OUR CANTERBURY AGRICUL TURAL BUDGET

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 20

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICUL TURAL BUDGET

(FaOSI f>tftt OWW rOfIHTS^ONDTWT.'* j CHIUSTCHURCH, August 26. Tbe winter this year has consisted of l\vt> ends ar.d very little middle. The The first week of June v%s Season. very wintry, "and so has iho last; fortnight, been, but ihe weather in between has been very mild, ami the gra-s has sioxaped' growing scarcely anywhere -it was cut down a little by last week's frosts. Many say it has he-en the mildest winter ever known in Canterbury ; the spring is certainly one of the earliestsome of the willows are in loaf, and spring flowers are ii bloom everywhere. The cne- drawback is that tlie weather has been wet, mci'fr particularly in this immediate district, ai'cl sheep, having always had vet jacket^ havo not fattened well, wiiile farm work is all behind. Lambs are now pretty plentiful ; the early comers had a grand siart. an:l no complaints have been heard of serious losses during- the recent two or thiee ron?li nigiits. There is every indication of an exceptionally good lambing. Some oases of ewes dying from the* usual trouble, t-oientifieally called nnte-partum peralyois, are heard of, but every farmer should know by this time how to guard igains-t the disease, and cannot expect sympathy for losses which ore easily prevent- , ible. It has been a good -winner for catfilo, >nd an early beginning of the dairying scea-ic-n is looked for, to make up for the disippointing beginning and ending of the latt ;e-ason. High price? for butter and cheese ire •expsoted, but the results last season of >ons.igning to the Horn© market for sale vcr© so much better than those of selling vere that it is probable iho former system, rill gain additional adherents. Still, i&kng one year with another, buyers, in the .okmy cannot have made much piofit in ■he business. buyers of freezing sheop have had theit limits recliteod, in conscMariets. quencc of Hie continued ursatLsfactory state of the jonden market. The Addington market ias not been greatly affcoteel, as the supply ias not ben much mo:c than sufficient f"r mtohers' requirements ; and, besides, the kin* lice been steadily increasing ill value. file freezing 1 works are doing very little. \. few new Jambs have come -in, but mn;t ■f thcai was poor things, and had far >ettcr been left with their mothers. tiiorc Loop havo improved In value this month, /.hen there i.s often a drop through scarcity if feed. What are coming forward are LlCStly hogget*, which the sailers have besu mable io fatten, but iliey fetch extreme alues, and a fall in wool would land tiio iuycr3 in a loss. V&ry few ewes are florin?, and thoso mostly old. Wcthcis ,-er© in bad favour for a long time, but •itoly a geed many :lealcrs' lines havo been no-seel off. though the prices must show los«. as many of ihosc sheep Mere bought n IMarlborough early in the autumn. Fewer I-eep than last season will come from ilia I'orrh Island to Canterbury in the coming sason. Tn the gram market everything is cry firnl, and if anybody wanted to load ship he would have to pay a good deal bove the published quotations. Some u'go purchases of wheat have been made jr shipment, although cables from London ays fcesri very disconraging. Some oals ho are being shipped, partly on farmers' ccount, though thp Home market is even lore unfa voiu able for them than for -wheat. [owevcr, farmers did well by shipping ia^t j.'.son, and can afford to try it again this car. Potatoes have gone up with a bound l consequence of numerous inquiries from iq W-;t Coa^t and the North Island, aiul

the reports of exhaustive stocks in Australia. To-day's quotation for Derw-ents is £9, and there is little doubt move could be obtained for a really good (sample. There is very little rhseasa amongst those coming to hand. Ths high price of seed is discouraging planting. Heeds are going well, and farmers who have held until now are getting a fair advance on harvest prices. The Canterbury Sheep Owners' Union" ig in a good financial position. Labour Mr Duncan Rutherford is Matters. president for the year. Nothing frosh has transpired! regarding the threatened shearing dispute, and even if it were taken to tho court at ence, a- now -award could not be obtained this season. Meanwhile, the old award continues to govern the wages and conditions of shearing and shed work. The labour bureau started by the union, under the management of the secretary, is being well patronised. The Agricultural Labourers' Union is said to be gaining a large accession of members since an organiser was appointed. The annual meeting takes place to-nig-ht. Everywhere- the scarcity of good ploughmen is eo'npla,in3<J or. It has been said that if men were provided with comfortable homes for themselves and families there ■wo'ild be plenty of workers, but I know of crse9 whei 1 © farmers offered to build cottages for nncn who were about to mairr, but The offer was declined, tho men preferring to leave and look for town work. On the 'ot':>i hand, 20s 1© 25s a, week — the latter only- for the best men — does nofc look much for a farm hand, when' a gn-1 can get l£s for service in the country. There is so v>cthinq also in -the. farmworker' complain* that thoy have not shared in tie farmers' prosperity which they have helped, to build up. * A project of obtaining men. (and girls) from En-jlanid came to nothing, as any who were suitable— and they were very few -would not 'cave Home. New Zealand does not seem to lend itself to the village life of the English rural districts. The mild" winter has caused apprehensions of the spread of rabbits in Babbits. localities in which they have lately appeared in numbers. The most strenuous efforts are being made to clear tha Port Hills, but the abundance of feed has prevented successful poisoning. A number of Marlborough iandholders have united to procure ferrsts for work on their properties, which ssems to show that the pest has not been permanently extirpated there. There has been some question of overlapping of work, or responsibility, m the Waitaki district, but this^has now been adjusted, and dealing- with the pest will be strictly enforced. A large number of rams, principally Shropshire, havo been sent to Items. Australia this season, im •execution of orders. The' price of most of them has been low— 4os to 50s— and the quality has been proportionate, so that :t is to be feared New Zealand, will not get a very good advertisement from. " some of tl.o shipments. On the other hand some very good sheep, both rams and' ewes, have gone across. New Zealand braedisrs, too. have something to learn in, the matter of "getting up"' their sheep. Tiie return of Mr James Sowers to hia position of instructor in cheese-making n:eets with, unanimous approval on Banks Peninsula, where instruction and advice are much needed. It is hoped that the -newinstructress in farm butter-making will nob overlook that district, and that the instructress in chesse-rmaking will soon be ap-_ pointed and visit the Peninsula. Mr John.' fcJawors did groat work round there wiien he was dairy instructor, but much of it has been forgotten after «o many yea'-s. # •It is understood that tho system of fruit, and orchard inspection is to be remodelled, and a soheme of experimental or testing plot 3 adopted throughout the colony, tho South IsLmcl at last zo have a share. A proposal to form a veterinary surgeons' association for New Zealand is mooted. The qualified practitioners do rot like the Registration Bill before Parlialrerrt. and Jomo of them will not even lovik upon it as capable of amendment, and us being an opening of the question of recognising legally the status of the MM.R.C.V.S.