ON THE LAND

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1360, 22 June 1918, Page 2

ON THE LAND

FARM CHAT.

SOLDIER SETTLEMENT. Tn pursuance of its policy of deferring the opeuiiig-up for soldier settlement of back-country pastoral runs until the expiration of the war, tin Lands Department is steadily making provision for the future by ear-marking certain pastoral leaseholds for the purpose. When the tenancy of the lands so selected is expiring, renewals to prosent occupiers are only being made on short terms, generally of a year in duration. Meanwhile these lands are being surveyed for their ultimate purpose. Two of such properties which it lias recently been decided to set aside ai"3 the Ben Ahau and Eho Boro Downj Stations, in the Mackenzie Country. Surveyors now are at work on them. For tiieir purpose they are possibly as good as anything which the department lias selected. In all they consist, of about 00.000 acres, callable of carrying .10,000 sheep, and would possibly settle li) soldiers. The yearly death rate of stock probably does not exceed 10 per cent. Fiats are included on the runs, and the settlement when it eventuates should be as successful as the initial Canterbury experiment—the Lees Valley subdivision. Mr John Cameron is the present lessee of Ben Ahau, and Messrs Pyne and Co. of Eho Boro Downs. The whole secret of the successful grazing of these back-country areas lies in the winter. A bad season means a heavy mortality amongst the lloeks, which is often at the outset sufficient to financially cripple the settler. Most of the Canterbury occupiers of this type of station, however, also hold front country on which they winter their flocks. But this pia'cfice has really only become general in these more modern days, and is really a reflex of pastoral prosperity. Previously the settlers had to "battle" along" with their flocks on the high country and take their chance of the elements taking a hand in the game. Most, or rather possibly all, of the new soldier settlers will have to commence in this fashion. Fortunately with smaller holdings and flocks in proportion, the risk is slighter, for the men will be able to give greater attention to the care of their sheep than was the case with the large runholders. This statement is qualified as referring to those areas where the boundaries have been fixed in a sensible fashion, for as contended in this column on several occasions, some of-thc runs have been' 80 divided that several unfortunate tenants will possess holdings which con6ist principally of "dark faces."

Kea Suppression. The problem of kea suppression is one that is exercising concern in the back country. Many reasons have been adduced for the increase in the pest, but it ■would seem clear that it has multiplied in spite of the fact that there has been no great slackening off in the repressive measures w r aged against it. Possibly the real reason is in the seasons. The past two or three winters have not been severe enough to work their usual mortality amongst bird, insect, and animal life. Thus for the same reason the small-bird and rabbit pests have assumed greater dimensions. The remedy against the kea, as with the other pests stated, is in co-operation. Warfare against the birds must be a united effort by runholdcrs. The Canterbury Crown Lands Commissioner, in commenting recently on the spread of the kea, largely blamed the Agricultural Department's inspectors. But they have no jurisdiction in the matter. The department, however, does assist in the warfare. It pays county councils ]/- a head for keas secured. In turn the local authorities pay 2/ti for heads brought to them. These are usually sent in by the runholder, who invariably pays his men 5/- a head for securing them. As matters stand, it would be unwise to give legislative authority to the department to require runholders to keep down the pest. It would be impracticable. The inducement to the runholder to act is that if he does nor, his sheep mortality soon increases. Eain and Snow. The period of what at this season of the year could practically be characterised as drought has now ended, and the past two weeks have witnessed ;i fair rain. The drizzle of the last day or so which resulted in most of the sea coast districts has not developed into a downpour, for although rain will assist growth, an excess of it is not required at this juncture. An overdose of moisture might affect the germination of the crops. Snow has fallen on parts of; Canterbury. Last, week the Lake Coleridge district witnessed a heavy fall, from . r !in to sVm covering the finis. The Mackenzie Country has also been visited by snow. A Useful Pine. A fair amount of tree-planting seems to have been done lately, and the growing popularity of the i'inus Laricio (Corsican pine) is being demonstrated. Several farmers have testified lately to the hardiness of this tree, for it thrives nt high .altitudes and is unaffected by the most, severe frosts or winds. It, has not the brittleness of the insignis, but jr. accordance with a rule of Nature, being a harder wood, grows but slowly, its average rate of increase being about lfi inches annually.

The Spawning Season. The sj)awiling season for trout is now in progress, ami work is proceeding in the dircetion of securing the e,ggs for the hatcheries. TJie fish are being taught, in traps by the Acclimatisation Society in the Selwyu. The processes interesting, the eggs, after the fish is caught, being removed from the female nnd fertilised by the male. The eggs are then conveyed in tins to the hatcheries. By this process the results are over 00 per cent., as compared with ->, per cent to •'5 per cent. If left in the river, where the voung fry would largely become a food for their "grown-up" bretliren. An interesting fact is that at spawning time the male fish can be distinguished by n protruding lower jaw. I'p to Wednesday three-quarters of a million ova had been secured. Milk Production. A cable message from London stated that "an English bred Friesian cow yielded 2400 gallons of mill: in a year. Rhe was sold for 3500 guineas." This English record is nothing to cable out to Now Zealand about, says an exchange. Apparently it is ihc completed record of Fske Hetty, whose record to January l'i last was 20.0J01I) of milk, a fad which was boomed, as it made this cow tho first one in the British Isles !o give 2000 gallons of milk. New Zealand has eight Friesian cows which have given over 2000 gallons. In this country main importance is attached to the butter-fat production. Nothing is said of this in thu English record. If the cow referred

to is Fske Hetty, the milk of this cow shows an average test of from :).'2~ (under the legal standard) to 3.50 per cent. There is a New Zealand Friesiau now under test, Westmcre Princess I'ieterje, the property of Mr J. Donah!, of Wanganui, which gave 23,4001b of milk and 9041b of fat, her test being ■1.:; per cent, up to the end of April, and she then had over a mouth to go. American Friesian records go up to 27,4321b of milk, a Californian Friesian heifer having just given 24,6821b of milk, and lOGolb of fat in 12 months. A Phosphates Trouble. Canterbury lands are very deficient in some, properties, ami this makes the addition of phosphates essential, so it comes as rather an unwelcome surprise to learn that Australia has prohibited the export of rock and superphosphates. New Zealand is largely dependent on her importations of these manures, so that at first glance the position would seem a serious one. However, it would appear that most firms dealing in the products have accumulated fair stocks, so that trouble may not develop for some time, if it does at all. About nine months ago Japan stopped export. As Australia was the main purchasing market left, her supplies have been drawn on heavily from here, really in anticipation of future trouble. The announced prohibition of export is, therefore, really attributable to the Federal Government's fear that Australia would be short for her own requirements. It is a pity that the Dominion was not in a position of being self reliant'as far as phosphates are concerned. One phosphates deposit is worked somewhere below Dunedin, whilst a standing Government bonus of £SOO is offered for the discovery of further supplies. A quantity of rock phosphates is imported here from the islands, and treated, but the amount is negligible when compared with requirements. NATIVE.