AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 21

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Fully one-fourth of those engaged in the dairying industry in Taranaki are of other than British descent. At Inglewood considerably over 100 are Swiss farmers, and excellent farmers th«jr are said to be.

Lambing is said to have already commenced at Otakeho, Taranaki.

As the result of representations made by a number of South Canterbury farrneis, the Canterbury Farmers' Co-operatirc Association have agreed to discountenance the practice of "trotting" at auctions, if the other auctioneering rirnas in, South Oanteibury will act in concert with them.

The newly-installed dried milk plant at the Makino Dairy Factory has (says the Palmerston North Times) given most satisfactory results. The necessary supply of mi^k is being received from farmers in the vicinity of Makino, and the piano is kept running daily. It can deal with 70gal per hour. Farmers express .heir willingness to supply milk constantly, as with the increased price received they consider it moro profitable than to supply a. creamery. Since the opening of the present reason, at the beginning of December, the exports of Australian wheat and flour to destinations beyond the Commonwealth have reached the toial of about 23,379,865 bushels of wheat and '139,611 sacks flour. Reducing the flour to the equivalent in wheat, tho totals are together equal to about 25,459,997 bushels of wheat. The value of the exports may be estimated approximately at £3,837,000. In addition to these exports a substantial movement has taken place between the States.

Tho graceful and commercially valuable ' Angora goat has come lo New Zealand to stay (says the New Zealand Times of the 11th inst.). Though its introduction by the Government is of comparatively recent date, and its presence has not been advertised to any extent 1 , the demand for the goat is greater than the supply. The Stock Department is sending two of the male gender out of Wellington to-day — one to Marsden Point (Auckland) and another to Nelson. At. the Government igoat farm at Trentham at present there is now an em- i bargo against any description of stock from ' South Africa (where the Angora flourishes) ; ' the males are being secured in South Aus- ' tra^ia for the Government. Those who eon- ' template growing mohair will fee interested to know that genuine mohair is prod\icecl after three crossings. The Stock Department intends shortly to demonstrate this by practice at the Ti>enthani Farm. The Angoras liberated in the Urewera country are said to be itJiriving. i An experimental shipment of barley from Queensland arrived in London in good condition, and was of good quality. The average price realised was 30s per quarter. The Queensland experimental shipment of pineapples was found to be rotten on ar- | rival. !

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