AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2664, 5 April 1905, Page 7

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

A good deal of annoyance is, manifested in South Canterbury (says the Lyttelton Times) concerning the cancellation of the railway regulation limiting the weight of wheat to 2001b per bag. Quantities of 44in "bags were imported, and most of them were distributed, but the balance in the hands of importers is not likely to be in demand, as the flourmillers have expressed their objections to them. Mr Evans, of the Atlas Mills, says they will hold 2001b of flour with a little pressing, but they cannot be made to hold the standard commercial weights of bran or pollard. The operative storemen •very jnuch regret the cancellation, as they found the lighter sacks of wheat nraeh better to handle, and they stack quit© as well as the laTger, if put down in odd numbers.

Although the dairying season is drawing to a close, fair quantities of butter for shipment to the Home markets are (says the Wellington correspondent of the Christohurch Press) still coming" forward. Very little butter so far has besn stored in "Wellington, Patea, or New Plymouth, shippers desiring to take advantage of every . opportunity of getting produce Home in view of the satisfactoiy prices ruling. The present quotations for butter are from 107s to 108s per cwt. as compared with S4s to 96s jper ewt ruling this time last year, or a difference, of about l^d per lb, the highest price known for Nsw Zealand butter for some years.

During the month cf March ths local Government poultry depot has graded and packed for cool store 3185 birds, as against 2983 the corresponding month last year. Every case held in the cool store up to the time of the despatch of the s.s. Somerset ivas shipped by that toat, about 60 more cases being required to fill orders. At preeent the demand for live poultry is far in •excess of the supply.

The blight which has attacked the potato 'crops throughout the colony has now made .its appearance amongst the tomatoes in the 4Hutt Valley. The Department of Agriculture, expecting that the disease would Spread in this way, recommended that the ■tomato plants should be sprayed, but, unfortunately, very few of the settlers appear to have followed the advice of the Government experts, and the consequence is that the bulk of the tomato crop in the valley feas been ruiued. The Assistant Government UiQloEist (Mr Cockayne) visited the district

yesterday, and made a minute inspection of the tomatoes in various parts of the valley. He has lecommended growers whose crops have been attacked to burn the plants at once, and he has also advised that in thos© garde-ns where the disease has not yet appeared spraying should be immediately resorted to. There is great scarcity of eggs in Wellington just now. Practically none have come to the Wellington receiving department this year. Mr G. Finn, manager of the Fresh Food and Ice Co., states that high prices will he realised this season. His company, which deals very largely in eggs, has none in stock at present. He attributes the scarcity to two facts : the first is that many more ,eggs are being stored in Canterbury in the present season than in previous years, and the second is that the consumption of eggs is increasing in this district.

The number of calves inoculated in the district between the El ths m road and the Manawatu River is about 28,000, which with the few yet to be done will be increased to over 30,000. Mr Deem reports that most of the owners seemed pleased with the results. Only 27 or 28 deaths have been reported, which averages about 1 in 1000. S3ome very good yields are being reported in oat crops near Winchester. One paddock of Mr James Scott's yielded 87 bushels, and one of Mr F. M. Young's over 100 bushels to the acre.

Mr G. P. Donnelley, who has just returned from a visit to inland Patea, writes very strongly to tho H-B. press about the way the rabbit pest is spreading on the Owhaoko Native Block, recently abandoned by Messrs Studholme Bros., and also amongst the Ruahine and Kaweka Ranges. He urges prompt and decisive action being taken and assistance being given to settlers to oope with the pest, otherwise a further large area of Native land is likely to be abandoned, as the Natives will be unable to pay rates and taxes on it, and the e"xpen«e cf * destroying the rabbits will then fall on the State.

The dairying industry is progressing fen the West Coast of the J3outh Isla-nd. About two tons and a-half of butter are being sent out every week from the Kokatahi Dairy Factoi'y, and a sum of between £600 and £700 was paid out to the settlers for the February milk supply. Mr G. Esteourt Parsons, Kincaid. shipped his last season's wool clip to London, and has received a most satisfactory return (says the Kaikoura Star). Two lots of halfbred brought the good price of Is 2d per lb, and another lot Is, whilst three-quarterbred also brought Is 2d. Combing and pieces likewise fetched excellent prices. The rabbit-trapping season has now open<^. the first batch from the Waimea Plains district being received at Mataura on Tuesday (says the Ensign). Rabbits arc said to be fairly plentiful (owing to the dry season) and in good condition. Tho price offered to trappers is A-^d per pair, and before long au unusually large number of men will be engaged in the industry.

A Waitohi farmer reports hayings threshed from one paddock the small yield of seven bushels of oats per acre, and another farmer, a neighbour, seven bushels of wheat per acre. For some reason humble bees are not nearly so numerous in the 'Aghburton County as they were three years ago. It has been stated that the exceptionally wet Reasons experienced have had the effect of drowning the bees, which usually make their home in the sod banks of gorse fences. The partial failure of the clover crops during the past two years is due to the scarcity of the humble bees,

The potato disease is rapidly spreading in North Canterbury, and some' of the crops are quite spoiled. One or two growers will lose largely. A grower on Kaiapoi Island, who was expecting a return of 12 tons of potatoes to the acre, will lose about £250.

The potato blight is fast developing in Ashburfon County, many crops of potatoes being now badly diseased.

Mr Edward O'Neil, of Rangitira "Valley (says the Temuka Leader), has cut, threshed, and sold a paddock of wheat which yielded 65 bushels to the acre. He bought the land a couple of years ago for £10 10«, go it has all but paid for itself by this one crop.

Over 3600 sheep from "Wellington were lauded at Xiyttolton on Wednesday. The Rotomahana brought 550 and the Rakanoa 3108. A-notKeo: consignment of ovei- 3000 was to arrive from Wellington by the Whangape on Thursday.

Investigations as to the .-ause of moicality among sheep on the" Mullengandia Run, Albury district (N.S.W.), proved that death was due to the sheep •eating carcases of rabbits poisoned ' by phosphorus.

At the meeting of the Selwyn County Council on Wednesday the chairman said that £1163 had been expended during the year in the suppression of small birds. The total number of old birds' head*, at 6d was 267.000; heads and eggs, at 3d, 287,840; making- a total of 554,930.

Tho crops in South Canterbury (writes tho correspondenf of the Press) are yielding remarkably well — better even than was generally anticipated. Oats are, tin calling out 60, 70, and up to 100 bushels pur aero, while wheat is yielding 40, 50, ami 60 bushels to the acre. A paddock of Danish oats belonging- to Mr S. Miller, May field, Canterbury, haa threshed out at. lib bushels to the acre. Over 100 trucks were engaged by Canter-

and bluestone are kept separate they will keep for a long time. Such an enterprise would be of advantage, not only to the person undertaking it, but also to growers. There are at present, according to Mr Kirk, n.ony crops which, if sprayed at once, would be saved.

The Totara Valley correspondent of the Timaru Post writes: — Harvest 13 now prac-t"i.-slly over in this district, and although it has lasted much longer than usual, the grain was almost all secured in very good condition. Threshing mills are> now working full time, and in a few weeks most of the season's wheat will be ready for the market. Tho potato blight continues to play havoc with tho crops, and where spraying ha.s been adopted the results have not proved very satisfactory, probably because the remedy was not applied in time. Settlers who procured seed from othc districts have not suffered nearly so much as those who v-ed seed potatoes grown in the district. Some fine early potatoes, procured from Mr Allen, of Timaru, have completely escaped the disease. Next year it will be necessary lo get a complete change of seed from some clean district. The turnip crops are coming on nicely, and as so many sheep arc coming^ into the country, they fdiojild com-n-.and a fair jiric?. Farmers have already commenced ploughing — and so the s-casc"is coma and go. with never a day to spa.'c for the busy settler?.

In spi*e of the recent changeable weather (v\rit-cs the Pleasant Point correspondent of the Timaru Herald), nearly all thr> farmers in this- neighbourhood have succeeded in stacking their giain in pretty good order. Ihre^hing mills are now kept bus;v. and t!;e yields in almost nvery case exceed expectations. Returns of 90to 100 br.sheb of oats and 60 bushels of wheat to th^ acre are not xmcommoii. The traffic on the roads now 15 becoming very hea\y, traction engines being n»&j largely to convey grain to the 1 ail way station or to Timaru"

Mr Johi Cooke, of Messrs John Cooke aud Co., M-elbouiMO and Sydney, left London on March 4 for Capetown. After a 1-rief stay in Sou + 'i Africa he intends to proceed to Hobart by the s.s- Athenic. and i.* expected in Melbourne about April 20.

In his new book, entitled "Bacteriology and the Public Health," Dr George Newman makes special refersno to the importance of a pure and clean milk supply. In one of his chapter', as showing how the unclean coat of a cow will influence tho number of micro-organisms in the milk, an interestirj'g exp~-rime it made by Professor Russell is quoted: — A cow that had been pastured in a meadow was taken f o^ the experimen< , and the milking done cut of doors to cleminate- as much as possible the- influence of the germs in the barn air. Without any special precaution being taken, the animal was partially milked, and during the operation a covered glass dish containing a thin layer of sterile gelatine was evposeld for 60 seconds undprneath the belly of the- cow. in close proximity to the milk pail. The udder, flfenk and legs of the cow were then tholoughly cleaned with water, and all the preepiitions referred to before were carried out, ami the milking- then r^'suired. A t-eeond plate was then exposed in the same place for an equal length of time, a contiol ako ueing expo«p^l at the same time, at a dister.ee of 10ft from ihe animal am l 6ft from tho .ground, to ascertain tho germ contents of the surrounding air. From thi< experiment the following; instructive data were q«-i tbered : — When the animal was milked without any special precautions being taken tbere wer'} 3250 bacterial gems Tier minute deposited on an area equal to the expo-ed ifi]i of a lOin milk nail. "Where the row recoiveJ the precautionary treatment, rs suggested above, there were only 115 germs ■per minute deposited on th-e same area. In t!;o plaTe that wa« exposed to the surrovnding air at sime distance from the cow there werj 65 bacteria. This indicates that a large number of organisms from the dry foat of the animal can be kept out of milk if such simple rrecau^j^ns as these -were carried out. — Dublin Farmers' Gazette.

Some crons in South Canterbury (-ay> tho Timaru Post) are yielding well this seaeon. Two crop* of oats near Winchester returned 69 and 65 bushels to the acre. On the Arowhonua, 40 acres of wheat went 70 bushel*, and the whole lot of 100 neres of the samo farmer's crop of wheat will a\erage 60 bushel'?. The Seadown crops are vieldmj* heavily, one farmer's wheat going 60 bushels from a large acreage.

A Peol Forest c-orre^condent of the Lytrelton Times writes: — Harvest here, as elsewhere, has been very dragging, constant showers having delayed the work of stacking. A large amount of grain has been greatly damaged by wet weather while in stook and by being stacked while wet. As a conseiuence. many stacks have been heated badly. Threshing is in full swing, but the {Train is much discoloured and mu-ty. Many farmers hay© been in too great a hurry, and have thrashed before the grain has been in stack for a ■week. In the Fairlie district and through tho Levels Settlement I noticed that the crops were nearly all in stack, and the colour appeared better about here. Some of the rror>3 at tTilton are still quite green. Mr Wilson, of Allandale, ha? an fxceTlenL field of wheat which should give a letuvn of 60 bushek per acre. Altogether _ I think the. crops are- above the. average in quantity. Grass has never "hern .=0 plentiful at this &ea*on, and theic should bo an abundance of winter feed. Dry weather, however, is inquired to harden, i£»

buiy buyer? to rail their sheep purchased at the Mararoa clearing sale to tho northern province. Tho number of sheep sold v, as 27,000.

The two largest milk-condensing firms in Europe — Henri Uestle and. the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company — have recently amalgamated. The new company has a capital of £1,600,000, and the shares have baen chiefly tpken tip- in Switzerland. This big trust will practically control the European supply. The company has factories in England and various parts of the Continent, but tlie main portion of the output is from the huge establishments in Switzerland. Th© milk of 40,000 cows is imported inta»"England daaiy in the form of condensed milk

Tho Christchurch Press of the 28th ult. reports that the total number of sheep landed in Lyttelton from January 1 of the present j-ear has row reached 100,000.

iSpeakiu ; of the potato blight. Mi 1 T. W. Kirk, Government biologist. m tho course of conversation with a, representative of the Ohristchurch Press, remarked that he thought it would ha a profitable enterprise for a practical gardener to obtain ai outfit and vi^ifc the different growci's, and offer .to spray their crops. All that the gardener -nould require would be a horse and cart to convey barrels one containing lime and the other bluestone. If the lime

North and South America (says the Australian Meat Trader Journal of March 21) are making strong efforts to hold the markets they enjoyed almost without challenge in South "Wales until the inauguration of the New Zealand-British west ports service. A consignment of 600 States sheep is ad-vi-sed to Cardiff, and there arrived in Barry Dock (which is in the port of Cardiff) last week the steamship Highland Heather, from tho Argentine, with 300 tons of meat, consigned to Messrs H. Woodley and Co. Later on, however, the steamship Everton Grange arrived with upwards of 8000 cax-c-ases of Australian new season lamb for the same firm. A week previous the Royal Mail packet Pardo also ffent into the Bute Docks with meat from the River Plate.

The Wilks district stock inspector has been called upon to make a departmental report upon a mysterious outbreak of poisoning among sheep (says the MelbourneArgus). Latterly Mr Owen Daly, of Mullengandra, has lost a num<ber of sheep, and has a^ertained that the cause of death was the eating of the carcases of rabbits which had been poisoned by phosphorus. In this case there is nothing to account for the sheep's taste for the d-ead rabbits, unless it is. a=? suggested by Mr "Wilks, a possibility that at a period when the whole country is a3 dry r.s dust the animals may b& attracted by the moisture of the csxea*e<!. The sheep are certainly not drawn by hunger or thirst or by tho need of salt. There is plenty of very dry grass, on the run, and a supply of water, and the pad- j docks are provided wilh salt and the lick which is made from the Stock Department* recipe. There i=> no doubt that the sheep eat the*rabbits. Mr Daly had seen them in the act. In some instances the carcases of -hrep which had succumbed were opened, and their stomachs were found to contain lumps of undigested rabbit fleslj, together with pieces of skia 'f.ur and all) from 2in to Air. :n: n length. Tn ni^fc oa.=es the sheep di" lingering deaths. The illness extend* over from 10 to 20 days, the animals suffer- ; ing :>reat agony from the outset. Mr "Wilkp, j in an experience extending ove~ many years, has only once. before b«»ard of sheep eating ' '^ad rabbits, but in that case the. circum-*! stances n-ere riitirelv different. It was on J the Darling during the height of the severe | di ought, when there was. not a blade of j gia=s on ihe run, and the sheep, like the ribbits. \\pve dying of starvation.

In the Mark Lane Exnress of January 30 the contributor of "Sheep Notes" remark*: — A matter ripe for the consideration of sheep breeders is whether or not renewed effoWs ought to be made to obtain a induction of the period of quarantine enforced by the Australian colonies and Xew Zpaland imon imported sheep. This quarantine is. wo believe, generally three calendar ivonths after arrival in the colony, wiiir-h, added to tho period of ths voyage, makes fully 19 weeks' isolation from any pc-s»ible source of infection. S'uvely this period i& beyond the bounds of all reason, and one that inflicts unnecessary expense upon tho importer, and to a very large extent curtails the demand. In spite of all (his he-ivy expenditure, md tho other diawbac-ks caused by tl-e lengthened period- sp«it in quarantine, it i^ rrost satisfactory to noto the inorea. co;lc o;l demand that has been experienced during the pa->t year from these eolo'nies. A New Zealand correspondent, writing in December last, stated that, al that period there v. eve no less than 45 imported >turl sheep in the quarantine* station of New Zealand. This is a very large number, and one of the large&t -yve remember having noted for n,£iiy years. Amongst these sheep were several specially fine animals, Lord Polwarih's 160cfS Border Leicester, and two of the. samo br?ed that co.-t close upon lOOs^s here, and Mr Chai-les File's typical Kent yearling ram, purchased last summer at th-e "East ~Kent 'how, Canterbury, for 50»s. Tlio following JiaraQteris f .io paragraph is l&Len from the) American S\eep Breedcof February 15 . —The half-dozen Angora Croats that ran away from their comfortable. Vermont; fold to >i;cnd tho winter in the i'O\v bank? an! sombre- shadows of tho hemlocks, and returned in tho spring, safe and r ound, -wcr© not the fir--t Angoras to survive the rigours of "ainter in tlic moun-

tain wilda. One of Bailoy and Sons' finest bucks parsed three winter months among: (be Sierra peaks of Nevada arid returned to tho Winneniuec* ranch in the spring a irjring a 121b fice?\ And Tom Wedgwood's peat bnck, Kingston Lad, spent a v/lntor in tbo Sierra wilds of Kcw Mexico and strode into a strange goat corral 100 miles away from the home fold, as proud and self-conscious . 5 if nothing unusual bad happened, and only tho other week, after his dress paraclo season at the World* Fair, returned to his Kingston. N.M., home carrying a 161b fle^e, 101b of which sold for sdol a pound, the world's iecord price for moh aii-

In addition to the Plate companies already {visaing for t-xp ->i-t, the \vcrks of tho Smithfield- Argentine Company ac Zarate and those of the Frigorifico Argcntino afc Pi.-enos Ayres arj expecfed to commence* operations during the current year; the sf.me. applies to new -works at Monte Video. A substantial increase in South American rr:<>a.h exports to the United Kingdom may therefore bo looked for before very long-. Iho opening of the Smithfield- Argentine work-, with a capacity of 200 tens a day, baa been fixed for March.

The subjoined items of interest appear in the Pastoralists' Review for February: — Mr "W. B. Sle.de, of Gicngallan, Queensland, recently sold 500 wethers (in their wool) at an average of ISs. Prices ranged up to 23s 6d. — Mr Robert Christison, the noted Hereford brcedor, of Lammcrmoor, Queensh nd, leaves London for Argentina some* time this mouth, with a view to buying an cstancia there. — A reprosentat.ve of tho Japanese Government has apprcached Mr Sidney Kidman with &n order for 1000) head of horses. If the supplying dees not spoil Kidman's contemplated annual "fair" at Kapuoda in August, the chances are thafc the deal will materialise. — Mr Swinburne, Minister of Agriculture in Victoria, 13 ai.xious to sha.j Avith New South Wales the representation of their commercial agents in Japan and South Africa, and ife is understood that the Premier of Xew South Walis is agreeable to such aji arrangement. — Not content' with endeavouring to attract settlors from Europe, the Queensland Government has sent a lecturer into South Australia to rake in recruits, and the' West Australian Government have one touring Ne v South Wales to draw away farirera from that State New Zealand, too. is opening an information bureau In Sydney. — Dr Ho well, of the Victorian De-

partment of Agriculture, anpeals to tho wealthy pastoralists of tbat State to establish an agricultural experiment station after the German model. This should not be an. experimental farm, nor a few plots on ai private farm, but a thoroughly-equipped, scientific institution, to form a breedings ground of useful facts for dissemination among farmers. Such an institution ho declares to be "one of the most pressing needs of agricultural development." _ He ■points out tlv.fc private munificence in the United States has clone a great deal to advance agriculture in America. Tho three red poll cows imported by Mi .7. E. Davenport for Mr R. H. Rhode.?, M.R.R.. were released from quarantine ai Quail Island on Wednesday la^,t, and despatched by trim Tor Ten Tapu. Fiva Rveland ewes with lambs, r-lso imported hy Mr Pavpnuofl-, wore likewise rf leased, and entrained io be sent to Mr A. Mr.cfarlane, of Culvcvrdo'i.

In conv-ars.xtiin with several sheep farn <?rs and other? interested in the sheep trade, a repr^v^nfativi 3 of the Ashburfon Guardian was informed that the decline m the price of brseliier ewes, noted at the hist two f-ale-s at Ash'>m~ton. muiSt not be taken as an indication that the* market hfcl weakened s;en3raily. The demand for forward lambs and 1 co3s' l ->r?d wethers was a' keen as ever. The drop in th& price o{ breeding ewes was due to the large numbers imported jnto the country, of which" fonjo were of agsd <nJ inferior quality. Gcod nuiiitv so ind-inouth cwfts had not materially falle-i in priue-. and the\-e did not ay-pear to be any prospect of a general decline in the marke-.

At a gener il committee 11 -peting of tie A^hburton A. aivl P. A-sociati-ir nn the ?.Pfh ult . He«f-. -T. Small. E. J. Tucker. A. Leathern, and W. Jamie=cn were eleclorl life member*. Mr F. .7. Milton wrote resigning membership, •■wins: to hi-3 approaching deDavtuv^- for- England. Mr J. Tucker donated £2 2s ai>d £1 Is for a competition at tb© next -winter show, for tho best collection of nroduco from any one farm. The revi.-ed rules of rh~ s^r.ciation wore ipnroved. It was decided to rocommend the h'coming committee to es*abli»>li a competition at the next win rev =.how for rollpo. iions of produce by children in school distriot«.

The following- w an extract from a lettc* written by Mr Mar-hall Halstrad. United; States roii'j! at Tsii mm ;liam (EnslarJ). to the- American £'ie mi "P.i-peilev • — TJac A.npora and mohair iiularh-r in South Africa, and the Unite 1 Stares is a. very considerable cii'l piofirable one. jWa. Minor i-> the home of the Anaora. and the> rearms of tli> aaini.il- there has toon carried on for an ui.k'iown numb, i- of Generation*. In South Afiica and in the United

The Imperial Brass Spbvy Pcvp: "With Stream and Fine Spray Xozzie. — Made c-^ American noted mamifacturers Are ob 1 airable from Kimuo axd Blair, Dunedir. FrK.-S-growers and Oicliardists should uss them.

States it 19 of comparatively modern development. British manufacturers, fmt'ing the supply of Turkish mohair insufficient sor trade requirements, secured the introduction of Angoras into South Africa, and now the supply of mohair from that quarter 'as double the output of Asia Minor. The rapid development of the Angora goat industry in the United States has been TbrouiAt about much as the business might 43evelop in Australia— namely, by the stocking of bush land with Angoras for the purpose of bringing such land' inso condition lor grazing or -tilling. All Angora goat "4>reecfers> do not, however, run their etocK Solely for preparing the land for gracing. 3?hey Tun goats for mohair precisely as Australian sheep breeders run their flocks for yool and mutton. Once they _ enter into ithe business they are lotli to give it up. The North British Agriculturist of February 8 writes:— The laird of Wemyss, who, by the way, is a scion of the ancient house «f Macduff, is making things hxven in the

'^Bast Neuk." Since lie returned from South Africa, where he served with the rank of captain, he has been busy with vast schemes for the development of his Fifesbire estate. Enormous deposits of "black diamonds,"' rivalling in value the diamonds found in the blue clay of Kimberley, have bee a discovered on the estate of Wemyss, and Mr Wemyss is taking energetic stops to have the mining industry fully developed on Lis property He has built a larje lot of tenements at Wemyss, and some 300 houses at Methil, for the workmen in the names. He has also promoted a provisional order for a tramway between I*even and Kirkcaldy. This tramway will be eight mil^s in length, and six of the eight miles will be on the Wemyss pro. perty. A new dock -"s also to be built at Buckhaven, and cement works as well as "brick works are to be built at Methil and Muiredge. Mr Wemyss was elected Provost of Buckhaven last November, and already that burgh is reaping the fruit of his civio rule.