AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2779, 19 June 1907, Page 21

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The fourth combined winter show held under the auspices of the Agricultural and Pastoral and the Poultry Associations of Ashburton was opened on Friday last. In every reepect it is a show worthy oi the district, the standard attained in some of the sections being remarkably high. In a. capital all-round display probably the chief feature was the fat stock. The entries of fat sheep, though not large, were of uniformly good quality, and it would hfcre been difficult to surpass or even to equal some of tho pens in any part of New Zealand. The judge (Mr J. Knight) frankly stated that they were the beet he had been called upon' to judge for some years past. The entries for fat cattle were not numerous, but they were of rare quality A special feature was a shorthornPolkd Angus oro» steer, shown by Mr J. C N. Grijrg, which illustrated the possibilities of crossing beef breeds. The section for bosses included some promising stock. The di»pl»y pi roots -was surprisingly good, and considering the dryness ot the past summer their excellence provided a magnificent tribute to the skill of those farmers who submitted their products lcr competition. In- addition to ito ordinary roqt-crop experiments, the Maeterton A. and P. Association ia conducting a plot experiment scheme in accordance with the instructions issued by the Department of Agriculture in 1906. The experiments are with soft turnips and swedee, and the results will fee made public shortly. It is noticeable (says the New Zealand Times) that none of the farmers in the South Wairarapa are taking part in the jompetition, which <s somewhat on a large scale. Seven plots are each treated with a different kind *.i manure, except in one case, which if not treated with any fertiliser, but simply farmed in its rough state. It may be mentioned that the returns lor unfertilised loots' are of the poorest description, and are well calculated to impress upon the farmer the necessity of a scientific knowledge of earth treatment. The manures which are being used are superphosphates, basic slag, bonedust, potash-sulphate, a.-xl No. 6 mixture, and portions are supplied free by the Department of Agriculture. Tho manures are used in portions as directed, and also in other ways by Mr B. O. Aston, Government agricultural chemist, and by Mr W. Perry, and in both these last-mentioned cases the results are reported to bo most satisfactory. Discussing the Australian export trado in poultry, rabbits, and hares before the London Cold Storage and Ice Association recently, Mr C. J. Tabor remarked that of late a good trade had sprung up with Germany in Australian hares, there beinsr no law to keep them out, and as meat was dear they sold readily and at good prices ; but recently at Dusseldorf a dealer has f,ot into trouble for selling hares, on the ground that they have been preserved wit}. formalin. This charge may or may not be true, but if it be true. ' the formalin must have been injected to reserve them when in the hands of a G* an dealer, who most possibly had no accommodation for storage. It was not done in Australia (say* the Australian Meat Trade Journal). The cables inform us (says the Australian Meat Trades Journal) that canned rabbits are* a glut on the British market, and are absolutely unsaleable. This is good news indeed, and leads us to hope that the t'<n^ will come when rabbits will be an unprofitable industry in any form. As Ion,? rabbits are an article of commerce so lonir will they be a menace to the farming and stock-raising industry of* Australia. We cannot grow both, it must either be rabblte or sheen. The present droug-ht which New South Wales is suffering from is more a drought caused by rabbits than by want of rain. Every blade of wheat or good pras? they can get at they destroy. Another reason why rabbits are a. curse is that they

reduce the price of our meat in London. Directly meat takes a jump in value the people- switch off on rabbits, when down goes the meat again. Rabbits from every point of view are objectionab'e, and the sooner they are wiped off the -better for Australia and her producers. The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria will give £2600 in prize money at its annual show on 7th September. Mr T. Brown, F.E.S., has resigned his position as an inspector under the Orchard and Garden Pests Act.