AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 20

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Two weight-guessing • competitions were held in connection with the Waihemo | Dollie Club's tiftls on Wednesday _ and •Thursday last. On the first day the winner .'was Mr P. Lister, who guessed the exact ■weight of the" sheep—viz., 671 b. On the ■ second day the sheep weighed 501 b, and Mr Donald Boss, whose gues6 recorded the exact weight, was the winner. Mr W. James, who has charge of Mr Newton King's well-known Holstein herd ; at Bell Block, Taranaki, has left for the .United .States to secure some new blood from the leading American Holstein herds. "Speaking to a Dominion representative, Mr 'James said Mr King had now got cows in his herd that produced 221 b of butter a ;week. ''l am going,'' said Mr James, "to 'see if I can't >et hold of a bull or two i that will turn out cows- giving 281 b. If ■we can get those sort of cows in New Zealand it will do ; something for the butter export. Our best cow averaged last season,"" (when she was three and a-half years old, 601 b of milk a week on a 4.5 per cent, test ir. mid-season. Later on her test .dropped to 4 per cent." Mr James expects to purchase some seven or eight bulls, 'some of them being for Mr King and some for other breeders in Taranaki. He will visit Wisconsin, the chief home of the Holstein in Western America, - and will go ion to the New England States where the Vreed has been popular for many years, and Where.the oldest-established American herds 3re to be found. Speaking of Mr King's herd, Mr James said it now consisted of 40 purebreds. This season it had won :'sl first prizes and eight championships at the shows. Last year the winnings were 50 Brsts and nine championships. - According to the Elthani Argus .Mr VOonneU, who wa« oae of a number of

local farmers who visited Moumahaki State farm, described as "utter (rubbish" the letters which have been appearing in northern papers declaring that the State farm has gone back. Mr M'Connell says it is a very live institution! as will he proved- as time goes on. It is announced that at least three English Romney Marsh sheep-breedeirs will be represented at the Argentine show at Palermo in June, so that the object of Mr S. Short- of Feilding, in sending some of hie stud flock to compete against ' English breeders will •be realised. Three of the leading English breeders of Suffolk sheep will also be represented. _ • The embargo placed on the importation into Victoria of potatoes from Tasmania has been removed, the Victorian Minister for Agriculture being satisfied all precautions' have been taken in Tasmania to prevent the spread of disease. Despite the good results which are thus shown to have followed the prompt action of the Government, potato-grower* on the north-west coast of Tasmania are up in arms against the potato tax of 2s per acre levied l to defray the cost of inspection, etc.