AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3201, 21 July 1915, Page 19

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The South Otago Freezing Company has been allotted space for an additional 6000 carcases in the Corinthic, making a space for 10,000 carcases from the local works. Tho Corinthic loads at Port Chalmers This relieves the pressure at Fincgand, and by the middle of next week killing should be resumed with a full board. A large area of crop will bo sown in the Browns and Hokonui districts, Southland, this season. What a difference in this portion of the district in 30 years! Then it was swampy and sour ground; to-day it is a fertile, prosperous district. In tho opinion of tho Council of Agriculture there is no bettor, way in which farmers can help to keep Germany in check than by refusing to buy German manufactures, and, wherever possible, by purchasing (in preference) British goods within the Empire, and lay shipping" in British ships. The council is of the opinion, also, that all German goods not prohibited from importation during the war should not he allowed to enter New Zealand after the war. except under a 50 per cent, surtax, over and above tho regular import duties. For some years past classes in the grading and packing of fruit have been held under the supervision of the orchard _ instructors in the main fruit-growing districts. It is now intended to supplement this work by the holding of practical examinations in these subjects. On the results of these examinations. certificates of proficiency, similar to those with regard to spraying and pruning, will be issued to tho successful candidates. It is considered that these certificates will be of great value to all those desirous of employing expert packers and graders, and will act as a guarantee of the efficiency of the holders in these particular branches of orchard work. The various orchard instructors have been notified of the intention to hold these examinations, and are circularising- the information in their respective district. Intending candidates should communicate as soon as possible with the Director of Orchards, Gardens, and Apiaries, so that suitable dates for the holding of the examination can be arranged. A correspondent, writing in a northern paper, draws attention to a strange case of an in-foal mare. His informant, a wellknown Clydesdale breeder, says; “The mare was timed to foal in November, but the owner was surprised to see her ‘wax’ four months early—in July, that is to say. These symptoms of waxing came and passed away, and the mare —who was kept at work all the time as usual—appeared to regain her normal condition. When her time was up in November, she ‘waxed’ again, and bore a healthy foal that was normal in every particular; but, in tho light of a former experience, her owner decided to make a closer inspection of the mare. A manual examination of the mare disclosed the fact that she had a very miniature dead foal still inside her! This was removed, end on exposure to the air it rapidly decomposed and fell to pieces. The miniature foal was about the size of a cat and was quite well formed. What had evidently happened was this: the mare had conceived twin foals, one of which had died in her interior in July and had not been expelled. The other foal had come to maturity and was born in tho usual manner. Such cases as this are comparatively rare.” In connection with tho Contagious Diseases in Cattle Act in Tasmania, stockowners are called upon to pay a special tax on every head of cattle above a certain age, with a view of providing funds to investigate the cause of tho midland cattle disease and other stock troubles. Something approaching £IOOO has been accumulated, and in reporting on the reorganisation of the Agricultural Department the Public Service Beard included a special reference to this fund, and recommended that tho sum be paid into the consolidated revenue. Tho proposal was strongly opposed by stock-owners, and a representative deputation waited upon the Minister to urge that the money should only he devoted to the purpose for which it was levied, or if it was not required for that object it should bo utilised for the direct benefit of the man on the land. The Minister remarked that the Public Service Board had nothing to do with the matter. Ho would certainly never give his approval to such a proposal as was made by the board to transfer the money to the consolidated revenue. They could rest content that he would do no iniusticc to the stock-owners who had paid the tax. At a. meeting the Clydesdale Breeders’ 'Association in Sydney, nresided over by Mr E. Lloyd Jones, of Singleton, it was decided to proceed with the formation of the Australian Clvdosdalo Horse Society and Stud Book. Tho constitution and standard for the stud hook of tho proposed society were considered, and have been generally approved by breeders. One has only to make a tour of the auction rooms in Invercargill (says a local paper) to sec the largo amount of had (and much of it really bad) chaff that has

been sent into town for disposal. Musty and dirty stuff that is hardly worth the bags that hold it, and in any other season than the present, when good chaff is high in price, no sale could be found for it. This stuff is being slowly consumed as cow feed, and, mixed with turnips or bran (very little at 14s 6d per bag), it does to keep cows from starving, but that is about all.

Despite the fact that trappers have not been able to find a continuously open market for their rabbits this winter, Southland is wonderfully free of the rabbit pest this year. The frosty weather has probablyforced them to take poison well, where it has boon laid. Great interest centred at Newmarket cattle yards on Juno 30 in the sale of three show Shorthorn bullocks, the property of the executors of the late J. AY Uavis, of Waverley, Yarram. These bullocks were of exceptional weight and quality, and sold at £43, £4l ss, and £42 5s respectively, an average of £42 3s 4cl —said to be a record for Australia. It is understood (says the Oamaru Mail) that about 12,500 carcases of mutton and lamb will bo railed from the Pukeuri works to Timaru for shipment by the s.s. Delphic. This will afford a little relief. to the storage chambers of the works, which were again about full, and enable killing to be carried on for a short time. As about 2000 head are being slaughtered daily, the relief will be of short duration, but it is hoped that it will be possible to get away .another shipment next week. The Awarua Five Rivers Syndicate is apparently quite alive to the signs of the times. It is understood (says the Mossburn correspondent to the Southland Times) that it is .breaking up from 1000 to 1200 acres, and it is quite like old times on Five Rivers to see the various contractors’ camps, and the numerous teams of five-furrow ploughs. The syndicate is evidently in tho happy position of having a big lot of chaff and thrashing stuff on hand; also ample seed wheat for itself and some to dispose of. It has also 'ct a block of 140 acres of turnip land on ci'opping terms, which should be advantageous to the cropper. An abundance of winter feed is indicated by reports which tho Farmers’ Union has received from various districts (says the Auckland Star). Some little time ago, when the weather was unusually dry, it was feared that the cattle would have a bad time through the winter. Happily, recent conditions have been mild, despite the quantity of rain, and so the outlook has brightened. “ I am quite satisfied that motorists in tho dominion are not paying sufficient towards the cost of tho roads ” said Mr G. B. Bullock at the annual meeting of the Now Zealand Automobile Union at Wellington.

Dairy factory employees are now enjoying tlie off-season, nearly all factories in Southland now being closed (says the Wyndbarn Herald). The Wyndham Factory had a good season, the vats being scarcely able to hold the milk at times. The season made a good recovery with the favourable spell at New Year. Farmers with good turnip crops are doing well with sales (says the Wyndham Herald). The AbcrdeciT varieties readily bring £6 upward per acre. Swedes find ready sale at £8 and more. One of the best fields of swede turnips in the whole district is that of Mr John Feebly. Ota Creek. It is understood that this field was purchased at £l2 per 'acre In ordinary seasons a fair price for swedes would be £6 —a few years ago £4 was accepted as quite a good price. The improved values of stock account for the increase in feed values. All last week the weather was more like early spring than the depth of winter, and with mild rain and thawing winds the deposits of snow rapidly disappeared from the mountains (says the Cromwell Argus). On Saturday and Sunday conditions were stormy, and there appears to have been another fair fall of snow on the high land. For pastoralists the conditions could not bo better.

There are at least 11 new freezing work? being erected in the North Island, mostly 00-operativo companies. Surveyors have already made a start with the work of cutting up the Benmorc run, comprising 320,000 acres, and it will probably be ready for occupation some time next year (states the North Otago Times). A proposal to establish a rabbit canning, fruit canning, and freezing works in Cromwell has been given considerable attention during the last fortnight (says the Cromwell Argus). Many well-known settlers and i others have been interviewed on the subject, and all have agreed to give the project material support. ; The balance sheet of the Masterton Cooperative Dairy Company shows a substantial profit on the year’s working (says the Wairarapa Times). Although more has been paid out and larger advances have . been made, the net profit is only about ’ £l6O loss than that shown last year. Thus I the effects of the drought have been, partly i compensated by the higher prices ruling 1 of late. ! Chatting to a Gisborne Times reporter on > Monday, a prominent sheepfarmer raid that i local pastoralists bad been extremely forj tunato in having experienced such a mild 1 winter after the prolonged drought. The | refreshing lains and the springlike weather, he said, wore bringing the grass away splendidly now. In fact, in many places the fruit trees wore already beginning to bud—an almost unprecedented happening at this

season of the year. Had cold weather prevailed this winter, lie declared emphatically that the past-oralists of Poverty Bay would have lost fully 50 per cent, of their cattle through starvation, as the frosts would have stopped the growth of the grass, and cattle would have died of starvation in thousands. The exceptionally mild winter was a perfect blessing, he declared. The Lowgavth Dairy Company will pay out on July 20 a sum of £1686. The factory is still running (says the Stratford Post), and will continue to run right on to the opening of the now season. The Ngaire Factory is paying out £3990 this month. Both the above amounts are made, up partly of bonus and partly of cheques for milk supplied. The Stratford Dairy Factory .will pay out on July 20 for the June milk supply £155 and a bonus of £14,908. making a total of £15,063 (says the Stratford Post). For the year, the payment to suppliers was £63.967 13s 6d, and the butter sales realised £88.377 8s sd. It is estimated that additional storage for 1.600,000 carcases of mutton is being provided at the various freezing works in Now Zealand.