ON THE LAND

Southland Times, Issue 21832, 8 October 1932, Page 5

ON THE LAND

WEEKLY REVIEW SUCCESSFUL LAMBING SEASON WELCOME RAIN The successful lambing season, welcome rains during the post, few days, and brighter prospects generally for the man on the land have contributed greatly to • the much better outlook confronting the fanner to-day. Good farming is synonymous with good weather, and a continuance of the present mild, summer-like conditions can have but one effect, a beneficial one. Following on the long spell of dry weather the rains of Wednesday and Thursday did much to alleviate the fears of farmers short of water, and in all parts of the province the falls were very welcome. Plenty of rain is needed yet to sweeten pastures and crops, and provided the present mild conditions obtain, a thorough soaking of a week’s duration would not be harmful. Mainly due to the excellent spring weather conditions lambing in Southland is now well advanced. Very few losses have been reported and there is evidence on all sides that record percentages will be the order for the season. Unfortunately the outlook for the disposal of the new season’s lambs is not too good at the present time, but there is solace in the fact that the freezing season is six months away and bv that time the position may have eased. It has to be remembered, however, that in addition to the lambs sent Home from New Zealand in the season just closed the supply of home-killed lambs has been extra plentiful. What must be nearly a record lamb as far as weight is concerned was bom recently on the property of Mr C. R. Shand, of Limehills. This lamb weighed 171 b at birth!

There is a better inquiry for dairy produce, but so far no sales of note have resulted. Most farmers are well ahead with their spring work. The long spell of fine weather has helped to minimize the delay caused by the shortage of horseflesh in Southland these days. The advantages of the horse on farms have been brought forcibly home during the depression and daily there .is noticed all over the province a definite back to the horse movement. Indeed it has been so noticeable recently that the prospects of the horse breeder have not looked rosier for & long time. There is very little doing in land deals, but although there have been no actual sales there has been plenty of inquiry. Real estate agents predict a busy time next April, the evidences of the closing season going to show that if the farms are available there will be plenty of business. At the present time most farmers are not in .the position to accept what buyers consider fair value for their properties. A feature of the H£W season is the resorting to crop-sowing by many farmers. Large quantities of oats and wheat are being sown in an endeavour to bring the farmer increased returns. The success of growers last season has stimulated farmers to try their luck again, and as the season has commenced well the prospects are regarded as reasonably good. The Otamita Dairy Factory Company has sold its September-October output of cheese through Messrs Lovell and Christmas at 64 d per lb. The same firm also purchased, for the same period and figure, the respective outputs of Freshford and Edendale factories. The Pukerau factory has sold 20 tons of its September-October output at 6’ t d, f.0.b., through Dalgety and Co:. Ltd. ~, , , What may be termed "a singular experience with a dairy cow,” was the lot of Mr F. H. Davis on his farm at Heriot, the other day. The cow, which had calved two weeks ago, and was being milked as usual, had another calf, much to the surprise of the owner. It has often happened that a cow would have two calves within a day or two of one another; but the case under notice is surely a rarity, with such a difference in the ages of the twin calves.