NEWS AND NOTES

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1934, Page 24 (Supplement)

NEWS AND NOTES

For several years past, Mr. W. H. Reader, Kent Road, has been growing three or four acres of barley with wonderful results. The soil and climate are evidently very suitable to that grain as it has threshed out over 60 bushels to the acre. This year he has just harvested a crop of 31 acres which was sown just after Christmas and less than 90 days after sowing was in the stack. Mr. Reader sows 2J bushels of Chevalier Cape barley to the acre, sowing with it also a little superphosphate, or, for preference, lime and super. It grows very quickly and thickly. In fact Mr. Reader knows of no better crop for choking out rubbish. It is therefore a dual purpose crop, as it not only cleans the of weeds but also provides a cereal that is valuable for many purposes. * * * * The area under lucerne in New South Wales is now estimated at 300,000 acres, having increased about 150 per cent, during the past ten years. No crop, not even wheat, has made such phenomenal progress during the period. The greatest expansion of the area has taken place in the central division, and lhedepartmental experts consider it difficult to mark the western limits at which this crop will be found profitable. # s * •

If the price of sheep, lambs and wool continue to be maintained sheep farmers should be able to meet their obligations in future, according to a well-known sheep farmer. It will, however, take them some time to make up the leeway that they had lost during the past few years. The farmer was pleased to say that some of them were getting out of some of their difficulties very satisfactorily. He instanced the case of a hard working returned soldier settler who had faced difficulties in the back blocks for years. Twelve months ago that man had a liability of over four figures on his stock. This year, as the result of the rise in wool, he had quitted his i , t 7 o seasons’ clip at a price that not oA g enabled him to clear his cattle but left him a substantial balance. He is now not only relieved of worry but, with his wife and family, able to take a little ease. _ M « • * * According to a report prepared by the International Institute of Agriculture, the international trade in butter greased from 1,225,347,0001 b in 1931 to J- 18 - 719 ’ 0001 b. in 1932. The proportion of Australian, Argentine and New Zealand butter out of the total quantity placed on the market by all countries continued to increase. In 1930 it foi-med 30 per cent, of the total, and it increased progressively to 45 per cent, in 1932. of exports in Europe were: Denmark, 8 per cent.; Estonia and the Irish Free State, 13 per cent.; Finland, 17 per eent, Sweden, 31 per cent.; Nethe3 J an J’ cent, and Poland, as much as 90 per cent. *** . . That the Mokau River country, with its fertile river flats and dmate * well fitted to become the garden of Tara naki is evidenced by some magnificent specimens of onions that were grown by Messrs Sutton Bros., who have been growing onions successfully for„ years, Ct giving them the ordinary attention that busy farmers are able to spare froi their multifarious duties. Mr. F W Sut ton officer in charge of the StocK Division of the Agricultural Department at New Plymouth, recently brought m some of the onions, four of scales at an aggregate of over 911bs. They are of the Eilsa Craig variety, and are grown from seed. It certainly. se + elTl ® that it would pay to grow onions m that district as a commercial P r ?P oslt J°”; lr! T £! transport by way of the river should be an economic possibility, whilst the me ling of the road from the river to the Awakino Valley will further matters, by providing ready access both to Taranaki and to the Waikato. « * * * Some splendid crops of maize are to be seen throughout North Taranaki this season, the weather experienced this summer and autumn having evidently been very suitable to the growth of that crop. Besides areas sown for green autu ™ feed and for ensilage, areas have atoo been planted for maize cobs with a view to ripening the corn. They appear to b doing very well too. * » * ” Tlie immediate cause of milk fever, says Dr. Russel Greig, is an acute calcium deficiency of the blood and tissue fluids. The old mystery surroimdmg the curative effect of mammary inflation has been solved, in that the treatment acts by preventing further calcium loss ana nermitting the re-accumulation of calcium in the blood. A subcutaneous injection of calcium is, in itself, a curative measure of specific efficacy, and there is strong evidence that the injection of calcium immediately after calving, and, if necessary, repeated in twentyfour hours, will effectively prevent the occurrence of the disease.