LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2671, 24 May 1905, Page 9

LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

The low freights ruling for shipment of grain to the Home Country have induced some Ohristchurch merchants to forward consignments of wheat and oats for the London market. Under the present ciroumstances, however (remarks the Oamaru Mail), it is impossible to send the best quality wheat and still leave a. sufficient noargin of profit on the venture, and the result is that samples of second class, purchased at up to 2s 7d, are being sent forward. The?e are certainly dry and in good coiidition, but are slightly sprouted, and it is rather unfortunate that they should be placed on the Home market and provide a standard for the colony's new season's wheat and oats. The outcome will certainly be that the success of future shipments of prime wheat — which will be made when shipping rates have been still further decreased — will be prejudiced. It is gratifying to know that a means of disposing of a portion of the colony's surplus of 1,000,000 bushels has been discovered, as, with this out of the way, real values will be determined. However, it is certainly unfortunate that the present shipments of second quality are being made — especially as they are forwarded ostensibly as prime, and will convince the buyers in the Home market that all th-e colony's samples are either of the same standard, ©r worse.

At the Wyndham Magistrate's Coui-t on the 15th inst., before Mr Riddell, S.M.. 12 farmers were prosecuted by Inspector Wright for failing to clear noxious weeds, fines being inflicted as follows": — D. K. M'Rae (failing to clear ragwort) dBl, costs 10s 6d ; D. K. M'Rae (failing to clear Canadian thistles on run) £7 10s. costs 7s: T. Davidson (ragwort) £1, cost 3 12s; Mary Burns (ragwort) £3, costs 7s ; Mary Johnston (ragwort) £2. costs 10s 6d ; W. J. Hamill (Canadian thistle) £1, costs 14s; John Crosbie (ragwort) £1, costs 10s ; Samuel Clark (ragwort) £1, coots 7s; Ed. Thomas (thistle and ragwort) £3. costs 325 ; A. M'Callum (thistle and ragwort) £1, costs 7s ; Thomas Neill (thistles) £1, costs 7s; P. M'Caughan (ragwoTt) £1, costs 10s 6d; C. Carnie (ragwort) £1. costs 10s 6d.

The Inohclutha correspondent of the Bruce Herald writes : — Harvest was finished a few days ago. Only a very small amount of wheat was grown on the Island this season, and the average returns were very poor, compared with those of some years ago, when the returns were 80 bushels of oats and 60 of wheat. The fact is that farmers are beginning to find out that growing turnips and turning cattle on in the winter to eat them off is a bad system of farming, for the cattle in wet weather puddle the ground, and make it unfit for any other crop, while the ground so treated shows the injurioas effect f or years after. The amount of turnips this season on Inchclutha is not more than one-third of the crop in previous years, as the district is more adapted to grass, which grows to perfection when treated properly. I have lately seen a good many settled districts in Canterbury, and I came to the conclusion, i after inspecting their system of farming, ■ that Otago was far ahead of any of them in- every way in the dairy and other industries in each district, and in its compact, well-kept farms. The rotary system of fanning in Tofcomairiro surpasses anything I saw in Canterbury, and I believe Toko- j mairiro to be th© best farming district I j hare seen.. *