AGRICULTURAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 11998, 21 February 1903, Page 1 (Supplement)

AGRICULTURAL.

STOCK SALES. The following list of stock sales should be handy for reference: Albury.—As arranged (on a Monday). Geraldine —Every Wednesday, at MundelTs yards, and at Farmers' yards. Pleasant Point Fortnightly, alternate Mondays. St. Andrews—Third Friday of each month. Studholme —Second and fourth Friday in. month. Temnka—Fortnightly, alternate Tuesdays. Washdyke—Fortnightly, alternate Tuesdays. Waimate.—First Friday in month. The heavy rain of Thursday last week it is to be hoped—-though hardly to be expected—wound up the damp season, and the nor'-west weather of this week commenced a spell of good harvest weather. Nor'-westers are bad enough, bu: a wet harvest is worse. Next week with gcod weather should see a good start- made with the harvest on the coast side of South Canterbury. We have not a comparison of local dates handy, but a North Otago farmer supplies to a Dunedin paper one that does not need much alteration to fit this district. He says:—"For twenty years up to last year I began harvesting on the 20th or 21st of January; last year it was the 25rd. This year I have a smali patch of oats that can "be cut on the 10th February. The bulk of the crop will not be ready till a fortnight later." The less through crops going down under pressure of wind and wet will be considerable, and it is the best of them that suffer in this way. Kingsdown furnishes some striking examples of this, and the famous Willowbridge farms are said to present a deplorable picture, practically whole paddocks -of wheat and oats being laid flat and hopeless of recovery. The damp season has been too favourable to the growth of rubbish, and here will be heavy-butted sheaves everywhere—another reason for hoping for drying weather. The grass too is reported to be too luxuriant, and sheep and lambs are suffering from scour in consequence. A continuance of northerly and westerly weather would be a godsend to the farming community in every way, and, through the farmers, to everybody." (>ince the above was written and put in type more heavy rain has fallen.) The Agricultural Department, under date February 10th, publishes in the '" Gazette"' an amended estimate of the grain crops of the colony, as follows:—Wheat. 194,355 acres, estimated average yield 28 bushels per acre, total yield 5,441,940 bushels. For oats, the respective numbers, are, 483,659—55—16,928,065; and for barlev, 27,921—37—1,033,077.

Some remarkable threshiEg has been done this season, by Mr Henry Kimber, of Springston. On his own farm at Greenpark, 98 bushels of grass seed per acre were threshed, and at Motukarara he put through 960 bushels of oats in four hours, equal to 3000 bushels a day—said to be a world's record.

Messrs Shearer Brothers, of Maybank Works, Turiff (says the '"North British Agriculturist"), have lately shown much enterprise in the production of threshing machinery. They are making some to be driven by electricity, and lately made a finishing thresher to be mounted on a steam lorry, the engine of -which -will not only supply the motive power, but will also move it about from farm to farm as required. A good demand is also being experienced for oil engine threshing plants. THE FARMERS' UNION. Speaking generally there can be no denying the fact that the New Zealand Farmers' Union has not exhibited the vigour that one would expect from so powerful an organisation. The novelty of the movement has worn off, and little by little the newly-discovered enthusiasm of farmers in their own concerns is <liminishing. It is generally believed that farmers are difficult to unite, and quite as difficult to handle in combination with satisfactory results after combination has been eifected. But the fact remains that the farmers under the direction of Mr Glass have been organised. Their union is established, and it is certain if they can be "induced to stand together they are bound to exert a powerful and 'beneficial influence on the country generally. While the apathy of those most vitally interested is much to be deplored, it must be confessed that there are difficulties in keeping such an organisation alive, and in full vigour, which are unknown to unions in other walks of life. Trade unions may be regarded as the most perfect svstem of combination for mutual benefit and protection. These for the most part affect the large centres of population. Members are consequently continually in close touch with their, headquarters and with each other; grievances are quickly ventilated; the administrative machinery moves promptly, and generally there is neither time nor opportunity for incentives towards apathy to manifest themselves, j With the Farmers' Union different condi- ] tions pervail. Members Teside in the , country ; their conditions, of living and occupation tend rather to isolation than to concentration, consequently grievances are not so apparent, and there are delays in making them known; the regular attendance of members of meetings is difficult, and often impossible, and. therefore, the | work of maintaining the organisation at the • full pitch of its usefulness is beset with | many hindrances which have only become j apparent since the have been | banded together. The Farmers' Union has a great mission to accomplish, and if it were allowed to die—which we sincerely hope it will not—now that its possibilities have been prove-.1. those coming within the sphere of its usefulness would suffer very considerably. The industrial world to-day is a camp of organised labour armies, each fighting with the weapons its numerical strength hi'S created. In this colony the. militant ranks of labour have carried the ckudel of political influence by storm, and it is necessary tint unionism should be met with unionism, and fought with weapons of equal effectiveness. For this reason the farmers cannot afford to drift back into a state of disjointed, unsympathetic | units, but must resolutely present a united l front to a!l attacks from without, recog-1 arising alwavs that the agricultural and pastoral indus'tries rank first in importance, and should I their full potentialities being exercised) be enabled to exact first consideration from those who hare care of the political destinies of the country. If the Farmers' Union is to be anythirg but a name, if the farmers are to show any public spirit, and if they want to clear their name from the stigma of being classed the meanest folk in the colony. then they will have to ,be stirring themselves. Anyone who has read the reports of the meetings r>f the different branches .os reported in this journal could not fail t» »ee that a large portion of th€ trouble

has tieen over £s. d. The trouble seems j to have been whether the fee should be j '2s, 3s. or ss. f.r nothing at all! Mr McQueen, the president of the Southland Provincial Executive, told the Riversda'e hraneh recently that there were some 1500 member* in Southland, and in bringing an important matter before the farmers in that district, he plainly told them that if they did not combine, and combine, too. | f> put their har.ds in their pockets, thar i they would be able to do very little to! -advance their own interests or to stem | ■rite irade union laws that were being foisted -upon *he colony. The question is whether the fanners will not be too mean, as a ijodv. to pay into their union, say. ICs or £1 a year, in the interest of their calling, their "country, and the classes who are suffering' from the effects of trade unionism. The rabbiter thinks nothing of paying a few shillings a year to his union, the shearer floes not grumble at being called oa to pay his dues, but the'fanner thinks that if he parts with a few shillings for

the up-keep of bis union someone else Trill benefit. Those who are at the head of the Farmers' Union are thoroughly zealous and capable men, but their efforts are hampered bv the apathy of the rank and file. We see "great syndicates joining hands and pooling their capital for mutual benefit aiid protection; we see local bodies gradually ereating great public monopolies for the benefit of the ratepayers; indeed, we see on every hand that the direction of modern progress is towards combination of forces. Surely these things should teach the farmer that- his old plea of self against the world is no more, and that if he desires to take his proper place and to receive a fair remuneration for himself, wife, and children, he must combine to protect, to influence, and direct .the legislation and economic forces that govern the condition of his life and calling. The present age is essentially an age of unrest. The forces that are" driving the people along are so many and so varied that it would be unwise" to even mention them here. But this is certain: that unless the farmers desire to have the bands of iron and chams of serfdom and slavery firmly fixed to their necks and legs, they will have to rouse themselves, and act as a body. Let those who have neither time nor inclination to take an active part in the working of tlio organisation be prepared to assist the movement by putting their hands in their pockets.

There is no gainsaying the fact that the best strength of the community still lies in the country—the men who are producing what keeps the rest of their fellows going—and if it could only be properly organised, and made effective, there would soon be a very different tale to tell. We fear that the cry that it should not interfere with politics has scotched its influence. Where would the Labour parly in New South Wales—or New Zealand, for that matter—be to-day if they had been afraid of meddling with politics? Where scat of power is, there must the eflons of any organisation be directed, if it is to be of great use. The agriculturists ard pastoralists have a great deal more right to rule the country than the Labour party has; they are more numerous; they s.da more to its wealth; and they are stronger in nature and character.

The rapid growth of combines, and the wide recognition that is being given to economic forces by modern governments, all seem to point to a time when all production and distribution will be controlled oy central governments. Our complex and rapidly advancing civilisation is slowly but surely working out a remarkable destiny f»r the human race, and the farmers by assisting their organisation will merely be helping towards that grand time when men shali study war no more, and shall brothers.be for all that.—("New Zealand Farmer.")

POULTRY NOTES.

Don't have the roosts high up in the poultry sheds. There is no law prohibiting the use of fowl language. The hen, like the farmer, feels better after a full crop. Every day or two spade up some ground in a shady spot for the flock to dust in. Fresh coal ashes and air-slaked lime are extremely useful for keeping down vermin. Keep the drinking vessels clean. Wash them out every evening, and scald them once a week.

If the hens are confined, overfed, and have but little exercise, they are apt to get into the habit of feather pulling. When fowls eat as if they were doing something against their will there is trouble about. Healthy fowls never pick up their food lazilv.

Hens are to be cured of the pernicious habit of eating €ggs by filling an eggshell full of mustard mixed with vinegar, and putting it in the nest where the hen in question lays. One or two doses of this will cure her.

The cause of sore .eyes among young ducks is sometimes attributed to dampness and exposure, which brings on a cold. A remedy for this is to put ske afflicted bird in a dry place and rub a little vaseline on the eyes, to prevent them getting sealed with the discharge. All pullets should be allowed to become fully matured before being asked to bear thestrain of egg-production; they cannot do two things at the same time —grow" and make eggs. A pullet should be six months old before she is started laying—if vou want her to make a good hen.

Seme poultrykeepers who live in country which is pestered by rabbits often provide the kitchen and poultry-yard with animal food by occasionally going out shooting. Green bone and meat are of the best eggproducing foods hen4> can have. Green vegetables, such as cabbage, turnips, and other kinds of vegetables, are also excellent for making hens lay. Dr King reports good business at the Seacliff Asylum poultry farm. Some 2500 chickens, says a contemporary, have been raised this "season—about twice the usual quantity—and apart from the fact that ' that some hundreds were lost by the burning of a small shed, the mortality has been very small indeed. Six cockerels

imported "from Home by the Moeraki have lately been added to the farm, two being of Indian game, two buff Orpingtons, and two dark Dorkings. These birds were landed in excellent condition and full of vigour. They had grown so much during the voyage that their coops had to be enlarged. " Dr King considers, that the chief reason why his new cockerels stood the long sea voyage so well is because they were kept on deck the whole of the trip. Other importers may judge that this experience points also to the fact that this is about as good a time of the year as anv in which to land stock.

"Under the agricultural instruction scheme adopted by the Committee of Agriculture and Technical Instruction of the Galway County Council, special provision is made "for the", encouragement of poultrykeeping. Towards this end it is proposed •c. appoint an instructress at a salary of £3 a week to deliver courses of lectures

on poultrykeeping, including the selection of breeds", the hatching and rearing cf chickens, the feeding and housing of poultry generally, and the marketing of the produce; to visit poultry runs, and to give such practical advice as is desired by poultrykeepers ; to inspect egg-distributing stations, and generally to promote improvement in poultrykeeping in the county. For this purpose the county is to be divided into circuits, each comprising not less than five centres. The instructress is to work for at least four weeks in each circuit, and deliver one lecture each week at each centre during that time. In connection with this improvement scheme provision is also being made for the offer of ten premiums, value £5 each, to persons who undertake to keep certain breeds of fowls, and to distribute their eggs at current market prices to local poultrykeepers. Under this scheme the breeds approved are Minorca?, White Leghorns and Brown Leirhorns for egg-producing purposes, and Plymouth Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, and Faverolles as general purpose fowls."