LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2804, 11 December 1907, Page 20

LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

The Kaitangata Cheese Factory (says the Clutha Free Press of the 3rd inst.) 13 working night and day just now, it being found necessary to put on a night shift to cope with the large quantity of milk that is forthcoming. The quantity is 1400gaJ per day, and as there are only two vats for 1200 gal a number of the suppliers are bringing their milk in the evening. The T. and P. Company are at present engaged in enlarging the building co as to allow space for another vat, and are adding 9ft more to the "making" room. This increased supply must be gratifying to t the shareholder, and is a good srgn of the increased prosperity of the industry in this locality. The factory manager (Mr G. Hirst! and his staff are kept very busy, but when the new vat is installed they expect to be able to handle all the milk on the one shift.

At the last sitting of the Magistrate's Court, Queenstown (which extended over two days, November 28 and 29), before Mr Burgess, S.M., the Stock Department | laid informations against eight persons for breaches of the Rabbit Nuisance Act as follows : -yStock Inspector Munro v. B. W. Dagg, failing to keep down the rabbits on 250 acree of ground at Malaghans. Mr Wesley Turton, Crown Prosecutor, appeared for the inspector in this as well as in all other cases. Defendant appeared in 'person, and pleaded that she had taken the necessary steps to clear the rabbits. His Worship considered that sufficient steps ! were not taken to keep the rabbits down. He would impose a light penalty — namely, 20e and court costs, 9s 6dj solicitor's fee, £1- la.— Same v. P. B. Boult, failing to destroy rabbits on his land at Mid-rivers, Glenorchy. Mr Evans, who appeared for defendant, 6tated that the land in question

was forfeited last February for non-payment of rent, and it was- open again for settlement. There was no tenancy, and defendant had no right to occupy the land. His Worship said that he would take a note of thTs point. The Inspector stated in evidence that the rabbits were very plentiful on between 250 and 300 acres of the land, which was partly under crop. It was fenced, but the fence was in a very bad state. There was apparently no effort made to clear the rabbits. Judgment was reserved by the magistrate until proof of forfeiture was sent 'in. The question of occupancy had also to be considered. — Same v. James Wilson, failing to keep down the rabbits on his land at Glenorchy. Mr J. S. Evans, who appeared for defendant, pleaded "Guilty, but stated in mitigation that this was the first time that defendant had been before the court on such a charge, and that only about two out of 155 acres of the ground w,ere rabbity. His Worship said that he would convict defendant, but as it was the first time that, he had been before the court he w ould inflict a fine of £1, with costs of cour.t (12s). — Same v. Margaret Ashworth, failing to keep down rabbits on her property on the Miller's Flat road. The "Inspector stated that he visited the ground several times and gave defendant notice to clear it. Only a. small area near the house was very bad. In his opinion sufficient steps were not taken to keep the rabbits down. Defendant stated that five days' work had been done on the property by the Stock Department's rabbiter, which she thought to be sufficient. His Worship took into consideration that defendant had taken some steps, and therefore recorded a conviction without, a fine, the costs being 28s. — Same v. J. Cockburn, failing to destroy rabbits on his property on Miller's Flat road, known as Hazel's farm. Mr Turton for informant and Mr Evans for. defendant. The Inspector stated that he visited the land first on the 4th September, and found rabbits numerous. Sent notice to defendant on 9th September, and visited the land on the 18th October in company with Mr Bruce, Chief Inspector. The Tabbits were then very bad. John Cockburn, defendant, deposed that prior to getting the notice on the 9th September he had taken 1127 rabbits off the ground before tb-n- began to breed at all. Since £,-- " r,-. from inspector he had paid f. nnd he could account for 4 * which hi 6 boys had c, -int-3 for the payments, Ik- iv*en cash. James Gray ga\e • ■ . i hat he was constantly employed b\ clcfendant, and that he had destroyed 2200 rabbits since he started in the winter. His Worship considered that reasonable steps had been taken to clear the rabbits off tbe lands complained of, and therefore dismissed the information without costs. — Same v. F. M'Bride, failing to keep rabbits down on land round about Dart River and at Mount Earnslaw freehold — about 2500 acres. The Inspector, sworn, stated that the rabbits were very plentiful on both named areas on October 7, 8, and 9. Sent notice to defendant on October 12 to clear. Went back on November 18, and still found the rabbits vejy plentiful and no steps taken. F. M'Bride, defendant, sworn, stated that he occupied the land complained of. Poisoned his land at the Priory in September before receiving notice. Convicted and fined £12 and costs 8s 4d, and solicitor's fee, 21s; total, £13 9s 4d.— Same v. Ewen Duncan, failing to keep rabbits down at Miller's Flat. Defendant pleaded "Guilty," and was fined 10s with costs 9s 6d, solicitor's fee £1 Is. A correspondent of the Cromwell Argus at Albertown writes as follows : —The weather has been changeable of late, and the orops have been greatly benefited from the alternating heat and rain. An early harvest and handsome yields are looked for. There is now abundance of feed, and the stock are thriving. The Wanaka station reports a- record lambing on the Luggate Flat this year. Over a thousand lambs were recently mustered, as compared with about 900. the previous highest tally. Shearing operations are now commencing, and good clips are expected. Mr J. Haugh, who has already finished, estimates that his fleeces weisrh on an average 81b. Sheep-owners find it difficult to -procure sufficient shearers. They have a decided preference for local men, who give less trouble, being better able to adapt themselves- to the prevailing conditions.

The Fairfax correspondent of the Western Star writes:— The acreage in drilled turnips is greatly in excess of any previous year, indicating more winter feed for stock and less acreage in crops, although prices for every sort of cereal are high; yet there is not the same guarantee of prices being maintained equal to wool and mutton, and although wool has receded in price, yet with well-fed sheep, shearing heavy fleeces, woolgrowing pay? ; and for those sheep that are shorn they seem to have come out of the wool well, as they are in e^ery instance in good condition, t nd as soon as the works start again can easily command up to 15s for two and four-tooth wethers. Ewo 3 and lambs are selling well at up to 14s, all counted, »the abundance of jyras« seen everywhere testifying to the condition of stock. Store cattle are steadily moving up in price, and fats are good property at up to 25s vet 1001b. Although the price obtained per acre for land in Southland is far short of that obtained north, yet ' when the Canterbury farmers come south they are so charmed with our climate and grass that they tut once make up their minds to settle amongst us, and as for the quality of our stock it simply charms them — at least, so expressed a northern gentleman who attended our Otautau show. As an indication that the land boom has ended, there are not so many clearing sales in the district, and those who have sold in nearly every instance regret having done so, as thoy invariably find that if they s?ot a V igh -price for their farms they have to pay higher to get a bettor one. Everywhere crops are looking well, and farmeis are busy sowing rape and grass and turnips.

During the fortnight ending November 30 the following animals were slaughtered at the Invercargill City Abattoirs : Cattle, 129; sheep, 774; lambs, 69; pigs, 6; calves, 7. One heifer, one calf, and a quarter of mutton were condemned.

The Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company's output of butter at the Oaniaru and Dunedin factories- is increasing rapidly. We (North Otagb Times) are informed on good authority that the company could have placed the whole output this year at profitable prices in Otago and South Africa without shipping to London at all. In fact, the company only last week had to refuse an offer to place butter in Vancouver at c. very high price.

The Hyde correspondent of the Mount Ida Chronicle, writes :— The cLief item of

interest in every farming community is, of course, the weather, and for some time pist it has been all that could be desired — sufficient rain, absence of high winds', and enough warm weather. For the past month the growth has been very rapid, and the recovery of artificial pastures from tho ravages of last year's drought has been wonderful. It will, however, take more than a season to undo the harm done, as many of the more delicate grasses to have been, killed, and the clovers are only growing in more favoured places, and the growth is by no means vigorous. The cereal crops are making splendid growth, and the dark green colour of the paddocks is pleasing alike to the material eye of the farmer and to the artistic eye which finds its pleasures in the delicate blending of colours that Nature clothes the fields in. Farm work is well in hand. Indeed, many have finished with farm work, and the teams are turned out for a welcome rest, and with the others turnip-sewing is the chief work. A much iarger area than usual has been put in this crop, and many splendid brairds are to be seen, mostly in raised drills. Shc-aring is starting this week on several farms, and will be pretty general next week. The drop in prices has come at an : nopportune time, '-and with the prospect of a lighter olip this year the shrinkage in the returns will be considerable.

A Garston correspondent writes as follows in -last week's Lake Wakatipu Mail: — The farmers are all very busy getting in their turnips. The crops are all looking fairly well, but rain is wanted very badly. The glass has been falling on several occasions, but the rain has been going elsewhere. Apropos of the land boom in. Southland, Jlr Ernest M'Donald has sold his run at Athol to M. Desohler, of Invercargill, and the latter then sold to Mr Rose at a very satisfactory profit. Mr Rose a few weeks ago cold out to Mr D. M. Cameron, who is a 6on>-in-la\v of the late Jas. M'Lean. Tho lambing percentage is not quite up to last season's on account of a severe week's weather during lambing, followed by frcst. Still, it is satisfactory. The farmers' Docks have been very satisfactory. One man had a percentage of 163 per cent, of Limbs from 150 ewes. The farmers are all very busy shearing, some having completed. Mr D. A. Cameron, Nokomai. has just 6et up a plant of ihe latest shearing machines. He gets his r°wer from a Blackstone oil engine. Mr Cameron is to be commenced for hi.4 enterprise. • Visitors to the Gore show last week (says the Standard) were highly complimentary about the quality of the stock exhibited. One gentleman, a practical farmer from Victoria, 'who is over here on a visit, expressed his astonishment at such horseflesh lxsing- exhibited in so small A. -centro as Gore. The visitor declared that only at two .-hows in Victoria could the exhibition of draught horses be approached, and that was at the Royal show at Melbourne and the Bendigo show, and even there he had not seen superior draught horses.