AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2647, 7 December 1904, Page 21

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The crops in North Canterbury are making satisfactory growth, and the early oats and wheat are well out in ear. The rain on Thursday, night, and heavy showers during Saturday night, thoroughly saturated the soil. A heavy hay crop is ! expected. j At the Leeston Magistrate's Court on i Friday W. M'Cormick was ordered to pay j £7 10s damages and £8 12s costs for poison- ' ing two dogs, the property of John Manning. Plaintiff gave evidence that he saw defendant dropping meat inside a fence, and that the two dog's, Valued at £20 and £10, afterwards died as a result of eating the meat. Defendant admitted having laid poison on the date of the information on account of having sheep worried by dogs, but denied that he had laid it within 100 yards of the fence. j Shearers are reported to be scarce in Ash- ; burton County. i A Timaru auctioneer, speaking of the wcol market, said he did not think the present high prices for crossbred wool would continue for any great length of time, as when prices became too high, people looked around for something to use in place of a product which had become too expensive. Already some manufacturers at Home were using mohair to mix with the wool. A meeting- of Canterbury graziers, butchers, dealers, and auctioneers was held at Christchurch on Thursday last, to further consider matters in connection with the cattle insurance fund, re_ardin_ whinfa uew

proposals were recently made. Mr C. E. C/flcutt was voted 'to the 1 chair. The meeting, iter much discussion, carried a motion'in favour of continuance of. the fund under new conditions. These conditions will bo submitted to the Butchers' Association. The meeting tken adjourned until Tuesday. By arrangement, Mr T. W. Stringer was present at the conference. The St. Andrews correspondent of the Timaru Post writes : — Shearing is now well started about St. Andrews, and what with the loads of wool and grain (spring threshed) arriving at the goods shed r ;. things are beginning to improve-. The crops, although somewhat backward, promise a . very good yield. One crop in particular on MiBourne's farm, near the Pareora River, looks exceptionally well, being well forward, and starting to head. Rain is wanted, however, and would greatly improve crops all round. Farmers are complaining of some of their lambs dying. One farmei* with much experience believes it to .be a new disease. The very fattest and best of the lambs seem to be the ones attacked with. it. The Sydney Mail of the 23rd ult. says : Old wheat has suddenly toppled off its former pedestal, and is now worth a shade less than new. The value of the latter may be given at 35*3£ d, * and.- of -the former at, say, 3s 3d 1 per. biishel." The cause of this altered condition of affairs is that whereas in the past the millers were the largest buyers of wheat, and- they had to secure some old grain to mix with their new, now the shippers far outweigh millers in buying power, and they do not want" old wheat, which by the time it reached Maik Lane would be so old as to be dangerous. Millers are not relieved of 'tTtevnecessity V 6£> using a judicious admixture jof._6kl and), new in their early gr is tings,, but. there is so. much of old about that, -obmpetir tion -Being eliminated, they', see 'nonnecessity of paying a high price" for" it." ~