* FARM NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 1353, 17 June 1907, Page 8

FARM NOTES.

A Palmerston man, largely interested in the dairy industry, gave .his views on t'<e state, of the market to the Manawatu Standard. The fact that there v.-ere about 100,000 boxes of butter ir store in New Zealand was causing some con corn, but he believed there was j littl« to fear from this cause. He pointed oat that there was a shortage of buttei ia the Soxith Island owing to the drought lust summer, and estimated uiatobout 40,000 boxes (1000 tons) ol Norllr Islam! butter would be required to meet the demand. It was customary for the- South Island to draw on the North for supplies during the winter months, but this year the demand set in about three months earjier (in the beginning of March) than usual. A krgc proportion of the stored butter, he said, was milled and dairy butter, which was not used to any extent for table purposes. A portion of the 100,000 boxes referred to had since the beginning of May been shipped to England, so that little would remain for export in spring. At the same time dairymen could not look for the abnormally high prices ruling last season. However, the oxcellent quality of the New Zealand product was sure to command as Jtecn competition for our butter as i?: previous, years. It was admitted that the labour aspect would have some eifect on tho industry, and if the demands of the agitators, organised by city unionists, were given the effect of law, the cost of production would be materially increased, and the profits of the industry would proportionately diminish. One result vof the unionists' demands, if aeeeded- to, would be that fanners would instal separators and in place of^ sending their milk to the creamery or factory they would separate it on the farm. This would cause many creameries to be closed, and the amount of labour required would be reduccd^. ' Ifc is reported from Wairarapa that the Makuri butter factory will close down after this season, owing to the fvet that tho country is too rough for dairy cattle, and the farmers find that there is more money in sheep. It is a common opinion that nearly all the land in. Now Zealand is at a fictitious value, and an alleged notorious example is the Tawaha flats, near Martinborough. These flats were taken by the- Government for. settlement purposes, r.nd at a price which critics declared could not bo paid by any farmer. Tlip majority of the settlers on the flats went in for dairying, but one man, who pays the highest rent of all, adopted shcop. .His statement for the past , eight months (( r ;ay3 the New Zealand Times) is that he bn-i made two hundred »ud nfty s>heep ami £10 clear after paying a huK-ycar s i*ent. This return represents fully CCOO, and the settler has another four months to run to clear himself for the year. One of the largest land-owners in New Zealand was approached by an enterprising land agent with a request' that, as tho Government was going to pass a Land Billpracticaljy limiting the areas within the next ten years, the landowner should see his way to anticipate the wishes of the State. The landowner replied that he was quite sure .that the present' Government would not' bo in power for another ten years, and in that time no one could say what would happen. For instance, the Land 11 . Bill, if passed, iniijh.t be repealed, and, in the circumstances, he thought it wise to stick to all the land ho had, and buy as much more as he could. The Wairar*pa correspondent of the Wellington Times is responsible for this story. "I consider that seed merchants' should havo their seeds tested before selling them, so that the farmer might know what ho was buying," said Mr J. "Morris at a recent meeting of the "VVairarapa A. and P. Association. 1 In Germany a few farms are using eieclricity as a force for ploughing, though it is doubtful if that force can bo used in very many places. Where the electricity can be used during the , rest of the year to perform other labour it might prove serviceable. The apparatus in use consists of a gang plough drawn across the fields alternately betwean two anchor waggons. About 2| acres of land csui be ploughed per hour by this arrangement. The cost of the ploughing is said to bo very low. Y-out cold 'f Sykes's Cura Cough is a soothing and hen ling balm. It stops tho cough, allays soreness, a«d makes ex- , pc-ftoration easy and -free from effort. Sold everywhere; is 6d and 2s 6d.— Aiivv.

SAVINGS

s. d. 2 6 2 6 2 6