LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2676, 28 June 1905, Page 20

LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

WiTTftrgness to assist neighbour* whoso circumstances demand aid is reeogni-oil as constituting one of the Tno&t. admirable qualities of a country neighbour. This neighbourly spirit, which has always been a prominent characteristic amongst the farmers at Green Island Bush, found practical demonstration on Thursday ]a.«K when a number of local residents turned out with their teams for the purpose of giving a day's ploughing to Mr Robert Sprott, a well-known resident of Green Island Bush. The weather was very favourable, and as each ploughman had come with the resolution of doing a good day's work a considerable area was ploughed. As is usual at such functions, a keen spirit of rivahy prevailed amongst the various ploughmen, and some splendid work was the result. The ploughmen present were Messrs W. and M. Hamilton, W. and J. Kuox, J. Weir, A. Liddell, D. .M'Laren, and J. Campbell. In the evening the ploughmen assembled in the farmhouse of Mr Sprott, where dancing, singing; etc., wore indulged in, and a very enjoyable function terminated in the " wee, ema' 'cors." In addition to those actively engaged in the work on Thursday, Mr and Mrs Sprott desire to thank all city and suburban friends who kindly .provided such a liberal supply of refreshments, and thus assisted materially in making the function successful. A private letter from a recent resident of Oamaru gives (says^the Mail) some idea of ' Australia's prospects. An extract reads as follows:— "This country is on the eve of a very prosperous wave, -and they tave never in the history of the place had such pasture and crop prospects. A lar^o stock speculator has informed me that they woiild be boiling down sheep inside of two years, and. as for the frozen meat trade, they will be unable to find carrying capacity to take Home what can be produced hers. Forward stores trucked to the mallee country are returned as fats within a few weeks. This sounds like a fairy tale, but I have it on the authority of more than cno of the influential and reliable squatters that the grass ie 4ft high, and they are unable to feed it down."

A Drummond cprrespondent informs the Winton Record that a farm in the district has changed hands at £14 per acre — a record price for that locality. A meeting of Glenham settlers was held on the 17th inst., when Mr John Hay was present by invitation, and the question of reopening the Glenham Dairy Factory was considered. It was stated that 159 cows had already been promised, and between 200 and 300 would "make the concern payable. If settlers knew that the factory would: be started' they would know what crops to put in. It was decided to ask the Government to grant the factory free* of rent for three years. The Tuapeka Mouth correspondent of the Olutha Leader writes : —Messrs Ryan Bros., millowners, Waitahuna, are at present busily engaged threshing in Waitahuna and Tuapeka West, and. judging by report, the yields are above the average. The quantity of wheat in this district this year is very small, and in Waitahuna West there is only one farmer who has any. Chaff is a fair price here. There i 3 a considerable quantity being chaffed here ; no doubt the inducement is the supply required by the settlers. The potato crop is medium. I have not yet heard of any disease amongst 'them. Of course the land being! dry and l ridgy probably" accounts for the absence of disease. The turnip crop is, on the whole, good. Mr Hardie, of Greenfield, has engaged the services of Mr D. Weir's sixhorse team to assist him in ploughing his farm.

The Seaward Downs correspondent of the W.yndham Herald writes:— lt 13 nearly a year since the Seaward Downs Dairy Factory removed from its old site to the place where it now stands, and. it is acknowledged by all concerned that the removal was a step ip the right direction. The factory is under the able management of Mr K«ay. The increase of milk was much above expectations, and the prices received for the year's output compared favourably with neighbouring factories. Several more large suppliers are expected for the coming season. A number of improvements in the factory have been carried out. Most of Ihe grain carting is now 1 over, and ploughing is being pushed, on in most places. I hear many farmers intend to cart a good number of trucks of lime on to their land. Farmers are beginning to realise that liming is the cheapest and most beneficial to produce root crops, and more permanent grass is obtained 1 . But it is also necessary lo use a fair amount of artificial manure to give all crops "a good start, and the lime produces the staying powers. On account of th© favourable weather stock throughout the district are in good condition. A number of residents at Gimmerburn (says the Mount Ida Chronicle) arc anxious to get a creamery started in their neighbourhood, and intend holding a public meeting in the beginning of July to try and make arrangements to have the initial steps taken at onoe, so that it will be ready to receive milk at the beginning of the spring. The Hawea correspondent of the Cromwell Argus contributes the following district notes: — There is, as the result of an unusually dry autumn, followed by a dry winter, a scarcity of grass, the usual autumn growth not taking place. However, the dry winter which has been experienced so far, although the frost is severe, _ has been very favourable to 6took, and in a measure compensates for the scarcity of feed. But it cannot be supposed that this weather will last. A considerable aiea- of wheat ha.s been sown since autumn, notwithstanding its low price and the small prospect of a rise. The weather was very favourable for getting it in, but since then no rain has fallen to give it- a start, and it is questionable if rain now would be of much advantage so late in the season. Threshing is finished for the winter, all the farmers taking advantage of the fine weather to get through with this work. All have threshed out with the exception of a few who have left a portion until the spring. The yield in some instances was good, but, on the whole, below the average of other seasons. There has been a general exodus of settlers from this distinct within the last 12 months in search of fresh fields and pastures new— settlers who have been rather successful in their line, yet are iinfcued with the conviction, thai these, jsas a

more profitable field for their labour elsewhere. The district is out of touch with the markets of the colony, and its progress is retarded for want of better communication. There is no question about the fertility and producing power of the land. What is required is facilities for getting the produce to a market.

Drummond Ploughing Match Asso-

ciation has decided to hold its annual ploughing match on the 12th July, and large entries are expected. The match will take place on Mr M'Feirich's paddock at Drummond, and the prizes are on an exceedingly liberal scale. The president's cup, valuer] afc lOgs. will again be competed for, and the contest for that alone should be most interesting. Mr T. A. Buckingham, the secretary, has all the arrangements well in hand, and, given propitious weather, the gathering should be a most successful one. Entries close at the Drummond Post

Office on the Bth July. The monthly meeting of the Tokomairiro Fanners' Club was held at Milfcon onThursday laot, Mr J. Grey (president) in the ohaii*. An account was received from Mr G. W. Draper for fruit taken from his exhibit at the winter show. Liability was denied, as, according to the rules, the club is not responsible^ for any loss of exhibits. — Accounts in connection with Bruce Bay .were heid over till next meeting. — A motion was carried that the prize money in connection with the winter show- be paid to the winners. — It was decided that the club's annual social be held some time in September, date to be fixed at next meet- . ing. i

A meeting of the Winton A. and P. Association took place on the 17th inst., Mr J. R. Hamilton (president) in the chair. Mr John Cowie, one of the stewards at the late show, mentioned that previous to the championship for the grain section being decided upon prize tickets had been placed on the exhibits. He did not think it right for the prize-winners to be thus made known before the judging had been completed. He did not, of course, mean to suggest that the judges would favour anybody, but he saw one of them pick up a prize ticket and look at it before the championship prize was awarded. In future they would have to guard against this.— The meeting 1 then awarded "the special prizes to the largest prize-takers in the several sections as follows: — Grain and seeds, Mr W. S. Andrews ; roots, vegetables, and fruit, Messrs Hammond Bros. ; bread, scones, etc., Mrs Ramage; poultry, Mr W. S. Andrews. Messrs J. Cowie and R. Wilson again tied) for award for ihe prize-taiker with the largest family, and as Mr -Wilson had the prize last year, the meeting on. this occasion gave it to Mr j Cowie. — The secretary was instructed to ' write to the judges thanking them for their ervices.

services. The Gimmerburn correspondent of the Mount Ida Chronicle writes: — Live stock have been wintering well so far. The ground has been very dry all through the autumn, consequently the feed has been chiefly the dry standing hay left from the good growth of early summer. A great deal of the nourishment must be bleached out of it now; Eefore spring it will be very poor indeed, and the present prospect of feed for August and September is none too great. Unless there be winter rain or snow the ground will be too dry, in which case stock will not do very, weil in the spring, although a dry winter is very much better in the meantime. Turnips are a poor crop. Few wethers are on turnips this year; in fact, nearly all the wethers are now sold as lambs, and at that stage are worth nearly as much as sheep. A 361b lamb is about equal in value to a 561b sheop The quick return from wether lambs together with the result jf increasing the ewes kept, makes the 18,000,000 sheep of the colony give more return in £ s. d. than any number ever before grazed. Mr Jas Robertson (Mosgiel), who has been for some time experimenting with an invention of an improved ditch plough, has received a letter from Toronto, Canada, asking price of patent rights in that country. It will be of interest to know (says Saturday's Taieri Advocate) that Mr Robertson intends giving an exhibition of his plough at an early date. A satisfactory trial was held last week. A meeting- of North Otago farmers and others interested in the question of the best location for public saleyards for Oamaru was held on Saturday afternoon. Those present numbered about 65, and were, apparently, thoroughly representative of all interests involved. Most of the auctioneering firms were also represented. Mr George Livingstone was voted to the chair, and stated that the* meeting had been convened with the object, if possible, of coming to some amicable-. arrangement on the saleyard question, whereby the convenience of the farmers might be best studied. The auctioneers might be left out of consideration. Mr W. Gardiner, jun., proposed that there be a limited liability company formed of farmers, to build yards, with a capital of £1000 or £2000, £1 shares, first call of ss. Personally, he did not care where the yards were built. Mr Corbitt seconded the motion. After a lively discussion, Mr W. W. Wylie moved the following amendment — "That this -meeting of farmers, dealers, and others interested in auction sales of stock in Oamaru respectfully and earnestly request that the five firms of auctioneers interested in stock sales sell at the Junction Yards j until the present lcaee expires, except they are by some unforeseen cause (such as being ordered oiit by the- Borough Council) prohibited from doing so. That one year before the lease expires, a committee be appointed by farmers and dealers to cpnsider the question of site." The vote was then taken, and Mr Wylie's amendment was declared carried, on a show of hands, by 31 to 27. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks to the chair. Speaking at a meeting of the council of tbo Agricultural Society of Victoria on June 13, Mr M'Gregor said there was more cattle stealing going on at the present time in Victoria than in the palmy clays of cattle duffing. During the last two months 110 head of cattle had been stolen between Hawthorn, Kew, and Heidelberg, and not a trace of the delinquents had been discovered. Mr C. J. Levett, Kiwitee, has received word that his Romney clip of greasy wool realised at Home la 2^d, and his lambs' wool la 13.