THE FARM

Southland Times, Issue 17346, 17 May 1913, Page 2

THE FARM

AGHOCCtrLTUSAL EVENTS TOR WEEK ENDING, MAY 24th. —Saturday, May 17th.— Horse sale at Invercargill by Messrs J. A. Mitchell and Co. Sale of Mr Wm. Baird's contracting plant by Messrs J. A. Mitchell and Co. —Tuesday, May 20th. — Wallaeetown stock sale. Campbell Island's annual wool clip of 120 bales was brought to Port Chalmers on Saturday by the U.S.S. Co.’s s.s. Kowhai. To show how the quality of tie land at Chatham Island varies, a recent visitor stated to a reporter of the Lytelton Times that he knew of a patch of nearly 40 acres in Waitangl which grazed 250 sheep all through the winter, while another area of 10,000 acres some few miles distant would provide feed for only 500 head. Freezing works throughout the dominion are kept busy, and supplies of sheep and lambs are ample. It is expected that work will ease down next month until turnip sheep are ready. A settler last week at Raetihi dug 21 tons of potatoes per acre, which he sold at £S per ton at Raetihi. Owing to the continued wet weather and the sodden state of the ground, very few winter potatoes are out of the ground, and the “spud” merchants are anxious to get at their harvest. The crops will be light in most places this season. —Tapanui Courier. Several paddocks of crop still remain in the stock in the Wairio district, and in the Wreys Bush locality farmers are unable to gather in their crops through the bad nature of the weather, which Is the worst that has been experienced in that quarter for many years. Mr Robert Ronald, whose stacks were destroyed last week through fire during threshing operations, was a loser to the extent of £IOO, there being no insurance on the two stacks burnt. The well-known occupier of the Maori Hill Estate is beginning to get rid of his stock prior to giving possession to the new tenants. Last Thursday a mob of fine black polled Angus cattle was driven through Otautau, en route to Grove Bush. Mr H. Erskine purchased during last week, a line of very nice wether lambs, totalling 1870. The lambs were sold through the agency of Dalgety and Co., on account of Mr J. O’Neill, Gore. They were a draft of Mount Linton station. Mr Erskine has also purchased through Wright, Stephenson and Co. a draft of 400 wether lambs off Birchwood station. On# farmer in the Opio district is reported to have been a severe loser by the flood at the end of March; he had 13 acres of potatoes on a warm sandy loam, and had the whole area swept, away. At 8 tons to the acre, a moderate yield, his loss represents some £SOO, a serious blow to any settler. The directors of the Wallace A. and P. Association arrange with Mr D. Cuthbertson, secretary * of the SouthInad Metropolitan Association to inspect the Otautau Show Grounds with a view to the preparation of plans for a general scheme of improvements. Mr Cuthbertson met the directors yesterday to discuss the matter. A meeting of settlers from the Gummies and Wild Bush districts was held at Riverton on Saturday with the object of forming a ploughing match association, Messrs A. White, J. Johnstone, and J. Stephens were appointed a committee to canvass the districts named and ascertain what support was forthcoming. The committee will report to a further meeting to be Held next week. Several lots of sheep on the road to the latest Otautau stock sale were stuck up at various parts of the country owing to the water. Some drovers from the Merrivale district wore blocked at Strefton, where the Otautau stream was over the main road. One settler from the CHfden district waited with His mob till a cart came along and tied a sheep behind, and it was dragged through the water, the mob soon following the lead. At Waikouro the river was also over the road and some lots from the back country could not get through. The “Lyttelton Times” states that Mr Joseph Young, of Lakeside, has sold his dairy farm of (55 acres to Mr Dixon, of Doyieston, at £sfl per acre. Mr J. Trapski moved at the annual meeting of the Wyndham and Edcndale Ploughing Association “That the class for plain ploughing be done away with.” —Against this, Mr R. McKay moved, “That the class for plain ploughing, i.e., no cut whatever, with plain coulters and plain socks, lie retained.” Mr McKay’s amendment was carried. The carcase of an unusually large sheep was exhibited in the shop of Mr Wm. McDonald, butcher. Wyndham, on Monday. Its dressed weight was 15Clb. One leg, cut short, weighed 20lilb, and the triraings therefrom 4 Vs lb, and on the ribs was a layer of fat 3“.' ; in thick. The sheen was fattened by Mr T. W. Foster, of “Oware Bank,” who had reared it from the pet-lamb stage ; and its size and condition speak well for the fattening qualities of the pastures on Wyndham Ridges. Only a few enthusiasts attended the meeting at Minton called for Saturday evening last to consider the advisability of bolding a show in one of the Winton halls this winter. The general opinion prevailed that it would be, much better to hold a summer show so that horses, sheep, cattle, and pigs, ns well as dairy produce and poultry, could be exhibited. It was slated that the Association had a ground for this purpose ami that between £2O and £3O had already been promised if such a fixture were held. Several townspeople and farmers have become quite enthusiastic over the proposition. and an effort will be made at an early date to see what support will be forthcoming. It can reasonably be expected that the suggestion will ere long take a concrete form, and that the coming summer will see a show held in their midst. This will not. in any way, interfere with the proposed fanciers’ show to he held in a few weeks’ time. Of the many uses that electric power can be applied to I He latest is to that of milking cows. There can be seen at Mr William Blackie’s Glasgow Karin (Taierit a complete, and up-to-date milking plant, driven by a 3 li.p. National electric motor, which is simplicity itself. There is no waiting for the getting up of steam and no smell of oil. as would be tlie ease if an oil engine were used. Probably before long many other farmers adjacent to the electric current will take advantage of siuii a cheap and simple motive power. The annual meeting of the Wyndham and Kdentlale Ploughing Association was ludd at Wyndham on Saturday last. The report anil balance sheet, showing a credit balance of £2 ISs Cd, were adopted, The report stated that hist year’s match had proved very successful, although the entries were not up to those of the previous years. The committee would suggest that more interest be shown by local ploughmen in these matches. The balance sheet showed a

small credit balance, which might be considered satisfactory. Class A (senior double-furrow) was won by the veteran Edward Todd, while the prize for champion lot on field went to R, Carson, who thus got one win in also for Mr John Trapski’s prize plough (to be won twice before being gained outright).

The election of office-bearers resulted as follows:—President, Mr Charles Milne (re-elected); vice-president. Mr H. G. Carson: secretary, Mr W. F. Maguire (reelected) ; auditor, Mr Benj. Sutherland ; committee, all present (with power t« add). It was decided to hold the annual match on Wednesday, 25 th June, and the President, and Messrs Carson, Trapski, Clark, and Janies Cushnie, senr., were empowered to secure a suitable field for the event.

That dairying will become the chief industry of Southland is almost universally admitted. Factories are springing up in every corner. The latest is in the vicinity of Rimu, an old sawmill district, about four miles from Kennington. The foundations for a new factory are being taken out, and the building will bo ready for next season. It will be supplied by the small holders in the recently-settled bush sections and by farmers in the vicinity, and should have a fairly large output to begin with, which will gradually grow as the new holdings are brought Into full profit.

At the annual meeting of the Wyndham and Edendale Ploughing Association the President (Mr Charles Milne) said that stricter oversight should occur in the class for juniors, as the class at present was no' better than a farce, the "old man’ ’and not the youth being responsible for the ploughing. Moved by Messrs Carson and Trapski: "That in the Junior Class, competitors only must handle the ploughs, but outside assistance can be otherwise rendered during the first thfee rounds.”—As an amendment, Messrs Robert McKay and Leckle moved; “That juniors be allowed assistance (outside of holding ploughs) in first two and last two rounds." —On a vote being taken ,the amendment was carried by 5 to 4.

Signing himself “Your affectionate friend and brother,’’ Mr T. E. Sedgwick has written to each of the party of 50 town lads brought out by him two years ago to work on New Zealand farms, the letter being dated March 2S, 1913. "Three years ago to-day I first landed in New Zealand to plead the cause of town lads before the Government. Town lads have come into their own. They are recognised as an Imperial force, for production. for defence, and for consumption of manufactures and Imports, as centres of immigration, and ns future heads of families, the Empire’s truest and greatest wealth. Wages in New Zealand seem to have gone up since you boys arrived, but if a few more parlies had since arrived wages would he still higher, as a boy’s consumptive capacity in clothes, food, etc., is so enormous. Although we have had a so-called “boom" in trade, we have had a solid mass of unemployment, not seasonal, but permanently, for the last few .years, and the boom will soon be followed by a period of depression in trade, when unemployment will increase. The preventive for unemployment is the Imperial migration of the best. This leaves the second-rate jobs to the second-rate workers and saves their being unemployed. Otherwise em-. ployers get first-class workers at secondrate pay. I hope you chaps write homo regplarly; people do so look and long for letters from absent ones. I hoar from some of your fathers and mothers that they get letters very regularly: others think they might be better supplied with news. Keep up our motto, ‘Thorough.’ ” The Wyndham and Edendale 'Ploughing Association has decided to increase the value of the prize money in Clas.s. A, at this season's match, from £3, £3, and £l. to £5, £3. and £l. Regarding Class P. a motion rescinding the rule allowing a competitor to win twice before being promoted to Class A, was carried against an amendment that a competitor be alowed to win twice in Class B. DEHORNING CALVES. THE USE OF CAUSTIC POTASH. Following recent discussions on the practice of dehorning cattle, the following remarks from a Canadian farm journal are of interest:—"lnstead of dehorning calves by the painful method of sawing or clipping, caustic potash should be applied as soon as the "button-likc" horns can be fell, after the calf is three days old. There is no danger that the calves will suffer from blood-poisoning or other infection of the wound. The College of Agriculture of the University of Wisconsin has used this treatment for the past few years with the greatest success. "The application of the caustic potash should not he postponed, or it may give unsatisfactory results. To apply the potash, the hair is removed from about the horns close to the skin. The potash is moistened slightly and rubbed over the skin which covers the point of the horns, until the skin is while. "It is not necessary to rub the skin until blood comes, as this will cause unnecessary soreness. One such treatment is usually sufficient to prevent the growth of the horns. “The following precautions should be taken: The caustic should be wrapped in heavy paper to protect the hands of the operator. It should not be moistened too much, or else the liquid will run down the side of the calf's head and cause unnecessary pain. The calf must be securely fastened so that the head may be held still to avoid applying the caustic anywhere except over the horns. One stick of caustic potash, if preserved in a tightly-corked bottle, will serve to dehorn many calves." PROFITS FROM MARGARINE. Extraordinary profits derived from margarine were disclosed in the statement of accounts presented to the shareholders of the Maypole Dairy Company, Uui.. at the annual meeting in London a few weeks ago. The profits of this company have trebled in the last five years, amounting in 1912 to over £550.000, from which deferred shareholders received a dividend of no loss than • ]P4 per cent. In addition to such handsome dividends the reserve fund has been biult up to the respectable figure of £630.000. Even granting expert management and highly developed organisation, a large portion of these phenomenal profits remain unaccounted for from an everyday business point of view. jt would sc-oiii that the margarine trade is being revolutionised. With, or without reason, there has long existed a strong prejudice against this article. Probably the cause has been the fancied or real obieclion to the use of animal fats in its preparation.although many brands of margarine are quite indistinguishable from real butter, both in appearance and taste to the ordinary customer. But the Maypole Company attributes a large measure of its success to a new departure in manufacture. It has replaced animal fats with nut I'ais, thus deferring to the popular imaginative taste. The enormous trade of this company may he estimated when it is stated that it has open about 800 establishments for the sale of its products, the manufacture of j which entails, a daily consumption of 500 tons of nuts.