AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3250, 28 June 1916, Page 11

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Besides the various varieties of winter wheat now being sown en the Ashbiuton experimental area, and the varieties of .spring wheat and of oats to bo seeded later on by the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture, there are a number of selections from standard varieties of wheat and oats also at present being planted ancl to be planted in a few weeks' time (states the Ashburton Guardian). These* selections number 190 of wheat and 145 of oats respectively, and were obtained in February from the best standing crops in Otago and Southland by Mr A. M'Taggart, agriculturist of the department. It is his intention to test these selections carefully, and from this basis to continue the selection from year to year, in the hope that there will ultimately be obtained strains of the standard varieties that will surpass in yield particularly the types of cereals commonly sown by the farmer. As time goes on the crossing of outstanding cereal varieties, for producing breeds with special characteristics. may also be undertaken. The increasing of the yields obtainable from the various oereal crops is an important matter for both farmer and State, particularly as regards wheat, and the foundation for this worthy work now being laid by the department's experts must be of interest to grain farmers generally.

The Timaru A. and P. Society's Show, held on Friday and Saturday, proved a groat success. There was on the whole an excellent display, the principal feature being the exhibit by the Department of Agriculture, somewhat on the lines of that shown at the Otago Winter Show. The display was not only interesting, but also instructive, and fanners and others closely inspected the exhibits of lucerne and other fodder plants while the general public were most interested in the fruit section. There was fair competition in the class for farmers' butter and the farm and produce classes There were classes for fancy work and school competitions. The poultry and cage-bird classes filled well, and poultry were sent to compete from both Dunedin in the south and Christchurch in the north. Margarine, manufactured in Wellington, is beieg placed upon the Christchurch market at Is per lb, and canvassers report having found a ready sale for it. On the wrappers tile margarine is recommended for culinary purposes, and for this use it may prove a strong competitor of the more expensive factory butter. It has the appearance of butter, but is harder, and what little flavour it has is not unpleasant, which is an advantage for cooking purposes. One of the leading firms in the land sales business in Christchurch states that this year has been a remarkably good one as regards farm deals, and a record year is practically assured for this firm Their experience lias been that there is no great shortage of money for mortgage purposes, and the majority of fanners seem to have ample money available.

With reference to the supposed danger from eating apples sprayed with arsenical mixture, Mr T. W. Kirk says he took some medical men with him to the State Farm, where th. 3 ordinary arsenical mixture was mixed up with the Bordeaux mixture, and used on some apples. A quantity of apples was brought to Wellington and most carefully analysed. The Government Analyst found it would bo necessary to cat 41b at a sitting before the eater would begin to feel any poisonous effects. That, meant eating skins and all, without rubbing the apples. In the case of the mixture applied in 'the ordinary way, it was found that it would bo necessary to eat a bushel and a quarter at a sitting (skins included) in order to get a medicinal dose, not to say a fata] dose. This was apropos of a proposal that spraying of fruit trees should be prohibited while the bloom is on the trees. If was announced recently that the record price of 15s 4d had been obtained for some sheepskins in the Adelaide market. A few days later, however, this was eclipsed, for Elder, Smith, & Co., Limited, secured 16s for a. line of 55. Another fair-sized lot brought 15s 3d.

According to the speakers af a deputation, which waited on the Minister for Customs (Victoria) recently, the hop industry in Tasmania is faced with ruin, unless the' Commonwealth is prepared to take control of it, and guarantee the growers a fixed price, or as .in alternative, to prevent the importation of foreign hops by mean.? of a proh ibititive tari ff. The well-known Miranda Downs cattle station, near Normanton, in iJie Gulf country of Queensland, has been purchnsed through Sydney aaents by Mr William Anprliss, M.L.C., of Melbourne, from Messrs

Hay and Thoneman. who have been in possession for several years. The station comprises 1500 square miles. It is understood that the price was in the neighbour-

hood of six figures. It included tho pur chase of 20,000 cattle and 400 horses.

It was reported at a recent meeting of the Highland Agricultural Society that there were 174 users- of milking machines in Scotland, ancl that replies had been received from 102. Of these, _52 used Wallace machines, 23 Laurence Kennedy, 21 Lister, and six various types, including a Swedish machine.

A meeting was held in tho Ashburton Agricultural and Pastoral Association's rooms of the delegates who had been appointed to act in conjunction with the High School Board in respect to the land which had been'handed over by the board as a demonstration farm.

This comprises an area of 120 acres of land on which extensive experiments have been carried out. Tho fact that £ISOO has been placed on tho Estimates for experimental work in tho Ashburton district has served to stimulate an increased interest in an important project. Arrangements were entered into, in regard to discussing kindred matters with tho officers of tho Department of Agriculture, at an early date.

Glasgow Corporation has decided by a iiarrow majority to establish a municipal dairy at Southneld, Mearns, for the supply of milk to the city hospitals. A subcommittee of the Health Committee recommended that a dairy farm should be established on the corporation's lands at Southfield, for the supply of milk to the institutions. In a sense, perhaps, it can hardly be regarded as a case of municipal enterprise, as they had the ground which they must utilise, and this was the best scheme devised. Mr John Ewan, Biverton, has received word that tho fine mare Lady Ida, which ho sold to Mr Norman Falkner, Mora station, Victoria, has boon placed champion at the Sydney show in the draught horse section. Mr Ewan sold this mare in a group of throe by public auction in Messrs Campbell and Sons' auction mart, t Melbourne, when he made the record price for three mares of his own breeding, the price for the throe being 562 guineas. Lady Ida is out of tho renowned Rosie O'Grady, now tho property of Mr T. B. MTntyre, of Duller fame.

It is computed that the cheese factories in the Eketahuna district (says the Express) have last season made a contribution of £5787, tho difference between the price paid by the Government for cheese requisitioned, and the average London market price. The Edendale Dairy Factory is now only receiving milk four days a week, and tho intake varies fron about 13C0 gallons to 1400 gallons. A nice line of fat lambs bred and fattened by Mr 11. Cameron, of Kononi, was trucked at Lawrence on tho 17th inst. They were purchased on the ground by tho Chi Tstcburch Meat Company's buyer at tho high price of 27s each, a fact which must speak for itself as to their uniform quality. This price is believed to be about a record for the district.

The Barry's Bay Dairy Factory, the largest on 3 on Banks Peninsula, has had a very good season (states the Akaroa correspondent of the Lyttelton Times). Upwards of 170 tons of cheese have been manufactured, and though, owing to the dry summer, the quantity is less than for the previous year, the price received for the output makes' the gross receipts a record, the amount, with the addition of about £7OO for the sale of whey butter, exceeding £12,000. This year the suppliers will receive Is. 6d per lb for their butter-fat, a price unheard of in former years.

Lambins? has commenced on the Frankley Road (Taranaki), on one farm there being- six or seven little strangers in the paddocks. The season promises to bo an early one. Three EUesmore breeders shipped stud sheep to Sydney on the 19th for the show and sales. * About 270 English and Border Loioostors were sent by Mr John Nixon, of Kill' chy. Mr W. O. Ronnie, of Doyleston. sent, '9O Border Leicesters. and Mr A. E. Withell, of Brooksido. 12 Lincolns. An Oamaru farmer, in conversation with an Ashburton Guardian reporter, stated that in his district, beautiful spring weather was being exnerienced, and green feed is abundant, lla mentioned that the prospects for the coming year were very bright, and it should be some recompense for the drought experienced last summer. \ fat bullock vended at the Gore salcvards on the 20th by Mr J. F. Grant, of Croydon, was the admiration of many of those present. The animal was a HerefordShorthorn cross, and realised £2O ss. The general opinion of those present was that the price was a record for (he Gore yards. Another outward loading of frozen mutton was taken from the Fairfield Freezing Works on the 22nd inst., which will relievo the situation. Killing operations have been very brisk at the works of late. A Rakaia resident, informed an Ashburton Guardian reporter that very little smallbird trapping has been done in that district this season. The weather has been too fine, and feed has been plentiful, so that the birds are more difficult to trap than during a cold winter.

During the, Ayrshire Breeders' Association moeting at Palmerston North on the 21st inst., Mr F. Mills, the president, said ho considered that the Government should bo asked to take effective slops to deal with the alien trouble. It was common knowledge that in parts of South Taranald the aliens there revelled in the news of Lord Kitchener's death and events that ap-

peared to bo favourable to the enemy's campaign. This matter, ho said, should bo taken in hand without delay, and tho applause that followed the observation showed that the meeting- was in full sympathy.