WELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 8

WELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The weather is gradually getting colder;

The Weather.

still, us yet, fires are not in requisition, except by the weakly and thin-blooded. However, it is just what

was wanted to kill off some of the pests that are a menace to vegetable life. Farmers generally are well forward with their work, and many will take the opportunity of the excursion fares op the railway to pay some long-promised visits to relatione or old friends. At the same time, periodical holidays cannot be taken advantage of by the farmer to the same extent as artisans and tradespeople, as there is often something on that particular day that must be attended to. Again, there are others who will rather pay the ordinary fate than be crushed and bustled by the crowds. However, every farmer should' take a holiday for his health’s sake, as change of air and scene often saves doctors’ bills. As a rule farmer’s on holiday go to the cities or seaports. No doubt they have their minds diverted from the everyday work on the farm, but to the lover of stock and agricultural pursuits no better holiday can be taken than visiting his compeers in other parts of the Dominion, as by so doing he combines business with pleasure. Probably he will find a better class of stock, which will make him consider how best he can improve his own, or the reverse may be the case, so that by comparing notes on th© methods of breeding followed the “tripper” will learn what to avoid, and educationally it is better to learn what to avoid than what to do. With regard to agricultural methods, it is hardly possible to go on to even a badly-managed farm without seeing something. new that might be worth adopting. , Way back in the early days of squatting, in Victoria one of the most progressive men of the day used to send his overseer on the tramp for a week or two every year to see what new methods Were being adopted by other progressive squatters. There is no doubt that it paid well to do this. The man that site at home from year’s end to year’s end gets into one groove, which may have been correct at one time, but. as in everything else, great alterations have taken place in farming methods during the last two or three decades. ’’ Of course, there is not the same necessity to travel to gain education that there was, seeing the large 'number of .newspapers and journals that cater for the farmer by recording every new invention or system evolved'. Still, many do not read, and even when they do information thus given does not appeal to them in the same way as when seeing the invention or method in operation. It is to be hoped, therefore, that many will avail themselves of the slack time and wander afield, and doubtless they will glean something to repay them for their trip. However, even all farmers are not made alike, and there are those to whom the highest enjoyment is music, and they make for the city to gratify their taste. Others are not happy unless witli a gun, to kill something, and quit© a number are making preparations for deer on the East Coast. Everyone to his taste.

In ordinary seasons' the "main crop of potatoes are rip© • and fit to dig by April 1, but '.. . owing to. the excessive wet in October a considerable area of. the seed rotted in the ground, necessitating replanting, so that digging in many cases will be later-than usual. So far there has been little complaint of disease. At the same time, it is -to be seen—and the wonder is that'it has not taken the lot after the ■warm" showery weather we had l for such a length of time. . What has kept the disease at bay is doubtless the precautionary measures taken by growers in keeping the sprayer at work. A rather disquieting paragraph appears in the Dominion newspaper anent disease attacking potatoes after being bagged. This paragraph says: "A week ago what appeared to be a firstclass sample of potatoes was brought into Timaru for sale. There was then apparently no 6ign of disease about the tubers, but during the week almost every potato in the bag had developed the Irish blight in an unmistakable degree. It.would appear that the disease lies dormant sometimes, and that it does not follow when potatoes appear free of blight at digging that they are always free of it." Probably, if the history of that bag of potatoes was traced to the field it would be found that the blight was in evidence when the tubers were dug, but by careful picking those forwarded for sale were to all intents clean. But it is. -well known in this district that no matter how carefully potatoes' are picked, if the disease exists in ever so small a degree there is no dependence to be placed that thc< apparently clean will remain so for any length of time. I have haa tiiem remain sound for months, and again have found the disease develop in a week of ten days. I have always advocated storing potatoes in a barn or house built for the purpose instead of pitting as being cheaper in. the end 1 . Besides, the house affords facilities for bagging, sorting, etc., in wet weather, when little else can be done outside. Now that we have disease to contend with plenty of house room is almost a necessity. In, days gone by I have had potatoes in a shed in a heap 12ft wide and 7ft high that came out in the spring perfectly sound. Now that there is disease I would advise giving a great deal more room, so that the tubers can be stacked in narrow heaps, say 4ft wide and 3ft deep-, to enable them to be inspected at short intervals for signs of the development of disease. As soon as one unsound tuber is found rto time should be lost in having them again carefully turned over and taking out all that are affected. This means a lot of tedious work—counting potatoes, as an old friend used to term picking. Still, even with this added labour, growers are better remunerated than a decade ago, when -40 s or 50s a ont -was considered .a good price. . The fourth interim crop returns ju6t published show that a further Crop Retarns. reduction on the estimate published in February has had to be made. The position with regard to wheat now seems to be that the yield per acre fot the Dominion is only 28 bushels, in place of 34.75 last year, Jjub the increased area brings the total up to nearly the same as for 1909 —eierht and threequarter ir.illion There is a de-

crease all, over the Dominion in the estimate made in-February except in -the Wellington district, where the oat crop is nowput at 37 bushels per acre, instead of. 25 bushels as in the February statement. Last year’s yield was 40.55 bushels. Whether much dependence can be placed on the figures given is open to question. Taking this district, for instance, it is hard to understand how the compiler got such e pessimistic idea as only 25 bushels to the acre, and then within a month to alter it to 37. Nothing happened during that time to alter the position, except that some threshing had l been done. Statistics are valuable only when collected in such a way that the producer and consumer have cotl--fidence that the figures given are as correct as it is possible to arrive at, and to collect the necessary information money must be spent. Just how much statistics of the yield of grain are worth to the country it is impossible to estimate. The position is somewhat the same as gambling at races. The man that is “in the know” backs a certainty, while the 'outsider has only about a hundred to one chance. So if the farmer knows as a certainty what the total yield of grain is he is in a position to demand a price in keeping with the export or import value as the case may be. But when no reliable figures are available the market is a gamble both to farmer and merchant, only that the merchant is in a better position to obtain private information. It is to the interest of the farmer, therefore, that the agricultural statistics should be taken and published as soon as possible. I would suggest that the acreage under the various crops be collected as formerly, in November, when they could be published by the end of the year. Then arrange with threshing mill owners to send in monthly returns of the yield. This might be made compulsory, or, better still, allow a small fee to the mill owners for doing the work. It would be a simple way of collecting the information, md the main object would be gained, as the figures would be reliable. To ensure correctness the returns should state the total yield of grain and acreage of each farmer’s crop threshed, and if any doubt should arise the compiler could look up the previous returns of the acreage. This would make for reliability, which we cannot expect under the present system. If a thing Is -worth doing it is worth doing well. A case of considerable interest to owners -i ..I v r it a

Csttlf-nnuers’ Liability. .

of cattle came before Mr A. D. Thomson, S.M., at Pal-, merston North this week, when Mrs Roberta, of Ron-

WJItJII iUI3 AVUltgotea, claimed from Mr Thomas Duncan, Hunterville, £7 for wearing- apparel destroyed, £4- 10s for domestic assistance, and! £66 10s general damage caused by a bullock owned by defendant rushing the plaintiff and knocking her into a mudhole. ' From the evidence it appeared that Mrs Roberta and her little daughter, three years old, wore going to church. They had to pass, a mob of bullocks, which at the time were unattended. This particular bullock rushed and knocked Mrs Roberts into the mudhole, and then attacked the child. Goingto the assistance of her child, the brut© again ran at Mrs Roberts and knocked heir back into the water-hole, and butted her with his head. Fortunately, the horns were turned inwards, and thus prevented him ripping her. Her screaming soon brought help, and she and the child were released, driven home, and received medical aid. Evidence was also brought forward to the

effect tliat tbe game butlocfc; Ik3 earlier in the day knocked a cyclist off his bicycle at Sandon. and that shortly before the accident happened it had also rushed the boy that was driving the cattle. Several nonsuit points on behalf of the defendant wore raised. But the magistrate decided that knowledge of the viciousness of the animal had been proved, and gave judgment for the full amount claimed for special damages and £2O general damages, with costs of court £2, solicitor’s foe £2 10s, and witnesses’ expenses £5 17s. The case should make owners of dangerous animals understand that they cannot take possession of the roads with impunity. The wonder is that there are not more accidents of the same description, more especially about Palmerston North and Feilding, where such large numbers of cattle are yarded in the centre of the towns every week. At both places there, are roads leading to the yards whereon there is little traffic, but drovers will come in through the busy streets, for whet reason no one knows, except to show off their ability with"the whip or the maddening faculties of their dogs. Perhaps when the Mayor or some other prominent person gets hurt the.by-laws on the matter (if they exist; will be enforced. The accident whereby Mr W. A. Sandilands,

on Vehicles.

one of the oldest and most respected lawyers of, Field.ng,met his death was the result of cyclinff up the

.i.t'C'UU/ VI i; v V Vyililti MJ/ \ street .without a light, deceased colliding with another, cyclist, also without a lamp. The accident has caused the police to be on the alert, and several persons have since beep fined for cycling without a light. Motorists are at timee unjustly blamed Tor carelessness when travelling 'at night, but they have invariably a good light. The man with the gig or dray as often as not is .without it, which .makes it impossible for flic motorist to make way beforehand for the cart to pass. Another thing the motorist, corning up 1 rebind, owing io his big light, cannot ore the small gig lamplight in- front until close up, and it is advisable to ha;vo all gig lamps fitted with a deep red glass behind. No matter how unfrequented the road, everyone with a cycle or vehicle should cnrrv a. light. ANTIQUA OVIS.