AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2730, 11 July 1906, Page 22

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Several weeks ago (says the Melbourne Age) the Minister of Agriculture announced that he would send Mr J. Knight, of the Agricultural Department, to N<ew Zealand to inquire into the flax industry there, more especially the New Zealand plant Phormium ten&x. A large export trade in fibie has beon built up fn New Zealand, and an attempt is being made to establish the industry in Victoria. A small plant for treating the flax was made to the order of the Agricultural Department some time ago, and has been sent through the districts where experimental crops have been grown. Mi- Knight's visit to New Zealand is with the object of obtaining further information on the subject. Mr Knight will alsc investigate the New Zealand system of the grading of general produce for export. The inspection and grading of such products in Victoria is voluntary, but in New Zealand the Government has full powers. The present voluntary system in Victoria is unsatisfactory, as the graders can only grade up to the standard asked for by the exporter, and tho best that can be said of it is that it is educating exporters as to the advantage of having gradecertificates.

Tho Timaru Post says : " The exceptionally high prices now ruling for sheep have been the subject of not a little comment among stock-dealers and farmers lately. The fine winter has been all in favour of quick fattening for sheep on turnips, and the drafts have been got away in euch rapid succession that the position now is that si-ore sheep are almost as scarce as cherries in midwinter. In consequence of this, prices have gone up with a bound, and sheep men are ' tumbling over o»e another ' in their anxiety to buy. A gcod many dealers from South Canterbury have gone to Southland with the object of filling their requirements there, but according to all accounts the prices down south are — • to use the expressive phrase of one farmei' —almost as hot as up here. As giving an idea of the advance that has taken place in values, it may be stated that forward stores are selling at up to 20s ; two-tooth owes up to 255, and four-tooth ewes up to 2Ps each."

The most noteworthy incident of last week's stock sale at Addington was the vigorous competition of certain butchers for inferior cattle in tho fat pens — many of the animals (says the Lyttelton Times) could not correctly be called fat cattle. The larger butchers do not usually bid for this class of meat, and their competition excited some comment, eliciting the information that it was directed against meat hawkers and some of the cheap butchers, who have been buying old and inferior beef, and selling it at low prices, to tho detriment of the regular trade. What the latter intend to do with the beef is not stated.

The Moeraki. which arrived at Wellington from Sydney on Wednesday last, brought a number of fetud sheep, comprising a ram from Mr E. C. Gouirling, Sydney, for Mr G. H. Scales, of Wellington : two Sliiopsliire ram's a,nj four Shropshire owes for Messrs B. ftpth-Smith and R. Parry, of Tiniaru ; and a Shropshire ram for Messrs Field and Royds, Christchuroh.

At the Ashburton abattoir during Juno 104 cattle were slaughtered for human consumption, and none condemned ; 102 pigs were slaughtered, and 2 partially condemned for tuberculosis ; 688 sheep were slaughtered, 2 wholly condemned and 1 partially condemned. It is not pleasant to write pessimistic notes in these columns (observes the Mark Lane Express), b"t when we hear experienced breeders in the Argentine expressing their ability to send us good beef profitably at a wholesale price of 3d per lb on this side, the Enelishman's chances of rraking fatteuins: stock profitable are rather hopeless. We have not yet solved tho problem as to why foreign beef is so superior proportionately to English beef as compared with foreign mutton and English. In the case of mutton, no matter what the supply or price of imported, the home-produco-d article realises a T^ally profitable pi ire in the market; while in the beef trade a heavy supply of foreign cattle, dead or alive, keeps the market of home-fed beef at a very low ebb ; indeed, to cut the matter short, imported beef is rapidly becoming first favourite with the consumer. The New Zealand Minister for Industries and Commerce, in a recent interview on the fraudulent manipulation of butter by unscrupulous dealers in England, said: — "We have already asked the Imperial Government to assist U3 in this matter 'by legislation. Everything that can be done at this end has been done, and it is beyond the power of the New Zealand Government to do more. It is beyond question that after butter leaves our shores adulteration takes place. The difficulty is at the other end of the world. I fear there is no wav of coping with this difficulty except by legislation on the part of the Home Government." We (Rural World) wish we could say that the Government showed some intention of dealing with so f«.r-reaching a matter, but there is little evidence of it at present. It is necessary not only in the interests of the consumers and of the public health, but for the protection of honest dairy farmers. The present Government, however, possesses an unenviable record in regard to legislation for the benefit of th« agricultural labourers and farmevfit so we

are not afc all hopeful of any substantial progress in this direction. The South Canterbury Education Board! ha-s arranged a course of lectures in agriculture, to be given by the lecturers at Lincoln College to the South Canterbury teachers. Up till Saturday, 30th ult., ths average attendance, was over 90.