AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2850, 28 October 1908, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

A southern farmer who passed through Timaru by rail to Christchurch on Wednesday was heard to observe (says the Herald), as he admired the splendid appearance of the country from the carriage window, that South Canterbury farmers were going to enjoy another grand season if one thing, which he" feared, did not happen — namely, a strike ot hands in the middle of harvest. In subsequent conversation with a Herald" reporter the farmer, eaid that such a strike would be disastrous to the farmers, and he feared it might happen, because' the; farm hands, or a certain section of theiny had lost their case before the Arbitration Court, and. the Government had .taken no notice of their demand' for legislation to give effect to their desires. ** -J The Hon. R. M'N«b, Minister Jfor Lands, . informs the Elbham Argus that it will be within, the scope of th© recently-appointed inspectors to observ© the conditions of child labour in tho dairying' industry and report thereon. Th© inspectors will, of course, have no power to do anything further than report." So far, he eaye, the inspectors have nothing to icomplain of in connection with child labour. A«oordLn.g- to a South African paper, received bye Masterton reacdent, no fewer than 3000 head of oxen, havo had to be__ destroyed in one district in tho Transvaal on account of what' is known as the Eaet Coast fever. Troopers who took part in tho Boer war will remember the ravages made on mules and sbcok generally by this disease. A farmer on the Opaki tells the Wa-ira-rapa Daily Times that one of the beneficial effects of lasf summer's drought was that native grasses died out. Thie season he has looked in vain*for their reappearance in his paddocks. The English grasses arehaving the field all to themselves, whereas in former seasons they were crowded out by the native growth. As evidence of the tightness of the money market a resident of South Canterbury agreed to purrhase a certain farm for £16,000, provided be could get accommodation for half this amountv He put down £80G0 cash, and in spite of all endeavours: he was unable to get the other SBQQO, notwitstending that he had the best of eecurity to offer for it, and ac a- consequence the deal fell through. ' The agricultural implement firms decided at a meeting hold & few days ago that they will again refrain from exhibiting' at the Timaru show -this year. . At the, Manawatu show the space' to be occupied l by implements totals 40,000 ft. The Hon. R. M'Nab has received a. message from the High Commieioners. under date October 15, stating *bat ho had - made representations to the Local Government Board concerning the boned beef from thie Dominion. The president personally considered the application, and regretted^ that he was unable to exempt the New 1 Zealand articlo from the general prohibition of this class of trade. - A Bell Block settler has some most prolific stock on his farm, says the Taxanaki New.s. Tho other day he. set a gocee which had laid 40 eggs without a break, this being the best he has known in 40 years' experience. His Berkshire sow. mated to a Tamworth sire, easily eclipsed the local record by reproducing her species to the- number of 19. At ihe annual meeting of Ihe Mackenzie Count y A. and' P. Association the treasurer 1 (Mr C. J. Talbot) reported that th« year had bern most successful. Tho -entry foes and gate money both constituted recorder Tho president (Mr JC. W. Lsitt)" reported that during the year the society had purchased a 6ite containing 3* acres' for a snowground at £20 per acre, and 20 per oent. of the purchase money had been paid, the balanca to remain on mortgage at 5 per cerrt. for five yea**. A siun of about. £100! had been raised on debenturee, and he trusted that members of the society would 6upport them by taking up fusliher debentures. The society h*d applied to- the-Go-•..•••jmieri*-. for a grant, and he had much l/er^ure in informing them that accordingto tho hupiilonicnUtßy Estimates the accietvt bad br*n granted £100. The following

water tanks, only 60e.-A6 xsuupio and Biatr'a.

oncers wiere elegted:— f resident, Mr H. A. Innes Jones; vice-president, .Mr E. Harppn' treasurer, Mr C. Talbot; secretary, ~&&r G. C. Martin. A vote, of thanks to trie retiring president, Mr C. W. Idtt, carried by acclamation. It was decided that the annual show should be held on Easter Monday, April 12, 1909. jWawn .days have caused a, wonderful of both crops and grass and barcbaned .them, . writes the Rakaia correspondent of the Lyittelton Times. Both are looking very Healthy, and there is very' little grub about so far. The lambing^ has been excellent, and there has been only a ■very small mortality. A few fat sheep have been' shorn, and the general shearing will begin, very .-soon. The prospects of the formers are generally good. Messrs Friedlander Bros., Limited (Asiiburton), have sold Mr W. Begg's Ashton farm, of 366 acres, to Messrs Wotten and Sons, of Woolston, at £21 par acre. For tie 12 months ending September 30 last the total amount of milk received at the Central Dairy Company (Ch/istchurch) was 39,613,1601b. The amount of butter manufactured by the company was 1,392,5251b, or 711 tons, as against 862± tons in the previous 12 months. Some time ago (says the Lyttelton Times) Messrs A. Scott and D. M'Farlane, of Timaru, purchased for re-sale an estate of 20,000 acres near Narrabri, in New South Wales, and' "Mr Scott has now been informed by cable sthat'at an auction sale at Narrabri 17 out of 22 farms submitted were disposed of at prices about 35 per cent. in advance of the purchase price. The entries for the Tiniaru Agricultural , *nd Pastoral Society's show this week con statute a record. There are 880, and this number Is 100 in- excess of the total of last y£jur. , -In sheep there are 325 entries, in. horses 350, in cattle 31, in produce 124, in - pjgs 24, and in dogs 26. ' Entries have been . received from all parts of Canterbury, and a. few from outside the* province. , Besides these there -will be post entries for pony jumping, pony trotting,\amd other events. .The Taranakl Dairy Employees' Union has new decided, according 'to a Taranaki exchange, to • wait till the Arbitration v Act Amendment comes into operation at the beginning of next year before it applies to the court for an award. The union sometime ago had a conference with the Employers' Union, which rejected its demands. The largest order for canned butter ever placed in Victoria is now being, executed mj Melbourne by Messrs Van Cootli and Co., of William street, who are under contract to the United States defence authorities to supply 2150 cases, each containing 20 cans holding 51b net, which ai-e to be . delivered at Manila. I"he xmditions of contract were somewhat exacting. It was stipulated at' the outset that the hulter was to be supplied in strict accordance with tha previsions of the American Pure Food Act," wJiioh measure prohibits the use any preservative or of colouring matter *A further demand* was that the article delivered should be of "first-class quality," and on this point the ficm undertook to can the butter first, and then 6ubmit it for inspection. The Government Dairy Expert, Mr R. Crowe, itad the grading conducrod in accordance with these conditions, and it was found necessary to reject hundreds ot the 51b cans. Analyses of the -butter were made by the Government Analyst, and on his favourable report the officer administering the Commonwealth Commerce . Act :s-bue-d a certificate»a6 to the puxity and standard} of quality of the article, this document being- accepted by the United States Government as satisfactory proof of the fulfilment of the stipulations in the contract. The actual quantity shipped will be 167£ tons. The Koimano MaTu took tho first consignment; the Manila, "sailing later, t<x>k 1000- cases, and the balance of 1000 cases will be forwarded later on. The contract. in the opinion of Mr Crowe, has been filled in a manner which is certain to give the greatest satisfaction to the United States Government.