LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

Otago Witness, Volume 23, Issue 2684, 23 August 1905, Page 20

LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

Farmers have token full advantage of the fine weather that has prevailed during the past four months to get their land in order for spring sowing, and this is bei^g done under exceptionally favourable conditions, A well-known Taieri farmer states that his teams had not lost a single day (Sundays exceptfed) through bad weather, and in all his experience he had never seen the land in such good condition for sowing. There has been a superabundance of winter feed, which, combined with the mild weather, has resulted in bringing live stock to the spring grass in very forward condition, and present indications point to a very euceessful season for farmers generally in the south. An exhibition will be given on Wednesday at the Burnside cattle yards of the de Lisle Luttrell patent painless cattle brand. This brand has met with a good deal of favour in the north, and farmers and graziers will no doubt take advantage of the opportunity that will be afforded them on Wednesday. Mr William Robinson, of Moneymore (says the Milton Mirror), has bought 1100 acres on the south side of Stony Creek, recently purchased' by Mr T. Elliott from Mr Allan JBoyd, at a price, it is said, of £6 5s per aore. Mr Robinson intends^ to break up the land this season. The annual meeting of the Upper Clutha A. and P. Association was held at Cromwell on the 12th inst. Mr R. Olds occupied the chair. The balance sheet, showing a- credit balance of £7 7s 9d, was adopted. —Ifc was decided to hold the annual show on Friday, November 24. —The following office-bearers were appointed for the ensuing year: —President," Mr M. Heaney; vicepresidents, Messrs Olds, M. Ritchie, J. Mackenzie, and J. M'Loughlin; secretary, Mr A. C. Murray (at usual remuneration); treasurer, Mr Perriam; auditor, Mr Stephenson. General, Works, and Programme Committees were appointed.—Subscriptions to the amount of £12 12s were promised- by those present in aid of the Show Fund. —lt was decided to hold a concert on show night. The Park Hill correspondent of the Tapanui Courier writes: —9toc£ generally are in exoellent condition, and ploughing and outdoor farm work have had full attention, ?nd are well forward. Wheat is being sowa in many places, having been got in in splendid, condition, and I am sure we are ; all thankful for the excellent weather enjoyed—in fact, the mild winter of 105 will be long remembered. Owing to the mild weather stock were not put on so early as in seasons gone by, consequently turnips are in abundance. On many farms it will take additional stocking to eat them off in time. I visited Messrs Caffell and Haugh's farm at Dtinrobin lately, where there is a phenomenal crop of turnips, especially those in. drill. It would be difficult for anyone to believe it unless they saw the crop, the ground being literally packed. Ploughing is well advanced on every farm throughout the district, and should the weather continue as at present I sowing the cereal crops of grain will be having general attention, as the ploughed fields are in tip-top condition. Farming operations on the Moa Flat Estate in a general way are receiving every attention, and I am sure we are all much pleased that the new settlers have had so mild a winter to begin with —a, very great essential for heart and progress. The unprecedentedly fine weather of the past i few weeks (says the Bruce Herald) has enabled farmers in this district to plant their grain crops much earlier than hitherto known in Tokomairiro; in fact, on many farms green crops are now sown where in previous years the end of August would have been considered an early date.

Still another instance of sheep-worry-ing is reported by the Hampden correspondent of the Palmerston Times: — On visiting a paddock in wbich some of his ewes were lambing Mr D. E. Lefevre, the other morning, discovered that a number of the jjheep had been torn and knocked about by a dog or dogs. On looking over a cliff Mr Lefevre saw a dog killing a lamb, but before he could reach the spot the dog cleared out, and, the ground being rough, Mr Lefevre was unable to follow .-the animal.

The Hyde correspondent of the Mount Ida Chronicle writes: — On the farm full advantage has been taken- of the open weather, and with little interruption farm work has been pushed on during the past two months. Though little "fall" ploughing was done a large area has teen turned oa er lately, and is now in magnificent order for sowing. Nearly all grain carting is finished, and the grain sold at satisfactory prices, some of our farmers obtaining up to 3s 6d for prime samples of Tuscan and velvet wheat. For the forthcoming season probably about the same acreage will be put under cereal crop, as though the present prices for sheep, lambs, and wool are a temptation to farmers to go in almost entirely for this branch, yet experience has taught them that a certain amount of white crop has to be grown, and that mixed farming is the most profitable even in these days of specialisation. The turnip crop has, contrary to anticipations, turned out much better than was expected, and has stood a lot of feeding. Little fatteuing for the market has been, done, farmers finding it more profitable to feed off their turnips with the flock and make their profit out of the extra weight of wool produced and general gain of the flock. The local creamery is still running, though only three days per week, and suppliers arc well satisfied with their returns, and it is quite safe to predict that the coming season will see a large increase in dairying in the district. With the sheep farmers everything is in their favour. The open winter has been, easy on stock, and they are in good condition, wool is at extreme prices, and no serious drop seems to be expected, The price of sheep seems to bs weekly rising higher, and the farmer's present occupation is the pleasant one of burning tussoeka and reckoning: his profits. Writing- on the 16th hast., the Sprlnghills correspondent of the Wanton Record reports : — Ploughing is in a forward state here, being fully a month ahead of previous years. The weather being so fine the farmers are taking every advantage of it in getting their ground »lough.e4 in first-

olass order. I believe lam right in saying that it is scarcely within the recollection of man to have experienced so fine a season, attended with so little rain as actually to cause the tanks to go diry, a most unusual occurrence for this time of the year. Some really good crops of turnips havo been grown hero, especially a crop grown by Messrs Chisholm Bros., which, was a very fine one. One of the brothers told roe Hhat it was quite a common thing to get turnips ■weighing from 151b and upwards, and I may al&o say that the contractor who was there drain-ploughing was so pleased with the result of his previous year's work that he took one of those turnips, weighingg 211b, with him fewr exhibition on his rounds drain-ploughing. These facts speak foi' themselves, and clearly demonstrate the splendid results which follow from & liberal application of lime and close drain-plough-ing. It is scarcely necessary to add that those turnips were sown with a ridger. A public meeting was held on the 12th inst., under the auspices of the JVEaniototo A. and P. Association, to consider the advisability of Ma.niototo County competing for the best county bay at the next Dunedin winter show, and of holding a ploughingmatch in the district during the present season. Mr W. Davi? occupied the chair. The Chairman, in opening, th© meeting, said that he had conversations with various people in the district in reference to the project to represent the county at the next Dunedin winter show, and they all condemned it. Mr Charters compared it to a golden shoe with nine nails, seven of which were already in. His own opinion was that it was Tather late in the day to start it, and they had better leave it alone. He thought the district was too large and too scattered, and the scheme would prove too big a tax altogether. ' The association had better put its money ink) improvements in the Show Ground. For Mr Duthie's trophy Taieri had already three points Waihemo two, Mataura one. and Bruce one. The matter having been discussed at some length, Mr Inder moved, and Mr Weir seconded — "That, after hearing the opinions of the various speakers, this meeting considers it not advisable to do anything in the matter in the meantime." The motion was carried. — The advisability of holding a district ploughing match was then considered. It was evident that the feeling of the meeting was hostile to the project. Mr Bleach thought that the matches of the past had been elaborate failures. No one who went to them came home satisfied. In the last match that he Temembercd the ground ploughed by the man that took the first prize grew the worst crop, and where did the benefit come in? He moved— -"That the association have nothing to do with the ploughing m-iteh." Seconded by Mr M. Coga-n, and carried. The ForLrose correspondent of the Southland Times writes:— The farmers are well advanced with their season's work. Many of them have their oats sown and much of their tumiD land turned over. A good deal of liming is done, especially by farmers contiguous to the railway The paddocks are looking quite green, so much so tnat one can scarcely think the winter is yet passed. Stock are looking well, and everybody ha 3 plenty of turnips, so that even a little rough weather now would do us no harm. , ..■»«-• The third annual meeting of the VVaiau Dairy Factory Company was held at the factory buildings on Wednesday last, there | being present Mr Ed. Davis (chairman) . and 20" shareholders. The balance sheet of the past season's operations was read and adopted, which showed that £1116 had been paid to suppliers, and £62 odd paid to the capital account, and although a small loss was made on the year's transactions the position is satisfactory. The build.ngs are practically new, up to date, and weJl kept, the interior being clean and tidy, which reflects much credit on Mr W. laylor, the manager. Messrs T. Davis, VV. J. Darley, and Gr. Davis were appointed director? for the ensuing term in place of ihose who retired. Votes of thanks havmg pen accorded the chairman, manager, and secretary, the meeting closed. t