TARANAKI AND WEST COAST NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3234, 8 March 1916, Page 13

TARANAKI AND WEST COAST NOTES.

CFbom Oub Own Correspondent.)

POSITION ALONG THE COAST,

Mr H. G. Seigel, agricultural instructor to the Taranaki Board of Education notes in his travels that the coast has never looked so well for this time of the year, although the weather has been suitable for the production of fungi. There is considerable club-root in the turnips this year. It may be the means of bringing home to farmers the value of liming more, quite apart from tho possibilities of visible results.

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE'S OPINION OF TARANAKI.

The Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture, recently paid a visit to Mbumahaki State Farm, and other parts of Taranaki, and was greatly impressed with the general advance made. At Moumahaki he said, they were not carrying on dairy operations to the same extent as at Weraroa, but they had a very fine herd of Ayrshire cattle. They had numbers of cattle and sheep fattening for the markets. So far no returned soldiers had applied to be taken on for instruction at the farm; but the opportunity was there, though more accommodation would have to bo put up. The Minister considered the potentialities of dairying in Taranaki were very great. He had visited one factory, and the manager had informed him that one settler had received a cheque for his milk for one month which woulcj equal tho whole of the amounts paid to the shareholders when tho factory was started. Within a radius of 12 miles of Stratford there were, besides larger dairy factories, six small companies, and these had paid out last year £520,000 for milk TAIHAPE RAM FAIR. Taihape's ram fair proved to be tho most successful yet held in the district, prices being far in advance of those of previous years. Buyers attended from Feilding, Palmerston North, Waitotara, and as far north as Whangarei. The best price recorded for Romnoy ram was 21ggs. catalogued by Mr J. Wingate. A Lincoln ram sold on behalf of Mr G. L. Marshall realised £ll3 3s, Mr J. Mair, of Whangarei, being the purchaser. The average price for all rams catalogued was about £7 7s. Swenty-one Lincolns, on account of H. iiddleton, realised £l4B 16s; 18 Lincolns, B. P. Lethbridgo, £lO9 14s 6d; 20 Lincolns, Jas. Wilson, Marton, £144; 15 Lincolns. G. W. Poarce. £112; 20 Lincolns, J. W. Bower, £125 9s 6d; 12 Lincolns, G. L Marshall, £92 18s 6d; 10 Lincolns, Furlon"and Suisted, £64 lis 6d; 20 Lincoln, J. Shields, £113; 4 four-tooth Lincolns. G. L. Marshall, £36 4s 6cl; 22 four-tooth Lincolns, B. P. Lethbridgo, £132 16s 6d; 15 Border Leicesters, G. D. Pearce, £63 15s 9d; 4 stud Lincolns, G. V. Pearce. £56 3s 6d; 4 stud Border Leicesters. G. V. Poarce, £2O. Komneys: Roid and Son 19, £B4; T. A. Smith 20, £157 10s; C. T. Kebble l'O, £7O; Furlong and Suisted 20, £179; J. Campion 20, £146 2s 6d: D. Gardner 8, £46 9s; J. Wingate 20, £178; G. L. Marshall 10, £77. WANGANUI CO-OPERATIVE CONCERNS. Tho dairy concerns in and around Wanganui are steadily increasing, and some of the co-operative companies operating are building up permanent institutions which are not only a benefit to the farmers themselves, but to tho district in general. For instance, tho Kai Iwi Cheese Factory is now in its first season, and yet they havejust advanced £Bl5 for butter-fat supplied during January; the payment being at the fate of Is 2d per lb butter-fat. Other companies' payments for January supplies are as follow: —Westmero Is 3£d, total £1032; Rapanui Is 3Jd, total £854; Brunswick Is 3Jd. total £660; Turakina Is 3Jd, total £925; Wangaehu Is lid, total £1285; Okoia Is lid, total £1524. It is pleasing to note that all the oomJpaniea ftre steadily advancing. Both tho lyViestmero and Turakina factories havo been Augmented with whey_ separating plante yrlm the object of utilising former waste products, and tho results so far are decidedly satisfactory. At Turakina a mechanical cuyd agitator has also been installed, jhua doing away with tho manual labour Hitherto necessary. The supply to the

Turakina factory is considerably in advance of last season,' and, judging by present indications and the steady increase of herds in the district, the directors will be faced cro long with tho necessity of increasing the size of the factory to moot growing demands. The Wangaehu Dairy Company is also making rapid progress, and is doing well for the suppliers. AN INTERESTING PHASE IN FAT STOCK DEALING. It would appear that holders of fat stock are passing through an interesting period, the splendid season for feed, combined with the apparent shortage of stock having created rather an anomaly, as buyers are giving up to 3s and 4s per head more for store wethers than the freezing companies are paying out on schedule for fats. The companies, too, have advanced the price this season gd per lb, making it 4Jd, and they receive 4£d from the Government for Imperial purposes. Tho profit for the companies come naturally from the byproducts of tho carcase. Holders of stock are now naturally awaiting developments....

TARANAKI SHOW Taranaki forty-first annual Show took place at New Plymouth on Wednesday and Thursday, March 1 and 2, and, considering the scarcity of labour and the manner in which the war is affecting farming generally, the exhibition must bo regarded as a big success. For one thing, there was a very large increase in membership; and, secondly, a greater individual interest was taken m tho Show, entries coming from very much farther afield —in fact, Taranaki was better represented at this year's Show than was over tho case before. This happy state of affairs was due mainly to the personal canvass of the farmers of the district by Mr John Conncll, president of tho association, and there is no doubt that he has placed the affairs of the association on a solid basis. . A _ striking feature was the fine support received from coastal farmers, and it is certain that, onco a railway is put through to Opunake, the coastal districts exhibits should be trebled. Some very fine exhibits of fat cattle camo forward, but one noticeable absentee from this section was Mr G. A. Turner, of Eltham, who has always been conspicuously successful in tho past. On the other hand, there was a return of Mr Chas. Sole, of Waroa. who has not exhibited for several years. One interesting exhibit was a pen of three fine animals roared on whey, and the exhibit was impressive, because a demonstration was afforded that cheese factory suppliers are not handicapped so much as some farmers try to make out.

Milking Shorthorns formed a stronger division than hitherto, thus proving that this utility animal is steadily growing in favour. The main prize-winners were J C Wright,- of Matapu, and R. Turnbull and Son, of Sentry Hill, the championship going to the former.

There was quality showing in pedigree Holsteins; hut, numerically, the entry was small. < Mr Newton King secured both chnmpionships. Ayrshirce, like Jerseys, take a prominent place among the herds of Taranaki, and it was only reasonable to expect that these two breeds should bo strongly represented. Regarding the Ayrshire awards, honours were well distributed. F. Mills's (Hawera) champion cow Lottie, of Waipapa. adding still further to her successes, whilst W. Hall's Little Jim secured the bull championship. Olson Bros.' herd provided the reserve champion cow. These breeders divide tho prize-list, save that P. Bremer (Matapu) scored first m a strong class of young bulls, and Mrs N. Taylor '(Stratford) first in heifers.

Jerseys were very strongly represented. R. J. Linn's aged bull. Lord Twylish. was again unbeaten for tho championship, the reserve champion being Chas. Wills's (Waroa) Meadow Bellman. In females A. Ward's (Miro) Meadow Buttercup and Miro gained tho ribbons.

The dairy classes evoked keen competition, and there was a particularly fine showing of calves, exhibits coming from as widely distributed area as Waitofrira and Opunake. IT. C. Samnson, of Hillsborough, was the most successful exhibitor. TTorses were not eo strongly represented as usual, owing, no doubt, to the number of men and animals engaged in connection with the war. The troop and utility horses were good ebasses, and ponies were fair. Draughts were not numerically strong, and, as regards ladies' hacks, they were considered to be on the heavy side. The draught entire championship went to J. D. Mitchell, of Manaia. and the mare championship to J. S, Oughton, of Okainwa. Tho society's gold medal for the best hack in the show was won by J. W. Burke's (Eltham) Fritz, whilst tho same animal also secured the harness horse championship as ■well, besides being awarded first for being the best troop horse and first for best trotting mare or gelding. Mr J. L. M'Blair's (Hawera) Captain Starlight was the best paced hack, and Mr J. P. (VDonncll's (TTawera) King Park the best walking horse. Miss Dorothy Cleaver was adjudged to be the best girl rider. Tho Hunters' Champion Jumnina: Compe-

tition was won by L. O'Neill's Mao, R. J. Morris's Morning Star being second. R. J. Morris's Morning Star won the Ladies' Hunter Competition, L. O'Neill being second.

GENERAL. The exports of dairy produce from Patca port this season are expected to bo in theI vicinity of £1,250,000. The bulk of this outI put comes from iSouth Taranaki. The Feilding branch of the Farmers' : Union has decided to endorse the action of the Wellington Provincial Executive of the Union in purchasing the Mauricevillc Lime Works:

It is estimated that the total value of the sheep sold at Feilding ewe fair would touch £50,000. Though competition was fairly keen, it was chiefly local, there being veryfew outside buyers. The sale generally was in and out, and there was often a difference in price of from 3s to 5s a head in ewes of equal valuo. Although there has been a slight drop in the price of cheese, it is freely admitted by factory managers along the coast that the season's prices for both butter and cheese have been most and there is every prospect of them remaining high for the 1916-17 season.

Cheltenham Dairy Company again paid out Is 2d per lb for the supply of butterfat. Several large individual cheques, ranging from £lOl to £125, were received by suppliers. Notwithstanding these very satisfactory payments, it is confidently anticipated that a bonus will bo paid at the end of the financial year, though, this bonus will be paid only to suppliers who hold shares in the company. Several farms in the Opunake district have lately changed hands, and in every case the buyer has been a Maori. The prices given have been an inducement to the seller. Whether it will be a good thing for the place to have mostly Maori landlords remains to be seen.

At a meeting of the shareholders of the Manutahi Dairy Company, it was unanimously resolved that the company contribute the sum of jd per lb butter-fat during the whole of the present season to the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. it is estimated, will amount to something in the neighbourhood of £BOO. A very interesting exhibit was shown at a carnival held at Waitara, showing, _ as it did, the remarkable results produced in the gourd tribe by inoculation by bees. The pumpkin which gained first prize was grown from seed obtained last season from a. pie pumpkin, which had been through the inoculation process, and the grower states that he appears to have almost every member of the gourd family excepting cucumbers from the same lot of seed.