SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3611, 29 May 1923, Page 13

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(From Oub Own Correspondent.) We are within a month of the shortest day, and so far we have had no winter weather. J he paddocks have been, and in some districts -till are, wet, but ploughing is being pushed ahead. Sheep on turnips are having every chance to do well, and the practice of giving hay or straw on the turnip break is becoming more general every year. Salt rock or a salt lick is another essential to the health of stock of any kind, but they are not used so much a.< they should be. Cows are being dried oft gradually, and it would be interesting to know what percentage of dairy cows are spoiled annually through want of care in drying off. A correspondent in one of our local papers has been arguing that once a day is quite often enough to milk cows after the flush of the season is over, but from Mile tone of some replies he has not made many converts. A prominent member of the Farmers' Union in a speech al a recent meeting remarked that to see a representative gathering of Southland farmers one had to go to Dunedin Winter Show. This was presumably sarcasm aimed at the Southland A. and P. Association, yet no matter in what spirit: the remark was made it is the simple truth which leads to many varied expressions of opinion as to why a winter show cannot be successfully run in Invercargill. Dairy produce, grain, and roots we have as good as any other part of the Dominion. We can make a Fair show of fruit, and in fat slock can equal any of the, northern centres, so (here is every reason for asking why can't the winter show be held. It is reported that tHe last show held lost money, but even if so that is not sufficient reason why another should not be held. The executive would have their previous experience to guide them, and so he able to guard against leakages. It is absurd to suggest that with judicious management Southland cannot run an exhibition of this kind without .making a financial loss. To the ordinary outsider it appears as if someone was 100 tired tr,* carry things on as they should be in one of the most progressive agricultural communities in New Zealand, and certain contributors to the funds are asking why it was necessary to sink so many thousands of

pounds in providing elaborate accommodation when it is only used two days every year. The primary object of A. and I’, societies is to educate those engaged on the land in methods of production, and it is when brought into public competition that many exhibitors have been convinced that their exhibits were not by any means so near perfection as they imagined, and so have been induced to make further efforts towards improvement-. If there is no winter show held in 1924 the capabilities of the executive will be seriously questioned by a large section of country members. Many of our soldiers gained very valuable experience while abroad in the arts of peace as well as of war, and are now able to offer to others some of the benefits of their experience. A notable example of this is Mi Charles English, of Orepuki. who specialises in growing the newest kinds of early potatoes. The newly cleared bush land he is working is well suited to tho growing of potatoes, and there is no question a-s to the thoroughly up-to-dato methods adopted by Mr English when selecting seed whether for sale or for hi* own use. He has the advantage of having near relatives in the market garden business near London who have sent him out some of the very latest varieties. A quantity of Great Scon, Epicure, and Ninetyfold came out last year, and h« expects another consignment this year of several new varieties, ft he seed he. send* out to his clients does him credit, ( lean, free from blight or scab, even and nice in size, and carefully packed in boxes. Soldiei-like he is very modest over what he is doing so thoroughly, and it is to b<» hoped that this fine enterprising spirit wilt in time meet with due reward. The stock sales are having fairly largo entries for the time of year, and there is always a crowd at what is frequently called the ‘‘cookies picnic.” Judging tty (ho methods of doing business the term is not altogether a misnomer. One correspondent has been calling ihe attention of readers of the local paper to the timo wasted at ihe Winton sale. Selling begins at 19 a.m. with the oattu which very seldom takes an hour to finish, yet they never start ihe sheen until 1 o'clock or later. The sheep are all yarded ready for sale, auctioneers and vendors are there, buyers, too, mostly, and they would be if they knew the sheep would be offered immediately after the cattle. It is not only the waste of time involved by tho late start, but the sale drags on until nearly dark, with the result that many buyers are compelled to leave their sheep’ in the yards overnight. The rule io hold back hour of starting the sheep sale until i o'clock is ridiculous, is against tho interests of both buyer and seller, and altogether out of keeping with modern business methods. The time. 100. which some of the auctioneers take in selling is frequently the subject of very sorcastio remarks. At the last Uumsdcn sale tho auctioneer of one of rhe lamest firms trading in New Zealand is said to have taken ten minutes io sell a pen of old ewe-. Going from methods of selling to prices there is u.s is usual at this lime of the year a quiet tone in the denial d even when tho prices realised are up to wliat was current earlier in the year. A pen of nice twotooth ewes made 35- Id in the l'-t Winton sale, and at the sale previous 37s 3d was paid for another lot. These are good payable. prices and should have a tendency i s induce farmers to keep their ewe lambs. Pages have been filled on the suicidal policy of selling top ewe lambs, hut nothing short of drastic legislation prohibiting their export will prevent some farmers fioni doing so while freezing values remain Inch. A tourist from the east coast. North Island, has been giving his ooinions of Southland to a local paper, and ns. he is probably a man of some standing in Hie little ore-horse township his remarks will bo swallowed without question as being correct. ‘'Southland is a- desert overrun with rabbits.” according to this Poverty Bnv Sol'C'w.n, uni! vel vahhiter- in any closely settled district are complaining that thev cannot male a livin'* wi’h skins at, 9d each, although North I-land neopie are asked to believe that men. women, ami children are leavim* townships io go rabbiting. Possibly the tourist who gives

expression to such utter rot had been living outside the no-!icen.se area, and was seeing other things besides hordes of rabbits. The plain truth is that in the closely settled districts of Southland rabbits are scarcer than they have been for many years right at the beginning of the winter, and many rabbiters have been forced to take other work.