AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 11

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

At the annual meeting of the Wyndham A. and P. Association Mr C. Milne, the president, was in the chair. The report submitted stated that, after all preparations had been made, the annual show had to be abandoned owing to the influenza epidemic The balance sheet showed a "credit balance of £57 8s 3d. It was decided to reappoint all the office-bearers and committee, with power to add to their number; to hold the show on December 5; to give preference to judges who had. accepted last year? and to make a vigorous canvasa

for new members and trophies. It 'y as made a recommendation to the committee to increase the number of trophies, and several members present offered trophies for the annual show. . . The Win ton A. and P. Association is forging ahead steadily, thanks to the enterprise and energy of the Managing Committee and others, who do not believe in keeping in the same old rut year after year. Instead of having prize-winners call at the secretary’s office for the prizes, the association has inaugurated a reunion to be held yearly, at which the prizes are presented publicly to the fortunate winners. Last week this reunion was held, when, the attendance constituted a record, despite the restricted train service. The president (Mr John Keith) was in the chair. A number of toasts were honoured, a musical programme enjoyed, and full justice done to the supper. Twenty cups and about a dozen trophies were presented to the winners at the show in January last. Mr W. D. Hunt, having won the South Island

Friesian Oup twice in succession, it_ now becomes his property; but the association is presenting - another cup to be competed for this year at Christchurch. During the evening cup, trophies, and cash specials to the value of nearly £IOO were promised in tho room for the society’s next show. An order has been issued by the Government fixing prices for butter within the metropolitan area of Now South Wales as follows: —Firsts, wholesale, 561 b boxes, 18<ss per cwt; seconds, 177 s 4d; and thirds, 172 s 8d per cwt. Within the next six weeks a largo wire netting plant would be in operation _ in Australia, and (according to the Victorian Minister of Customs) would soon be able to turn out the whole of our requirements. Once tho wire was drawn, the weaving was a comparatively insignificant operation. The uses to which potatoes can be put seem endless. s Before the war all farina used in Great Britain was imported from Germany, Holland, and Japan, the industry being subsidised in those countries. Farina is largely used for making dextrine, gums, glucose, etc., by-products being fertilisers and cattle foods. Four large farina mills have been erected in Great Britain, one of which is already working and using 2000 tons of potatoes per week. That the Farmers’ Union should endeavour to get a Bill passed by the Federal Government prohibiting tho forward buying and contract selling of farm produce was the text of & motion earned by the Flinders District Council of tho Farmers’ Union. The probability that all the surplus wheat in Australia will be sold at an early d.ato has given great mental relief- to wheat-growers (says the Weekly limes). There is now more confidence that substantial dividends, or additional payments, will be obtained from the different pools. The sum received from the recent &u.lo of 1,000,000 tons at 5s 6d 'a bushel, f.0.b., itself will amount to millions of pounds sterling above what was expected a few months ago. Moreover, drought in Canada, and factors operating in European and other countries, should assure the maintenance of big prices at least for tho next two crops. Under the circumstances growers should confidently fallow large areas this-year. The price is likely to be satisfactorv, and there is an additional reason for' activity. The seasons are again showing that irregularity which suggests dry spoils. In the major portion of the wheat belt sowing on anything but fallow is a gamble. To assure the seeding of large areas next year, the plough should be kept busily employed just now. Fair seasonal growth of crops past fortnight. Water storage supplies in numbers of districts are short. The Institute of Science and Industry has published a pamphlet on the prickly pear, in Australia, which sets out at Length all the means which have so far been employed to eradicate the prickly pear, or to use it satisfactorily. Since tbs pest occupies over 22.000,000 acres of land in Australia, and is estimated to be spreading at the rate of a million acres a year, it is obvious that tho subject is of immense importance. The conclusion left in the mind after perusal of the pamphlet is that the only method whereby the plant can be effectively and economically destroyed is by the employment of natural enemies. So far no insect has been introduced_ which will feed exclusively on this variety of prickly pear. • There are 11,539 crates of cheese in the cool store at Bluff, which it is expected will shortly be shipped. Tho Waimana took 11.011 crates, which cleared the cheese received up to April 26. In the Gazette 1340 acres of settlement Land in the Wellington district, 4010 acres in the Hawke’s Bay district, and 2170 acres in Canterbury are proclaimed for settlement by soldiers. It was announced by th c Hon. D. H. Guthrie a short time ago that the Government had acquired tho Orongo Estate of 2100 acres, near Turua, eight miles south of Thames. A further sum is to bo expended upon improvements before

the property will be ready for settlement. It will then be cut up into farms of 40 to 50 acres, upon which 46 returned soldiers will be settled. Most of the dairy companies in the Carterton district have paid out up to Is 8d per lb for butter-fat, and it is . antcipated that the final payment will bring it up to Is lid. An uncommon sight for these days of motor tractors and steam traction engines is a 16-horse team yoked to a drain plough, and working in the paddock of Mr Macdonald, Strathvale (says the Otautau Standard). Good progress is being made with wool shipments. Compared with last year (Dah gety's figures) 20,110 bales were shipped last month, as against 14,897 bales for July, 1918. An enormous bullock, said to be the biggest ever handled at the Wbangarei abattoirs, was killed recently. The animal, which was five years old, turned the scale at 11901 b, and contained 501 b of kidney fat. An Ovvaka correspondent of tho Clutha Leader writes that he noticed the other day that Mr Telford (Pounawea) and Mr W. Miller (Otekura) had several lambs running about, some of them apparently about a month old.