TASMANIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2691, 11 October 1905, Page 9

TASMANIA.

Launcoston, September 1. All August wo have had seasonable weather — if anything, too dry, but for all that very serweepble. On^e again those oi> the »oil can get about d< - y -footed, v-'hicJi is some comfort after such a wet winter. Feed in the earlier districts- n beginni lg to bs n evidence, crops are advancing hj loaps, and e%2rythin§ seems to be "rejoicing in the coming spring. Lambing is becoming general, and so far with fairly good returns. Shearing on some of the stud merino flocks ir= well advanced, and the clip promis-js io be good.

Quite a large 'lumber of stud sheep have loft the $i.a to this month, and it is gratifying to ,see merino, Lincoln, Leiccs f er, Southdown, and Shropslmes all participating in Iho demand from the other States of the Conimonn ealth

Potatoes are having! the boom time I predicted throe months ago, latest quote for prime being £9 per ton; supplies are just keeping pacs with demand, hence the solid market. Apples arc still leaving by the thousands of cases to all ports, and prices for best lines are belter, 5s 6d being paid for No. 1 S.P.M. Large quantities of tin.ber and mineral al«o help to make up quite a good export month for July. It is gratifying to report that the movement initiated by H. Jones and Co. (Limited), of Hobar!;, .for the betterment of the handling of our fruit in tHe London market is proving a pronounced success. Co-operation amongst producers in Tasmania has up to the present been a failure, but with this experienced firm to guide this movement has all the elements to success at the start, aod evidence :s not wanting that growers iecognise> this, as the book..ings for 'Spaoa for the 1906 shipments now total 320,000 cases, and *about 60,000 tentatively, or a total of 390,000. which exceeds th? whole shipments for 1905, and this at such an early , period of the- year foreshadows a large increase ; those contributing this total represent all the l?,rg'c shippers for years. This movement has already f>f cured a reduction- in freight equal co a saving to growers of quite £7000. Ticks ai'e, and have b&en, one of the principal topics of conversation at our winter firesidaa in cyuntry districts, and this "constant consultation with one another has leJ to an agitation against the manner in which the act for tbe suppression of ticks has bean enforced. Meetings have he-en held, M.P.'s interviewed, and injustices pointed out, with the result that' th"c Minister of Agriculture has intimated that no further prosecutions will take place until the act s amended. He has also called a 'conference of some of the leading pastoralists to confer with him as to * the amendments necessary to make the act a woikabZe measure. All are convinced that dipping sheep is a necessity, and a measure that will compel' all owners of sheep to dip simultaneously in a mixture- of sufficient strength to' destroy both ticks and their eggs will prove a benefit to tihe sheep. The pl.ices in Tasmania most infested with rabbits at the present time are round the lake districts— via., Botawell, Oatlands, and Deloraine ; other „ districts are Ross, Kempton. and Swansea"

The ' managing agonts in Sydney of the Eastern and African Cold- Storage Company. ■(Limited), which company possesses several large station properties in the Northern Territory, have arranged to put on the loads, for sale aftar the rainy season several thousand head of fata and store cattle. These will mostly come from the Hudson River property.