SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3383, 15 January 1919, Page 9

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

i (Fbou Oub Own Cokeebpondknt.) The weather—the unfailing topic—has coat tinued unpropitious, and we cannot get away from the impressiyeness of the faoi in the extraordinary lateness of. the cropp and the backwardness of all farming opera*, tions. Some outstanding; features strongly in evidence may he.cited. First of all theri is no old, experienced farmer of long standing—of, say, 40 years' continued experience of all kinds of seasons —but will unhesitatingly aver, taking everything into account, lr eluding the period embracing springtime- and summer, that he had never seen for the same length - of time the weather so unfavourable and unseasonable. There has never been anything like sufficient warmth in the ground to produce a sufficiently rapid germination, and the growth afterwards has been exceedingly slow —so much so in the case of turnip* that if the fly should attack the young plants they would suffer severely. The - grain crops do not tiller out well, and tho solo of grass is so much less close and dense than it should be. It may bo taken as generally held that the paddocks have never right through been so bare ' of feed, or when stock has been removed to enable the paddocks to recover has their recovery been so unsatisfactory. Although the grain crops in general are so late, there tare some crops nf oats to be seen doing fairly well, and from their dark green blade and healthy appearance give the prospect of yet yielding well. In some seasons grain on lea ground is better than after turnips, and in other seasons the reverse is the case. The healthiest and most. vigorous crops will more than likely be found to be those after- turnips, when ploughed and sown immediately after being eaten off, and it so happened there was a favourable spell in the weather even though brief. With the unsettled state of the weather shearing operations are being carried on, under much difficulty, but every opportunity of getting sheep in and keeping them handy to the shearing sheds is helping to get on with it, and more is being done than might otherwise be expected. Already some of those returning from the front are bucking to. but as "so few of the strong and fit have as yet returned it -s not telling much. If the next valuation comes off on the 15th inst., the date previously fixed, there will be more lots for. treatment than has previously been the case. There having been so little heat has made the shearing more difficult. It makes such a great difference when the wool is greasier and rising freely for the shearer, but the lateness of shearing will help the weight of the wool to some extent. Despite very unfavourable. weather,' there was a large yarding in all classes, excepting store sheep, at Wallacetown. The' fat olass was the largest entry there has been for many a day, but the supply being far in excess of the demand there was a drop in price of even the best quality, and prime wethers in wool could not command 50s, and slightly over that was the highest price obtainable. The fall in prices all round was equally noticeable in dairy cows, whereas at a clearing sale good cows are often keenly competed for and good prices obtained. At present all sales are more or less inclined to drag. ..:•'.''-,- The sheep-worrying, which caused a bit of a scare some time ago, has to some extent at least been cleared, up bv the tracing and capture of culprit dogs. Thd only chance is either to shoot them on the ground or if possible follow them home and "when fresh from their depredations. They then afford proof of what they hayal been up to, and the owner as well as the dogs can be dealt with. It seems thai) something like the last was done, and when .it can be thoroughly proved and sheeted home it acts as a warning and deterrent to others. Thore 'are so many who havo no risks to run in losing sheep, perhaps not having any sheep, but who keep doge, and do not shut them up or. chain, them at night. These dogs are a menace' to other people, and it is helpful when any so transgressing can be caught. If tho benefits to be derived for Southland generally apd the agricultural communities in particular are to be measured by the hearty co-operation of all public bodies as represented at the last conference, then tho future progress and development of Southland is assured. The meeting held on the sth was a " conference of members or Southland public bodies to consider the advisability 011 otherwise of proceeding with

tho proposed electric scheme." If not undertaken by the people themselves, but left to the Government, it_ would, possibly tako two years for preliminary operations at a very costly figure, and 20 years afterwards might not see it accomplished. Tho people will do it themselves in the time it might take tho Government to make an investigation. Sinco farmers tiro expected to tako current to the value of at least £2O per annum, that amount does not seem much taken in relation to tho value that may be expected. About 1600 square miloa will he affected by tho distribution of the current, which means in acres a little over J.,000,000. That electric power when fully established and installed, with horse-power |eken us tho unit of calculation, is the

cheapest of all power available, can be more clearly understood by farmers who know from actual experience that every horse on the farm requires no less than £SO per horse for maintenance when feed is very much cheaper than at present. Besides tho possibilities and facilities d? rivable from oheap and an easily-adaptable and workable power oannot be fullv and correctly valued. One thing more potent than anything else is how much more town arid country will bo brought into. closer ce-jitact, and consequently reap mutual benefit. That tho people of Southland aro in dead earnest is evident from tho fact of something over 80 and under 100 delegates attended tho confer one©.