FARMERS' COLUMN.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 964, 27 November 1882, Page 4

FARMERS' COLUMN.

Some interesting stylistics have been prepared by the Department of Agricul-ture-in Ontario. It appears that there are 339,481 working horses jhi the province, 72,065 breeding mares, and 100,605 unbroken horses. The total number of cattle amounted to 1,608,056 ; sheep, 1,942,789 ; and pigs, 866,995. These are as complete as could be obtained, but itisconsidered that the full number of animals had not been reported. It is stated that farm laborers have been scarce, and that the demand for them has been increased by the general heaviness of the harvest. Wages ran from Idol 50c to 2 dol 50c per day, and from 25d0l to 40 dol per month, with board ; and even with these high figures it was difficult to procure men. At a meeting of the Directors of the Temuka Dairy Factory Company it was resolved to call for tenders for the erection of buildings to be in by an early date. “ Paddy,” said an employer to his labourer, “ j’on are to begin work at, five in the morning, and leave at seven in the afternoon.” 4 ‘ Shore, sir,” said Paddy, “ wouldn’t it bo better to begin at siven in the morning, and lave at five in the afternoon ?”

The Otago Daily Times says : The recent warm weather and succeeding rains have done a deal of good throughout the country, especially to pastures, which at last are beginning to make a good show. The grain crops are also presenting a much improved appearance in all the southern districts. • This season the lambing among the flocks in the Malvern (Canterbury) and surrounding districts has been very gratifying to the innholders and farmers. In some cases the increase has been 80 pel cent., and the average to about 65 per cent. Shearing is about commencing, and will show a better return than last year, tlie fine winter being all in favor of the wool-growers. The Bruce Herald reports that a serious accident happened op the railway line near Bon Accord on Tuesday evening. As Mr James Adams’s man was crossing the line with a donble-fnrrow plough and team of three horses, the ploughshare stuck under one of the rails. Before the plough could be extricated the goods train due at Milton at 6.30 came along, and collided with the horses, two of which were killed and the other terribly mangled. From a Parliamentary paper just issued it appears that there are 69,380 agricultural tenants in Scotland. The full total, however, must considerabty exceed this, as no returns were received from .two of the three districts into which the County of Ayr is divided, nor, from the counties of Edinburgh, Elgin, Fife and Perth. Of the 69,380 tenants, as many as 16,209 hold at £4 and under, and 15,946 at over £4 and under £lO. The following note is appended to the return :—“lt will be observed that the returns of some counties show a very small number of tenants, and in one . instance none, in the column headed ‘At £5 and under.’ Section 2 of the Lands Valuation Act (17 and 18 Vic. c. 91) provides, inter alia , that Commissioners of Supply may, if they think fit, exclude from the Valuation 801 l thenames or designations of tenants or occupiers of lands let at a rent not amounting to £4 per annum, and this probably accounts for the small number entered in the first column of some of the returns.”

The small birds nuisance was brought before the Waitaki County Council on Wednesday (says the Oamaru Mail) by MiGemmell, who invites the Council to assist in the work of lessening or checking the growth of the nuisance. He mentioned that the offering of the reward last year for the heads and eggs of the birds had done a great amount of good, and eaid something should be done at once as the building season lias now come round Destroying the birds by taking the eggs and beads was cheaper than (he laying of poison, and he sugested that the members should be empowered to take the matter in hand. After a little discussion it was de cided to accept Mr GemmeH’s-suggestion that the members be authorised to pay for the beads and eggs of sparrows, linnets,., and larks provided it could be done legally. live and dead weight. • Mr J. B. Lawes has given the average results of a series of experimental trials made on] 800 fat animals. His figures are as follows The carcass weight oxen, 59.3 per cent, of live weight ; of sheep, 59.2 per cent, of live weight, and of pigs, 82.6 per cent, oi five weight. In the United States fat cattle are bought on the hoof on the basis of the estimated percentage of dressed carcass to live weight, and then ordinary best bullocks average 56 per cent, to 57 percent, of their live weight. A rough and ready way of estimating the weight of an ordinary fat bullock is to take three-sevenths of the live weight as offal and four-sevenths as dressed carcass. Thus one-seven lhj of the live weight will be The weight per quarter of the dressed carcass. For example, a ripe bullock weighing 14001b alive might fairly be taken to weigh 8001b when dressed —Farmer. HOW EXTEA CAKE IS P.AID FOB. ,On paying our weekly visit to one of the large auctioneer’s rooms, we (Melbourne Weekly 'Mines) were struck at a great difference in the price of firkin butter, ranging from Is Id to Is B£d. Fancy a difference of 7£ in the value of butter, when most probably the character of the raw material, milk, varied, but little at the two dairies when first drawn from the cow. Upon inquiry, we found that not only was the high-priced butter in strong, beautifully-clean firkins, but that the best of salt was used, and great care taken m preparing with boiling brine the firkins before been filled. There is now fully 3s6d difference per cwt,in the price of salt ; and how often have hundreds of firkins of butter been spoiled because the dairyman, through ignorance or meanness, used the cheap salt instead of the best. It is a pity these “ penny wise and pound foolish” owners of dailies do not take steps to improve either their knowledge or their parsimonious ways,