NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3512, 5 July 1921, Page 8

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Ploughing is perhaps the most urgent

Farm Work For July.

matter o£ the hour on the farm, the depth depending on the nearness of the sub-

soil and the crop intended to be sown in the spring. Grain-sowing will cease for a spell, and roots such as mangolds and swedes may well be lifted for use for early lambing ewes and cows coming in before there is much grass evident. All potatoes should be lifted by now, and the land ploughed and limed. As this is usually a fairly clean area, it may do for lucerne-sowing once the furrows are warm after winter. Jobs such as gorse-grubbing, ditch-cleaning, draining, culvert sorting, may well bo completed before the rains set in. Lime-dressing and top-dressing of pastures and shelter trees planted are seasonal jobs. Quit all fat lambs ere the works close. Provision for extra feeding, now the nights are colder, should not be overlooked. It*is economy t) keep up the body warmth of stock. Feed working horses generously, and consider whether the horses should not be clipped trace high. Both old and young horses require some concentrated food, as weathered grass has little value beyond filkng. Milkers require additional food and shelter from cold winds. Attend to the pigs, and see that the sty is warm and well strawed. Overhaul the old ewess and remove any loose teeth in front. A “gummy” does much better than a brokenmouth sheep. Bv feeding some dry stuff with the roots, or a run off to grass, we make for economy and comfort of stock. Watch the hoggets, as from now on “teething” troubles are common, and hoggets wall do no good on turnips if “changing.” Feed roots off in small breaks, and see that animals have a dry camping-ground. Salt licks are worth while, and make for contentment. Conserve the straw, if necessary fencing off straw stacks from wandering stock. Attend to the rabbits, and tidy up the farm generally.

A United States Senator from Kansas, Artlinr flannpr hv nnmn,

Artnur tapper by name, has an article in “Munsey’s’’ depicting the set - backs 0 farmers have suffered since 1920, due, he states, to call-

American Agriculture. Choking To Death.

ing up of credits by banks and forcing their creditors to sell wheat, cattle, hogs—anything and everything,—and generally that profiteering has run riot, etc. As he says (and no doubt readers will agree), whether prices rise or fall the farmer usually gets the worst of it, and at fall time he is about skinned. At the present time such are the conditions that for 51b of wool—enough to make a “genuine all-wool suit” —a farmer is now glad to get a dollar; but to buy such a suit costs him 3001 bto 5001 bof wool. In'. 1919 a pair of shoes could bo bought with one cowhide, but a year later it required six cowhides to get the shoes, etc. It is not going to do the country any good to take the farmer’s product from him at, a price awav below its cost; and how are the people going to be fed, he asks, if we knock the farmer out completely? The Senator suggests several ways of helping the farmer, chief of which measures seem to be adequate credits and the killing of gambling in farm products, the latter of which he would secure by placing a tax of 10 per cent, of the value of the property on all contracts for future delivery, except when these are entered into by farmers, dealers, or manufacturers who are buying or selling for actual delivery and not for speculative purposes. A 10 pci- cent, tax. it is believed, wou'd eliminate manipulation and gambling in wheat, corn, cotton, and similar staples, and benefit both producer and consumer, as the middlemen must live on one or the other or on both. The vast speculation in grain would be strangled. “In Chicago last October,” says Senator Capper, “more main w T as sold than was raised in the entire United States in 1920. Last year’s com crops were sold 14 times in Chicago before a bushel of it reached the markets. That means 14 separate transactions —each one in a majority of cases yielding a profit to the seller. The only one w'ho does not gain is the farmeiw A shocking state of affairs 1”

The writer has never had much faith in the ability of “8.A.W.R.A.” Is The Pace stabilise wool values. It Fast Enough? may help those outside the association, but the sooner the wool is in manufacturers’ and users hands the sooner will sheep-owners view the future with optimism. In the Commonwealth, buying for Continental Europe seems a bright spot in the firmament. It is conceivable that if more wool was offered it would be absorbed at present prices. The following is a trade view of the position, and it seems akin to san.ty: — “Confidence has always been, and must necessarily always be "the backbone of the wool trade and the more wool that can be got into consumers' hands the greater and more rapid will be the complete restoration of confidence. Its progress is akin to that of the snowball gathering strength as it proceeds. Once a substantial proportion of wool stocks are in t’ne users’ hands the danger of * bear ’ movements will be past. Wool trade history provides abundant evidence that the ‘ bears ’ at the beginning of a season are the ‘ bulls ’ once the balance is on users’ hands. Thus, in expediting the sale of the current c’ip, we are automatically overcoming many of the problems which looked so formidable when sales were small and the market was stagnant.” The recently-established “Rural Bank’’ Department of the New South Credit Bank Wales Savings Bank appears For Farmers, to be making satisfactory progress (says the Weekly Times). Forty-s’ix branches of the new “bank” have been opened for current accounts, and in addition 143 branches of the Savings Bank are accepting fixed deposits under this scheme of country finance. The arrangements admit of making long-term loans to farmers on the security of their properties, and a considerable amount of borrowing has already been done. It is contended by Mr Dooley, the New South Wales Acting Premier, that the Act originating the bank is the most liberal of its kind passed by anv State of the Comnionwc'dth. Its provisions are wider than these of the Act Governing the bank in West Australia—-o wide, in fact, that the Rural Bank can be turned into a trading bank when the commiss’oners deem it advisable. Something of this nature, or sympathetic bank managers, who can realise that something more than calling “farming” the backbone of the country, is wanted. If the backbone weakens the other parts of the body may as well be cremated. AGRICOLA. AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS. A magisterial decision of some importance to dairy farmers was given at Wvndham by Mr George Cruicfcshank, S.M., on Monday last. The claim was for damages, the plaintiff holding that a cow when purchased was guaranteed to calve in October, whereas in fact she was not in calf at all. “In a case like this,” said the Magistrate, “the buyer must do all - reasonable things to mitigate the damage.” He bought for £6 10s a cow guaranteed to calvo in October, and thereafter to milk for the season. A month might reasonably be allowed in which to find out if there was any likelihood of the cow in dispute calving. On December 1, the plaintiff would be entitled to treat the warranty as broken. He should then offer the cow back; and, if the seller would not take her back, the buyer would be entitled to sell her and buy another similar cow in milk or about to calve. At the National Dairy Show at Palmerston North a deputation, representing the Manawatu Association, put the case for a Royal Show, and asked for assistance from the Government. It was asserted that A. and P. Associations were not money-making concerns. They existed for the benefit of the agricultural and pastoral industries, and in the interests of the dominion as a whole. New Zealand should have had a Royal Show many years ago, for such a show would have been of tremendous assistance to buyers of pedigree stock who came from overseas. Of course, a Royal Show would mean increased expenditure, and without Government assistance no association could stand that. The members of the deputation did not. press particularly Palmerston North’s claim io right to hold the Royal Show every year: they recognised that it would be an itinerant fixture. The Minister, in reply, said lliat New Zealand bad come to lie recognised ns a country producing some of the harhe t class pedigree stock in the world. The demand for that stock made the need of a Royal Show more pronounced. The question of establishing a Royal Show had already been before Cabinet, but in these times other matters of more importance had a prior claim upon ♦he finances of the country. “T run with you in your request,” lie said, “and when

the air clears I will ask Cabinet to set aside a certain amount each year in support of the Royal Show.” Mr Nosworthy praised the work of A. and P. Associations, and said that they only existed because of the unselfish work of a few men, who had the interests of the country at heart. A kindly action towards a new neighbour was performed on the 24th ult. by a number of farmers in Clarksville district (states the Bruce Herald), who sent eight teams to do a day’s ploughing for Mr'F. D. Magon, a returned soldier, who has recently purchased “ Glen Bank” farm. A considerable area of ground was turned over. The growing shortage of killable stock was emphasised at the Waihou stock sale on Friday (says the Waihi Telegraph). Not a fat beast was penned, and there was a very limited supply of even indifferent animals, the result being that buyers cf stock came away empty handed. The prices realised for stock sold showed an increase of nearly £2 per head for the same class as submitted at recent sales.

The penetrating powers of lucerne roots was proved on a Marton experimental area, when an officer of the Agricultural Department was obtaining some exhibits for the Palmerston Winter Show. In digging out some of the plants it was noticed that the roots had penetrated through a layer of hard ironstone about six inches thick. Care was taken to secure the exhibit with the ironstone intact. Some lucerne planted two and a-half years ago had roots extending to a depth of over five feet. The formation of the soil at this depth is of dry, heavy clay, and, being very brittle, it was a difficult matter to secure good samples of the rooting system of the lucerne at

this depth. Six shares in the Southland Farmers’ Cooperative Association (£4 paid up) were sold at auction at Invercargill on Saturday at £2 18s each. The Winton A. and P. Association makes a feature of the presentation of trophies and holds a reunion for the purpose. At the gathering on Friday, the 24th, Mr W. E. Taylor said that, provided three others would do likewise, the Hon. A. F. Hawke and he would each donate £2l towards a hundred guinea trophy. A quick response ensued Mr Walter Blak’e. Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co., and the Farmers’ Cooperative Association making the complement. The president suggested the procuring of a gold cup to be made a challenge trophy for all time. Mr James Horn, M.P., having brought to the notice of the Minister of Agriculture (the lion. W. Nosworthy) the report in the Alexandra Herald concerning the very fine crop of sugar beet grown by the Otago Central Fruitlands, Ltd., on their orchard property at Fruitlands, the Minister has given instructions to his department to collect a quantity of the roots for the purpose of carrying out a test as to the sugar producing qualities of these beet grown in this district. The result of the test will be awaited with interest. A number of farmers in the Manawatu district have deteimicnd upon making individual tests of their dairy breeds, with a view to the drastic culling of the “robber” cows. A well-known seed merchant of Oamaru states that since the rains he has sent out about double the quantity of seed wheat that he would sell in any normal time (reports the Mail). If the conditions remain favourable for operations, he considers that a very large quantity of wheat will be sown. Farmers who have purchased seed are not all sowing _ yet. but whether this is due to an anticipation of a reduction of sowing costs by the probable fall in ploughmen’s wages, or the scarcity of ploughmen, is not clear, but it seems certain that when the area sown comes to be reckoned up it will prove to be in excess of previous years for some time back. The annual meeting of subscribers to the Papakaio Ploughing Match Society drew a large gathering of members. The annual report and balance sheet showed the position of the society to bo sound, a fair cash balance being in hand and also three cups, all of which were worth five guineas. After decidin'" to hold a match again this year, a strong . and energetics committee was formed, with Mr A. Watson at the head as president. If suitable ground is procurable, September 1 was decided on as the most desirable date on which to hold the match. An Awapuni settler has lost 16 stud ewes in an inexplicable manner. He brought the animals up from Rangitane and placed them on a piece of land near the river. Within a, few hours they were dead. Tt is thought that the animals were poisoned with goat’s-ruo, which is very plentiful in the vicinity. A Red Polled Cattle Breeders’ Association w's formed during the course of the show at Palmerston North last month.