AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3277, 3 January 1917, Page 9

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

An agreement has (states our Wellington 1 correspondent) now been reached on almost the last detail of tho wool requisition scheme about which question could arise. For a long time the Minister and the brokers have been discussing tho rate of payment to be allowed to the broking firms for their services. They asked for |d per lb, and the Minister has contended for a lower rate. It is understood that the latest proposal, and that likely to be adopted, is that tho brokers will be relieved of a certain service, or services, and that the rate to bo paid to them will be 9-16 d per lb. The difference in rate may appear small, but it was estimated that at |d per lb the brokers all over New Zealand would receive for their services about £500,000.

A good deal of evidence is coming in now (says tho Christchurch Press) that a considerable area of wheat has been badly damaged by tho frost which occurred at tho end of last month. Tho chief areas which appear to bo affected are tho Southbridge, Ellesmere, Dunsandel districts, and certain areas in North Canterbury, and though the damage done is not so extensive, apparently, as that caused by the frost in November, 1915, yet it is severe enough, and will appreciably affect the yield of some thousands of acres. To show that wheat-growing is not the certain money-making occupation which it is thought to be by some people, a farmer who lives about 14 miles from Christchurch brought in a sample of wheat heads a day or so ago, which are absolutely empty owing to tho frost effects. He states that lie skim ploughed the land on which it was grown, out of grass, cultivated it elaborately, sowed 13 bushels of seed, and licwt of manure to the acre, and the whole of his time and money had been absolutely wasted.

Discussing tho question of tho wheat supply, Mr John Talbot, chairman of tho South Canterbury executivo of tho Farmers' Union, stoted that the returns for the Dominion showed an area of about 200,000 acres in wheat, and it was estimated that perhaps 18,000 acres had not been accounted for in the returns. Assuming that 218,000 acres had been sown, which he thought doubtful, it would require nearly 35 bushels per acre to provide a sufficient supply for tho coming year. There was every prospect, of a good.crop; but, in his opinion, it was not safe to estimate tho average returns at more than 30 bushels. Last year the area in wheat was 330.000 acres, and he believed that next year the area sown would be still smaller. To transport three million tons of wheat to Europe will require some 500 steamers, which Australia could never hope to obtain without Imperial assistance. It has been suggested, now that the transport question has been solved by the Imperial Government, that tho 15 steamers purchased by the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth should be sold. Possibly plenty of buyers could be found at greatly enhanced values.

The Harper Adams experiment station, from experiments carried out a few yearn ago, advises that limp and gas lime am very efficacious in ■ reducing sheen's sorrei The lime was applied in December, and during the following summer the difference between tho limed and tho unlfmed plot 3 was very marked. From five to 15 ton 3 was applied, and tho best results, in proportion to

' amount of lime, were shown where 10 ton? per acre wero applied. There wero £ew4l plants of sorrel on the limed plots, and the grasses were much moro vigorous and greener in colour there. Gas lime_ gave slightly better results than ordinary lime. Prices for mohair are likely to increase, according to the Farmers' Advocate, Blomfontein. Sinoe the Turkish market is shut j off, South Africa is the main source of mohair supplies, and, as America require* ■ a large quantity for her manufactures, prices are suro to soar. Super, well-grown | firsts, of good colour, have been in strong I demand, fine quality lots selling up to 21id, i while other lots, not so fine in quality, but 1 of very good length, havo been sold on a basis of 20d. The annual rainfall for Launcoston (Taa-< j mania) is, says the Weekly Courier, 28.05 inches. The past year, however, is about the wettest on record, the aggregate for the year being 38 inches 63 points, and still .raining at tho time of writing. So far we are only 11 points short of the record established in 1906. Mr Martin, of Enfield, has provided further proof of the value of lucerne as a fodder plant (says the Oamaru Mail). Soma years ago he sowed fivo acres of luoern© | from which he lately out a generous crop that has been stacked away for winter feeding. The growth stood 4ft 6in high, and could hardly have possessed greater density. Had it not been for the excess of wet weather in the early summer, the lucerne would have been cut earlier, and a secona crop would have been almost due now. Early this year Mr Martin sowed anothe* two acres and a-half, and this has given him n very promising strike. Throughout the North Otago district useful patches of lucerne are to be seen, and should prove a' ; substantial reinforcement of future season** ; feed supplies. ! Early potato crops in the Greymouth district have been less affected by blight this year than for many years past, although several plots are reported to be badly smitten with the disease (says tho Grey* mouth Star). On Friday a good sample of Up-to-dates was shown. The sample, fronj one root, turned the scales at 71b, an<( wero nice, clean specimens. It will be news to many (says the Lyttelton Times) that rennet is being manufactured in Christchurch, and that tho planH in operation wa3 fully taxed some year* ago in supplying orders from all over New Zealand. Not less than 50,000 crates of cheese axe at present stored in tho sheds of the Harbour Board at Wellington awaiting shipment. Hay-making has been proceeding in North Otago for the last fortnight, and several good crops have been cut, and are mostly cocked, ready for carting in (says the North Otago Times). Where such p scarcity of feed existed last season, it is pleasing to notice that every advantage is buns taken to provido for another shortage._ As the oat* have come in pretty early this year, th» position as regards labour has been mad< much easier for the farmor. There was a small strike at the Whakatu freezing works last Wednesday morning, tho butchers declining to deal with a line of 400 very long woolled sheep unless paid £3 per 100, twice the usual amount paid butchers (says the Hawke's Bay Herald). The owner of the sheep, Mr L. H. M'Hardv, offered to pay the extra 303 pe* 100, and next morning the men resumed work. . . Commenting on a statement at tho sitting 1 of the Military Service Board at Ashburton on Thursday that there was plenty of labour available if farmers paid the wages (states the Ashburton correspondent of the Lyttelton Times), a fanner in the Ashburton County said that he had been applying for men for some time to man hie threshing machine at Is 9d per hour. Up to the present only the driver had been procured. He further stated that it was almost certain that owing to the shortage of labour each farmer would have to find the men for his own thrashing. Mr A. Jamieson. of Ncwlands, AshDurton County, has threshed a paddock of 7C acres of oats which returned 40 bushels pel acre. . , , By the Tainui. which arrived a$ Auckland the other day from London, came four heifers and a bull, all of the well. known shorthorn breed. They are from lI.M. the King's famous stud farm at Windsor and are consigned to tb* Hon. Dr M'Nab and to Mr J. C. N. Grieg. The Lake County Press reports that Mr G. S. Edie. of Gleneoo station, suffered a Bcrious loss last week. His shepherd? were bringing in a mob of 6000 sheep, and at a g.it.o near Billy Crook a " iamb" o-.ov.rrod, with the result that 94 wethers were smothered. Mr F'lio estimates h;s loss at £125. Evidence of the potentialities of the Gore district is afforded by several lamb- which were grown by Mr Andrew Aitken. The lambs wero slaughtered at the abattoirs, and tho average dressed weight was 541 b. They wero of the fine wool type and were amo'nor the exhibits at the Gore Show in the fat clnsses, but wero rejected by the judge for boms' too heavy. Several Southland people have been perplexed latclv by an unfamiliar moth which has mado its appearance in their district. Tt is the pheasant eyed moth, or Dasypodia P-olenophera, and was first seen in Southland about fix years aco. Th<* inseet comon from the Pacific Islands, and it Is believe to have entered New Zealand with abX ments of bananas.