INTERCOLONIAL AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2660, 8 March 1905, Page 9

INTERCOLONIAL AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

(From Correspondents of the Pastoral iste' Review for February.)

NEW SOUTH WALES.

Sydney, February 10. So far, February has brought little additional rain, though light thunder showers have fallen here and there throughout the State, and in many parts a condition of drought prevails. Since our last issue extremely high temperatures have been registerd throughout the country, considerably discounting the beneficial effects of the rain. Thus it isthat the pasture is generally very dry everywhere, and scarce- in places, though as yet stock are in ifair and good condition.

There has been no further serious outbreak of bush fires since our last issue, and if this month is fruitful in good rains, a fine growth of autumn feed should spring up on the areas which were burnt. Of course, the fires caused (heavy individual losses of grass, fences, and sheds, but two or three inches of rain would quite replace the former, and a considerable amount of the fencing burnt was many years old, and had well paid for itself. The Government have offered assistance to genuine sufferers from the fires, by supplying them free of charge, with fencing, timber, etc., off Grown hinds.

From a wheatgrower's point of view, January was one olf- the most severe months ever experienced. The intense heat had a disas trous effect on the few wheat crops whicr had already pulled through a bad season, and extensive bush fires sw-ept away thousands of acres of standing crop. These adverse conditions have naturally resulted in a light sample of grain, and the Chambei of Commerce has fied this year's wheat standard 1 at 59£ Ib per imperial bushel f.a.q., as against the standard of 611b last year. When we see that this season's South Australian standard is 631b, we realise what damage our wheat crops have received. The best grain, mest uniform in character, has been gathered in the northern portions of the State : it is the- southern qualities which have this year reduced the average. Taking the wheat crop of 1904 generally, there is a great lack of weight and milling quali'tv.

The receipts of wheat for the first six weeks of this year amount to 91,378 tons, as compared with 99,659 tons last year and 4-718 tons for the year before. So far the exports up to date, taking wheat and floui in terms of bushels of wh«>at. amount to 1,309.000 bushels, as against 1,855,559 bushels last year. The ruling- prices to-day for wheai and it 3 products, and those ruling 12 montht ago, are: — Last year. Tc-clay. Wheat, per bushel . . ..£O3O £ 0 3 4\ Flour, per ton .... 715 0 850 Pollard, per bushel ..007 0 011 Bran, per bushel .... 0 0 6 008 The Stock Department has prepared returns showing the numbers of stock in the State on December 31. The total number of sheep are given at 32,466,272, as com pared with 28,656,501 in 1903, and 26,674,48'/ in 1902, indicating a considerable improvement since the drought. The number o 'cattle at the end of 1904 was 1.802,979, compared, with 1,687,991 in 1903. and 1,625,091 in 1902. As to horses, the r«iurn shows that there has been a Ifalling-off, the figures fo^ 1904 being 397,122, as compared with 403.35E for 1903, and 421,098 for 1902. It is ex plained that the totals for 1902 include 2681 horses, 7690 cattle, and 762,015 sheep which were on agistment in other States when returns were mad-e.

The matter of rabbit destruction i«. o' course, as vital as ever, and 1 for some time the Government .has been waiting for a communication from the Pasteur Instil vi of Paris in regard to the introduction of a contagious disease. Mr Sorby's negotiations, of which so much was heart a little while a?o. have terminated, and the Minister of Lands Ls in direct communication with Dr Danysz, of the Pasteur Institute, (from whom a communication is dail. expected. In the meantime ■paj.torali.--N arc rigorously plying the old methods of destruction, with very slight vaiiatioiT? On ons .station a tank Tra_s. feijeod off wiih wire netting, and a quantity of warer containing arsenic left outside tho enclosure. The deat 1 rabbits were carted avrav in thousands, but unfortunately kangaroos. emu«, and smaller native herds w-cre also killed. Sheep and cattle are oasi^r in value, and the tendency is still furtlwv downwards, unless the season break?. Large drafts of sheep, many from enn^i^nov's who suffered from th-* recr'nt bn=h fiw?», have entered Homebush yards, and a feature of the supply was Iho large proportion of ewes. It was therefore satisfactory that restocking purchasers wore in evidence, so that fair numbers of ewes returned to the countn. Values for fat sheep arc firm, but there is no change in tho -values of last month. Cattle have been in lull supply; bc-ef. is

quoted from 20s to 23s per lOClb. At these figtires hcof export v out of Ihc question, bur there are still very small shipments of ii>utton and lamb going to the London markel From Ist January to date thoy amount to barely 30,671 rarca^Co mutton and 15.034carcases of iamb.

The wool saic^ in tho Sydney market from lsi" July to 31st January total 420,768 bales, as against 299.947 bales for the corresponding period of last year, or an increase of 120.821 bales. During the same period of 1904 465,388 bales of wool were shipped fiom New South Wplcs, which is an increa-e of 114.690 bales on last year.

The Royal Agricultura! Social y of tl-is Stats held Its annual meeting recently, and the balance sheet for the year revealed a very satisfactory state of affairs. Although the revenue for the past year was less than the previous year. a>:d they had wiped out a debit balance of £3561- 18s sd, there was a credit of £93 14s 7d at the end of the year. The president, Sir John Sec, inmoving the adoption^ of the report and balance sheet, stated that all the roads in the show "ground had been remade- at a cost of £1400, that 40 new horse stalls had been erected, and that £300 had been spent in completing the retaining wall round the parade ground, capable of aceornmodatrng 5000 people. The following is a return of the principal articles of -export from Sydney from Ist January to 31st January, together with the figures for the corresponding month of lasl year : — Jan., 1805. Jpn., 1901. "Wool, bales 65,2€8 81,549 Skins, packages .. .. 1.354 832 Hides, casks 17,395 8,732 Tallow, packages .. .. 1.139 1,636 Leather, packages .... 660 851 Preserved' meats, carcases 3,275 6,409 Frozen beef, pieces . 681 980 Horns, number .. .. 71,506 — Wheat, bushels .. .. 898,083 1,153,156 Flour, tons 2,961 2,931 VICTORLA.. llelboum-e, February 11. Eveiything points to a very favourable autumn right through the State. Rain ce,m« at an opportune time to put out the bush fires, and the green feed that has come after them, particularly in Gippsiand, shows amazing growth. The rains and the cessation of fires had the effect of hardening the price of store stock, particularly sheep and Jambs, good classes of which ai'e very difficult to get hold of.

Wheat js coming to hand ver/3" rapidly, and a large proportion of the croj> will be disposed of at an early date. Rabbits have incre:^ed very greatly with the abundance of feed. In the Omeo district and other parts of Gippsland graziers regret very much that they did not net in good time-, and properties which would have commanded ready sale a few years back are now very difficult to> dispose of.

Dairy returns have improved since the rains, and every season the growing of artificial food is more extensively carried on, and with the best results.

Pure stock are selling well, and graziers in every district a**e alivf to the necessity of improving their flocks, and with the good prices now ruling for horses, sheep, year. The President, Siv John See, in attention tn carcfjil breeding than they cculd do when values were much lower.

Mr S. Williamson Wallace- has retired fiom his position as Dueetov of Agriculture upon the completion of the term for which he was appointed, and leaves for London this month. The Government has appointed Dr T. Cherry as Acting-director, and, it is understood, for a period of five years. This officer has been in the Department of Agriculture for a number of years as bacteriologist, and has of recent years become well known in fanning' centres as expert lecturer for his department.