Second Edition. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 82, 28 July 1914, Page 6

Second Edition. LOCAL AND GENERAL.

With reference to the challenge by Hannan to row Webb for the championship of New Zealand and £IOO a-sido (states the Press Association), Webb announces that he is too busy to make a match for less than £2OO a-side, as the smaller stake would mean a loss financially even if he were victorious.

At the meeting of the Stratford Co- / operative Building Society last night, Messrs J. Masters and Son were successful in being allotted the £4OO in the second group, and as there was no tender for the £3OO appropriation >t was decided to take a ballot for this sum on Monday evening next.

A Wellington Press Association telegram to-day states: In order to meet the unemployment difficulties the Government has authorised the Labor Department to despatch just on 400 men to road and railway works in various parts of the Dominion. The numbers for the different districts have been allocated as follows:—Auckland 100, Wellington 145, Canterbury and Otago 150. Considerably over 1000 men have been despatched since March 31st- last to various Government works in the Dominion.

Our readers will ho interested in an inset in this issue dealing with A.B.C. Calf Meal. The splendid qualities of this meal have already been proved to hundreds of dairy farmers all over the Dominion, and scores of testimonials have been received with regard to its value. Every farmer certainly should try A.B.C. Calf Meal. If ho cannot obtain it from his storekeeper a letter to S. Rowe and Sou, Cuba Street, Wollingtorf, will receive immediate attention.

In opening the Agricultural Conference at Wellington to-day, the chairman (Mr E., A. Campbell) said he had never known a year when so much of what New. Zealand had produced had kept at such a high level, and it would appear as if the consumption of- wool, meat, and all the by-products in Europe had overtaken the production. The Unifejd States, which six years ago were the largest meat exporters to Britain, were not now able to supply themselves, and already large quantities of Argentine inept had reached the New York markets, and even some small parcels from this country. From the way both cattle and sheep were falling in numbers, with the ever-in-creasing population, this trade must increase to enormous proportions. There was only one. farming industry in New Zealand which had fallen off, and that was grain-growing. The cause, no doubt, was that New Zealand had not been able to compete with the new countries, but he believed it was only the swing of the pendulum. The day was not far distant when these new lands would become worked out and would require to be fed with manure, and if the world was able to consume all the grain grown at the prt*sent time, what would it do in ten years or more, when there were no new countries to open up.—(P.A).

Referring to the ever-increasing demand for pedigree Jersey stock, which fact has been again recently evidenced in the high prices obtained locally, our reporter to-day interviewed a man who takes a loading part ini the advancement of dairy cattle breeding, and the latter expressed the opinion that prices for such stock will go still higher whqn the merits and quality of individual animals and families of animals, are more looked into and better known by breeders and dairymen who understand their business. This man had inspected the two heifers bred and sold by Mr J. D. Healy for 100 guineas each, ami lie was so favorably impressed with the* quality they showed, that ho intends to watch their career under the Government semi-official milk and buttorfat test, and he feels confident they will do credit to their imported aristocratic siro. Ho is of the opinion, furthermore, that, as a result of careful selection and breeding, helped on by such a practical scheme as the Government semi-official testing, the years are not far Jistiant when New Zealand will be exporting high-class pedigree dairy stock to supply the demand from other countries, as has been the case'with Romney sheep and Shorthorn and Hereford cattle.