LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 20

LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

The North Otago Times understands that Mr William Nieolson, of Hampden, has completed arrangements for the installation of a milking plant at his farm. Provision will be made for milking 100 cows, and Mr Nieolson hopes to have everything in working order for the commencement of .the spring season. At the annual meeting of the West Taieri Horticultural Society the following officebearers were elected: — President, Mr W. Snow ; vice-presidents — Messrs G. Rutherford, J. Neill, F. G. Hartley, and R. Nidd ; Oommittee of Management — Mesdames Dow, Morgan, and Miss Nichol (Taurima), Messrs C. Low. T. A. White, J. Rundle, M. Morgan, W. Beattie, J. Thomson, T. .A. Bramble, and the president, vice-presidents, and secretary. Messrs T. A. Bramble and F. G. Hartley were appointed auditors, and Mr O. T. Grant was" reapponted^ secretary and' treasurer. The balance sheet showed a loss of about £4- on the year's operations. The Government appear to be on the alert in reference to the butter freight question. A solution of the difficulty (suggests the Oamaru Mail) might be easily found if the Orient Company's vessels were to include New Zealand in their itinerary, as it is rumoured they think of doing. But there is no reason why the companies already trading in New Zealand waters should not do for New Zealand what it is evidently possible for th© P. and O. Company to do for Australia. It is certain that butter producers of this colony cannot continue to pay 7s per cwt as fr-eight whilst their Australian competitors are charged only 3s 6d. The market price of fat lambs in the Gore district, as shown by recent quota tions (says the Ensign), ie about 2s below prices ruling in northern centres.- after making all allowances. We are given to understand that this is brought about by a combine among certain leading buyers of fats to keep down the price. Though probably the prioes ruling are satisfactory when compared with those of former years, still farmers would probably be well advised to closely watch the woTking of the ring. Each day (says Saturday's Oamarui Mail) reports of a more reassuring nature are brought in concerning the state of the potato crop in this district. The tubers are being dug in apparently good condition, and are in the majority of instances a good yield. Two fields of four or five acres will have produced nine tons to the acre, one of these being Derwents and the other Up to Dates, and in neither case was there half a dozen suspicious potatoes in the entire crop. The practice of leaving for seed the small samples which cannot be sold ie likely to have a prejudicial effect on future crops. Tb& farmer chooses the best grain for his wheat seed and for his oat seed and the most promising roots, for his turnip seed, but the smallest in. the row are considered

good enough for potato seed. This is a distinct mistake, and a greater mistake than ever this year when a large proportion of the undersized tubers are probably affected with disease. The future of the potato crop depends upon the consistent improvement of the sample by the use of the best seed possible, as obviously a man cannot plant a miserable specimen and dig a superior table article.