AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

From the information returned by col- ] lectors of statistics, the New South Wales Government Statist is enabled to frame -svhat he regards as a fairly reliable estimate of the number of live stock in New South Wales at the end of 1904, this beingthe first estimate which has been published since the census of 1901. The totals are: — Horses, 372.397; cattle, 1,634,976, of which. 632,493 were cows; sbeop, 10,167,691; .pigs, 286,070. A reduction of 19,840 has taken, place in the number of horses, an increase" of -110,881 in the number of dairy cattle (milking and dry), a decrease of 18,289 in the number -of other cattle, (includingcalves), a decrease of 674,099 in the number of- sheep, and a decrease of 64,300 in the number of pigs. A .-meeting of farmers in *the Geraldine district held on Wednesday afternoon at the eoficTaEkm of the -weekly stock sale to protest against the present system of valuing land, and it was unanimously decided to form a taxpayers' protection league. Complaint was made that values in the Geralctine district were too high, that the Assessment Court was wrongly constituted, and the abolition of this court was advocated, the valuing to be done by one man appointed by the Government and another by the Road Board or County Council, with an umpire to be called in in the event of disagreement, the decision then arrived ! at to be final. The speakers also contended ! that the valuers should personally inspect every farm, and leave with the farmer a note- of the valuation made, to prevent valuations being raised later on, as they complained was often done "now. A strong committee was formed, and representations are to be made to the Government. Mr G. Johnson, butcher at St. Arnaud, "V ictoria, made a remarkable discovery on opening up a bullock which he purchased at the local yards. He found in ohe stomaoh of the beast three iron bolts each 4in long weighing 2-^lb. The bolts were quite bright.- A pig was killed locally, and a large needle, completely black was found close to the liver

Inspector Webb states that Wairoa, Hawke's Bay, is one of the finest fruitgrowing districts in the colony, but a§ there is no regular s>teanver from the place- tons of Fruit are allowed to rot every year. Mr W ]\Jillar, of Ashley Douns district, had a thr^hing out of over 51 bup.hels per acic in his crop. This includes wheat and baric v.

TLc butter market at present is not very brisk (says the New Zealand Times) locally 01 for c\nort There is practically no outsklo market just now eilhor in Australia or

South Africa, and the quantity of butter in store is being helcJ chiefly for local consumption. The Gothic, which leaves for London at the end of the week, will probably take away the last of the season s produce in the shape of cheese. Report comes from Clandeboye and district (writes the Temuka correspondent of the Christchurch Press) that the blight so disastrous to potatoes of late has attacked cauliflowers and like vegetables with disastrous effect

Considerable advance is being made withi the autumn cultivation for grain (says tho Christchurch Press), but the prices for wheat so <iar are not tempting enough to induce farmers to plant a large crop of that cereal. In spite of -some sharp frosts, the pasture lands in North Canterbury afford plenty of grass for stock. Farm work a.t Mayfield (says the Ashburton Guardian) is very forward this year. Threshing is about finished, and a lot of land is going under the plough to get newgrass for the ever-increasing output of fat lambs.

Mr C. J. Reakes, assistant chief veterinarian, states that the recent mortality among lambs at Kaikoura was due to braxy or a disease resembling faraxy. Explaining to the delegates at the North Canterbury Farmers' Conference last week that the Railway Department weighed produce for the purpose of assessing freights, Mr J. O'Halloran mentioned that the weights were furnished, to applicants for-,* fee of a shilling, charged for clerical work. "The shilling," he repeated, "is the clerical error." When the laugh had subsided, Mr O'Halloran stood by hi* slip. "The weights are never right," he declared.

In an -interview in a Melbourne paper, Mr John Cooke stated that tlie works he was eonn-eet-ed with in Argentina dealt recently with one lot of 500 dehorned cattle between three and a-half and four years old, bred and fattened on the one property ; these averaged 10401b of clean beef per body. The Australian average -all round is 7201b, and the Argentina 10 per cent, higher.

The Marlborough Express learns that supplies of fat stock are falling off very much at the Picton Freezing Works, and that in consequence it is contemplated to close the works at a very early date. "It .can hardly be supposed," remarks that paper, "that the farmers are studying their interests in neglecting their opportunities for establishing the freezing industry on a. permanent basis, and we should not be at all surprised to find that if the Freezing Company do not get any niore support they will be compelled to close up the works until such time as they can get larger quantities of fat stock." Commenting on the question of the Sydney abattoirs in relation to the meat export trade, the Australian Meat- Trades Journal of the 16th inst. writes : — Stock are brought down by train to -Homebush, there sold -without any rest, then driven along the dusty streets to Glebe, some 10 miles away, and killed. This is the meat which is sold in our shops and exported to England, and which is not only the lowest-priced meat in London, but injures the sale of -other meat, such as tKat from tho Aberdeen Meat Works, which is treated in a business-like manner. Without fear of contradiction, we state that the Sydney facilities for the meat export trade are the worst in the world, and that our professional politicians (who are the curse of the country) are to blame for it. They can spend vast sums 'Vjn a useless railway station, or in buying estates which are not required, but as for improving the facilities for getting our produce to Circular Quay or Woolloomoolco, that is the last thing they think of. It would "be wiser, before settling more people on the land, for the Government to arrange that produce from the -country should be treated in a businesslike manner.

Criticising the New Zealand Land Commission, the Pastoralists' Review says : — The Royal Commission appointed in New Zealand to inquire into the land legislation and administration is generally recognised a 3 a device of Mr Seddon's to bridge over the difficulty of meeting the demand for afreehold by the large class of small leaseholders established under the influence of the anti-freehold craze. Mr Seddon's party has been so identified with this craze that, though his own common sense must have recognised its fallacy long ago, a change of front will not come easy to the Government. But tke "non-political commission of practical men" will furnish -abundant evidence of tlie desirability of -giving leaseholders the option of obtaining the freehold of their properties on' the deferredpayment system, and thus enable Mr Scddon to "dish" the Opposition, which' has made this a main plank in its platform. A perusal of the evidence in the> "New Zealand papers does not disclose any remarkable discoveries. The difficulty in obtaining .freeholds is shown to have discouraged the best class •of settlers. Th» provincial land boards are over-ruled by the Government department in Wellington, without any reason being given, and under circumstances strongly suggesting that the reasons are political. Pastoral country has been cut up by surveyors with no practical knowledge, so that the lowlands for winter use are separated from the highlands only available in summer. If these defects are remedied New Zealand land legislation should be fairly satisfactory. As to the valuation on^which the leaseholder should be allowed to obtain the freehold, it woukl be very unfair to make it other than that; at which he took out his. 'lease.

The Pastoralists' Review dees not think sufficient attention is being paid in the currorrt cla"nour for sir.all settlement in Australia to the importance of the class of settler. That is where New Zealand scores as nvieh as in rainfall. Her farmers are better educated and herder-working: as a rulo than tho Australian selector. They have become specialists in lamb-raising, paying great attention to pastures, and exercising care in selecting and breeding. Tho small settlor in Australia has got to u^e his head more )f he wishes to succeed in getting profits to eqtial the New Zealander's. It is not so much bcok learning that is required as ihe- abandonment of the boorish attitude of conceited self-satisfaction which never lociks beyond its own experience ami ideas. Farming nowadays is a. business iit which a man wants to -cast his eyes "beyond his own patch of ground, and keep himself l-opted in the improvomon'ts others are effecting in their methods. Tho industry is reaching a more highly-organised state, vnd

Tejs Imperial Be^ss Spr4.y Pump: "With Stream and Fine Spray Xozzle. — Made hy American nc'ccl manufacturers. Are ol'/araable from Kimmo and Blair, Dunedin. Pruii* growers and Orciiardiste should uso them.

those who cannot adapt themselves to the conditions will eventually have to go under. - .'A series of illustrated .articles, entitled '^Factory- Dairying in New Zealand," has been contributed to Ice and Cold Storage fey; Mr ft. H. Hooper of the New Zealand Government Agency here. Mr Hooper writes from within, havjng been . connected with the dairy- division of the Department, of Agriculture in- tW colony before taking up his present position. • Commencing' with a historical sketch of the industry, ihe writer deals successively with organisation, manufacturing processes, testing^ cost of manufacture and marketing, transit and freights:; • the farmers' end of fire business, the part played by the Government, and several lesser branches of the subject. Altogether (writes the London correspondent of the Pastoralists' Review) 4Be articles • form the most comprehensive and co-ordinated review of the industry in New Zealand I have yet come across, and, although, appreciative generally, they possess the virtue of discrimination. In tho Creamery Journal, a new I/on«Zon monthly, there also appears an article from Mr Hooper's pen, giving a, lucid account of "The New Zealand Dairy Produce Grading System." Like those previously mentioned, this article is generously illustrated with tcpical photofnraphs, taken by the writer in this case in and- about the cold stores at Wellington and New Plymouth. Mr T. C. Ellis has purchased from Mr Jas. Holms; Waimahaka, 12 young Hereford bulls for has Five Risers Estate. The bulls are got by .Field-marshal. Montor, Master, and Bex; dams selected pedigres cows. -