AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 11

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The eecond valuation for which the new season's wools have come forward was completed on Saturday. In all about 4700 bales were catalogued. , The wools were in very fine condition, mainly accounted for by the clean, plentiful growth of pasture this year and the absence of high- winds, the wool thus being remarkably free of foreign matter. The basis of the scoured wool was the same as last year, but the condition on tho whole warranted the higher prices obtained this year. Tho condition, in fact, is said to be better than for many years past. Some of the Otago Central wools were particularly gQod. The top prices realised were per lb for some halfbred wool, and 23gd;for crossbred Dr Cameron, the Director of the Victorian Department of Agriculture, is at present in Wellington (says the Dominion). Ho has visited in connection with a deal that will be of great interest to the dairying community. The Victorian State Farm at Werribee has a Red Poll dairy herd which Dr Cameron has been building up during the last 10 or 12 years. This herd, which has been sired by imported bulls, has reached a high standard of excellence, and calves from the herd are in great demand among the Victorian farmers. One of the cows, under the Government test, produced 8851 b of butter-fat. equivalent to 10081 b of commercial butter, in d year. Dr Cameron has arranged to exchange 17 animals from this herd' for representatives of the New Zealand Government's herd of Friesians. The suggestion that an exchange should be mado came originally from New Zealand's Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald, who inspected the Werribeo. Farm during his visit to Australia last May. The Friesians are coming from the Central Development Farm at Weraroa, and the condition of the deal is that they must be equal in milking quality to the Red Polls supplied by the Victorian Department. Dr Cameron inspected the Weraroa herd a few days ago, and he expressed himself very pleased with the cows he has selected. Mr MacDonald offered originally to buy a bull and half a dozen heifers from the Red Poll herd, but that was considered impossible owing to the prior claim possessed by tho Victorian farmers, who have filed their applications for calves far in advance. The exchange overcame the difficulty, and it is likely to be mutually beneficial. The Red PolLs will go to one of the New Zealand State farms.

Tho new freezing works at Whakatane were opened on 'the 11th by the Prime Minister, in the presence of a large gathering, including the Hons. W. Fraser, W. H. Herries, W. D. S. MacDonald, A. T. Ngata, and Sir James Carroll. Speaking at a dinner in the evening (says a Press Association telegram), Mr Massey said the Government were taking all measures to prepare for peace. Most of their plants were matured, and if peace were declared to-morrow the New Zealand troops could begin demobilising at once. Public works would immediately absorb 12,000 men. The Government must pursue a vigorous works policy. It was intended to push on development on a large scale. Mr Massey pre} dieted a big future for Whakatane. A branch of the Now Zealand Farmers' Union has boon formed at Edendale with Mr Thos. Lobb president, Mr Daniel Tither vice-president. Mr Arthur rs.on srer--tary and treasurer, and Messrs D. M. M'Leod, J. A. Cushnie, Alex. Wilson, A. J. Townley, and Alex Stevenson committee. The names of 20 members have been handed in. and it is expected that the Edendale Branch will soon be one of the strongest in Southland. Mr Grant, of Winton, has rlcoxled to set up a stud of Yorkshire pigs. The foundation of the stud has been laid Hi a young boar and a young sow from Mr C. Bine, of Canterbury. The pair are ol high imported strain', and real beauties, the sow probably the better. At present a Southland breeder after good Yorkshire stock has to spend a couple of guineas or so to bring his purchase from Christchurch, so that Mr Grant's venture should meet with general approval. Tho following resolution has been passed bv the Riversdalo Branch of the Farmers' Union and submitted to the executive: War Bonus to Civil Servants: "That this branch strongly protests aarainst the increased railway fares and freights to pay the war bonus. The method of increasing

the faros is an. unjust hardship on many ol the travelling public who uro not so well paid as uro the civil servant?, and the increased cost of living is as great an expense to them as to those who. will get the bonus, and who in a great many cases are getting better pay than those wno will have to pay these extra charges." After something like four years' residence in the Drummond district, Mr John Guiso (says the Otautau Standard) has disposed of hie 200-acro farm at the satisfactory figure of £22 per acre to Mr M'Gill, of Biackwater. The positions of English wool-buyers "retained in New Zealand to appraise the valuei of wool for the Imperial Government waj ! considered by the Military Service Board !in Wellington on Thursday. Alfred Ernest [ Barker, a wool-valuer, based his appeal en two grounds: (1) That he was engaged in essential work, and (2) that he was not a reservist. Appellant was one of the buyers who came to the wool sales in New Zealand regularly and returned to England after the sales. It was claimed that ho was not a resident of New Zealand. Barker, giving evidence, said he was engaged on essentia! work,' and he did not thiftk there was' anyone in New Zealand to replace him. He was averse to serving with the New Zealand Forces because ho was not New Zealand, reservist. His firm had already secured exemption for him in England, and he would probably be exempted if he returned. Tho board thought that there were not sufficient reasons to say that Barker was not a reservist. As to whether Barker , was essential or not, Alfred Hill, chief ! supervisor of the wool-buying department, stated that there were were 25 Valuers altogether, and they worked in five different centres. Last year 500,000 bales were valued, and they expected the same number would come forward this year. Of the 25 about 13 or. 14 were over age, four were single men in the same positibn as Barker, and the rest married men with children. It would be impossible T to replace Barker if he were taken into camp. The board de-' cided to grant an indefinite adjournment, with exemption from military duty. All interest in the agricultural world (saya the Australasian) is centred upon the wheat harvest, early varieties of wheat being now near the ripening stage. Nothing has yet occurred to disturb the estimate made of big yields in the "Wimmcra and tiie Mailee; but a storm at the end of last wee!: did considerable damage in the Goulburn Valley and- across the Itiverina. The thundery conditions accompanying .the storm will help in the further development of ruet. already apparent in varieties of wheat most susceptible to this disease. The same conditions tend to promote the spread of fungou3 diseases in potatoes and on fruit trec-3, so that complaints of prospective losses are frequent. There is a wonderful growth of pasture grasses throughout tho States; and the demand for stock is consequently very firm. Constant showery keep a green growth underneath, and this •makes for safety. Very little provision -has been made against bush fires; but Nature ! cannot be relied upon to do all the guard- : ing, and a spell of\ dry weather will leave j the countryside covered with tinder. What is described as a world's record I price 'for a six months' old calf —2700 guineas—was obtained at a sale of calves by Mr William Duthio, Colynie, Aberdeenshire, early in October. The average for . 24 Collynie bull calves was £655 16s 3d, ! compared with £616 6s Id at last year's i sale. | Mr C. Branigan, Government Fields InI spector at Ashburton, who is travelling : through the country collecting grain j statistics, states that the Dun and Garton oat crops have been a failure this season, i but Algerians are showintr great promise. ! There are some excellent crops of both j wheat and oats in the Blackridgo district, ; where the land is heavy (reports tho Christ- ! church Press). I Several crops of oats in the Ashburton I County havealreadv been cut. The small { b'rds are taking a heavy toll of the grain, ! and are to be seen in thousands on the ripening crops. The aphis blkiht is making itself felt in the turnip crops in marry parts of the county. When two ladies recently visited the back part of the Buller district (says the Westport News) they inquired of the mistress of the house fpr her daughter. The latter was not very anxious to make her appearance. On' further fnquiries the visitors learned that the young lady had donned the garments usually allotted to a man. and. with the aid of her mother, she had just i completed shearing the sheep. i A seven year old crossbred cow bred by Mi- David Crosbie, 'Seaward Downs, was j delivered a few days aero of triplet heifer ! calves sired by an Aryshire bull One of ! the calves was alive and frisky and all three were well developed. Surel;, a triplet birth in horned stock is a very rare occur- ; ronoe (observes'the Wvndham Farmer). I Word has been received, retrardinjr the , recent prices realised under tho Govern- | mont commandeering scheme (says the ' CTiristchurch Press), that Mr G. Gerard (Mount Algidus) gained price, 40d per lb, for scoured merino pieces. Thia is top price for Australasia. .Mr Gerard I also pained ' top New 7-oaland price for scoured merino u°ecc. lb. The top price for jrreasv merino broken fleeco (Christchurch sold clipl was trained by MurBros., Lake Colored??. 16id lb. Shearers are scarce in the North district (according to tho Oamaru Mail). On one station tho owner has started