CAVE (Canterbury).

Otago Witness, Issue 2728, 27 June 1906, Page 35

CAVE (Canterbury).

June 22.—The weather has been variable luring the last three weeks. We had a good fall of snow down to the base of the hills and. on the low land. It rained very heavily on the 7th. This was followed by frosty weather, which stopped ploughing for a time. It has moderated a little, but it is still * bit frosty. The Markets.—Pik-es for sheep and horses are keeping well up, but cattle are still very low in price. At the Pleasant Point sale, on the 4tb about 100 head of cows, with calves thrown in, went at £1 a head, which shows that, there is something wrong in the state of Denmark. At Mr John S. Rutherford's sale on the 18th 118 young cattle went at from- £1 4s to £1 -12s per head. The former - wer** cattle from- oue year to 18 months oid. with/- from 30011/ to 4001b of beef on them. Th» r other lot were 1& months to two y«ar3 - old,: and carried from) about 40011b to 5001b of beef, on them, all being well-bred Herefords. This represents an average of 8s per 1001b. I "met an T>ld expert judge of cattle at Mr Rutherford's sale, aud I asked him the reason that cattle were co low in price. In reply he told me that" he -had been at the Dunedin show, and there h» Juet a- cattle dealer, who told him ho was buying cattle in Southlaua on ft large scale, an* sending them to the Southland Freezing Works, where he had them killed and all the bones taken out, aud the carcases put into-square boxes and sent home to England to mafee the eosence of beef. He is said to be making lots of money .by Jus dealing in cattle. Xow the farmers who have -at'tle in' large numbers should make inquiries, with a view to 'finding out if there is not a better way of disposing of their cattle than by sending them to the local saleyardf. At both of these sales it was interesting to note that one man did all the Tjuying of the large Farmers' Union.—l see by the Otago Witness of June 13 that the Farmers* Union have held their annual conference. The union leeins to possess a lire lot of members down in Otago, and they seem to have calculated to fcTward the interests of the farmers. It would do credit to gome of the Canterbury farmers' unions if they possessed half t-hc energy their compeers in Otago display. TuSj the Pleasant Point Farmers' Union for example. The chairman of that union is a grafter in all things pertaining to the farmers interests, but he does not get the support he should have at the hands of the farmers, who are very slow to move in things that are vital to their- interests. Kow I would suggest that tho Pkasant Point Farmers' Lmoii "•uouia put something on the agenda tliat will cause the new settlers to take an interest in Hie union. I might suggest some of the following subject* as suitable:—(l) Where to ret lime; (2) the buying of manures in large |ots; (3) tha purchase of binder twine in large lots; (4) obtaining implement? at the cheapest tales- (5) the best tesuns; <6) the haulage >I building material; (7) which of the places W the handiest for opeiiiug out limekilns— ihere is good lime on Mr Elwortby s, and iJeo on <he Alb.;ry Settlement and in the totara Valley; ($) whether tiactiou engine* would not be the cheaper to get lime to *here it i<» wanted; (9) the use of the drain plough, which is a subject of vital importance lo a great number of fanners in South Cankerbnry. Take the country from Burkes Pasa lo Wa'imats Gorge, a distance of 70 mi'es in length by three to eight miles in breadth, this would give the drain plough work for iiany a long day, aud the use of lime in the (and woxild follow as day follows night; (10) Hie best method cf disposing of the various >roduc^ of the land; (11) the obtaining of nformation as to fhe various ways that are uost profitable to selling and buying land; L 2) the questidn of the Government planting rees in -different localities. There are many rther questions of interest to be thought of — ndeed, everything iv which a farmer has any nterest is worth seeing to. The union could hen ask all the farmers to become member?. Closer Settlement.—Messrs Chapman and Belaher have disposed of about 4000 acres of Iheir Molukaikfl Station. It was cut into 11 iota but these are far too large lots for the iniail farmer to take up. . However, the Vendors have got half of it off now. and there ts a deal of inquiry about it. I believe they lure giving' very reasonable terms to purchasers. Chere is talk of Oannington Station being Wanted for closer settlement. However, we In this district have had spent among tUf * lot of the money that was voted for land for Settlement, so we have very little cause to complain at present. .... , „ . Agricultural.—The plough is at work on all fluT farms now. Some of the gnwmd is being ploughed for wheat, and some of the land is fjeing- turned up for turnips. Some farmers are carting their grain to the railway station, *nd others are busy getting chaff cut while

the ©h*u ttt-r 13 i» the district. We bad » chaff family ~~r » -anile but Mr it'Coraiiak cams along abou. ***ree week* wo, -cc. •>?*. was rushed by the iumtn, aad it must have been difficult ta decide which of th«m he should go to first. Tb«- frost hw kept the ploughing back a good bit. AH the farmers seem plased with their year's returns. Some of the new settlers had very good returns of Jrain. Among those on the Pareora Downs whc did well, Mr I/ay and Mr G. M'Lean had - yields of wheat of from 40 to 45 bushels to the acre, and they got it all stacked and thxeehed in good order. The threshing mills are now all closed down till spring time. Some of them had a fairly good season, but there are a good many mills now in comparison with what there used to be, and there is more competition than was formerly the case, which is a healthy sign for the farmers.