WELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2914, 19 January 1910, Page 21

WELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Good rains have fallen right up tho coast from Wellington to Auckland, travellers- by North Trunk line reporting that the fall was heavier in the north than in this creeks and rivers being in half flood. What rain has fallen south of Hunterville has had no effect in adding' much to the water supply except hero and there where thunder clouds have burst. To dairymen the rain came in the nick of time to gave the milk flow from decreasing-. It is at ■such a pinch that the advantages of an acre of green fodder can be most forcibly impressed on cow-feeders, and they will admit that it would add pounds to their cheques before the season is over. Now rain has come, they will have already forgotten the good resolutions made for the future. At the same time there is a- .great improvement in that respect; still, there is room for more in many quarters. As noted in last week’s Notes, the grain harvest is proceeding quietly, and as there is no need for a rush, gram should he stacked in prime order. ■ Tho rain will have stopped work for a day or two, hut as it is now again, fine there will he no harm done. The wind we had a week or two ago may have done .some damage to tbs ryegrass on the one a downs around Sandon. but it cannot have been much, or we would have heard more complaints. As to w.hat the yield is likely to be, reports are so contradictory it is impossible to form any estimate.- One or two threshing mills are engaged doing* a little threshing out of the stock, and grass seed will he fit shortly, so that all mills will be fully employed for some months to come. Mills arc not so plentiful as they were a few years ago, which conduced to make the season longer. The area, under grain on most farms being small, there is not. much ■encouragement for anyone to invest in a threshing plant. Farmers grumble at the tariff charged for threshing, but when allowance has been made for Ices of time owing to so much shifting folia. few thousand bushels, and wear and tear of machinery, there is very little profit to the owner except he works the mill himself, when he may in a good season make wages, and some interest on his outlay. It is a.rduous work, and mill owners earn all they get. The greatest cause of dissatisfaction is that often the mill-owners do not keep their appointments, unless, as the result of bad weather, there is no .reason why. Mill-owners should not make out their proposed itinerancy. There could then be no cause for the farmer to grumble. There is not a great deal of threshing done direct cut of the stock in this district, the smallness of the fields and the intermittent way which grains ripen of late years making it unprofitable for mills to shift about. Whether there is really .anv : gain from tho practice Is very questionable. There are several reasons against threshing direct from the field. Perhaps the chief is that unless the- grain is “dead” rips and dry and hard, it will not keep in bags, and in the case of wheat millers object to buying it. Another reason) I have experienced is the employment of eo many extra hands, and tho chance of their getting- out of control, and thereby carelessness and waste. There is also greater risk from sudden rainstorms, as few farmers are so well supplied with sheets to enable them to protect loaded and halfloaded carts of sheaves in transit to the mill, besides the straw-stack and other debris that pertains to a threshing mill. It is beginning to be recognised in the north that straw is of some value, but - far from the extent it should, and will have :■ to be in the future, so for that reason | alone there is air oh taction to stock threehj ing, as the stack is often built in a reri funotory manner, and if there is further I harvesting to be done is apt to he left unfinished, when rain mav come and destroy the lot. The only conditions under which it may ho said to ho good policy to thresh direct off tho field is in the case of dairymen’ and others who have only one field ■of oats, which is all fit to cut at one time, and the weather is settled and favourable, when the best mode is, if ihero is a certainty of the mill coming up to time, to stack the bulk the previous day, leaving the balance to be carted. The stack will keep the mill going between tho trips of the dray. This docs away -with having to employ extra teams. In such a case the straw stack can be properly built and immediately raked down, and in a week or two thatched. The feeding value of well-saved oaten straw is equal to a good deal of .grass hay that is made, and where there are cattle the straw should he carefully preserved for helping them through the winter.

The Weather.

liarresl lag.

Threshing Ont of Stack.

After a week or two of dry -weather at the beginning of the year, when, the sun has most power, when a shower comes along, on all sides will be heard, “What a grand rain! It will do the countrv a lot of good. Just what was wanted.” _ There is no doubt that it is more pleasing to the eye to see grass green and plentiful throughout the summer, and, with regard to dairying, is considered the ideal state of things. Still, even in milk production, a dry spell is advantageous—that is, when .green fodder is provided, to accompany the dry grass as fodder. It is a well-understood fact, although not generally acted upon, that to insure perfect, health in animals they should have some change in their dietarv. In the Old Country the climate makes it compulsory to give change of fodder to stock, especially cattle, which have to he housed, thereby insuring cows having grass ini spring and summer, while .roots, hay, or straw is their -winter diet. In the North Island of New Zealand, on the other hand, cows may be said to have nothing bub grass all the year round. Therefore a seasonable summer, when the grass gets as dry as hay, is tire only chance of cows receiving a change of food. There will be few that will agree with these remarks, but if carefully considered they will be found correct. A dry .spell may not be so advantageous for cattle as for sheep, as a mild drought has always been found to leave sheep healthier, stronger, and better able to withstand disease. In, the best interests of

Suns in er Italn.

our flocks on the West Coast, therefore, it would have been, better it we had not had the last rain for another week or two. For the last month the freezing: works have been kept fully employed—even before the New Year some- of the factories were ©o busy that fat lambs had to wait their turn. The returns' of exports (from the Dominion for the inbntn of December gives the value oi Jam os for that month in 1908 as £24,875; 1909, £31,461; mutton—lSoß, £70,534; 1909, £48,966. This shows that lambs have been fit earlier than last year. At the same time there has been considerably less mutton last December than in 1908. Another thing the figures show is that farmers are not inclined to hold back lambs in order to raise the price. What conclusion the conference to be held on the subject will come to is hard to say. If the market is to be regulated it must be effected by the meat companies doing so with mutton or lamb in a frozen state, as it would be impossible to get. farmers to fall into line to keep lambs back when fit, even if it were in their interests to do so, which, as has previously been pointed out. could not possibly be the case unless the lambings were also regulated to enable having four months’ old lambs available throughout the year. What is , causing some anxiety is the 'demands of the slaughtermen for higher pay. So far there seems to be no bitterness engendered and it is to be hoped that the difference will be amicably and quickly settled, it being a truism that the longer a trade dispute lasts the harder it. is to come to a settlement. So far there is very little doing in the store sheep market. At the first sales of the year, held last week, store sheep were poorly represented, both as regards numbers and quality, and it will be the end of the month before there Is much doing. A- few train loads have gone up the North Trunk line. Locally buyers seem to be taking a rest, awaiting the course of events until weaning is over. One good the rain will have done is to give a good opportunity to wean, and it is to be hoped that many have taken advantage. of it. There is no use in _ quoting prices, for what few have com© into the yards. From ail accounts young ewes will be worth fair money and, as usual, wethers will probably bring within a shilling of the price of fats. What lambs are going to sell at is a problem that next month will solve. Anything like decent cattle of all ages are readily saleable at, I think, a little more money than last year. From the. demand there has been for good purebred bulls it would appear that breeder’s are paying more attention to their cattle, for which there is need. A , well-bred steer is easier and more cheaply fattened than a nondescript, and the initial higher price for a good bull is a mere bagatelle when compared with the increased profit. This district is noted for the number of Hereford breeders, there being few shorthorns bred in comparison with what was formerly the case. Mr D. P. Buchanan, Mayfield, informs me that he has sold every bull he can spare, the last four having been trucked to the order of a Wanganui River breeder last week. Other, breeders ..have likewise had good sales. Breeders of high-class bulks have had an uphill game for., some time, and it is to be hoped that the’ upward movement will continue, as it is to the best interests of the cattle-breed-ing' industry that the best bulls, procurable should be introduced among the . herds if our export of beef Jls to expand, and there is no reason why it should not, there being no. better country in the world for breeding and rearing young cattle than can be found in the hill country of the North Island, while they can be fattened at a minimum of cost on the river-flats. Besides it is only by intelligent use of cattle that the grasses on the hills will be renovated, and if cattle are a necessity for that purpose why use scrubs, when there would be so much more profit in breeding “ goeduns.” Year after year the oractice of buying rams privately is increasing. It has much to recommend it. Formerly the objection raised to buying privately was that buyers had not confidence in their own judgment of value. Now the price cf rams fluctuates little from year to year, so that those in need of any number find it better to visit the breeder and select what they require. Most of the Romney breeders have disposed of all their output for the season. Some breeders reserve a few rams for entry at the ram fail’s to serve as an advertisement, which may be of utility in. that way. Besides, these who only require one or two prefer buying at the fair, which sometimes leads to notable breeders getting big prices. But price is not always a true value with any description of breeding stock, as it may happen that tw’o or more buyers may take a fancy to a sire that they consider would improve their flock .or herd,' with the result that the animal is “ run up ” far beyond its legitimate value. There have been cases in the past when both bulls and rams have realised what were considered fabulous prices, which in the end proved a good investment. Should a sire prove to be a good “nick ’’ with the flock or herd it is absolutely impossible to form any estimate cf how profitable lie may prove.

Markets.

Ham Sales.

It is often remarked that when- one promß nent resident of a district passes away often two or throe others follow Last week it was my sad duty to report the death of Colonel Gorton. To-day tha death of Mrs R. B. M'Kenzie, Hoki-nno-a ” Carnarvon, which took place at a private hospital in Palmerston after under swing an operation, has to be chronicled. Although comparatively young in years—so-she has been connected with the Rangitikei all her life. She was a daughter of the Hon. J. Bryce, Mr R. B. MTvenzic being the oldest son of the late T. U. M‘Konzie, “ Poyntyfield. There has been no family on the coast sc widely known-, numerous, and respected as those of M'Kenzie and Bryce. It was therefore with widespread regret that news of Mrs M'Kenzie’s death was received. bho leaves a husband and family of four sons and three daughters to mourn their loss. Of her sons, Mr Norman M Kenzie is training for the Presbyterian ministry, Mi Stewart is on the farm, the other two tei„ 2 in business. ANTIQUA OTIS.

Obituary.