AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2983, 17 May 1911, Page 19

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

We were informed on the 15th by the local agent for the Department of Agriculture, Commaroe, a.nd Tourist Resorts that, in.' view of the increasing development in the bee r keeping industry throughout the Dominica, Mr E. A. Earp has been appointed apiary instructor for the district of Otago and Southland. Hitherto the whole of tho South Island has been served by the instructor resident a', Christchurch, but on account of the progress of the industry in Otago and Southland (where fodder'for the bees in the shape of large quantities of clever is available), it has been deemed necessary to appoint an additional instructor to devote himself to these districts. Mr Earp will have his headquarters at the local office of the Agricultural and Tourist Department, and it will be his duty to go round the country districts to advise and instruct farmers generally in regard to bee culture.

A Press Association telegram from Pahiatua states that the Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister of Agriculture, has telegraphed to Mr M'Farlane, president of the National Dairy Association, that the Cabinet had approved of his recommendation that a dairy expert bo sent to London to inquire into the complaints against New Zealand butter, and why the price is so low. It is Bta*sd (says the Timaru Herald) that the directors of the Clandeboye Dairy Gompanv have been offered a highly satisfactory figure for their factory by the Taieri and Peninsula Company of Dunedin. The Timaru Borough Counil has increased the salary of the town clerk from £375 to £4OO, and the salary of the engineer from £350 to £4OO. The wages of all the woricnieii have been raised 6d per day. _ . A new and interesting method is being practised in rooting out old gorse hedges on the Edendale Estate. A couple of horses are attached to a long wire rope, which is slipped round a three or four yards length of hedge and by a long and strong, pull the o-orse is rooted out and drawn some distance Sway. Another length is made ready in a few minutes, and in the course of a day several chains are thus disposed ot. This is a year of big potatoes. We have received photographs from quite a number of different localities of these monster tubers. The latest i ? of three potatoes crown by Mr W. M'Kibbm, of Crown -Terrace, Lake Wakatipu. Three potatoes from one plant weighed 41b 4oz, 31b" 13oz and 31b 12oz, or 111 b 12oz. We have also a photograph of four potatoes grown by Mr W Simpson, of Wcodside, Outram the largest of which weighted 41b 7oz. .From other directions we are threatened with further photographs. To prevent disappointment it may be stated that as they appear to be SO common, and as they cannot be said to bo particularly beautiful, we cannot publish any more photographs, as they convey no better idea of the size or quality of the potatoes than a brief paragraph giving the weights. Information as to yields is always acceptable. . Sheep-growers and land-owners generally throughout Central Otago should be pleased (savs the Dunstan Times) at the present outlook A few short weeks ago the country was' terribly dried up, and. there scarcely'a vestige of anything in the shape of feed, and prospects of tiding over the winter were gloomy in the extreme. Now, however, thanks to several glorious rams, the aspect has entirely changed—there is good feed, everywhere; on the low lands grass is abundant, while on the high country the. thistles have sprung up splendidy. We are-told by a gentleman well qualified, to express an opinion that Central Otago was from a pastoralist's point of view,, never in a better condition at this season ot the year. ■ • , . ~ ~ _ Cheese still continues to be shipped trom Bluff in fairly large quantities. The shipment per the Warrimoo (says the SoutWand Dailv News) amounted to 2820 cases, 2377of which were for transhipment to . the Tainui, either at Lyttelton or Wellington for London, and 443 cases to be transhipped to the Norfolk at Lyttelton for West of England ports. The shipments for the corresponding period of last year were 2877 ca-es 2773 of which were for London and 124 for West of England ports The total shipments to date for both London and West of En-gland ports for this season airount to 69,391 cases, as compared with 65,037 cases ud to the same period last season, showing an increase of 4354 cases. The shipments to London to date show a slight decrease, but the increase to West of "England ports is very pronounced. Mr J. R. Scott, secretary of the South Island Dairy Association, when Bpokerf to c*t Bluff by a reporter, stated that the London market still remains steady at 62s per cwt, and he was hopeful of a further increase in price before the end of the month, as stocks of colonial cheese in London were comparatively small. Potato-digging is general in Southland, and- it is stated on good authority (says the Southland News) that the yield pv acre will be easily up to the liverage. Owing to the high prices ruling last season, a number of farmers who formerly relied on other crops were induced to grow the tuber, but it is not expected that the additional

supply that will be available will prejudicially affect the prices, as the crops in South Canterbury, North Otago, and parta of the North Island are imuch smaller than last year. A difficulty growers have met with is the scarcity of labour, and up to 10s per day is being paid. Although the past season has been & very poor one for cocksfoot and cheese, the two staple products of Banks Peninsula, it does not appear (says the Lyttelton Times) to have affected the price of land. During the past few day 3 several farms have changed hands at increased prices. Mr R. Latter reports having sold 335 acres for the trustees of the late Mr J. Pettigrew, at £25 par acre, to Messrs Hayward Bros.; 104acres for Mr P. Cunningham, at £35, to Mr C F. G. Moore; and 14-0 acres for Mr J. Hewitt, at £23, to Mr C. F. G. Moore. Mr Newbegin has also sold his farm ab Wainui, containing upwards of 800 acres, for £ls an acre; and Messrs Mould Bros, their property at Crown Island, Waikerikikeri, 4-00 acres at £24- an acre.