SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3334, 6 February 1918, Page 11

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(From Ouk Own Cobhespondent.) January opened badly for most agricultural operations and for shearing, and the month has obtained a bad reputation for unsettled and unseasonable weather. From being warm and sultry, resulting in very severe thunderstorms, in some localities, interspersed with some very cold and stormy outburst, it has been not only fickle but very unfavourable as a whole. During the third week in some quarters the wind was very disagreeable, and made outside work not only difficult but very unpleasant. All kinds of crops felt the evil effects in some way or other. Any showers which were expected to be beneficial were very soon licked up. The hay has suffered considerably, having been too much bleached and dried, losing much of its lusciousness, being hard and fibry, which makes it less palatable for stock. The grass seed has also been very disappointing, as it is not thrashing out (not even from the stook) in proportion to its bulk. Where there has been much clover this has been the case, and crops very heavy and difficult to handle will bo nothing like so profitable as they promised to be. The dry spells, though brief, were acompanied or followed by hard, dry winds, and the ground seemed to get very dry, and- most of the crops seemed as if they could have done with a fairly heavy rain. It seems in Southland that unless the ground is soaked to a fairly good depth it cannot stand a severe drought of any duration, and a lengthened spell of moderately dry weather has an adverse effect. Although the ridged turnips came on fairly well, and undor favourable weather conditions the thinning got difficult to overtake, this was to some extent accentuated by labour shortage. Tho_ money paid per hour even to boys and girls wherever they were available was higher than adults were getting many years previously. There were hot so many of the contracting class, and Hay wages were accordingly more generally in vogue. The thrashing mill hands are apparently getting an increase of at least 50 per cent., and mill-owners have been advertising for hands. The matter was discussed very fully at a meeting of the Invorcargill Branch of the Farmers' Union. This meeting was largelv attended, and a keen interest evinced. The whole position was put very fairly and sensibly by Mr John M'Donald, Otautau, and assented to by tho meeting generally, with the result that a resolution was unanimously agreed to fixing the rate for harvest wages at Is 6<J per hour. Tn support of tho resolution Mr M'Donald remarked that, crops being small, the mills would have a good deal of (shifting. That being ao, he did not think farmers should grurigo an extra charge if a good job were made of it. Besides, the position really was that the farmer Would have to pay what the men wanted. "They

should also consider themselves lucky," he said, "if the mill came with a full crew." I do not think that is hardly -likely to be expected, as during the last few years, especially since war time, the mills have invariably come in short-handed. Many who have not worked at a mill for years have had to take 'it up again, making among farmers co-operation imperative. To the credit of all, no one grumbles at it, but are only too pleased if they can overtake the work, realising to the full that it is but a light matter comparatively with what has to bo done and endured in the interests of the Dominion and the Empire generally. I may be digressing, but am also pleased to note that in spite of unfavourconditions grass has been coming away abundantly again, and feed is still quite plentiful, as is evidenced by the appearance of all classes of stock. The fourth wool valuation has just come off, and since the larger flocks arc generally shorn first there were on this occasion a greater number of lots to be dealt with—something like 1250. In the large sheds the wool is better classed and quite differently treated to what is the case where a large number of small farmers are the owners. As a consequence, Mr Denny called attention to "the great lack of care in the preparation of a very great number of the lots submitted for valuation." Those who are late in shearing generally get the advantage in weight, as the wool carries more grease than at the earlier valuations; but in. some cases it has its disadvantages, top, as it is generally not so clean, and frequently carries more bid-a-bids. While some growers have «ot_ up their wool in fine style, and obtained higher prices, there have' been very few decidedly poor lots, which is so far satisfactory. There have been very few objections to the valuations, and after a reexamination of the wool all disputes have been amicably settled.