AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2661, 15 March 1905, Page 21

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The Timaiii Herald states ci good authority that the implement firm* in (luir district, in addition to no longer exhibiting ai Uie Timaru Agricultural and Pa-toral Association's annual shew, are abort to discontinue their membership sub-ci ipt'Ons, and also the ghing ot special prizes. The propose! to Slid <i shipmc it of apples to England by the Rakiio this =oa?on i= like'y to bo abandoned (-.v-s thp X<-« Z-oa-l.md Herald), it seem- that the Depr.rt-ljj-ent of Agriculture finds that the southern crops are so l'^'.u iKil g!O.-, oi- ii the south v. ill not bo able io fuini h o el pait of a chipn.cnl. Sufficient fruit cf a e uitrb!e kind to fill a chamber could not bo obtained f'om the north, and unc'.ci the ciicumstaiicrs there n little prc*, -.el d :'. c e:\perimont being carried o".t. It U interesting to lead of wool selling at 2s OJ.d per lb. Tlu^ ru ice via- ltal.sccl for a h.i'io of wrol fiom Tplunn Parea, sold in London in Xo\< lii^er. 1871. Tho f-cis are sot out in a letter to tbo Sdatfr--. C\ E\<?nin^Po^t uom Mi W. Tl*.' -on D^.is, Kilciu Grange, Ashurot. He states that the wool

-*«■

■

was shipped by Mr E. T. Batley, of Moawhango, Inland Patea, whose certificate is as follows: — "Memo re one bale wool sold in London, November 27, 1871— Potter, Wiljon. and Co., one bale half-bred scoured lambs' wool from merino ewes by Leicester rams, weighing 4171b, at 2s o£d, brought £42 11s 4d. The above bale was the property of Batley and Keepa, and was the arst crossbred wool sent out from Inland Patea, and the first also of partly nativei>wned wool." Another big consignment of sheep was landed- at Lyttelton on Thursday by the »teamer Pukaki, which brought a total of E497 from Welington. As an indication of the lateness of the season all over Southland this year, at the flower show held at Orepuki last week there was quite good competition in currants, raspberries, and gooseberries. As one travels by train to Orepuki from Invercargill at present it is almost impossible (says the Southland Times) not to take notice of the complete hold that ragwort appears to have of the bush land that has been cleared right through the Longwood. A farmer who recently sold out with the intention of going in for sheep country, told a representative of the Timaru Herald on Saturday that he could not get a look in at all. He could get the land easily enough, but sheep he could not get, the price for ewes at present being too high. Being a young man. with capital at his disposal, he was getting tired of attending Bales where sheep were selling at high prices, and he felt very much inclined to ' once more take up a farm and renew his letive acquaintance with dairying and grain-growing. The St. Andrew's correspondent of the Fimaru Herald states that Mr Dunbar has threshed an average of 118 bushels of oats per acre from a- 12-acre paddock situate in J, corner east of the township and the Otaio River. The oats were Gartons, and they leffc the mill a first-class sample. Altogether, a total of 16,000 sheep, all rroni the North Island, were landed at Lyttelton last week. These were supplemented on Sunday by 3277 brought by the s.s. Rakanoa from Napier, and by the s.s. 'Alexander, which brought 1200 from Nelson. Further large consignments are to arrive this week.

The following Canterbury harvest notes are from Saturday's Lyttelton Times: — Oats are very badly grown in the Malvern district. In some cases the sheaves have 'grown together. There are large quantities of turnips in the district, but moat of them are very backward.— Harvest is in full swing in the Sheffield district, but 'large areas of wheat have still to be out. •In conic parts of the district oats are still quite green. Reapers and Binders are seen at work in all directions. — There is an ■■abnormal growth of grass in some part? "of Canterbury. At Sheffield, the clover and tares may be seen above the grain. — The .weather has been fine in South Canterbury since Monday, and good progress has teen made with stacking during the lasfc two or three days. The greater part of the crop was in stook at the beginning of 'the week, and stacking has been delayed by showers. This week's fine weather has enabled carting to be pushed on, and every effort is being made to reap the fullest possible advantage from th© favourable conditions. A good many mills are also engagedi in threshing out of stooks. ! A committee meeting of the Mackenzie County Agricultural Society was held on Thursday l&sfc, Mr Trotter (president) in^

the chair. The programme was thoroughly revised, and ordered to be printed. Various prizes and donations to the prixe fund were promised. Mr Trotter promised a challenge cup for the draught horse classes, to hewon twice ; Mr Goodwin, £5 ss ; Messrs Gillingham Bros., £3 3s; Mr Gillies, £1 Is; Mr Smith, £1 Is ; and other prizes were spoken of. The names of gentlemen were ohosen for judges, and the secretary was instructed to write to them ; also, to see about getting a hand and the usual trains. What may be claimed ac a record fee a flock of sheep, as far as prices are concerned (says the Lyttelton Time«), is that at which the "Dray ton" flock was recently sold. This property, comprising some 2380 acres, has been sold to Mr H. J. Harrison, of Hollyfort. Rakaia, who also purchased the sheep flock, which consists of 3896 two. four, six, and eighttooth half bred ewes, and 2240 halfbred lambs, the prices paid being 28s each for the ewes, and 18s each for the lambs. The prices have been furnished by the National Mortgage and Agency Co. Mr F. J. Milton, the late owner, used greac pains and judgment in raising the flock to its present standard, and must feel gratified at the results of his efforts. The flock can be claimed to be equal to any halfbr&d flock in the colony. Ihe bac-i9 of the flock was ewes bought by Mr Milton from Messrs Gerard and Murchison, with which he has always used the l-alf-brec) ram (first-cross Lincoln-merino). The last season's wool clip averaged 10^d at the local sales. Mr Harrieori is to be congratulated on the acquisition of such a flock. Mr John Holmes, of Wellington, well known in connection with exhibition matters, was a passenger from Wellington to the Bluff by the Monowai, which called afc Lyttelton on Thursday last. He informed a Lyttelton Times representative that he had recently been addressing successful public meetings at Masterton, Palmerstoji North, Hawera, and Stratford, in advocacy of the establishment of a dairy produce exchange in those centres for the further oontol of the butter and cheese exports of this colony. The meetings were enthusiastic and strong committees had been formed in several centres to give effect to his recommendations. Mr Holmes empl'asised the importance of exploiting new markets for New Zealand dairy produce, and especially urged the advisableness of appointing qualified oommercial representatives to give public lectures at Home, particularly in the Town Halls of Mew-oastle-on-Tyne, Manchester, Liverpool. Cardiff, and Bristol. He considered that it would be advantageous to the dairy industry of the colony if at the close of each lecture a lib pat of New Zealand butter and a similar qxiantity of cheese were presented to every person present. This would enable consumers to realise for themselves the excellent quality of New Zealand dairy produce, ancJ would greatly tend, he thought, to overcome the prejudice that is still existing in some quarters against it. A line of 3000 bushels of prime old season's wheat, mixedl Tuscan, Hunters and pearl, was sold at Ashburton on Thursdaylast, at 3s 3d per bushel on the trucks for Hunters, and 3s 4-d per Imsliel for Tuscan and pearl-