SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE

Otago Witness, Issue 3525, 4 October 1921, Page 12

SIR THOMAS MACKENZIE

VIEWS ON LONDON AIARKET. AUCKLAND, October 2. The Hon. .Sir 1 iionias Alackenzie was a passenger by the Remuera, and remains at Auckland for a few days. “I regard butter as perfectly safe. said Sir Thomas, when interviewed. “The British supply jg fap below normal. 1 lie shortage is due To Denmark sending only one-fifth of her prewar quantity. Russia is not, on the market, and Canada is not sending anything like her previous quantity. No butter used in Great Britain conies up to ours in quality, but if one asked for a pound in the shops he could not get it. Some of it is used for blending with other makes or mixing with margarine, and some goes to Devonshire, returning as best Devonshire. Arrangements have been made with the Co-opera-tive Wholesale Society for its sale under our own designation.” He expressed grave doubts as to t.he wool market. So long as the surplus of requisitioned wool was so high Germany was not purchasing anything like her pre-war quantity and France was off the market, owing to having had her machinery destroyed) Another factor was that the prices ©f woo]-

1-en goods would continue high ; consequently people were doing without.” Regarding the cablegram that Scottish mills purposed to distribute direct, Sit Thomas Mackenzie said it would be difficult to cut out the wholesale trade is, who were the ordinary medium of distribution. ■ As regards meat, he said there was an excellent market for lamb and light mutton, the price being about ICO per cent, better than that paid by the Imperial Government, but the developments would require careful watching by competent people. THE TUTU PLANT. fO THE EDITOR. Sir. —As your article in the block and Station pages of the issue of the 21st September states, ‘Tutu is a persistent grower.’ 1 have seen the shrub varieties in the King country growing higher than I could reach whan on horseback; but | in Otago and Southland 1 th’nk there must l be two varieties—ono with a broad olive- j green leaf growing up to 4i't high, and tne otkfr and more nangerous variety only a j few inches in heigut. and in spring and ! autumn blood-red „n the leaves. Ihe latter j grows out oa the open tops of ridges I among silver tussock, the other mostly j among Tern. Any tutu is dangerous in i damp weather when driving stock, muster- | ing, etc. 1 have known of 240 heavy j tussock wethers, and again 120 mixed two- j tooths, to kick over when disturbed off j their own ground. Again, 1 once attended | a neighbour’s muster on the liokonui j country, where l at the time had the W ar wich Downs Run. When I asked at bis hill homestead where the sheep were I was told, 'At the Benmore dip, down that gully.’ Once started after the mob—about 2CCC —1 could have easily traced their course by the tuted sheep, no fewer than 32 being counted by me in the course of two miles or loss, all dead. Now for remedies. When a sheep or beast is tuted, it should be remembered that the poison is an astringent, and a very bitter one at that. I quite believe, as you mention, that lime-water might be a good remedy; but let anyone try mine. Go to the kitchen, get a bottle of new (if possible) milk, and put a tablespoonful of baking soda in it (bicarbonate of soda). Shake it up, and give a liberal dose. This remedy is handy to most settlers, and I have found it answer a few times. Bleeding, of course, is for the purpose of relieving the pressure on the brain, because of the determination of blood to the head; hence the staring eye and champing jaws with froth. Where the ground is stony it is hard to eradicate tutu, but I have rooted out some bad patches with the hillside jilough, though at times two good horses were pulled up by the runners an inch thick. If the tussock or fern will burn at any time of year, do so especially just after the tutu has come through the ground, then round up. say, 500 sheep on the bad patches as soon as the shoots are Jin long. They are then very tender, and the sheep will not be harmed probably, but by ringing them their tramping feet 'will break off the tender shoots. If left too long before herding the sheep in. the shoots would become too strong to be destroyed, that way. Where there is a large area I think one has simply to plough if possible, and always avoid mustering with too vigorous, rowdy dogs. Take the stock very quietly. The old Cheviot sheep were- more immune from tutu than most breeds. Polled Angus cattle kicked over like flies, but Hereford cattle, I found, were nearly immune, and perhaps Shorthorns next. I still lose an odd beast or sheep on my Heddon Bush farm.—l am, etc., H. R. Wilson. Wintou. September 22, 1921. - (We are prepared to publish any further information on this subject that correspondents may send us. —Agricola.]