AGRICULTURAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 11980, 31 January 1903, Page 1 (Supplement)

AGRICULTURAL.

STOCK SALES. The following list of stock, sales should be handy for reference : Aibury.—As arranged (en a Monday). Geniloine —Every Wednesday, at MundelTs yards, and at Farmers* yards. Pleasant Point Fortnightly, alternate Mondays. St. Andrews—Third Friday of each month. Studholme —Second and iourth Friday in month. Tenr-tka—Fortnightly, alternate Tuesdays. Washdyke—Fortnigtit.lv, alternate 'Tuesdays. Waimate. —First Friday in month. The following were the prices of British wheat per qttarter ia London in the middle of November in each vear stated :—1895, 25* 7d: '96, 32a lid;"' 97, 55s lid: '93, 28s Id; '93. 26s Id; 1900, 27s Id; 'Ol, 26s 9d; 'O2. 255. Wheat was, therefore, fewer last November than it had been for years. According to Mr J. 0. Annr.ni, of the great Chicago meat-packing linn, the bjst estimate of the world's total herds and Hock shows that there are 310.000,000 cattle. 600.000,000 sheep. 100.000,000 pigs, and a possible 70,0G0,000 goats, or a total of 1.050.G00.0C0 edible live stock in the whole world to feed its estimated population of 1.300.000,000 people, of which 850.000,000 are semi-civilised grain-eating Asiatics and 450,000,000 North Americans and Europeans. A HINT FOR THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

ThJ C'alifornian Raisin-growers' Association during the latter part of 1902 set art example of co-operation and business organisation which might suit seme New Zealand industries.

For years raisin-growers ic California have suffered from individual competition and lack c-f combination, with the result that packing companies and merchants were able to obtain raisins at prices which left very little profit to the growers. The growers, however, combined in the form of an association, which now practically controls the entire output of raisins in California. The directors of the association have leased every packing-house doing business in the raisin districts, and have employed the packers to act simply as agents for the growers. They made an arrangement with the selling firms by which they sold a large proportion of their crops at an advance of over 25 per cent, over last season's prices, and. before the growing season was completed, the association sold the entire output, giving growers 10 per cent, advance of the purchase price. The association has been able to do this in spite of the fact that nearly 10,000 tons more raisins .were grown this season than last year. The president of the Califomian Raisin-growers' Association. Mr Robert B'.ot, is an ex-Aucklander. and it is largely to his initiative that the great success is due. The figures given of the operations of the Raisin-growers' Association show that this season the output of raisins amounts to over 40,000 tons, and that the combination has increased the price £d per pound, which means the distribution ef enormous sums to the raisingrowers. It is interesting to know that the Raisin-growers' Association have carried out their great coup without the capitalisation of a single penny. The by-laws of the Association permitted the directors to borrow something like £IOO,OOO, bat not a cent, of this was needed—the whole business was managed simply through cooperation and organisation. FRUIT DRYING.

New Zealand, says the "New Zealand Times," contentedly pays out of pocket some £120,000 per annum for preserved and dried fruits imported from various countries. There is no substantial reason why New Zealand, with her varied climate—from Auckland for dried raisins to Otago for dried apples—should not be able to avoid three-parts of this expenditure and add greatly to her wealth and comfort in having dried vegetables (quite equal to fresh) when fresh vegetables are out of season. A clergyman living in the Midlands of with a view of proving to his parishioners the latent profits in the utilisation of surplus vegetable products, lately purchased a small vegetable-drying machine. He set a. young girl to work it. and sent round to his neighbours for their surplus, or what would be waste vegetables. These he dried, and in a few weeks' time informed his suppliers that he had sold the product at a profit of £SO. Canning is the older "and more complicated process of fruit and vegetable preservation. That of drying has only lately come into vogue, and the working of it is simplicity itself. The drying or evaporating machines are made in different sizes, suitable for small iind large families, and for use commer•eiallv. One for use by a small family •coats £1 10s to £2 in London, and when in operation can be stood on the ordinary Idtchen stove to snpply the heat. One suitable for a large householder or small farmer, and capable of drying 1001b of fruit per twelve hours, costs £ll, including stove for burning coal. One for large farmers costs £25 to £3O, and dries 2501b to 4501b per twelve hours. It contains a drying surface of 200 to 250 square feet, in the form of galvanised corrugated steel wire trays. Still larger ones, costing £2OO, with a drying capacity of 15001b of ■fruit or vegetables per twelve hours, are i& be bought. From 1001b of fresh fruit or vegetables, 101b to 131b of the dried article aie obtainable. The following fruits and vegetables are amongst- the large list of those that have been successfully dried by the process:—Apples, pears, plums, peaches, apricots, cherries, figs, currants, asparagus, French beans, tomatoes and peas, besides hops, herbs, flowers, etc. In addition to preventing the waste of surplus fruit and vegetables, the introduction of the drying process on a large scale would have the effect of steadying the Hiarket and securing better returns to pro,a«cers. A little enterprise and intelligence rfirt the sole requirements for establishing i\ 'lucrative business. IMPBOVIXG MILCH COWS.

The editor of the ''New Zealand Dairyman" is publishing a series of articles describing a new method of milking -which has been tried at the Wisconsin (U.S.) University Agricultural Station. In the .ourrent number of the "Dairyman" Mr 31. .Graham, of Brenchley Farm. Danne-•v-irkfe, writes to sav that he has tried the

~iew method after reading the 6rst article. The resuft has been an increase of 2s a .■lay on a herd rif twenty cows, or abnut __22 cent. His t*st was standirg at 3.5. -.mil after two weeks' trial of the new system it rose to 3.9. A neighbour, Mr C. "Walker, has also tried it with favourable res-nltF.

The new method of milking referred to ciTnsists in following up ordinary rapid and thorough milking by a set of manipulations of the urlder, which will bring down the last traces of milk contained ] therein. Dairymen know tbat many cows ] will give down very slowly the last portions of their milk, ami thin streams of may generally be obtained for a *.tml».'derable time after a full flow has ceased f bv a few manipulations of the •adder tfefo residual milk may readily be brought *l«wni in a couple of minutes' time, and more milk will as a rale be obtained in tins .n*y than is possible by the ordinary "strtppiusr" method. Since the milk thus .secured is -very rich, being of the same character and composition as '" strippin< T s." tne amount of additional butterfafc obtained is considerably greater than misht be supposed from the quantitv of milk bronght down. First Manipulation.—The right quarters of the udder are pressed aeainst ear-h other fif the udder is very large, only one quarter at a time is taken) with the

left hand on the hind quarter and the right hand in front on the fore quarter, the thumbs being placed on the oxtsiue of the udder and the four fingers in the division between the two halves of the udder. The hands are now pressed toward each other and at the same tune lifted toward the body of the cow. This pressing and lilting is'repeated three times, the mill; collected in the milk cistern is then milked out, and the manipulation repeated until no more milk is obtained in this way, when the left quarters are treated in the same manner.

Second Manipulation.—The glands are pressed together fiom the side. The fore quarters are milked each by itself by placing one hand, with fingers spread, on the outside of the quarter and the other hand in the division between the right and left fore quarters : the hands are pressed against each other and the teat then niilke 1. When no more milk is obtained.by this manipulation, the hind quarters are milked by placing a hand on the outside of each quarter, likewise with fingers spread and turned upward, but with the thumb just in ft out of the hind quarter. The hands s:e lifted and grasp into gland from behind and fronAhc side, after which they are lowered to draw the mi'k. The manipulation is repeated until no more milk is obtained. Third Manipulation.—The fore teats arc grasped with partly clored hands and lifted with a push toward the body of the cow. both at the same time, by which method the elands are pressed between the hands and the body: the milk is drawn after each three pushes. When the fore teats are emptied, the hind teats are milked in. the same manner. AUSTRALIAN FARMERS" WIVES.

M. Nicholas Krakcff, Imperial Commissioner "of Agriculture, who is travelling throughout Australasia and South America bv instruction from the Russian Minister for Agriculture, reached Melbourne on JV.r.uarv Bth. The visitor is a powerful, b-~arded Russian. 6ft high, and of wellni"h Herculean proportions. He possesses a quick, shrewd ..good-natured pair of eyes, a heartv manneT. and a most stentorian bugh. and he is simplv bubbling over with information which he has absorbed during his manv and great travels throughout his tour of" continents. He is row visiting his fifth for the first time, and he has alreadv done the greater half of it. He "was asked if certain remarks as to the laziness of the West and South Australian fanninc community were true. "I have noticed," he said, "that as far a<= I can judce the Australian farmers I have -een are""not -nearlv as industrious as farmers in Europe. In Europe farmers work more and work harder, and, what is more, their cntiie families work very hard : but here: (with an impressive spreading of his hands) the women here are not inclined to work ia that way. Of course, sometimes it must be very difficult for farmers here to keep their women. They do not want to work: they prefer to play and cro to picnics and read novels. It is a pitv ; and what is the consequence? Ihe pe.-p!e here do not marry sufficiently. There aie too manv bachelors, and that is bad for a country. In Russia and Germar.v we marry much more, but here in Australia you are afraid. Ihe coming men here fear to get married because they I don't want to meet the burden of an exI travagant or useless wife." | It was suggested that all Australian I women were not lazy.

" Xo." he said, shrugging h's shoulders: "in South Australia the agriculturists are nearly all good workers, and among the German settlers particularly, where they all work together, family and family—and why r.oc?" Why do not Australians work more in the fields, and particularly girls an women? It is very healthy. It is what you call hygienic. Doing nothing is bad; "it makes "them feeble and pale, and sitting still indoors is unhealthy. I noticed at one farm in South Australia five or sir acres of land lying idle. Why did not the women grow poultry or pigs on it? Eggs are cheap, but not too cheap. Thev are not cheap enough to let good fowl land go idle. . I want to make a note of the food Australians seem to eat. They eat, it seems to me, too much delicate food. They are too fond of sweets and soft things", and do not eat good strong food. We in Russia eat black bread. It is hard, but it makes one strong, and it is full of good. You eat the bread with all the good left out, and give the good to the pigs. Ah ! it is bad. Your doctors will have to find something for the people to give them hardness. They are too tired and tire easily. When they work, our farmers work much harder, and for 16 hours a day and more in the season. We have to work—oh, very hard. In four months we plough and sow and reap and harvest, and it is hard work, especially the j haivest. All the rural and city people I have seen in Australia strike me as delicate. They are too pale, and need something hard "and strong for their food, as well as the soft stuffs.

"Ah, I missed my black bread since I came here. I want something like that. When I lunch on your soft things, I feel that the food dees not do me good."