THE NORTH ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3509, 14 June 1921, Page 12

THE NORTH ISLAND.

(From Oijr Own Correspondent.) A beneficent rain has fallen over Hawke’s Day since my last notes were printed, and in the centie of the province several really good falls of rain have occurred. Prospects have now brightened, and if frosts will now hold off until the pastures get a start the outlook will become much brighter. Manawatu. Taranaki, and the Auckland Provinces have also enjoyed more rain, and one noticeable feature is the mildness of the season being experienced. For days the warmth of the weather was most marked, and such is not tt.-ual this time of the year. Over on 11 to East Coast, particularly in the Gisborne district, there were some fairly wet days in May, but the rainfall, as recorded. shows that only 1.90 in fell. The fail was lower than during the same month in the [utst three years, and considerably below the monthly average for some years past. N.Z. MEAT IN ENGLAND. Tt is now stated that, apart altogether from the hi ef purchased and held by Vesleys. the following quantities of the New Zealand meats are still unsold in England: Ewes. 600,003; wethers, 200,000; lambs, 190.000. 1 hoc figures represent nearly a million carcases, and all concerned will feel greatly relieved when the Imperially-owned meat has been finally disposed of. Bit FED ASSOCIATIONS. 1 he Romney Marsh Sheep Breeders’ Association hae had a good year, the receipts exceeding the expenditure by over £IOO. The total number of members is 607, while Volume XVII contains 591 registered flocks. Tin- council hopes to publish a brochure on N Z. Romney sheep during the coming \ ear. The finances of the N.Z. Hereford Breeders’ Association continue to be in a very satisfactory condition, the income for the past year exceeding the expenditure by £ll3 10s Id, while tin- amount of accumulated funds is now £lll7 ICs. Sixteen new members joined during the past year. DAIRY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT AND COW-TESTING. ,'f hat the dairy industry in the North Island has developed at a great rate is unquestioned, and l he export trade alone ,’s s .incient proof of that. Taranaki, like other places, has moved ahead in its output, and some vast changes have occurred during past years. J hi.- was mad.- clear at a social r uttering held at Otakiho (South Taranaki) last week, when Mr S. J. Bennett, in replying to tie t am of the “Dairy industry,” spoke reminiscently. He said that when he (list at rived in Taranaki they had no roads us they knew them now; the country was practically ull standing bush, which was sold at 40s an acre by the Government. The farmers then had to endure great hardships. They milked a few cows, and received at the rate of about 4d per lb butter-fat, and tnis had to be tu;.en out in groceries. People were growling about hard times to-day, but they were not as hard as the early settlers experienced. To-dav farmers had to pay high [trices for their land, and they had to faun that land properly, whilst one of the main [joints they should not miss was the testing of the cows. Mr Bennett is not a theorist. He is a practical man, and he averred that it was no use keeping cows now unless tin y were bred and fed for production. The average butter-fat production at Kaupakanui was 2241 b per cow. This, he contended, was too low for tile class of land they had. Jf that average could be increased to gOQlb per cow it would mean an increase of 93b,0C01b of fat at Katipokontii. Mr Biunett urged upon all the necessity of testing their cows. lie said that his herd last year averaged between 3001 b and 4001 b per cow, but he would not be content until he got every one over 4001 b. Some men were satisfied it a two-year-old holier made JOjib lat. He was not. He had two, and cue made 4791 li fat and the other 4501 b in 36j da\.-:. ’lbis, he thought, he:i., rst rated what was possible, and he hoped that all dairymen would go in for systematic testing. the lesiill would soon be apparent in the export figures for the Dominion. EXPORT OF iIERKFORDS. In the annual report of tho New Zealand Hereford Breeders’ Association reference is made to the fact that the outlook tor building up a large export business with South Afriea in respect to Herefords is very bright. During the year a number of Hereford cattle were purchased in New Zealand and sent to Smith Afri a. This is believed to be the first shipment of purebred cattle to that country, and it is confidently expect, d that it was the forerunner of mam more. A GOOD BUI.r. BEFORE A IT A NO. A well known breeder once said to me that he owed Ins success to the fact that he banked evetything on having a good

bull for his herd. He and his wife had some words over the purchase of a piano which she wanted, whilst lie felt a good bull for the farm would be more profitable. This was some years ago. He had bis way, and he purchased a top-notcher carrying the best blood. It was not very long before he was able to give his wife a very high-grade piano, and now he could look back and see what his first good bull had made for him. Several speakers at a smoke social held at Otakelio (South Taranaki) last week concurred in the necessity for having a good sire at the head of the herd, and particular reference was made to the held of Mr James Nicholson as an example cf what had been accomplished as the result of buying first of all a good bull. Mr Nicholson’s herd had been built up entirely from the source mentioned. One speaker pointed out that only a few years ago Mr Nicholson had probably the poorest herd supplying the Kaupokonui factory, limn he purchased a good bull—perhaps not. a show bull, but as good an animal as there was in the district so far os progeny was concerned. Every cow in his present fine herd was his own breeding, and Aster’s August Child, the heifer that put up a world’s record for butter-fat, was by the bull mentioned. Mr Nieolson was a man who understood liow to mate his beasts, and how to breed the best, and his herd was now the best supplying Kaupokonui. Mr Rushin was another man who had built up his herd by using a really good bull, which had the distinction of beating Mr Bennett’s great show-ring bull at the Otakelio Show recently. WAIKATO WINTER SHOW. The Waikato Winter Show, which closed on Saturday last, was unreservedly admitted by patrons to have been the best exposition held in the annals of the Waikato Winter Show Association. The quality of the exhibition was excellent, and the products, both artificial and natural, would be difficult to excel. The display of drKry produce and products of lhe soil generally was exceedingly good, and gave southerners a better opinion regarding the light lands of the north. The takings were a record, totalling £1448 Is, as against £1137 5s last year, an advance of £3lO 16s. DAIRY FARMERS’ UN TON. At a meeting of the South Auckland Dairy Farmers’ Union Executive, held at

Hamilton during show week, it was reported that a large number of branch unions had been formed throughout the Waikato, and. 90 per cent, of the dairy farmers were joining as financial members/ The dairymen of the Waikato are evidently out to'look after the business end of the" industry, and one of the commendable objects is tiia acquiring cf ships in order to place dairy produce on the markets at the lowest price to the consumers. PEDIGREE JERSEY SALE. At a sale of Mr C. A. Care’s pedigree Jersey cattle, held at Cambridge, fably good prices were realised, despite the hardening tendency of ihe money market Ino highest price paid was for the twoyearold heifer, Rata’s Princess Violet UOuob) which was purchasd for 90gs by , r , , Dean, Paeroa. This animal was bred by the vendor, and won first prize at the Waikato Central Show in 1990 Grade cows and heifers realised from 16gs to 2ogs. ° PRODUCERS’ SHIPS. The movement for establishing a farmers’ co-opei a ll ye shipping set vice is meeting with a good deal of moral support, aii<] it is generally felt that a co-operative system of of the" |T”i mPa, ‘ th " val of many of the disadvantages with which farmers were confronted at present. J„ discussing the matter at Stratford, Mr R. Master? M. 1., pointed out that Australia had led the way ,n this respect, and its shipping service had been a wonderful success 8 Canada also had established its own shipping lines and New Zealand could well follow the lead of those two countries without going far wrong. YAH K OF MANURES. Farmers are quite agreed that manure is one of the best investments. During the war manures were very scarce, and "when they could be obtained wcr,. extremely dear. I hough prices are still high iniporta twit has increased very considerably and during Ihe year ended March 31 1921 the imports were 142.357 tons as against 80,833 tons in tile previous year. Jn Taranaki, which probably needs manures for its pastures more than any other part of the Dominion, there is a diversified opinion as to which will give the best results on pastures—b isic slag or finely ground Nauru phosphate, ll has been suggested that the Now Plymouth Agricultural Society might, make an experiment, with a viow to ac-

quiring information on the subject—namely, i by top-dressing several paddocks in different parts of the district, half with slag, and naif with finely ground rock phosphate, i It is believed that the value of the results attained would be consiredable, and of great assistance to farmers desirous of improving their pastures. HAWTHORN AND FIRE BLIGHT. In the Hawke’s Bay papers, a very lively discussion lias been carried oil in respect to the proposal to cut cut hawthorn hedges, because of their intimate relationship to fire blight, and it would seem as if there is a just deal of opposition, to the scheme. It is pointed out, however, that if five blight gets a hold in ITawke’s Bay, it will be disastrous to the fruit industry, which is operated on a large scale. The question to be decided is whether if will pay to keep the hawthorn hedges growing at the expense of th fruit industry. It should riot require much consideration, and, if experience in the fire blight area in the Auckland district can be taken as a criterion, criterion, the constant destruction of diseased fruit trees by fire, is of little value in checking the disease so long as hawthorn hedges are allowed to exist.

CANTERBURY CRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKET.

(Lytteltou Times, June 10.) During the last few days business in the grim and produce market has been fairly quiet. Carton oats remained firm at late rates during the week, but, the volume cf business decreased somewhat. A fair quantity of oats is being shipped from the south to the United Kingdom, but the quantity being exported locally is not so large. ' The offerings of Algerians were heavy, but, as the demand was poor, they showed no change in price this week. Farmers are nat offering chaff freely. At the same time there is sufficient to meet the demand, which is not large. Late rates were maintained during the week. Any North Island demand for chaff is being 'supplied by Marlborough, which can offer better quality stuff at a cheaper rate. A fair amount of business has been done in cocksfoot lately but the demand slackened this week. Generally business with regard to seeds was quiet and no movement in prices was recorded. Linseed, however, showed an improvement. The demand increased during the week. This demand came principally from local oversellers who had made sales for Juno shipment prompt delivery. -So little linseed was being offered that they were pressed to fill orders and thus the price hardened during the week. It is doubtful if the advance will be maintained once the local sellers are satisfied, because the demand from outside has not increased. Although the potato market was lifeless during the week there is now a more hopeful feeling regarding it, due mainly to the news from Auckland that the demand there is heavy. It is generally considered that the price of potatoes has reached rock bottom, and prospective buyers are beginning to recognise this. In all probability the end of this month will see an improvement in the potato market. The price of onions remained firm during the week, but there was not a great deal of business clone. Several complaints have been received from the North Island with regard to the quality of the onions from Canterbury.