FARM NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13349, 14 December 1906, Page 3

FARM NOTES.

Since MarcHMast eighty-five factories and i rivate dairies have been registered. Taranaki shows the / greatest development in this direction with «,- bout thirty-six new registrations, Auckland province 1 coming next and Otago and Wellington in order. Over a dozen new cheese factories have been added to the list, these being situated principally in Otago and Southland. Mr T. W. Kirk, head of the Biology and Horticultural Divisions of the Department of Ag-ri culture, says •that so far the prospects for the potato crop this year are good. Although the much-discussed disease exists in a number of places, yet' the dry woathei experienced has pr-eventm any exten sive spreading. •It is not, however, iMr Kirk points out, safe to negled spraying on this account, as' should a lengthened spell of wet follow -tlhe warm weather so far experienced, the lMsuilt! might 'be disastrous jto un.sprayed crops.

At a recent meeting 1 of the Manawatu Farmers' Union a member brought up the matter of the way in which Government officials deal* with condemned dairy cattle, and urged that j the Union should take soono action. H.e said that t<he q<Mupcnsati©n paid was c/uite and entered a protest against the system. Oither members spoke- about the working a' the system, characterising it as quite ridibulous. It was finally decided to urge the Provincial Executive to take some decisive action, in regard io the matter, pointing but that it was ar> incentive to farmers to conceal the presence "of disease if such small compensation was paid.

*!Phe Duncddn correspcrodent of th* Lyttrcltcm Times says there has been no recrudescence of the potato 'blight there, and none is anticipated thi* season. Potatoes are now selliiivg at £9 f>er ton, the normal price -Ht thir time of the year. A further drop of £3 to £4 per , ton is ' expected if thy present g-ood weather continues.

The ' Timaru A. &P. "Association made a profit. on its show of £253. In the Canterbury district it has been found r tbat turnips will feed from 250 tf> 300 sheep per *ere for a week, and that one acre 'will fatten about thirty sheep in tea weeks. Rape will oatfry from ten ! to twelve sheep per acre, kale from fifteen to twenty, and Italian rye frcta twelve to fifteen! Many farmers have liejarned Sad oxpeopitencife that 'twere are fiertiain dis J eases that will spread from one crop

Io another. For example, cabbage sei out in soil in which «, crop of toimips has rotted will he quite likely to show rot, while potatoes would not auff 3 r. Too much' care , -cannot be exercised in selection of crops ■.• to follow -those which "have been diseased. The T>epart'm<en/t ,of Agriculture is importing 2&i sheep from vellk*fcwri English flocks. Hi© eonsi^iim<*nt will consist of a ram nnd five ewes, each of thfe following lriseds : — Eyeland, Sotothtiorwiij English' Leicester, and Bordeir Leicester. To shotw th« marked difference in the value of the dairy factories' output this season as against last, the case of f the Eiversdale factory st Tnaljia, on the Wioim'ate iPlains, is instanced. 'For the October month the amount paid to fad suppliers in 1905 was £-1600; this season it was £3790. The amount of butteivfcvt received daily" at -this factory, which possess** no creameries, is now 86,3001 b, which constitutes a record for a factory under the, one roof.v Mr J. Mathers, of Sandon, informs the Advocate that a. pure4>red Rodney hog^t, a lWt year's pet, and not ch-orn wWle n lamb, recently clipped 17£ ib of wool, the staple. being; 14m am soesco throughout the Haniner district, and several sheds are opening short -handed. On November 24th St. Helens commenced with seven men on the board instead of twent>-eight. It is reported tha-t fewer Australian shearers have com© over this year owinj? to having had a good q«i<fon in Australia. 31 r H. P. Jlarr.'tson; who is favourably known ia-Wanganiii .and on ijlio staff of Messrs Abraham and Williams. Ltd., and will draft all the West Coast, has" joined tho Masberton fat stool* for the firm in the Masterton district,. Mr Harrison possesses special qualifications for the position, having fe»n employed by Messrs Borthwiok and Sons for four years, drafting fat sheep for t'heWaitara works. There is a general consensus of opm\om (writes the Tress) omonpst tlvose r-hiofly concerned- in the handling and conveyance of grain ami other produce that the v24ott> sacks should be reduced in si'/p. to sacks containing, say, 150 o r- 9001b. The 'adoption of a smaller aack than the present standard was approved by the Minister for Railways and by 'those* members of -the Bowe who f owned the committee which took ovidon'ce on thfl -matter last session Nothini. however, has heen-dione to bring about the adoption' of a more easily handled sack. We arc informed that "there is a movement ' amongst the wharf labourers in several parts of the colony with the view of surging on the authorities to assist in ..bringing about th« general adoption- of a more easily handled sack, than 'the one o& present in .use.

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