A NORTE ISLAND TALK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3169, 9 December 1914, Page 11

A NORTE ISLAND TALK.

(Froii Our Own Correspondent.) PALMERSTON N., December 4. The strange 1914 weather continues to bo an absorbing topic for discussion. Rain has come, but it has seemed to come reluctantly, as though forced on by some power in 1 the rear, as the German officers are said sometimes to force their men to attack. The rain has persistently lacked vigour, but it has been fairly incessant, so that in the aggregate the green life is feeling refreshed. In a recent trip through the North Island this week I could not escape noticing the backwardness of all the sown crops, particularly north of Rangitikei. This is. of course, all attributed to the dryness of the spring. It was more conspicuous in the lessadvanced areas, where tussock and rushes and occasional hidden tree roots make finished tillage impracticable. The shallow ploughing and rough after-tillage which prevail in consequence of these difficulties do not leave their mark so vividly on the developed crop when the weather has been mo'et, because then the roots can revel in the humic richness of the surface. It takes a season like the present to point out to us with emphasis how dependent on the rainfall is a shallow-rooted crop. j THE HAY PROSPECTS. I saw 50 miles from Auckland City the first hay crop—a short crop of pasture hay cocked for protection against the rain, and I reflected that if this weather continues, with threatening skies most days, there will be much hay needing this mode of treatment. It gives more labour, unfortunately, and that is a weighty consideration now that the boys are at the front; but it makes the richest hay, and makes it more safely. The hay crops are very backwardi everywhere, and I begin to think that chaff also will bo a scarce commodity presently. The oat crops in ear are very short, and seem likely to fall far below an average supply. The general extent of arable activity struck me as being greater than usual. There is a very large area of land through and beyond Waikato which has been cleared long enough to be tempting the ploughman now, and better farming there may be looked forward to. Much of that district is slightly broken, and more attractive for the graziers; but the sudden advance of interest in beef and mutton should make oven the inexorable graziers realise that their little bit of ploughable land may in its feeding capacity bo made nearly half their farm. SOME DRY FIGURES. November has been drier, cloudier, and colder than usual. Indeed, it comes near to breaking some records in these respects. Aucklanders have found it the coldest November of the past half-century. Here is a gloomy summary of recent weather events in that district: Rainfall— November, 1914 1.41 in Average 3.09 in August Ito November 30 .. .. 5.17 in Average 14.12 in January Ito November 30 .. .. 26.69 in Average full year 39.91 in Lowest full year (1883) .. .. 28.14 in Sunshine— November, equal to.. shr 33min per day November, 1913 .. 6hr 33min per day Temperature— November, 1914 58.4 deg November average Co.4deg AUCKLAND SHOW. A decrease of entries was recorded in most at the Auckland Show last week. The pigs wore declared equal to anything in New Zealand, and the quality in fat sheep and dairy'ng beasts was considered worth congratulation. Draught horses wore thought less of than usual. The dairy animals wore a feature, particularly the Jerseys. Championship winners:—Lincoln ram and ewe, E. Barriball; English Leicester ewe, E. Barriball; Romney ram and ewe, G. E. Allen; Shropshire ram and ewe, E. Barriball; Shorthorn bull. Woodward Bros.; Holstein bull, C. C. Buckland ; Ayrshire bull and cow, Avondale Mental Hospital; Jersey bull, A. Moreland; cow, C. A. Willis; draught stallion, Jas. Malcolm (also reserve); mare, W. E. Harding; reserve, Wilfred Johnstone; Berkshire boar and sow, A. O. Gribble; Yorkshire boar, E. J. Rogers; sow, Cribble; Devon boar and sow, Rogers; Tamworth boar and sow, Rogers. There was also a horticultural section, in which E. Cordcs won the carnation championship in the collar classes with Mrs Byron Ruse, and in the foliage classes with the same variety. The champion rose was Mrs David M‘Kee, exhibited by J. Rock.

. I AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS. The benefit to be derived by a dairy far--1 mer through having his cows tested has ' been exemplified in the case of Mr J. Burton, Wairarapa. Mr Burton has a herd of 1 35 cows, and during the past two or three ’ years he has had these cows tested, culling out the “wasters.” This season he is obtaining an average of 2101 b of butter-fat from his cows, against 1801 b last year, and 1581 b the previous year. Mr Burton is confident that with continued testing he can further increase the value of his herd. The success of the closer settlement policy in relation to land, combined with i the principles of co-operation, is, perhaps, nowhere better manifested than at Clandcboye, Canterbury, where 36 suppliers are banded together in running a cheese and butter factory. Until recently this factory was used as a creamery, but growing prosperity, and a faith in the future of the dairying industry, has resulted in the conversion of the creamery into a dairy factory. Four years ago the factory paid out £3OOO a year. This sum had increased to £7OOO per annum, and this current season the directors expected to pay out £9OOO, which, from a little corner like Clandoboye, is most gratifying. Next month suppliers would be getting Is 4d per ib for butterfat. Americans do marvellous things, and their Department of Agriculture seems to have more money than it knows how to deal with. The department has just taken a bird census, and its first report indicates that they have 2,026,000,101 native birds east of the great plains, exclusive of sparrows. The most numerous of these birds is the robin, of which it is estimated there are 100,000,000 east of the Mississippi River. They average 50 pairs to the square mile. A correspondent of the Jersey Bulletin states that hemp seed is a simple and cheap remedy for abortion in cattle. He says: “Give a tablcspoonful once a day in bran or other feed. If the animal has aborted and is again bred, commence giving it a week or two before the time of gestation when abortion formerly occurred. If evidence of abortion appears, commence at once with the seed or if it has gone too far, make a strong tea and drench the animal. I had a mare that had twice aborted, and concluded not to breed her again, as she was 22 years old, when an old horseman told mo of the hemp seed remedy. With it I carried her over the two periods she had aborted —five and seven months —and continued its use until she foaled though its continuation was really unneccsary. I had a heifer freshen two weeks ahead of time, producing a rather weak calf and having an unfilled udder. About a month before again calving, indications appeared of another abortion, when I began giving hemp seed, with the result that she went to her full time, and brought me a nice heifer calf. Since then I always keep a can of hemp seed in the stable.” A Gisborne firm has received account sales of 52 bullocks, which have yielded the sphndid not return of £l7 15s per head. The cattle (says the conesnonrUnt of the Auckland Herald) averaged 7701 b in weight. Six : quarters wore rejected at the works, and j the above figures allow for those rejections and all expenses. . In the Gazette there are published rogulations made by the Department of Agri- ' culture, Washington, to govern the introduction of meat and meat products into the United States. The regulations come into force on January 1. The Mayfield correspondent of the Ashburton Guardian writes :—Mr William’ Miller, of Mayfield, has on his farm a paddock of a new fodder plant called emerald rye. This was sown in the autumn for winter food, and it did remarkably well, carrying a large quantity of stock. Early in the spring ho drew heavy harrows over it and shut off the stock. It is now a very beautiful sight, standing over six feet in height, and splendidly headed. From its appearance at present it should give Mr Miller a very satisfactory return when harvested. A Gisborne farmer, who has great success each year in the growing of heavy crops of potatoes, has forwarded a fine * sample of this season’s growth, big, floury specimens of the Robin Adair variety. Ho states (says the Poverty Bay Herald) that few people are aware of the exceptionally prolific soil on one portion of Waerenga-a-hika, and a remarkable fact is that crops on the area are not affected by frosts, while surrounding crops of potatoes, etc., have been completely cut down by frosts. Word has been received in Wellington stating that the whole of the steamer Kent’s cargo of frozen meat, shipped at Australian and Now Zealand ports for Bostoi and New York, has been sent to the United Kmgdom. The Kent left Wellington for_ the American ports on July 22, and arrived at her destination on September 22. She left for Homo ports on October 7. The dairy factory at South Ilillend did not open this season. Sheep (says the Western Star) are in greater demand than • cows. In some quarters (says the Western Star) the wool is being carted to the stations. There will bo a heavy clip this season. The moisture will give the fleece weight, and all that is wanted is heat to r-’so the yoke. Far-mere have sown a good area in oats, I and, despite the unseasonable weather, the crops (says the Western Star) are making good progress, and it is expected that the

harvest will bo earlier than was anticipated a month ago. The recent cold and heavy rain has resulted in the loss of a considerable number of newly-shorn sheep in the Ashburton district One farmer (says the Christchurch Press) lost 230 out of a flock of 600, and another farmer lost 40 out of a small flock. Tho weather was again very severe on TueaQay, the Ist, heavy rain and hail showers falling. There was a heavy fall of snow on the ranges, and 7deg of frost were registered on a morning this week. Of eight pigs consigned to an Oamaru tradesman by no less than three parties all were found to be suffering from, tuberculosis and were condemned by the inspector and sent to the destructor. Thu animals (says the Mail; came from widely/ separated districts, and tho fact that all were found unfit for food shows how widespread is this insidious disease. Parmert cannot be too careful of the condition ia which they keep their hogs. Pigs like a wallow in mud immensely, but their health demands that their sleeping quarters and standing room be free of slush. Ample space for movement _ and cleanliness will prevent many a pig with a tickling cough from declining into tuberculosis. Such animals should, however, be segregated.