AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3397, 23 April 1919, Page 10

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Thero is very indication (our Kurow correspondent writes) that we are- going to have an early winter. There hare been quite a number of frosts lately and last Wednesday evening there was a fall of mow on the higher levels. The recent fraina came too late to do much good, and Consequently there will be a scarcity of Eass this winter. In the Kurow district e whole summer ha 3 been of a most unjpßlial nature. Tomatoes and grapes gener-

ally do well, but this year the heat has been insufficient to mature them.

Mr Massey Greene has announced that the importation of sheep-dip will be prohibited in the interests of on Australian manufacturer of the article. More than half (says the Australasian) the sheep-owners of the Commonwealth are compelled to dip by law, if not by necessity. The results of dipping are not only of individual, but_ of national importance. Sheep-owners, having to inour the risks of dipping, have a right to select the dips which their experience has proved to be the safest and most efficient. There is absolutely no Justification

wliy they should be penalised as the Federal authorities intend. The wool industry is of vastly greater importance to the Commonwealth than any sheep-dip manufacturing industry could ever be. There are tens of thousands of sheep-owners in Australia affected by dipping, whereas if all the dip required were made in the Commonwealth it, would not provide employment for 200 men, and it would bo exceedingly unhealthy employment at that. The president of the Royal Agricultural Society (Victoria) has explained the proposals for introducing pedigreed dairy bulls into dairying districts. He said that though the

council of the society had temporarily rejected the scheme, ho hoped that it would ooine up again. They wanted to introduce the bulls into the poorest herds. They could lend the bulls to returned soldiers who were establishing herds. It was decided to send a letter to the society asking it to reconsider its decision.

Ontario posseses the honour of having the first soldiers' settlement scheme actually in operation in Canada. Under the Ontario scheme, the soldier settler is given, free of charge, 100 acres of land in Northern Ontario, 10 acres of which is cleared, together with a house, and is also given lmancial assistance by way of loan to the extent of £IOO. The Government of Ontario has also established a training farm, where the returned soldiers are given a practical agricultural training before settling on their own holdings. The soldiers' and sailors' settlement is located in a rich agricultural district. * The lands are wooded and require to be cleared, but in the process of clearing the settler is able to secure a substantial return from the timber cut from the lands. From the farms that have been developed in the district large yields of grain of all kinds have been made, and the older settled portions of the locality are now prosperous farm districts, with the farmers all in comfortable circumstances.

The Tasmanian Premier the other day referred to the difficulty of securing reliable information concerning the markets of England for farmers' products, and instanced the experience over blue peas as an example. He referred to the necessity of a Central Information Bureau, which would be able to gather data as to production and market quotations and prospects. Ho stated that he proposed to bring the matter under the notice of the Minister of Agriculture; with a view to ascertaining what could be done. A number of changes of property have taken place in the Maeterton district of late at high prices. Some farms have sold at over £BO per acre. One has to travel from the Northern Wairoa district to learn some fresh points in the carrying on of the dairying industry (says the Bell). The factory manager of one place in the north has said that he has this season gathered three scrubbing brushes out of the cream sent to the factory. On one or two occasions he has had to' return cream to the senders because he has found rats in it. At the Addington yards on Weanesday, four prime baconers, sold on behalf of Mrs B. Welsh (Tai Tapu), realised £9 4s each. . The Cromwell Argus says that further proof of the fertility of the soil in the Hawea district was produced recently when Mr P. Kerid thrashed 80 bushels of barley to the acre from a considerable area. THE NORTH ISLAND. (Feom#Oub Own Cokrespondsnt.) Th© weather conditions during the past week have not altered a great deal, excepting that it has got much colder at nights, presaging an early winter. Very little ram is falling, however, and, generally speaking, dry conditions prevail. Hawke's Bay is badly in want of a good soaking, and the absence of cold weather until the new make of grass gets well away. THE CATTLE,.TICK MENACE. Fears are being entertained that the cattle tick menace, which, according, to reports, has got a hold o'f North Auckland districts, and has now spread to Mercer, will extend to districts further south. The consequence is that coastal farers of the west, taking the cue from Poverty Bay, are making efforts to force the Agricultural Department to practically make a quarantine area of the North Auckland districts, and to make any person guilty of transporting stock from the infected districts liable to a heavy penalty. It is the general opinion of those who are qualified to speak on tho matter that the cattle tick is one of the most dangerous menaces that threaten cattleowners, and the valuable interests _ represented by the meat trade and dairying industries. It is stated that in Queensland the loss from tick fever amounts to over £7,000,000, tho decrease in the value of leather totalling over £IOO,OOO a year. It has cost the State between £20,000 and £30,000 a year for protective effort, and after 12 years the position is as bad, or worse, than, ever. It will therefore be seen that, so far as this country is concerned, it would be suicidal to our main industries to allow this deadly thing t-o get a strong grip. Already it has spread, over North Auckland , districts, and fears ar© entertained that, by the system of transportation of cattle, the menace will gradually extend into clean districts. This farmers _ in. the south are attempting to stop, and it is to be hoped that the Agricultural Department will bo firm, and take the most effective measures possible to arrest the progress of the pest COW-TESTING RETURNS. The monthly returns of the Bell Block .■md Mangorei Cow-testing Associations in Taranaki are now available, and always prove of interest to cowmen. The details are as follow for Bell BJock:

THE STOCK V MARKET. Stock is not selling nearly so freely u was the case some time ago. -and only the very best lines are disposed of. In the Wairarapa there has been quite a slump owing to the fact that freezing companies have practically stopped buying, and that feed prospects for the winter are not' too good.. The dry, warm weather followed by the sudden change to cold, and occasional frosts has not" given the grass a good chance to make, and some stock-owners are not facing the winter with the usual equanimity. The shortage of shipping is obviously the cause of the freezing companies limiting their transactions, and, on the whole, pastoralists aro having a somewhat anxious time. DAIRY PRODUCE. The butterrnakers of the north are feeling very keenly the present regulations,- whioß compel them to supply the local market at a fixed price. The Taranaki farmers have approached the Minister for Agriculture on the matter, and a request made that the producers- be allowed to sell on the open market. _ The attitude adopted by the farmers"*is that the New Zealand consumer ought to pay 2s 6d per lb for butter, the same as the English consumer. The suggestion was made that the Government should endeavour to have Dominion producers released from the contract to supply ' the Imperial Government with butter for the 1919-20 season, and no doubt the point will he emphasised at the coming winter shows... Whether the Government i#ill endeavour to carry out the wishes of buttermakers rfemains to be seen. There is one thing quite certain, if such does come to pass, that the Government will be in trouble with the consumers, and in view of the coming elections it is hardly likely that such a step would be taken, not even to please the manufacturing companies. NOXIOUS WEEDS IN TARANAKL The dangerous spreading of certain noxious weeds in Taxanaki was referred to at a meeting of the Moa Road Board. It was stated that the'fine dairying land in the district was going to be absolutely ruined unless some drastio action was taken regarding ragwort, ox-eye daisy, and blackberry. One member mentioned a certain Eroperty on which were clumps of blaokerries 10ft high, and among them smaller olumps of blackberry and ragwort. He understood that a Minister of the Crown held a lien over this_ property. An important notice of motion is proposed for next meeting, the object being to got' the laws and regulations concerning noxious weeds amended, if possible, to enable more effective steps to be taken to check their soread. WOOL MARKET. The excellent results achieved at the London April sales as cabled have been pretty freely discussed among growers, and it u a sure'thing that the 50 per cent, of the profits they expect,*to receive from the Imperial Government over and above the appraisement of their wool are likely to amount to a considerable sum in the aggrefate, and as such a large number of proucers have agreed to Mr E. Newman'e scheme for helping ' the dependents of sailors killed or wounded during the War. the fund in question should be augmented to a very considerable extent. The wool stores are being well cleared, and_ a very big shipment is leaving Gisborne this week. Meat-producers are wishing they were aa well treated as the wool-growers. THE SCOURING TROUBLE. Some few months ago Gisborne people were complaining very bitterly of the fact that wool produced in the Poverty Bay district was being senjt away to other places, when there_were large and efficient works in the district able to cope with all supplies. Representations were mado_to the Government on the matter, and the Department of Imperial Government Supplies has row replied to the effect that particulars as to the pre-war capacities of various -wool-scouring works in Auckland, Hawke's Bay, and Gisborne, their present* day capacity, and the amount of wool handled by each were not available at present. The Gisborne works, it was contended, had been given more than their share based on their output of 1914, 1915. and 1916. When the letter was read at the Chamber of Commerce _ meeting speakers maintained that the district wai not getting its share. The position Was the same in Hawke's Bay. HARDSHIPS- OP BACK-BLOOKERS. The hardships of back-blockers are too well known in the north t» require any. stressing of the subject, and it is felt that the Government has not been doing all that it might to reduce some of the tribula*tions experienced. Reading facilities are badly required in all directions, and the Government will require to spend some thousands and thousands of pounds to keep pace with settlement. Sir Wiliam Fraser, Minister of Public Works, visited Taranaki during the past week, and there ho heard some great tales of woe, particularly at Whangamomona. In reply, Sir William said that he knew that the steries told of the troubles of the back-blocks settler were only too true. When he took up the position of Minister of Public Works he saw how difficult it would be to remedy it. To a certain extent the people were to blame, as some years ago a great and very natural desire was evinced by people to get on the land. They would broolc. no delay, and the land Was thrown open. He favoured the policy of roading the land beforo throwing, it open for settlement He pointed out that while New Zealand was a very pleasant country to live in, it was one of the most difficult and expensive to road in the world. Dealing with

No. of HERD AVERAGES. cows. Milk, lbs. Teat. Fat, lbs. 16 .. 587 .. 6.2 36.83 15 .. 618 .. 6.3 ' 27.65 29 .. 615 .. 6.6 34.61 22 .. 654 .'. 5.7 37.76 HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL YIELD. —Calculated for Month — •Milk, lbs. Teat. Fat, lbs. 660 .. .. S.O 62.80 810 .. .. 4.8 .. .. 38.88 930 .. ..i 5.5 51.15 900 .. .. 6.5 49.50 LOWEST INDIVIDUAL YIELD. —Calculated for Month — Milk, lbs. Teat. Fat, lbs 480 .. .. 4.6 •• .. 22.08 830 .. .. 6.0 16.60 570 .. .. 4.2 23.94 845 .. .. 8.0 .. .. 27.60 SUMMARY. Milk. Test. Fat lbs. ibs. 6.7 37.76 6.3 27.65 8.0 62.80 6.0 16.50 Average association cow.. 693 6.7 84.21 The Mangorei returns for the period ending March 15 are as follow:— No. of . HERD AVERAGES. cows. ' Milk, lbs. Test. Fat, lbs. 15 .. 615 .. 3.9' .. 24.57 41 .. 478 .. 4.2 20.51 25 .. 574 .. 4.0 22.59 20 .. 600 6.0' .. 30.29 17 .. 613 .. 4.1 25.38 14 .. 693 .. 8.8 26.47 11 .. 645 .. 4.6 29.85

HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL ' riELD. — -Calculated for Month . — Milk, lbs. Test. Fat, lbs. 730 4.7 36.66 660 .. .. 4.5 29.70 705 4.1 ..' . 23.90 060 4.0 .. '., 38.40 840 .. .. 4.3 36.12 • 795 .. .. 8.9 .. .. 31.00 s 840 ". 4.3 36.12 LOWEST INDIVIDUAL YIELD." — ■Calculated for Month .— Milk, lbs. Test. Fat, lbs. 420 .. .. 4.1 .. .. 17.22 135 .. .. 6.6 .. .. 7.56 195 .. .. 4.3 .. .. 8.38 - 830 .. .. 6.7 .., .. 18.81 ' 510 • .. .. 8.4 .. .. 17.34 , 640 .. .. 3.7 .. -.. 19.98 480 4.9 .. SUMMARY. 23.52 Milk. Test. F*U lbs. lbf. Best herd 5.0 80.29 Worst herd 4.2 20 61 Beet cow 4.0 88.40 Worst cow 5.6 7.56 Average association cow.. 601 4.2 25.66