AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS

Otago Witness, Issue 3018, 17 January 1912, Page 19

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS

At the conference of the South Island Dairy Association on Thursday (says the Lyttelton Times) a' diseiussion arose in regard to the question of i idling amongst cows. Several of the delegates maintained that instances were known where cows had failed to pass the required test, and were then put on to the market and bought up by other dairymen. One of the delegates 6tated that he did not think anyone with a little knowledge of cows could make such a mistake. Mr D. Cuddie (director of the Dairy Produce Division of the Department of Agriculture) said that the matter had not been brought under his notice, but ho thought that if the practice became common there would be little difficulty in obtaining legislation to prevent it. Farmers in the Clutha district are just now busy with shearing and turnip thinning. The wet weather at the end of the year delayed shearing a few weeks, but now the work goes on day after day without a break. The clip* are reported to be good. Turnips are coming on apace, and farmers can afford to lose no time in thinning and weeding. Late-crown crops have fared much better than tho=e sown early. The erection of the building and the installation of machinery for the South Otago Freezing Works are being pushed on expeditiously. Although Mr Lyders has been hampered by a shortage of carpenters and by wet weather, he has accomplished commendable progress with his big contract. The roofing is now being put on the buildings. All the refrigerating plant is on the grounds, and another week should eoe it in place. The machinery contractors (Messrs Chambers and Sons) are working a big batch of men 10 hours a day. Grain and root crops in the Clutha district bear indications of a bountiful harvest. Not for years has the country been looking so well, and one farmer gave it as his opinion that, with a continuance of dry weather, the oat and wheat crops will bo as good as the best ever yet grown. On all 6ides farmers are joyful, and for onto the tiller of the scil has no complaint to find with the weather. The bright position is due to the rains of early summer and the subsequent dry, warm weather. Stock is also in very good condition. Tall fescue threaten to become a pest (says the Dargavillo Times). It may bo seen all along the roadsides in full seed and luxuriance, and cattle grazed on it bear full evidence of its evil effect. Up to the present time the decrease in the output of butter for the een.-on in the Taranaki district is estimated at about 10 per cent, as compared with the previous

season. The decrease in the Manawatu district, though fairly marked, has not been nearly so heavy. Australia has cows enough to give each man, woman, and child in the island continent three apiece; while the Argentine can do even better —there are five oatt.le to each inhabitant in the big South American Republic. A farmer in the Manawatu district (says the Standard) has succeeded in baiting a large number of blackbirds by means of small hooks. The birds are particularly fond of black currants, and the expedient adopted is to hang a small hook with a berry on the end of it from one of tho lower branches of the bush.

It is said that 36 agricultural and passtoral associations have agreed to the proposal to approach the Government to set aside a portion of the racing tax, and allow A. and P. societies to distribute it for tho encouragement of hoise-breecling. Several farmers in the Masterton district intend to thresh their crops from the stock. Tho majority, however, are stacking. One settler estimates that his cat crop will produce 65 bushels to the acre. Since November tie Ashburton County Council has purchased 406,860 birds' eggs. Of these 281,112 were delivered at Ashburton, 116,364- at Rakaia. and 9384 at Methven.

The returns made up to April 30, 1911, show that there were 23,996,126 sheep in the Dominion, a decrease of 273,494. The export of frozen lambs for the year ended March 31. 1911, was 3.839.922. and the export of frozen sheep for the same period waa 2,107.782—a. total of 5,947.704. In addition there ware 46.009 cwt of legs and pieces exported. Mr A. James, of Feilding, lost a valuable Jersey heifer the other day owing to it havincr eaten some white lead. The causo of death was only ascertained after the animal had died.

The New Zealand sheep's kidney is net in favour with the health officers of tlio Port of London. During one recent month 800 packages of this delicacy were condemned as being unfit for food. The small bird is eaid to be levying heavy toll on the crops in various parts of the Doim'nion just now A report from Masterton states that the birds are working devastation in some of the oat crops in the district. The snarrow is eaid to be proving particularly destructive. Thia Jmpa-oveim'e.nt in the |f,icatiheai in Southland, where ti has been fine since Christmas, has been followed by some increase in the milk supply to dairy factories, but in most cases the daily intake lias not yet reached that for the corresponding period of last yea«r. At Edcndalo the daily supply is about 5700 gallons of milk, or about 10C0 gallons below the supply at tho corresponding season last year. At the Menzies Ferry branch factory the supply is 3000 gallons per diem, and at the Brydono branch factory the supply is 1800 gallons. Nothing could perhaps more strikingly show the importance, of tho Smithfield Show (says the North British Agriculturist) than the" fact that the club will this year offer no lcß3 han £4428 in prizes. With the exception of the centenary year, this is the largest amount that has yet been offered at any single show of the club. Of the total £2123" is offered for cattle, £1223 for sheep, £521 for pigs, £292 for carcase competition. £142 for feeders of fust-prize animals, and £127 for table poultrv. Amongst the prizes are the King's challenge cup for cattle, the Prince of Wales's challenge cup for sheep, an" Prince Christian's cup for pigs, tho winners of these cups, but not the final holders, receiving tho club's gold medal in addition. This year the club also awards silver medals to the feeders of the best beast, best pen of sheep, and best pen of pigs. The Butchers' Company of London offer challenge cui:s for best carcast! of beef, host carc2.se of mutton, and best pi', r carcase, the club's silver medals ako following these awards. In the table poultry section the Poult era.' Company of London offer gold, silver, and bronze medals. The fact that the champion beast is ablo to win £260 and the King's challenge cup, the best pen of sheep £loo and the Prince of Wales's challenge cup, and the champion pen of pigs £7O and Prince Christian's challenge cup, naturally draws competitors from all parts of tho United Kingdom, and the champion animals from all the leading fat stock shows which are held previous to the club's show. This year's show is being held under the presidency of the Earl of Coventry, and the entries arc: Cattle 278, sheep 170 pens, pigs 112 pens of two pigs and 32 single pigs, these being in addition to the carcase com-p-'t!t;on, where there are also substantial entries.

The full significance of winning the Cawdor Cup and tho Brydon Challenge Shield ia not as clearly understood and appreciated locally a« is the case in the Old Country. When tho late Karl of Cawdor was president of the Clydesdale Horse Society ho presented two challenge cups, valuo £SO each, to be competed for annually, for the male and female Clydesdales respectively on such terms as the council should di cide. It was then resolved that the stallion cup should be offered nc the Glasgow Stallion Show, held in February, and tho mare cup at the Highland Show, in July. The first competitions took place in '1892. This arrangement has always been adhered to, with the oxcepton of the stallion cup in 1904. which was offered at the Highland, in Perth. Tho Brydon .Shield, value lOOgs, -was presented by Mr Robert Brydon, the managing direc-

tor of the Seaham Harbour Stud, to the Glasgow Agricultural Society, for competition at the annual stallion show. Being an ardent supporter of the veterinary inspection of exhibited animals, and a strong advocate of reasonable size and weight in any draught breed, Mr Brydon attached tho following conditions to his gift: —The i winner must be ontered in the Clydesdale Stud Book, hold a certificate from one of the society's veterinary officers, and, if four years "old and over, must be 17 hands or over, and, if three years old, 16.3 hands, with width and weight in proporton. This , competition is of a more modern order, and dates from 1904. I As a sequel to the address given by Dairy Commissioner Cuddio at last annual meeting of Edendale Dairy Factory Company, on the economic aspect of the manui factum of whey butter, a good deal of experimental work has since been effected j at the Edendale- Factory, under the super- ! vision of the company's manager, Mr John S.iwers. The results (eaya the Wyndham Farmer) have been most convincing—so much so, that a conference of district dairy I factory delegates was recently held, at I which upwards of 40 dairymen were pre--1 sent, when the nractical aspect or a scheme 1 of "pooling" all the whey from factories within easy rail or carting distance, of the I Edcndalo main factory, where a whey-butter ! plant would bo instared,was considered by tho various factorv directorates interested ! It is proved beyond doubt, as a result of the Edenda.'-O experiments, that at least 21b ' of first-grade full-cream butter can be dei pended upon from every 1001 b of whey. More will ■be heard of the matter. j The cereal cror.s throughout the Cmtha I district are looking splendid, and an excepI tionallv heaw srrain yield should, under favourable conditions, bo recorded this Tear.