WELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2744, 17 October 1906, Page 19

WELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(Fhou Our Own Corhespoxdeht.) The reason continues to be all that could be desired — bright sunshine, The with occasionally an hour Weather. or two's rain. In some

localities, however. there have been some pretty se%ere frosts, which nave cut down the early potatoes. Tn one or two instances we find farmers bemoaning the destruction of the now almost in■\aiuable tubers, while others, only a few milei, awaj, havo escaped. Reading between the line? of the various report?, I hardly think there has been a great deal of damage done.

Every farmer sho ild study meteorology for his own benefit. By taking Meteorology, notice of the wind," clouds.

sunsets, and sunrises, and aided by the barometer and thermometer, th(- ob-ierv-er is soon able to foretell any change that is likely to take place in the weather.

During the past 10 day 3 I ha\e travelled over the most of ~Wegt ftenertl Coast lands of the province, Outlook. and have come to the con-

elusion that the farmers were never in better heart than they are at present. In the beginning of August the agriculturists were downhearted, as everything in the way of tillage v/as behind hand ; but after nine weeks of fine w-eather matters have improved. I should say farm wcrk wa^ never so far forward as it is to-day. Owing to vci-y little i'nturnn sowing I oiti£ tlon-p on account of so much wet, I did not s ec as many forward grain cvops as" in former years ; but all crops look exceptionally healthy. PiobaMy the harvest will be a bit later ■than usual, but that will depend on tie weather condition-, during the next three months With respect to potatoes*, there ■appears to be an opinion that the weather has had ji great deal lo do with thf ravages of the blight during last two years. One prominent grower on Aoranpi informs me that ho has potatoes just coming in flower, with ne\cr a sign of blight, »". h.le la -it year most of his c« - op was ruined" by this time. He al=o stated that he has done -no spraying. For this neglect I cannot complin.-ent him. It has been pointed out in these notes that it behoves growers to take every precaution, as prevention is n long way better than cure. There has been a good deal cf lamb marking -done, and the percentages have been running very high, as was to be expected, few returns being less than 100 per cent., many up a* high as 120 and 130 per cent., and some few give 150 per cent, as their crop of lambs. Farmers have, however. «so many different ways of arriving at the percentage that it i» hard lo form a proper estimate. Some base their figures on the number of ewes put to the ram, while other- agrain take out all the dry ewes at marking. Neither of these systems s tciirert. In the firet instance, there may be a hoa'iy death rate during the gestation period of five months, which do not retu n any lambs ; while, by taking out the dry sheep, you acid considerably to the percentage. The fairest.way to arrive at the increase is to count the ewes when brought into the yarcl at lamb-marking. Although it. is impossible to form a correct estimate there is no doubt that the lamb crop is one of the best c\er produced on the Wet Ooa-st. and from all reports it 's the same all over thp colony. If the weather conditions continue as at present, the fat lamb market 5-hould be in full swing by the first of the year.

This industry is under as favourable conditions as the sheep. Cove, Dairying. as a rule, have come weil

throughout the winter, and got into full n r °fit from the jump, while phenomenal price* are ruling for butter. The loner Coast dairymen confine thera=el\es almost entirely to butter, there being little cheese produced. The dried milk fa< tory in again making n <-tart, after having a hard fight egainst adverse circumstances. The trouble felt by suppliers to the dried milk factory is that they get nothing back to feed calves or pigs ; but as yc£ it hae never had a chance to pro\e whether it will suit the dairyman to go there in

preference to the butter factory. ' Farmers would be well advised, however, to support rhis new industry an cas-3 of a downfall ia the butter market.

ANTIQUA OTIS.