WELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2736, 22 August 1906, Page 7

WELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Tjmic Ouz Ovx CbnnzoHoxirr.) Back, again to same old stormy rain, and mud everywhere. The latTk« ter end of last week farWtather. mers' spirits were risingrapidly, as we were enjoyiag bright sunshine, coupled with frosty nights, which was drying- up the land, which, by Saturday, was getting into splendid order for tilling 1 , but on Sunday morning' the wind* chaxWed, and the rain came, and has been failing more or less ever since, and the land again unworkable. One thing we must be thankful for is that it is a nice warm rain, and the grass is growing fast, and as lambs- are now coming fast, they are meeting- propitious weather for their advent. So the case stands tbus: the agriculturist- is to be pitied; while the eneep breeder can be congratulated. It would be passing strange if farmers as a class could not- find someWoet thing to growl about, and ■arket. the result of the monthly local wool sales gave them something to put against the good lambing weather we are having. Since the cable* reached us announcing a drop in prices in London, fanners might hare expected that the colonial buyers would make the most of it. At Feildtng the catalogue comprised 40 bales and 250 bag lots of wool, 1600 6kins, 600 h : des, 2 tons tallow, horsehair, etc. At Palxnerston, on the following day there was offered 40 bales and bag lots of wool, 2500 skins, 850 hides, 8 casks tallow, horsehair, etc. It will be 6een from the above quantities offered that the inauguration of inland wool and hide sale* J3 proving a success. The results of both sales were niuch alike. Wool and crutching showed a decline of front |d to Id from the latt month's sale, green skins were easier by Is each, while dry skins had a. full Id drop. Hides were also a. tittle easier, declining by id to id per lb on last; sales. Wool — rough and stragglers, 7Jd to B£d; crutchings, decent, 6id to Tid; damp and inferior 4£d to 6id. Skins— best, B£d to 9£d per lb; other sorts at proportionate rates ; butchers', green and half dry, 6s Sri to 98 each. Extra heavy ox hides fetched up to 345, while good to medium 6old at 225. od to 275. The drop in wool was a rather disagreeable surprise to some farmers. I know of some that withdrew their crutchings at the previous sales in July afier being offered B£d, the? standing out for 9d at last week's sale: they had to be content with 7d or 7id at the outeide. When a fair price is offered at any sale, more especially at what are comparatively small sales, there is little doubt that buyers put a black mark against such lets, and endeavour to make the seller feel very smalL AH through the season crutchings have boon selling remarkably well, considering the condition in which fhey have been marketed. A friend of mine who has been connected with wool for over 30 ycare had a look through the wcojaooms previous to the sales, with me, and the opinioa we came to was that the great bulk of the wool exhibited was a disgrace to Ui» grower, in the state it was put be

f foro the buyers, there being hardly a lot j that ycu put your hand into but what you caught bold of some filth more or less — sometimes good, hard, weighty lumps. Con- ! sidering the weather we have been having, when there have been many days when - nothing could be done outside, surely they might have employee! themselves profitably by sorting over their lew bags or bales of crutohings. I think perhaps the bag lots \rer« the dirtiest, but some of the- bales were nothing to brag -about. In conversation with, the majority of farmers, if you try to convince them that it would be better if they took a little more trouble with their wool, the only answer you get will be, "Oh, it won't pay to pick over wooL I can find something better to do than that."' As an agricultural and pastoral scribe, it makes one feel that we go on spilling ink in vain- and the only hope for an amendment lies with the wool buyer, as he now threatens to leave such badly-packed stuff alone. Perhaps such action, by the buyers will convince the careless farmer that the wool men have no use for manure, and it would be more profitable to use it on his farm than attempt to sell it a 6 wool at 8d per lb. With respect to cable advices reporting a drop in prices on the London market, we- can hardly form any opinion until account sales of clips we knowcome to hand. There being a fairly large bulk of Manawato wool that should be in the- July sales, there is some anxiety as to the result of its eale. John J. Gillies was charged at the Palmerston Court last Friday with Dairying having wilfully placed an explosive substance in a building belonging to Messrs J. E-. Nathan and Co. with- intent to destroy rhe machinery, whereby an explosion took place and damage to the extent of £250 was caused. Gillies was committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court. The case is causing a good deal of interest amongst dairymen in th« district, as they have been looking forward to the dried milk factory giving them a better price for their milk thati even the abnormal prices they are getting for their butter. The dam>ag€ done being- repairable in the colony, Messrs Nathan expect to be able to etari some time next month. In the daily papers the other day the following cable appeared : — Heiefurd "Brisbane, Saturday. At Cattft. the National show there was great competition in the Hereford cbss. Last year's champion, Mount ford, selected in New Zealand, where he took first prize, . was beaten by Fieldmarshal, also bred in New Zealand, and winner of the- champion prize at last year's Melbourne Hereford." Hereford enthusiasts were quick to sec that the "cable man" had been at- some of hie tricks again, and Mr P. D. Buchanan has addressed the following letter to the editor of the Feilding Star: — "Re National show, "Brisbane, in Saturday's paper (Hereford, champion). Last year's champion, of Queensland, Mountford Nonsuch (22, 3019), E-H.H.8., was noC bred in Zealand ; but was bred by Mr T. S. Minton, England, and sold as a calf to Mr J. H. M'Connel, of Queensland, for 250gs r and was a prize -taker at the Royal show, England. The present champion of Queensland, Field-marshal, twice grand cbampiott of Australia at Royal shows, Melbourne, was bred in New Zealand by Mr D. P. Buchanan, of Mayfield, Cunninghams, Man-awatu. Mr Buchanan has been informed that the present owner, Mr Lumly Hill, of Queensland, refused aJi offer of lOOOgs for him. A 10-rionths-old son of his, Young Field-marshal, the property of Mr Yelland, Victoria, has already won first prizes at Maryborough, Snieaton, Ballarat. and Daylesford, and has been sold fo-- delivery after the Royal chow, Melbourne, for lOOgs, his live weight being now, at the age of 10 months, 10081b. The above information is taken from PastoralUts' Review, September 16, 1904, and page 491, August, 1905; al-o expert certificate, page 851, vol. 35, E.H.EB., and private letters.— l am, etc., D. P. Buchanan." I have given Mr D. P. Buchanan's correction of ihe cable, as he is in a better position to do so, having the E.BLH.B. and being- an enthusiast in the breeding of Herefords. Field Marshal may now be termed the Australasian Lord Wilton of Hereford fame. By looking at the picture of Field Marshal, on the waU of my den. I am reminded that he is a cosmopolitan, as the notice on the photo state? that be was then the property o| Mr J. Holms, Waimakaka, Southland, co that he must "have left his mart in many c?istriets. Bred in the Manawatu, se'd to J Southland, resold to Mr Yelland T Victoria, he is now the property of Mr Lumlv Hill, Queensland, where he will have a still fur- ; ther chance of distinguishing himself, as the Belleyue Stud' -is one ©f the oldest ! in Australia, the pedigree of the cows running back for over 80- years. New Zealand Hereford breeders are ju-stly proud of the position th<?v Hllktaff Quatfttainow hoM as- breeders of vt thm high-cla«8 cattle. Still, they Hereford's. have missed, and are still missing 1 , golden opportsnititNi in that th«y do not try to develop the milking qualities of th<» breed. One authority says. "Hereford milk i» the richest in cream of any breed except the Jersey." J Seeing that the milking qualities of the short- ; horn have been brought into such prominence" within the last decade it is strange that Hereford men, have not bestirred themselves in this direction. English breeders of Hereford* do not appear to hae neglected the milking qualities of the breed 1 . " Brtmi," in a late Australasian, quotes from an English journal " that "Ab an inspection of the dairy herds under the supervision of the Royal Ccrantiea Agricultural Society last year, all breeds competing, and that, too, in a great dairying district, a herd- of Hereford* that bad been bred for nearly 100 years for milking purposes was awarded third pris^ in strong competition with shorthorns of the best type and character." Few New Zealand dairymen will admit there is any good in th« white-faced cow. Still. I see that Mr . Drysdale, manager of the State Farm, has one cow only in a herd of 150 cows that gives a teet of 6.4, and she is a first croas Ayrshire and Hereford. Another instance of the value of tho milking qualities of the Hereford comes to my mind. A farmer on the Rangitikci "went under," when his stock had to be sold. Amongst the lofc was a purebred Hereford bull, which was bought by a small settler, there being a number of small settlers with only two or three cows each around him. They ueed to get th© use of the bull by paying a small fee. Tbe progeny of that bull all

turned out excellent milters, and a cow with a white face is appreciated in that district to this day. I believe tlve latent milking qualities of the Hereford only want developing — by selection and treatment, selection by keeping for sires these that have had the 'best milk -producing dams, there being now little doubt that the sire is the largest factor in developing the milking qualities of animals. Treatment. — Have the heifers to calve early, cay at two year old; take the calf away at birth, or at least in a few days. Milk the .heifer regulariy aa long "as 3he will give any milk: in fact, treat her as a dairy cow, and it will be astonishing the improvement that can be made in a fevr generations. There is no royal road to the improvement of any quality m acy animal, but at the same time there is a certainty that it can be done; alt that is wanted being judgment and patience — mostly patience. The sooner Hereford breeder* recognise the utility of impioving the mtlkimr qualities of their herd, the bettor for themselves, and the count iy at large. Herefords would be a great acquisition to our dairy herds if they carried milking qualities of a high degree, they being propotent in producing thsir like, and would greatly impiwe the beef qualities cf our dairy herds. ANTIQUA OVIS.