Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 2808, 8 January 1908, Page 8

NEW SOUTH WALES.

'" Sydney, December 10. The month of November was characterised by heavy thunderstorms all over the State, and, coming, as they did, on top of the October rains, the position is somewhat improvedl More rain is wanted, but the State, for the time being-, has been relieved "from a. very ugly drought. Some

places, however, missed' the rain, and &* these cases the position remains critical 1 - Travelling stock are having' a hard time, about the Ooon&mble district, and Riverina», stock are still on the move. The rain was none too early, for the reports of- losses ■ of stock were getting- more ominous every day. A report from out Wellington way cella of one well-known grazier who had 33,000 cheep seven or eight months ago, but 'now, they have Been reduced to 3000, and before the rains they were in a starving condition; and on "offer at 3s and, 4s per head. This, owner has shifted his sheep no less 1 ' thanf seven times during the came number os months, the cost running "into" hundreds of pounds. This is perhaps one of- the* severest limits reached by the late drought, but it serves to show what a critical situation the recent rains have relieved. v 1 The principal wheat districts, such as) : 1 Wagga, Temora, Cowra, Nariomine, Ihibbov j Wellington, totalled from 2£in to "nearly 5m of rain for the month, and it' will help) along what late crops survived the early part of the season. On nearly all the 'tablelands and slopes good falls were reported,' and a oomplete recovery has been experi- , enced in v the , favoured dairying 1 districts onj ', the northern rivers. < *- j Agriculture does not progress as it should; do in New South Wales* due no doubtl.toj the difficulty in obtaining farm "hands' ,antlv j the-" constantly recurring droughtsj-,J.JBV>i?"' t instance, the" area- under wheat has "beeia! \ -reduced this year from 1,939,447 acres, in? 1906 to 1,866;253 in 1907 ; maize from 189,353-j acres to 174,115 acres. Oats show a slight increase, from 51,621" acres in 1904 to 56; 451/ acres this year. Sugar cane 10 years ago**: was grown 'on. 18,194 acres; this- has fallen," j tKis year- to 10,378 acres. Grape-vines have*? 1 been reduced from 5298 acres to 4951 acres. 5 . '-This is not pleasant-reading, but "they-araM facts which require very 6erious 'attention. , - Turning to stock, we find that, with tha, ' exception of dairy- cows, -we stand about the;, same as we did 10 years ago. A few more"' horses and cattle, less sheep, and "fewer pigs -i than in 1901 by 22,000. * -. ,* .- "' The event of the month has been -th« publication of Dr TidswelTs- report .on thV| Danysz experiments on Broughton Island*, and all those interested are eagerjy waiting ■for further developments. The report does): j not speak very highly of the mfectivity ; j of the virus; but, x on the other. hand, HI: I emphatically proves r < that there is not th&^ least danger to apprehend from its practical! use. -This is., on the whole a Very 'satis*; factory point gained for the pastoral-fete; ' because there is really no logical i reason: j now to prevent the' ■experiments' beings carried out on the ; >mainland. However, thd. Federal Government has indicated all alona ■ that , it will not sanction experiments witS ] the virus on the mainland, so the sub- \ scribers to ■ the Danysz • fund and the com- . mitt©e*~in Sydney »"» now- waiting *to -seor : what action the State Government will \ take. - So f«r the Government seems rathet seared to move 'in the matter. Dr Tidsweir having emphatically proved that there is no danger in the use of the i virus, combined with » .the fact that • the 1 identical disease -has been prevalent amongr « , rabbits all over Australia -for past,-", makes' any opposition, .to 'the pjastoralists-j continuing their experiments ridiculous, and! ; i the Pastures Protection r Boards throughout! - j the country, are' unanimous in flieir requests* i to " the Government to allow ' the - expert* ' ■ ments to be oontinued ,'on, the . mainlands \ 1 At the time~ of writing a disease has broken '\ out .among > rabbits in the Condobolin dis-0 •tricts, and they are found dead and dying? all along the netting- f ©noes. x - - ~ ~->> The report of the stock branch just published states that in 30 districts yin the} State rabbits are increasing-, in 24 tbej^i are decreasing, in ewrht-they are stationary.. 3 and-, in four there are none. The total_-| length of barrier rabbit - proof fenc- 1 ing- erected by the Government up to thai end of last year waa 1330 miles, at a cost; J of .£69,808, and the netting ereoted by, | private enterprise is estimated at 51.?32 I miles, at a cost of £2.809,298, and 41 miles'., br the Pastures Protection. Boaicls, at^ a. cost of £1810, making- a total expenditure on xab'hit-probf fencing of £2,880,916. . r>, Shearing has proceeded very quietly, ama/j there has been, very little trouble with thou men. Owing to the recent increase in the\ j shearing rate they earn big wages; any • trood man can clear . his ,£6 or £7 per week, >

paying for rations and cooking 1 .. _ Now **ihat the shearer is ;paid at a rate exceeding jt^s tighest expectations, tie owner should on moi^ careful work, and by doing \so he, would recoup more than the extra .'4B, per 100, when "it is remembered that of a pound of wool left on -a t^Tieep means 12s -6d per 100, which is over -jHihiee times the amount of increase in rates. "_, , It is too early to give, the actual figures ,;_-s£." regard to this year's lambing, but ' after "tJißt .adverse season they cannot be as good .■as "last year, when the total number of j^ambs marked .worked out at 72i per cent. ;^Dhe average weight of wool per sheep -was !;71b 13£oz. 1 .' The .following returns of the- principal l-fcrticles of export from Sydney during the * first 11 ,3nonths of - 1907 compare- with the ■ " corresponding figures foxM9o6: — * *•■•. - -- - . >." -Eleven Eleven j -' < MoDsttis, Months, _„..''_ - 1907. 1906. iJWobl, bales .. .« « .* 736,851 513,902 -rjgkins,- --packages .. .». to 36,172 38,673 KTo. .. -y .. .. 171,374 120,375 tSJallow, casks 33,318 36,927 -Jsfceather, , packages .. .. 8,410 9,120 ' aib&s (preserved), casks.. 66,739 38,606 button ""(frozen),- carcases 996,088 929,788 , Frozen beef, pieces .. .. 14,997 22,453 Wutter, boxes ..-.., .. 803,939 345,^49 -Hoofs and boneSj cwi ..- 11,926 • *9,989 "'.Horns, No. \. ..-..>.. 867,605, 957,190 c Wheat, bushels 2,922,236 2,675,781 ; oentalß - 660,419^ 626,381 -^Babbits and hares, pairs 6,336,-800 5,561,380 y-" J The following"' is a "table of the principal , 'Commonwealth -exports oversea for the fiTst "10 months of 1907: — V" - - - , 1906; J 1907.^ Inc. Wool - J 489,671 £6,859,007 '-meat — ■ ■ button .? 608,490 969..431 360,941 '-'" 'Beef . ."., -..'"" "331,145 500,142 les,^? , Deo. ■Rabbits and i'har«s .. .. 475,296 456.81 C 18,486 Meats— tinned • 165,281 115,-040 ' 50,241 ; - Tnc. Tallow .. -.t 685,413 837,016 151,603 •Sheepskins „. 1,229,300 i,439i67» ; ;210,373 >.. .. •- 140,282 i 71,764' 51,482 .r^ - ' - \ . Dec. pother skins «. .559,712 -288,424 71,288 >Lea±hsr, .. .'. 441,581 ,427,944 13,637 r - Horses" "..,-«• 185,557 232^94 -46,737 Butter ' .. 1,975,825 2,098,238_ 122,413 %hsat , „. ii 4,669,708 4,480,675 - 189,033 ' "- " ."'. I - Inc. , flour' ~sa 1,035,51 D "1,136,399 100,^89 < '" VICTORIA.i- ' Melbourne, December 10. -^. Since last writing some further useful Jalte of rain .have been experienced over .practically the whole of Victoria, No doubt pastoralists would jtiave been better pleased if' the rains had 'been heavier and ?nore continued, but still they have done a good deal of good- in the way' of -freshenX ing uj> pastures. . .v*Tbe past four- -weelcS 'ha.-ye been a. very husy^time for aU'oonnected- with- the lamb for fully" quarter of a million 'carcases were shipped during' that period. "However, the" rush is now easing off, and far -as- the country -works »re condef ned &he * season "has practically finished. ' Most ~ tof 'metropolitan establishments are still „ treating a "fair amount, of stock — from 5000 lijto'^'TSOO a jweek "altogeiiier, — and they will ' probably be "kept in oommission .well, into . ffebruary. So far, about 40D,000'lanibs lay© ■Veen exported, and another 300,000 will 1 Very likely be got away T>efor« the season I closes, which will -make the total approximately the same as last yeaT. Still the quality .this season has not T>een' nearly so ' good £6 the last and previous ones, on "^account 'of the dry -winter, consequently the, 1 retnrns" to_ *the shippers will not b^e' so satis- ■ factory. "'The majority of" those who "go | infor v Muaing freezers in Victoria, in comi mon with their neighbours in other States, ! seem -very slow to i«alise the 'value of artnfielal\.crops to feed the ewes flaid top ofF tie Tambs,^ but 'until they do the I tradß can never be on a firm basis., \ f The' showery weaflier of the past month ! has "been, of very ' material "benefit >to the wheat crops. The rain v came' too "late to be"" of' much use in promoting the growth t , of straw, ' which is consequently "generally i short, but it "favoured the development of the^ears, and .will tend to, ' prolpng- the ripening" "periSd. ' ''As* we'* have had 'few hot „ winds^^the^ grain is maturing^ slowly, >"" will'"probal>ly 'yield better than it looks. 1 ,G|be actual iarve^tins has already begun in the north, and will "soon be in full swing • 'elsewhere.- The * 'official pre-harvest _estiof the -'Government. Statist 'haff just i been published. This puts the yield down '"at- 12,840,750 "boslielsj an average of 6.57 bushels to the acre," as against an actual "crop of 22,618,043' bushels, with an, average r .of 11.13 bushels t^.iihe. acre," last season, * Ijfc will be seen that* ~t"hls" ''season's "average "l yield is expected to be about 40. per cent. below" the la6t, for -which the 3ry «pells r'nriTur August, September,, and* v Octqbe£ \ arV entirely responsible. The exportable^ - surplus, ap&rt from old wheat carried over, i, ts put down -at from four arid -a-half to six miflion bushels. p \lf no more delays occur the plant for I wire netting at Pentridge \ Gaol wfll be handed over_ to the prison I authorities this _ X' is considerably oyer a/=year asjoi that the tenders we're let 1 for the machinery, so it is quite timfe that ■wibrk was cominenoed. The machines have lately been subjected to various tests, and .ai>e said to -be working satisfactorily. Any"how, Mr !Bent is so pleased with them that ie says -he is jroing '■■to double the plant, - arid produce' 2000 miles of netting a year. The eight, weavinjr machines now jnsfealledl i are capable of turning out 600 yds of " 42in wide^liin Tnesh, 17-gauge netting a day of [ eight hours. The price and terras on which i 'the netting will be supplied has not yet ' - a beTen~rmade public, but it Ss -generally undejfi .sfeod that the terms Are to be easy in 'deserving cases. \ The following. is a return of the exports toll perishable produce from Victoria for Thfe-five months ending November 30. For the purpose of comparison,- figures for the ■sa*ne terms of 1905 and 1906 also erven:, -_--" ' - /1907. ' 1906- " 3505. ■Butter, 18l .. 15,626.^04 20 997.628 16,632.829 Cheese, lb.. .. 463.680 413.760 "351,720 HjEnmndbsiconlb 1,211,780 907,440 822,960 Mutton ana lamb, «ttcases .. ;. 429,163 296,106 297,916 Ji^fi, qns .. -2*7 3,662 787 «yeaj, carcases.. 2,169 3,103 5,333 9?ork; carcases..- "284 1,040 335 gairs is," ..' 2^07,698 1,875/298 2,221,884 L ' . QUEENSLAMB. L f Brisbane, Deoenrber 7. It is pfeasfns? io be able to report faar I ' > £ood jmeiaSh' t» a reßtdt 'fit "EhonSer-

•storma throughout a large portion of stbe State. The falls have been — as in the nature of thunderstorms — patchy, and reports from the west tell of a nowling desert alongside the proverbial wheat field. As over 100,000 sheep have left the Lcngreaeh district during the past month, the rain did not come before it was wanted,' but much more is jieeded to ensure complete relief. The water remains the great difficulty, many of the falls so far experienced having Btarted a growth of feed without in any way replenishing the water supply. Amongst the sales of freehold property is that of the whole of No. 1 subdivision of the Oondamine Plains JEstate, some 8300 acres, to Mr J. O. N. Grigg, of Longbeach, Canterbury, New Zealand. Mr Grigg is the owner of the famous show farm of New Zealand, and is a decided acquisition to th© Darling Downs. The local wool sale of the 13th November comprised c*er 17,000 bales, many of the clips' 'offered being of high-class quality. The attendance of buyers was, as usual, excellent, but the disturbance in the money markets of the world caused by the American financial crisis was very- apparent in the slackness of the bidding, especially for inferior and faulty wools, in which che decline was more marked than in those of .first-class quality. On the 7th inst over 18,000 bales are to' be offered, and it is not unlikely, in view of the trend of prices in the -southern markets, that the decline will ■be still more pronounced ' than -at the Novemiber sale. 1 The* discovery of vast and apparently inexhaustible supplies -of -water at shallow depths bids fair to revolutionise grazing •on large areas of the inland districts, where hitherto pastoralists have been relying on dams and .tanks,, which are always liable to exhaustion during a dry spell, when it ie often impossible to remove sheep. The divining rod experts, who, on. the whole, have been successful in their search for ■water, have disclosed the fact that in many -districts, and at a ' depth" of 50ft to 300 ft, there are large supplies of good water \i«hich can be tapped by means -of a shallow bore. Even the oost of sinking and slabbing a well is a thing of the past, the >#ractice being to -sink 6in diaaneter axtesiain casing down to the supply. As already indicated, the water , ■diviners are not uniformly successful, but- it would seem from reports that the "percentage of errors in the selection of cites is jar outweighed by the number of successful bores which have been sunk. SOTJTH AUSTRALIA. Adelaide, December 10. The season continues to be one full of pleasant surprises. Almost in every department of rural industry, results are better than expectations. It was feared that the heavy . frosts in. midwinter wonld, check the feed and '.cause a break in the wool, but nothing of the sort occurred. Then fol1 lowed an exceptionally dry spring, September being distinguished by successive days of hot northerly -winds wii»h clouds of dust. All this seemed to foretell scarcity- of summer feed And dry reservoirs, but such foreoasts have now "to be modified, in- view of the- rains which fell' in> November. As ; wtth the grazier, so, with the ■dairy-farmer and" - the -■ cereal-grower." • Their prospects brightened as' the days went -by; -and now* it -Is toiowii that bcSh' 'are -enjoying an excellent return for their labours. _ > South Australian producers "continue to enjoy exceptional prosperity, and, taking the State as "a whole, th© outlook was never brighter than it is at th© present time. The wool cheque is the biggest ever received by woolgrowers, aggregating in value between ' £1,800,000 and £2,000,000, and it looks as if the cereal crops - will yield up to £3,500,000. When it is remembered that the money received from the wool clip is "■ distributed directly .amongst labout 7000 persons, and that received for the wheat crop amongst 38,000 persons, it- will be -seen how great will be the addition to their income from other sources. When £5,000,000 is to be distributed in, say, four to «ix , months' amongst .a community of less than •■ 400,000-^people as the result of two articles •of produce, it is easily understood that there, must be . a good deal of money in circulation. A leading wool authority assured m© a few days ago that the -wool clip was not only th© largest, .but in .point of rail-round quality . and the way v in which i it was marketed there was a great improve- • ment. Almost imperceptibly the influence 1 of the stud-breeder has been working a ' marvellous transformation in the flocks of the State, until the yield of wool per sheep has increased: by several pounds during the last 20 years. ,' The weather during the past month nas" been- Tnild «,n«J se^sonatle, ar«3 -fcli« _ work of gathering the wheat crop is now in full swing throughout _the State. The further the -strippers get ' into .the' wheat fields the better the results, and it is ' expected that Australia will reap from 15,000,000 'to 17,000,000 bushels of grain, almost the whole of which will be of excellent quality.. The lamb export season- began on August8, and up to the end of November about , 262,000 carcases had been treated &t the | freezing worka. About 300,000 carcases will, be handled during the season, and pro■'bably 230,000 carcases shipped, the balancerepresenting rejects. Dry weather in Sep- • tember was responsible 'for^.a. number of ; lambs going off in condition,- What with strikes at the freezing works and .an unr even season, export merchants have had alot to contend against, and few of them will be Sorry when, the last shipment has. igone. There is. an. agitation to start freezing works at several of the outports, _ the argument being that this would save railing animals, over long distances. The Government, "however, propose increasing the capa <skgr of the .State works at Port Adelaide, and' if this should be done it is not likely ■ that the - Government will encourage rival ■works at the outpoTts. The industry is how firmly established, and it represents an important addition to the revenue of the large and Email sheep-owners of the State. v ' The quantities of wool offered and sold this season at the local auctions, with figures for last year "in "Brackets, -ere shown -as (follows: — • - - - Offeredl! Sold Bales. Bales. First sale „« »* -ns sr 20,930 l?' 9^. • - - - <16.018) ' (14,022) • Socond sale „ •-« -~ - 26.330 25,212 (13,961) ' (12,916) Third -sale ..- „ .. ".. .82108 29,283 (21.530) (19.395) Fourth sale ... t?. ..- ... 32.792 " j 2B^ • ■ • -• - - JSB,S7*)- (2Q,255) Fifth sale . .c -.. '», £3-392- " 11,587 - ■ (23,941) • (23,322) The total oSered to date this is 125,552 bales, .compared with 103,814 Tales to fhe corresponding date of last year, and the total 11*,846 bales, against 94>851

' bales. At the opening auctions of this * year 95 per cent, of the offerings was disposed of, at the second 95 per cent., at the* third 91 per cent., at the fourth 87 per / cent., and at the fifth 85 per cent. So ' far this season 91 per cent, of the offerings has been cleared, compared -with 91 per cent, to the same date in ISO 6, 91 per cent, in 1905, 93 per cent. in. 1904, 86 ppre r cent, in 1903, 89 per cent, in 1902, 89 per cent, in 1901, 84 per cent, in 1900, and 94 per cent, in 1899. j WESTERN AUSTRALIA. I

Perth, December 2. Folio-wing a rainless October, with, a dry November, in natural sequence the green tinge of spring is giving place to dry feed and rapidly-ripening crops. Two months of dry weather in the spring in less fortunate countries mj^jr often spell -disaster to the harvest promise, but in this even climate, where hot winds are unknown, and OctoberNovember days are generally accompanie3 by cooh and even dewy nights, with comparatively moderate conditions otherwise, ji, an even ripening' goes qn, and but little > damasre is done to crops. The early antici-

damage is done to crops. The early anticipations of the gross yield are now generally Teoognised to have been exaggerated, and the 2,000,000 bushel surplus announced by the press will be more likely 1,000,000 | bushels grain, but even at this figure the average grower is well -on the right side. , The high prices offered for grain during October have become Jegendary, and the ' buyers are again back at somewhere round the Fremantle equivalent of London rates, "± wheat at present ruling at 4s 6d Fremantie, : or 4s Id to 4s 2d country siding, and oate : also are steadily receding to about 3s coim- , try sidings. . , Beef is lower this year than' it-las been iqr some years, and prices ruling till well •on, in the new year are just about equal ; to Adelaide and Melbourne rates. Mutton, '. considering the - season, keejib relatively firm, and at -4^d to-day is goqd buying. ' After a. lengthy squabble befrv?jeen the Stock < Department and the Health Department as '. to the existence* of swine fever v amongst j - the pigs of the State, at, outside authority ' ' has declared that it doesyjpxist, and for the . present trade in this section, has ceased till . a settled position obtains. During the month I;he export of lambs has proceeded 1 ' apace, the capacity of the slaughtering - works being fully tested. The quality has varied from -very good to the other ex- . * treme,' the supervision being only from a i health standpoint, and numbers of lambs ) ; not nip to standard have been despatched. In this latter respect the' State is probably , not the only sinner, but IJhe 'arrival, of th© ' returns here will probably be disappointing t ( to growers who have been led by -the press < ; ajid others to expect results which can never ' be attained. . There is an over-production of lamb in . the State, and its export is desirable; Taut , it must be better managed in future if the name of the 'State is not to be ' prejudiced,. , A working knowledge of the prospects gleaned from the actual Tesul^ will be- of much -assistance as against the previously accepted •estiniate. TASMANIA., .. Launeeston, December 3. - "With the see-saw which so frequently dis-' tinguishes^ the seasons as between the mainland and T-asmajuaj -no "sooner did - the drought -end in the former than a long wet : spell closed in the latter. Since then there i have been only a few scattered showers over ] the island. A .good downpour would -bow ! be' welcome, although with the exception of a few districts in/, lie south and midlands and on. the east coast it is not . urgenily need ed* -There is a fair supply of ' grass, and the crops' are coming along nicely. The return of * hay will be rather ( light, -but .the cereals *hould yield- well. . The potato fields promise bo give an abun- '. dant harvest, while' the .setting of apples ; has been generally good. All this is very satisfactory. . .The prospects of graziers are also good.. The output of wool will probably be more ', than last year, and .the condition is rather j superior. There are absolutely no breaks, and the staple is bright. . Already good ] prices have been obtained on the mainland, i and similar success is anticipated at the > sales to be held at Launceston on December _ ' 30 and Hobart on January Z and 3. Local i , brokers have been notified that '-there will i be a satisfactory attendance of buyers, j Shearing ie in full swing, but difficulty has been experienced in getting shearers. Several New South Wales and Northern JVictorian pastoralists have "been visiting ''Tasmania trying to buy grass runs for six months. They did not -meet with much "* success, a« at the same time speculators •were purchasinsr- sheep" in tlie other States and bringing them over for sale. In this < way between 20,-OOQ and 30,000 x head have i been imported during the past month, and i have been olear«d at -an average pxice of i about 13s 9d. ,In some >. quarters it is be- j ■ lieved fliat ihis will have a desirable mflu- i enoe on* the importation of fats next, winter. ' } Our" butchers frequently have to buy up to J 50,000-per season for local consumption, and* ] it 16 -thought that by planting, suitfO-" ~ green ■-< crops tub shall considerably curtail the , : number.

Mr J. J. Ball, of King Island, ias been exhibiting in Launceston a. sample of mcli- j lot hay. % The aroma was excellent and the general quality good, but mainland experimenters are again warned ;not to expect too much of the legume. There is no^ doubt ' that it thrives exceedingly on Kirn? Island, j and "by taking from the atmosphere and transferring to the ground much needed I nitrogen enriohes -the soil. At the same<time where other green stuff will grow it shou'd not be tried. At one time it was tried at Corney Point, Yorke's Peninsula, South Australia, and stock woul3 eat _^t only when there was nothing: else available. It was erroneously called Bokhara clover. Mr Ball reports orders for several tons of seed for planting on the " desert " land between Adelaide and Melbourne, and . perhaps there it may be successful. j According to Mr George Harrop, of Launceston, who has Just returned ' from a visit to England and Europe, the time is not far distant when the whole of" the Australian clip of wool will be ■sold in Australia. He has formed this opinion after interviewing 1 British and Continental •manufacturers, etcThe Minister of Lands is havina surveyed a block of about 20,000 acres of Crown land in the neighbourhood of Scottsdale, Northeastern Tasmania, for the purposes of closer i settlement. This will be in lieu of pur- j chasing an estate. -' 1

Following on the change made in the designation of New Zealand, the "Colonial " Mnseum will in future be styled the "Dominion" Museum.- • -