WELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2661, 15 March 1905, Page 8

WELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(From Otje Own Correspondent.) There is still not much change in the Vi eather. Certainly there have been heavy thunderstorms in some parts, but as yet we have had no general downpour, though mots districts have now had more or less rain, which will 'freshen up the grass, turnips, and other root crops. Now that we are getting on in March, it is to be hoped that we shall soon be favoured with a general downpour, so as to ensure a good autumn, as plenty of grass in autumn almost ensure* a good winter, as it is half the battle if you have plenty of feed to carry you into midwinter without stock being pinched. On© thine:, we are understocked, and this last week or two an increased number of sheep and lambs have been sent to the various freezing works. I notice that the goods trains have now fair loads of sheep trucks, but there has never been ' the rush this season that we usually have- and I do not think there has been a special sheep train run this summer on the Palmerston-Wan-ganui section. From what I can hear, the Wanganui Freezing Company are getting a larger number of sheep from, south of the works than they generally get ; but they seldom secure any from south of the Rangitikei River, and the Wellington companies still get a lot of sheep from the laro-^ holdings up HunterviUe and Mangaweka way. There is little to report appertaining to agricultural matters. Farmers are still busy finishing up the harvest, and the hum of the threshing mills is heard on every hand in the cropping districts : but, given anything like fine- weather, the threshing season will be a very short one, as there is not only le-=s crop, but the number of mills is largely increased, and are so largely in excess oif the work to be done that I can hardly see how it can pay to own a mill. A plant costs oyer £1000. so that they should clear at least filOO^to pay interest on the capital alone ; and then there is insurance and repairs to make good, so that they have to do a considerable quantity of threshing to pay expenses. Most of them keep their engines at work all the year on the roads hauling grain and also timber. Engines are also being largely utilised, in stumping land, and I believe they are far before explosives at that work, as with two or three men going ahead and digging round the stumps, and cutting a big root now and as-ain, they can clear a large area in a week. On all level land a large area is being cleared, so as to fit it for the plough, as the sheep men want rape and turnips for their lanibs. and the dairymen want fodder for their cows. The potato crop is, I fear, doomed to comparative failure. the main cause being the late sprins- we had. the land being so wet that it was impossible to plant at the usual time, and the dry snell setting in so suddenly and continuing so long that this last fortnight the shaws, or haulms, have commenced to dry off before the tubers are .t->tt size. Even if we were to get rain now it Would only make things worse by causing second growth. There- are patches of country that were favoured with showers during the droueht that may produce fair crops ; but the* outlook is not bright for anything like even an average crop. Those who are fortunate enough, however, to secure even half a crop will get a good return in money, as prices are still keeping very high, about £8 a ton b&ing the market price to-day in Palmerston. in ordinary seasons the usual price in March being less than half of that — in fact, £3 a ton was considered a very fair loriee. The, failure through weather conditions is mot of so much moment, however, as we can hope for better times next year. What I consider a far greater calamity is that the potato disease has made its appearance- all up the Coast — from the Hutt, near "Wellington, right \ip to far Taranaki. About Palmertson North it is very prevalent, and the great bulk of our potatoes are igrown there, so it is a serious matter to farmers in that locality. I have only heard of one ease about Feilrlinc, and that was with imported seed ; but I fear it is more prevalent than the majority of farmers will admit, or think, as they have been attributing the came of the decaying of the haulms to the rlrv weather, though I fear it is more likely to be disease that is the cause. I may mention a case in point. A 'farmer on thr Rangitifcei told me a fortnight ago that his crop, of about eight acres, was going to be a failure through the drought, as all the shaws had died 1 off. I know the land well. It is deep, black, alluvial soil, iust about perfect potato-growing land, and I have seen 20 tons to the acre taken off adjoining and similar land in as dry a season as this has been. I could, therefore, hardly credit what he told me, but T ha%'G been thinking since I have seen the form the disease takes that it is probable it is disease that is the matter with his crop. That the potato disease is likely to become a very serious matter for the colony now that it has apparently got a hold over the greater part of the North Island, seems to me unquestionable, and it behoves farmers to take every means to eradicate the pest at once, before it igets a thorough lodgntent in the soil, if it is possible. And it is possible, as I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing impossible about eradicating any disease or pest that attacks a farmer's products. It may take years of unremitting labour <ro overcome vhe pest but with unity of purpose amongst farmers it can be done. But here comes the rub : How are we to get farmers to work in unison in the matter? There should be no need of legislation, as every man should rush to the front the same as they would do if we had a foreign fo© on our coast. It is too late fco save this season's crop, but as far as I understand the nature of the disease now is the time to mitigate the evil for the comino- year — that is to say, see that all shaws and rubbish be carefully tra,thered and burned on the ground, and all potatoes diseased in any ( way be destroyed. Iv fact, no

The TTeather.

Potatoes.

Export of Stud Cattle.

potatoes ought to T>e allowed off a farm where the disease is known to exist. Perhaps it is to much to expect farmers to act up to this, seeing the prices potatoes are selling at, as it is too tempting and is against human nature to refuse money — as a well-Known character said when he was twitted about changing his political opinions after a short railway journey with a prominent politician : so I fear farmers will try to put diseased potatoes on the market if they can. but storekeepers and dealers should mark every bag as they receive it, and make a note of from whom it was purchased, so that if diseased stuff is found they can tell where it came from, and if they made it a condition of purchase that if disease were found the seller had to refund the> purchase money and also remove the potatoes and destroy them, ther would be little Ijp [ear. Householders also could do a lot to help the health officer by reporting hating dis-ea^cd potatoes delhered to them. The officers could then take steps to trace where they had come from, and take action to stop the producer from putting any more of them on the market. I hate just seen three stud Hereford heifers on the way to Wellington to be shipped by this week's steamer for Melbourne. They are regxilar beauties, and will cause a sensation amongst cattle men when they reach Victoria. There are two two-year-olds and one yearling. The yearling" is a plum, and I shall be surprised if f-he does not make her mark in the show ring 3of the other side. But more competent judges than I profess to be. however, fancy one of the two-year-olds a better beast, but all three ca,n well ptand a carelful inspection. I hardly! know whether to feel glad or sorry at seeing such animals leave the colony, as properly mated, there is a mine of wealth in them. Seeing by their pedigrees that they have some of the best blood ever produced in England in their veins, we can ill spare them, as the number -t snoh are none too plentiful in this colony ; but they will be a giand advertisement in Australia of wl>at "New Zealand can -"roduce. The fact that the purchaser, Mr W. H. Yelland, of Newlvn, comes here on the look out for something to improve hia herd is proof of the estimation .in which our Herefords are held on the other side. Last year Mr Yelland bought the bull Field-marshal from Mr H. Holms, of Waimahaka, with which he took the championship at the Royal A and P. show in,, Melbourne. Field-marshal has taken 12 champion prizes, and has never been beaten either in New Zealand or Victoria ; so being so successful with the bull he came over to see i£ he could pick up something equally as good in females. He inspected the -principal herds of New Zealand, and I understand he purchased three heifers from the veteran breeder Mr J. Stucky. of Masterton, which, I am certain, will be no discredit to the colony when they reach Melbourne. He left this coast to the last, but he could not miss seeing the herd that produced Field-marshal, when he bought two of the lieuers I saw -from Mr D. P. Buchanan, of Mayfield, and one from Mr tievett, Mr Buchanan's late partner. They were the breeders of Fieldmarshal, and one of the heifers Mr Buchanan sold is ctf the same family as the bull, being descended from that grand 1 old imported cow Leonora 11. It must be understood that Mr Yelland did not e~e» the best, and I do not suppose that many would buy the best of any of the herds I have mentioned. While on the subject of purebred stock, I notice that the Australian Sheep Breeders' Association has changed the date of its show in Melbourne so that it may be held the week before Royal or Metropolitan A. and P. shotv. I should like to see some df our longwoolled sheep breeders take some of their bes-fe sheep, so as to compare them with the Australians. I have an idea that it would pay them, as they would probably open up -i market for their rams. Cattle breeders also should seriously consider whether it would not be worth their while to take some of their very best, and not depend on their sale cattle to represent them at such a gathering. The Australian trade in purebred stook is well worth trvim? for, as the "shepherd kings" of the Com-mon-wealth are always prepared to give big money for anything really eood. ANTIQUA OVIS.