciriy la c r, Mi- Them a, Kto.i^. wh > iia p'UchaiCd a bi:r blojk of la:.d a,t llamiltci, iv tho Waikatp (h-tnot, held a (! p anng .--.-i!'' ' f 'JiPep, liors^^. male, imii'"ment<. etc. Mr .Stons boutrht ifiraniii about four -v ears a ;o. and vrit'i I 1 1 ■ j pri)p m .v tcok r\w th> 11 l d ot.id ficcic of Sih .an '■lie p l-.01131.1t o\cr fiom Au-.-t.-.^ii 1v- "Sh- I', llobrit-. Tbf-r- v, a - a \>ry In fro ii'tfiidnt^. a'ld the b.ddii^ v. :w (■piul^d. Mr Ji'ido'iph Fiiedlander, cf M^ Fri"dhw'er Bro?., first offered a nn ( UanejiH lot of farm implements and miik! if- 1 , whii h reab-nd .c'ory prices. \ '. "■ 01 i'o'J fcur Jo.jth halfbr, d ewa, bred b/ (.'. " ;)h-.'l and S )n, ("1 I aike, nfnv O.imaru, we:«w c:« put uii'J°r iho l..im!.:cr, amn out of 500 being qu e'.Jy 'cd r.t IS^ a k r '.l to Mr George Porci 'i, who ha 9 1 ou(,1lC tlio Maranui home».L ad and tho adjiL.-.it b'ock= of land. Aroiher lot of 330 uc-;o = )!d l/> Mr tloo^qre M'l'arlane at 17= 6d. Then 830 foui year-old halfbicd nves brf-d by J. Littl^, of Allandal^, A\er^ offeietl, the. fir^', 022 bi „um^ 16s 3d. ai.d the. balance 16-, Th-. n'\t lot offered \.erc 100 twot )C :h h.dfbrcil c'.\<~c; jn ram f> iirizo Cornod 1 ■ rain? br-.l by Sir (5r 01a; ■ Cl fYord. f lhe e a l'tnb> wire bred 'by Mr fit tv on Maranui, and Wire out of -amo of the .Sil- „iii) ewes he took over with the propnty four years a-go. Iho bid-i rapidly mountod up tc 253 6d, at whuh tatisfactory figure tbey wero bouglifc by M^n .lamrs Austin. A line of mein.o own larnh, brought 15>, and a line of ptud menmj on-- m lamb wno eagerly bid for till 23s a lie.' I na, reac-iird, a, f « h cli price- they lvci-c L-j'j^ht by '\lr K. Ga'ci. Fat merim* v. .-*.; r -j %.i---3 jo.l nt Us fed, and a number

Kai**rs of Potil'ry should u=e NiirvO ANT> Bl .a's Game axd Poultry Hex, which ia compo^eJ of the brst fj'ouncl bores ard shells, specially prepared to u:cet the requirements of the fast-iCcreasirg poultry l cuslry. It is made up :n I4lb bag% at Is* Del each. Ask yotUB Btoiekeoper for it.

of Shropshire- rams were fold at from |g to lg each It was, however, left for Mr David Fnedlander, the jua.o.- auctioneer of Ashburton, to put up the record. He had to offer a line of 22 fat show wethers. They were very prime-, and were ea-gerly boueht 311 small lots at pr-c?s ranging from 235, 255, 26=, an'l up to 37s 3d a head. Hordes and cattle a l^) fetched gcod prices, and the sale on Uie whole was a most successful one.

Th© head of one of tho leading export and import houses of Wcll.ngton City, speaking to a reporter of the Ne<w Zealand Tim-3S respecting the Premier's ecjieme to open depots for the sale of New Zealand mutton in different town? of England, expressed the belief that tJie proposal was one like.ly to be of great benefit to the colony in general and its graziers in particular. There was, he cone Urively showed, a distribution of New Zealand mutton to practically every town of any size throughout the United Kingdom. This ii sold simply as mutton (un>p-ccifica'ly), and it is retailed (.aeording to quality) as English or as Ar^en.ino; but very very seldom as New Zealand. In any ea=c, he pointed out, th© words "Canterbury mutton" tonveyv*l a fatae impre-sion to the bulk of English, people — they regarded :t as Kentish mutton from the \ic-inity of Canterbury in that county. No doubt Mr Sed:lon'<s idea in arrangip.g to s.tart dopr-'.5 wa-3 to dissipate the general prrctico above referred to, but this j>oint of view scm?:jis to have been- lost eight of by a number of New Zealand critics. Tho •main theme for consideration waa this : If J\ T ew Zea'a id mutton was good enough to be isold by butchers at Home, Eurely someone dn England must get the extra price — and 111 •that event why ehoulid not the large extra -profit now pecketed by dealers a,t Home be f-ecured for tlie producers here? Again, the lATgentin-e people had alread}' established depots for pu=hing the sale of their prociucts, and there was dumge-r, unless a ooun/ber move was made 'by this colony, that this enterprise would dwarf the.prominerce New Zealand had already achieved. The Preanier's object, do doubt, wan to give the preat bulk of the ptople of the United Kingdom an opportunity equal to that afforded by the Argentine of judging tho quality of the exporrs from this colony.

A somewhat remarkable incident is rc\porled from Perth A company of agriculturists ac^emblcd «t the farm of Boghal', near the "Fair City," to wrtmess a spectacle •which is certainly of except. onal occurrence The attractive feature was not the simple operation of ploughing, but the remarkable longevity of the p'oughnran and his team, whoce joiuit agcis totalled 139 year 5 . Mr DonaMson, who held th© stilts, is 87 years of age, and tho horses 27 and 25 years respectively.

Tiie Lincoln breed of sheep seems to havo lost nothing of its popu anty 1:1 South Ame-lit-i. Tlie prieeb being o-btain,cd for wo'j-'bre-a rams of this uiipi<:c;ive vanety imported since the ports wrro recently reopened are of an extremely liberal cbaraotcsr. .A fclccition of 30 rams, dravvm from Mr R. Pishc-r's Ycrkshire flock, has made up to £176, and averaged £80 per head, and even higher pnc-C3 wore, obtaned at earlier sales jf imported she-ap. — Field.