THE NORTH ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3869, 8 May 1928, Page 21

THE NORTH ISLAND.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The end of the drought in the North Island has come with a vengeance. At the commencement of the week most districts suffered a severe downfall of rain, but several appear to have been struck by a cyclonic storm, and sustained considerable damage. However, farmers have once again green paddocks, and plenty of feed for their stock, and this fact is borne out by factory returns, which have shown considerable improvement. The dairy season will soon be ended with most factories, but in several districts winter dairying will be carried out, and already calves are appearing in the paddocks. Sheep are doing extremely well, and in a motor run through the country at the commencement of the week, along the West Coast to Wellington, I could not help noticing how well sheep and lambs looked. Wool appears to be coming on strongly, and provided that there is no set-back by climatic conditions and sheep winter well, it is only reasonable to assume that the next clip will be a good one. Pastoralists are reviewing the winter season with equanimity, and they believe that what is probably the most trying part of the year will be passed through without any setback. Potato growers are one set of producers who have had a bad time. It was understood that in the aggregate the area under crop exceeded that of last year by over 1000 acres, and something very big, in the total output, was expected. Weather conditions, however, were not favourable to

cropping. The moisture of the spring, and the occurrence of a number of severe frosts at a critical time seriously affected the crops in the Auckland province Later crops were sown, and these, unfortunately, were attacked by the potato moth, so that the yield of tubers fell very far short of the quantity expected. This has proved a great disappointment to growers who, perhaps, have to shoulder their share of the blame, inasmuch as they failed to take the same precautionary measures by spraying as a protection against blight. TEMPERATURE IN CHEESE. The Dairy Produce Board discussed at its meeting last week the question of the maturity of cheese on arrival at England. After the matter had been fully thrashed out it was decided to arrange for an increase of five degrees in the temperature during storage and transit to Britain for cheese shipped up to the end of October in next season in order to improve the condition of the cheese when it goes on sale in Britain. After the end of October the ordinary temperature is to be reverted to. The board also decided to present to all butter factories an impression roller carrying the national brand for use on all export butter. After an inspection of butter so branded, it was considered that it provided an excellent means of advancing the interests of New Zealand butter producers. FREEZING INDUSTRY. The various freezing works of the North Island are now easing off for the season, particularly in regard to killing for export. The works at Feilding, run by the. Feilding farmers, has maintained a consistently high level throughout, and the results have been very satisfactory, A fair number of sheep and lambs are still being dealt with at the works, and cattle also are being handled, but to a lesser degree. There has been a good deal of favourable comment from time to time concerning the quality of stock put through the works, and it is a noteworthy fact that better conditioned stuff has not been received, from a general point , of view, since the works opened. This is a good indication that the season just ending has been an excellent one from a stock point of view. The closing down of the freezing works in the Auckland province will enhance the unemployment problem, several hundreds of men, butchers as well as general freezing hands, being thrown on the labour market. It seems as if the time is coming when the Government will have to seriously consider what national industry works can be established to absorb those hundreds of men who engage in seasonal operations. A PROSPEROUS SOCIETY. The Wairarapa A. and P. Society has had a very successful year, as, notwithstanding the fact tliat the prize-money for the jubilee show was increased by £4BB 18s, jubilee trophies were purchased to the value of £5B 9s Gd, in addition to ordinary repairs and maintenance, improvements having been charged to working account to the amount of £293 Ils 2d, the general show account shows an improvement for the year of £77 10s 7d. The total increase of assets over liabilities for the year was £3Ol 7s 4d, which is considered very satisfactory indeed, especially as the membership has also increased by 20 odd. HERD TESTING. The following is a summary of the records of the Herd Testing Association, covering the Horowhenua and Bush districts. The whole association figures for the Bush district for the period ending May 1 are as follows:—

Highest individual, 51.031 b fat; lowest individual, 2.791 b fat. Group averages worked out:

The Horowhenua figures for the 30day period ending May 1 are for the whole association:

Highest individual, 43.201 b fat: lowest individual, 1.361 b fat. Group averages were:

INTERESTING EXPORT FIGURES.

The Government Statistician presents us at times with very interesting figures, covering various undertakings of the Dominion, and just recently the office presented a decidedly interesting table dealing with export figures. Compared with 1914, when prices were normal, the post-war prices show big increases. The recorded value, and the value of the 1914 prices for each of six years, compare as follows:

The price gain in each year has been substantial, except 1922, but the same cannot be said for the gain through increased production, as will be seen by the following figures:

These figures show that production has been more or less stationary, and that our export income has been derived largely from increased prices. If commodity prices dropped back to the 1914 level, our exports in 1927 would have realised only £30,658,128, whereas in

1922 they would have realised £34,789,113. No reliance can be placed on the continuance of the price gain, for in the past two years the recession has been most marked. The price gain in 1925 was £23,268,081, while last year it was only £11,423,469, or a drop of more than 50 per cent. This is a matter that certainly provides food for much thought. A BUSY STOCK MARKET. From all sources comes the news that the stock markets are very active. This probably is due mainly to the abundant growth of grass again, stimulated by rereshing rains. There is a surplus of leecl in. most districts, and pastoralists, not being apprehensive concerning the wintering of stock, are buying cattle pretty freely. At all recent sales good yardings or cattle have come forward, and they have been quitted at prices satisfactory to vendors. Bullocks and steers have been in good demand, and the following figures are a fairly good barometer as to the general run of prices obtained:—Fat bullocks from £9 10s to £lO 17s; good four five-year-old bullocks, from £8 10s to £9 2s; mixed coloured lines of four and five-year-old bullocks, from £7 to £8; rising three-year-old steers, up to £6 12s; rising two-year-old steers, £3 to £4 ss. -T at and store cows are also selling well, prices running up to over £6. Good inquiry is being made for in-calf heifers, and lines have been sold along the west coast at from £lO 10s to £l3 for best fawn Jersey heifers. - IMPORTANT JERSEY SALE. - week a Jersey sale in the Hamilton district attracted considerable attention and interest, and the result was a record sale attendance. The animals offered for sale comprised the Marshland herd of Mr W. J. Chvnoweth, who, it may be mentioned, only 18 months imported from Canada a bull named bybil s Earl, which had been bred on Jersey Island. The complete catalogue was disposed of at auction, 107 lots selling for a total of 6143gns, an average of over 57gns. The imported heifer, Brampton Lady Cowslip, realised 160gns, bein'* purchased by Mr W. J. Hall, of Thames” and the other impo r ted heifer, Brampton Lily Langtry, realised 140gns. Marshlands Cream, a three-year-old heifer bred by Mr Chynoweth himself, was' the top-priced female, realising 165gns. the purchaser being Mr W. Mears, of Walton. The same buyer also secured Marshlands otyhsh Betty, another splendid three-year-old, for 150gns, and he and Mr McEwen were both big buyers. Other prominent buyers were Messrs A. E. , atkin, Takanini; J. A. Mitchell, Longburn; Colonel Weston. Bell Block; A E. Missen, Hamilton; A. Moreland and Sons, re Rapa; Mrs Spiers, Levin; C. L. Luke, le 1 uke; W. Grounds. Hokianga; J. A. and B. Stead, Cambridge; J. Haskins, Gisborne; and J. A. Macfarlane, Napier, the latter formerly owner of the famous Ben Lomond Aberdeen Angus herd, being one of the largest buyers.

MASTERTON FARMERS’ UNION. A rather interesting statement was made at the annual meeting of the Masterton branch of the Farmers’ Union a few days ago, by the chairman in dealmg with the strength of the branch. He said that there were now 1328 members of the union in the district, of which 900 were in the southern and 400 in the northern area. This, however, was a minimum figure and when the complete returns came to hand then the total would most, likely reach 4000. The cost of canvassing the district had been 7d less per member than was the case in any district the organiser had dealt with, while it had cost Is Id less per member than in the Auckland district. The Chairman remarked that the position was verv satisfactory. As regards its membership, ■ a 'r ara P a " ow occupied fourth best place m New Zealand. RURAL CREDITS.

, The South Taranaki Co-operative Association, Ltd., is the first association in laranaki to be launched under the Rural Intermediate Credit Act. The new organisation is now in active operation and it is expected that by the time this appears in print, the first application for loans will be dealt with by the association. lhe success of the scheme depends largely upon the care and judgment exercised by the local associations.

C. M. T. Fat. Average all cows 43 462 4.7% 21.741b Aver, last month 44 542 4.5% 24.851b Highest H. Aver. 74 603 4.5% 27.711b Lowest H. Aver. 53 313 3.9% 12.431b

C. M. T. Fat. G. method . 46 461 4.6% 21.621b Assn, method . . 13 493 4.9% 24.501b

C. M. T. Fat. Average all cows 38 355 5.1% 18.421b Aver, last month 41 406 4.8% 19.541b Highest H. Aver. 62 478 5.0% 24.281b Lowest H. Aver. 44 160 5.5% 8.971b

C: M. T. Fat G. method .. . 38 3.;i 5.2% 18.331b Assn, method . 15 523 4.1% 21.611b

Value at Recorded Value. 1914 Prices £ £ 1927 . . 42,081,597 30,658,128 1926 . . 42,412,208 28,381,337 1925 . . 53,594,637 30,325,956 1924 . . 45,380,482 29,052,694 1923 . . 43,299,861 31,123,840 1922 . . 40,433,696 34,789,113

Production PriQe gain. value. £ £ 1927 . . 11,423,469 30,658,128 1926 . . 14,030,371 28,381,837 1925 . . 23,268,681 30,325,956 1924 . . 16,327,788 29,052,694 1923 . . 12,176,021 31,123,840 1922 5,644,583 34,789,113