OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2949, 21 September 1910, Page 20

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

(Fkom Our Own Cohrkspondent.)

Thoso initiated in matters pertaining to farming frequently accuse agriculturists in anything but choice language of being born grumblers. One week the farmexa arc crying out for rain, the next week bittc.r complaints are made that too much rain lias fallen; or the weather is either too -K>t or the reverse. This, in a degree, in true, but when it recognised that the whole success of farming is dependent upon the weather at all times, the fact that agriculturists become coimderablv exercised regarding the weather conditions is excusable, and leads the more practical townsman to conclude that "it is a pity that fino weather is harmful."

A few weeks ago continued wet weather prevented farmers from carrying out their ordinary work, and flood water was responsible for a good' deal of damage in various parts of Canterbury, but during the past two weeks drying winds have prevailed at times during the day—although fairly sharp frosts have occurred almost continuously at nights—and, as a consequence, farmers on the medium-quality plains land are now crying out for rain. Indeed, with the exception of the heavy swampy lands in parts of North and South Canterbury, a heavy downfall of rain would do an immense amount of good all over the province. Generally, spring has, so far, not been very pronounced, and crops and grass pastures are very backward, and the drying north-west gale that prevailed on Saturday and Sunday haft not tended to improve matters. The frosts have brought the moisture to the surface, and the winds during the day have absorbed it, which accounts for rain being urgently needed on the light lands. The soil is now becoming warm, and should there be a substantial fall of rain during the next week, a speedy growth of vegetation would be bound to follow.

The cereal crops having been mostly all sown, farmers are now busy rolling their crops, or preparing areas for the reception of root crops later on. As there will be a large* acreage of land to be sown down in grass and clover seeds this season, the demand should bo great for ryegrass in the course of a few weeks, and there is a likelihood that prices for bright heavy seed of this class will substantially increase in sympathy with the demand. The lambing season is now at its height in tho flat country districts, and reports to hand are, generally, of a very encouraging character, and indications point, to a very successful lambing. The death rate

among the flocks of both ewes and lambs is not by any means excessive, and would be perhaps even less if the weather was a little more moist. I Jearn that, so far, percentages from fairly large flocks range between 100 arid 120, and in several instances farmers have reported increases in their flocks of 130 and 135 per cent. One noticeable feature amonjj the lambs that have bei»n dropped is their smallness, which can be attributed to the fact that a large proportion of the breeding ewes this year

are young sheep. Docking has been carried out among flocks that lambed early, but tho searing method of treating lambs has not como into very general favour among sheep-farmers. There appears to be a good deal of conflicting opinions among farmers regarding

docking operations. Some farmers contend that it is. unwise to carry out this necessary work when the lambs are too young-, and they advance the opinion that the lambs should be allowed to first grow strong and healthy before docking is done. Others, again, favour treating the lambs when they are not far advanced in growth, the contention being that the operation \ then is less severely felt and the lambs do not lose so much blood. Of couree, there is a medium in all things, but from observations I have personally made I should be inclined to the latter course* provided the laimbs are above two or three weeks old. I have also noted the fact that if flocks are quickly run into temporary hurdleyards in the paddocks in which they are depasturing, and provided the "day is cool, docking operations can be carried out successfully, and without probably the loss of any lambs, or perhaps with the exception or one or two that were sickly born. One thing is very certain, and that is that dirty yards are responsible for causing the death of a large number of lambs. Practical farmers havft informed me % that they would hot think of docking their lambs in insanitary yards, and to obviate, this they prefer carrying out the operation in the paddocks, where there- is no fear of the wounds coming into contact with dirt, or of the blood "of the lambs getting heated and thin by driving.

A great deal has been heard of late* about tho snearers' dispute, and after careful analy&is it would appear that the whole difficulty lias been brought about by the large station holders. As a matter of fact, the majority of farmers in the flat country in Canterbury have paid £1 par hundred for years past, and they are willing to pay that" amount this season. The dispute is very 6eldom referred' to among snearere, and there does not appear any probability ot trouble arising among small farmers during tne next shearing season. i>uring tiie past few months there has been a fairly good demand lor farm labourers, but a laige numcer of casuai workmen have osen out ot employment. Now that the greater -jart of the crop is sown many teamsters are being thrown out of work. The building and otner industrial trades are brig.itcmng up all over the province, and this will no aoubt absorb a good de-al of the surplus labour. The building trade is now particularly active, and tradesmen -are in demand, more particularly those skilled in stoma and brick work.

The various county councils have carried out a large amount of' tree-planting work this season, the .Ashburton County Council having planted no fewer than 60,000 larches on its reserves.

Purebred stock-breeders are now busy getting their stock into show condition in. view of the approaching chow eeason, and it is safe to assume that as far as Canterbury shows are concerned the cattle classes will be more strongly represented than has been, the case in the past, on account of the rapid extension of the dairying industry. There is a particularly strong demand for good milking cows here at, the present time, and values ruling are high and distinctly remunerative to vendors. During the past two or three months a large number of small birds have been destroyed as a result of laying poisoned grajn and' trapping. Quite a large number of men have mad© a profitable turnover in trapping, their average wages being fully £5 per week. In instances where traps have been set on the site of an oateheaf stack as many as 1000 birds (chiefly sparrows) have been caught in one operation. The various county councils pay at the rate of one penny for small birds' heads. Mr G. T. Smith, of Done (Aehburtcn County) has just threshed 'an exceptionally fine crop of red clover. In llj hours the sheller threshed 1 ton llcwt 121 b from 12a acres, averaging 278|1b per acre. Worked out on the basis of present ruling prices for clover seed, Mr Smith's crop would represent a return of £7 per acre. During the past few weeks I have noticed a large number of humble bees on the wing, and it is thought that this useful insect multiplied considerably last season.