WAIRARAPA AGRICULTURAL NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 9

WAIRARAPA AGRICULTURAL NEWS

(From Oub Own Corbespowdejt.) The weather this month, has been phenomenally cold, and the severe Tfce frosts experienced for eight or Weather* nine successive mornings were not at all conducive to the best interests of agriculturists and pastoraliste. The winter feed in moat parts was cut badly; but fortunately in the country districts towards the coast a better state of things is prevailing. There is a good enpply of grass, and the stock ganeraliy is in very fair condition. In the neighbourhood of Masterton we have but little grass, and the unfavourable weather is having its effect on the stock. However, the autumn was a good season from the farmer's point of view.

There io a very marked scarcity of fat cattle it the present time, and any Stock surplus stock possessed by farMarket, mers is eagerly sought after.

There has lately been a very keen (demand also for wethers and maiden ewes. Stock, owners are now realising the fact that it is mast profitable to rear calves. *tti« prices lately prevailing have been very high. I hear of several farmers who have abandoned rearing pig 3 and gone in extensively for breeding calves, feeding them on the surplus and separated milk. The returns are stated to be excellent, and quite aa good as pig-raising. However, that is an open question, and, like the Scotchman, I "hae me doote."

Tho dairy factories have all closed in this district for the- off season. The Bntter year just terminated has, on t. Cheese the whole, been favourable Baking. for factories, especially those manufacturing cheese. The majority of factories in the Wairarapa are cheese factories. The prices this season received for cheese have been higher than usual, and the natural question^ now being debated is the relative profits derivable from butter and cheese making. Of course, those interested in cheese factories argue and maintain that cheese making is and will be the mest profitable, and' there are others who persistently contend that there are larger returns to be obtained from butter making. Certainly thra year's prices for cheese have had the effect of increasing the value «nd prospects of the future of that article in the minds of its supporters; but then at times butter is largely in demand, and prices higher accordingly. Apart, however, from this consideration, the fact must not be lost sight of that in connection with butter making there is always a considerable quantity o£ separated milk available, which is most useful and almost indispensable for

rearing either pigs or calves, and the revenue from that industry must be borne in mind when this question is being discussed.

Mr A. W. Hogg, M.HJI., is a. persistent advocate of land settlement, Land and he never lose 3an opporSettlement. tunity to give his. opinions on

this very important matter. As the Hon. Hall-Jones stated at a dinner held in Masterton last week in honour of Messrs Hogg and: Wi Per©, MJI.R.'e, the member for Masterton has been more closely identified with land settlement than any other member in the House, and he has also given valuable advice to persons both in and outside the House. Speaking a * a gathering at Masterton lately, our M.H.R. stated that there* was a great deal of the Masterton; electorate that should be settled again. He complained that the land had scarcely any population, and was almost completely shut op against labour- For som& time past he had been very anxious to get a return Trom. the Government of the number of men employed on the etatiens and large properties in this district, but ha had failed in his repeated applications for such a return. Personally he could not soe any obstacle in the way of a return of that nature being furnished, and he felt sure, if obtained, the very little labour employed would surprise many. A eonsideraofo area of the country was settled in the old provincial days, when the land was £old in large Weeks for almost anything, and the consequence is that it is still in the hands of a fow ; and the land that should be producing wealth and affording large employment is locked up against labour, effectually hampering the proper settlement of the district. From time to time promises have been made to ameliorate the existing state of tilings, and cut up the land into reasonablesized farms, but up to the present these promises have not been fulfilled. The land is almost destitute of population, and in order to prove this assertion Mr Hogg quoted the censH3 returns of 1901. In that return, the Castlepoint County is shown to ba 150 miles in extent, population 457. making- three people to the square mile ; Masterton County 607 miles in extent, population 3123, or 5 to the square mile; Wairarapa and Featherston Counties, 1401 miles in extent, population 7746, or 5^ to the square mile. These counties, or the greater portion of them, have been settled for years, but the more recent settled districts, - in which the largest populations are founU, are: — Maurice ville, 125 miles, population 1127, or 9 to the .-quare mile ; Eketahur.a, 170 miles, population 2332, or 14- to the square mile ; Pahiatua, 302 miles, population 4809, or 16 to the square mile. The disparity in the population of the various counties is so great, comparatively speaking, that Government attention should be at once bestowed on the- question.

The 999 -years' leas© system in some particulars appears to be jjikLeisein understood. It was stated Perpetuity. & short trans ago* at a meet-

ing of one of the Wnirarapa. branches of the- Farmers' Union tha* upon tho death of a man who had taken up land under this lease biff widow was liable to be turned off the section, and the lease of tfe«> same disposed of to another ec-tiler. Ifc was farther asserted fchafc-a lessee could not tranefer hie interest in the property by will in the ©vent of his demise-. A reply to theee statements has been, received from the chief of the Lauds Department, and it raoAf as foUcwu: — "That lease-in-perpetuity holdings are always dealt with in precisely the same manner as other properties, and are frequently left by will to the widow and children of the lessee.. In the event of theperron to whom the land has been bequeathed being- unabte to comply with the residential and other conditions of the lease, ifc is in the power of such perscm to dispose of bia or her interest in the- lease, and to transfer the same to an eligible person approved by the Land BoardJ" This reply certainly con-tracbicts the assertions re>-fe-rred to, and shows dearly that the idea is an erroneous* one.

It Ls complained in this di.<=trict that the tax of 2s per hundred levied On&Clan on eLeep in the colony is an Tax. excessive charge, and that the slieap faxm-er thould no longer be called upon to subscribe the whole of it. The levy Was made for the purpose of maintaining an efficient staff of inspectors yeara ago when "ecab" was prevalent amongst our flocks of sheep and the enforcement of drastic legislation was neceeeary. Although "scab" has been eradicated the inspectorial staff remarns Targe on account of the rabbit peat and' the noxious weed* question, but the sheep farmer, by the* payment of his sheep tax, ha? to bear the burden of the maintenance of the eaid large staff. It is certainly more fn accord with justice to expeofc all who benefit from the employment of the inspectorial staff and the administration of the Agricultural Department to contribute- their moiety. The ; imposition, of the Sheep Tax produces a levenue of about £20,000, andr this is about 1 two-third^ of the ocsfc of the administration of fee department. It is pertinently pointed out tha*, as not only tihe cheep farmer, but th& dairyman,, horse breeder, and agriculturist all benefit from the operations of the ; departmenit, it would be cnlv right and equitable to rednoe tho Sheep Tax and make , up the revenue thereby lost from the three latter classes of the eonrmunitv. or, a» an alternative, abolish the Sheep Tax in toto and pay the expenses out of the ordinary colonial revenue.

Business in, produce is very dull afc ike pres^nt tim&. It is eta ted tbat Produce there is yefc a considerable Market. quantity of oat« in the district, but the farmers won't sell becanse they are expecting a higher price. Tho quantity of produce despatched from, this district durinsr i.his season has been very large, but the Railway Deoartment have been humbugging with bobh truck* and coverings. In one instance I know of a day's delay -was caused by th* authorities at Masterton having to ec-nd as f ar a» Woodville for crvverinsr? for two trucks. Great diesatisfaction and mdigna/bion have _ bs€n created, and it is Uke-ly eomefching will be heard in the House about the matter. Large quantities of hay were purchased in the Wairarapa for use on board whera ships were conveying stock to South Africa. An enormous quantity of oat and wheat straw ha* besn disposed f i. Tlte area, under crop the next soosaa ia likely to be far in exoess of that of the pa*t season.

The Weshiort Coal Company's output last week was 9826 tons.