AGRICULTURAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 12021, 21 March 1903, Page 1 (Supplement)

AGRICULTURAL.

STOCK SALE:?. The following list of stock stiles should be handy for reference:— Albury.—As arranged (on a Monday). Fairlie.—As arranged ton a, Motiaay). Ueraluice. —Kveiy \v ednesday, at AiULCieii's yards, and at Farmers* yards. Pleasant Foint. Fortnightly, alternate Mondays. St. Andrews. —Third Friday of etch, month. Studhulme.—i-econd and iourth Friaav in month. Temuka.—Fortnightly, alternate Tue>(.tays. Wai-'udyke.— alternate Tuesdays. Wiuuiitte.—First Friday in. month. The InvorcargiK Dairy h'cpply Company feeds 60C0 pigs a year at. tiieif i'.veive creameries. During February 18711 tecs of britter passed tne Cnstonts for esjiort, value illlo,Sil, and 6£S tona of chess's, value £32.534. Viia Waiwera atose. which left the cott,ay on the 7th inst. crjrte:; 4"io tons cr butter and 277 to-:s of cheese. The Coi-mtercial Agent at tueaos Ay-es reports that the three free.:ing companies in the Argentine Kepab'ie during last year exports' '. 3.423.222 iio-ie?. sheep and 800.215 quarters of beef. 'i'a':x is hi ahead of ail previous yeats. Fifteen dairy factories in South Taranak: have combined U> run .-. sawmill ncd a butter-box and cheese-case factory. Ikcy have a large pir.-.-e of iv*:l:c-;>:uc i»:;sh. containing timber enough to Jasj; -evctal yeirs. The factory b f'trcished witi: the .'afe-t labour-saviiig machinery, and still employs a large r.umber of handy. As threshing proceeds in Xorth C.ititerbury reports of heavy yields art made public. in A»hley County yields of from 60 to- 70 bushels of oats are quite common, and c-n several f::rms 80 to 10G bushels have been threshed. The wiiea; is turning out equally satisfactory, a large proportion of the cro'ps in the best qcality land going from 60 to 75 bushels, i.e. sortfe as high as 80 bushels to the- acre. A padtiock of oats at Kaiapoi gave 136 bushels an acre. At Gebbie's Valley 85 bushels cm acre was got [rem 30 acres of barley, and another lot of 200 acres on the same farm is expected! to average 58 bushels. The "Manawatu Times'* notes a movement among the co-operative dairy factories in Taranaki to combine for mutual benefit, chiefly in the direction of purchasing - requisites. This is one of the objects of the National Dairy Association, bet the paper quoted declares that this object ha.; been defeated by managers and secretariss accepting " secret commissions " from ve:t-

dors o£ the various articles, who, in return, obtained the orders which should hare gone to the Association. It is thought that the projected organisation will ensure closer control of tuts part of the business and eliminate the alleged evil. A consignment of carcases anil legs of mutton, from Ru-'sia lias been marketed at Smitblield. The carcases were well p-ickeJ in scrim and paper and in ctaUs. t jl\. the quality and condition were so bad that all were condemned by the market authorities as untie fur food, and rightly too. tor a mora unsightly parcel has seldom been seen at Smithfkdd. in several ihe:c wstc indications that want of keep was not ii>s> sole cause of emaciation.; ail were povertystricken, and lacking condition. The legs of mutton were entirely denuded of tat and plain to a degree, but not positive signs or disease were passed by the inspectors to tied customers only at extremelv low rates.

The advantages and progress of the cooperative principle in England are exemplified by the report of the Western Counties Agricultural Co-operative Association, Limited, for the past year. The sales increased from £330.241 in 1901 to £407.549. The total bonuses distributed to purchasing shareholders and members lave been £74.324 in the fourteen years since the start, and a symptom oE the appreciation of the merits of the system is furnished by the enrolment of 534 new shareholders and members during the year. The total net profit on the year's trading is £10.495 14s lid. or sufficient to pay a bonus of 4jd per £ on purchases, in addition to 5 per cent, on the share capital. Married couples are making £2OO a year milking on shares in Taranaki: at least one couple is (says the ""Dairyman"). In this case the wite is a champion milker. jizd her husband is a fairly good milker. too. The employer uives them two-fifths of the jnilk cheque on the twentieth of each jnonth, and they milk the whole year lound—there is no off season on this particular farm. A free house was provided. iree firewood, free milk, but butter is not allowed. The number of cows milked by i&kie young people is tifty-two. and the grow yield for last season is rather over *£sso, >fld of this amount the milker got i! 200. The baby sits in r.n improve 1 bal)T-jnmp*r during the milkirg time, acd is carried out to the shed all weathers.

ChSi saltpetre is very largely used in the manufacture of artificial manures, the export being, it is stated, twelve million tons | a year. There is cot more than 30 I years' supply at this rate visible, ar.d I an end to the supply tf nitrate would I>2 i a very serious matter. There appears t» j be a certainty, however, of the enrtless supnelr of nitrogen in the atmosphere being I "tapped" very foon. In fact I it Jfcuis been done already and on nrore . TJhaJB jn experimental scale. A company . .has b«» formed at Niagara with a capital J .of a quarter of a million, to work on a < .commercial scale an invention by which ; .■nitrogen is captured from the atmosphere | .by means of electricity. It sounds ex- ! a-jivagantly fanciful, to" use air as the raw j onLteaal for a manufacturing industry ; but it is a. fact. ~ Tue practical solution ot the I tii utilising separated milk is likely to> bs j found in drying it. Actual results «>b- : sained in the United States during the fa;t two years have been favourable to. this opinion. Separated milk is there being dried bv the vacuum system by at least two. companies, and the dry product is being sold d> the extent of several tons per dav It is ground to the fineness of flour, and sold as "milk Hour." or "dry «ilk." It brings ftt>m 4id to Sd per lb -wholesale*, and is us;d largely by bikers of liuuid separated m'tlki arid for general food purposes. It is said to be looked upon with favour by high offkris in .the United States army as aa ideal, cheap, coventrated army food. Its use is reported a*- rapidly becoming more and more general, and it is now boiusr exported to South Africa for food purposes.

There is one regrettable feature In con- , t.««. ; oo with the hr.zen meat indu-try. ;is , it is tarried on in Canterbury, says tue "Weekly Pre."?;."* which is booming nceeu- , tuated 'vtar by yenr. am! tint N the de- . terioratlon of the ewe rt >cfc. the profit- • .•il* price* that are receive,! for tat lambs teuipr.- the- i-e'.tr.l riva. oi fanners to >ii-l-Mjse of ;:LI ti'at art ready for the tactcry, ewe- and w?:L-:r lambi bsing picked oat iaJticrimiuateV- ar " l ic "" ;l we!!-k:iawn fact %'iat ewe lambs come .--a rtuicfcest as a rnl*. A few farmers Jo reserve their best ewe Jf.aihs t.- add to their breeding "toefc, hut tHtir wise poli.-y is not so wideiy * 'opted as it sh.,uld lie. The fact is that t of the smaller farmers ate not if: Hy sheeri' '■«< tt, i* rrs : tne . v at * I"tie more than 'sheep probabK" !«V- m lai[i *K »•"»"«<«. take * crop :< " m tiWt,t - =»" l taea. alter the lambs *•"-* »"« t«; the factory, as manv of the *™> f *«« *:?«* «*>"»■ readV for the butcher. !,,;> ..as t;«ithe "policy for 7*"t I*-'*- *»:) tmvW white c«!u be- ~...«,! up 'at anvthinjr fr '.» *•> 10-= p*r near!. Witb much higher w« ? ■"'»• ™f v l.»r •..tore ewe*, thev worn."". »'> M.ubt. he kept to breed again, but th? .Jernand u,:<.' set "in last rear for ewes for f™«mg is ag.m :rra encnorapement to the t.irtner to• pv.r,ue (trie old pofic-y of buying ;'-rd selling his ewes within one year. The ireszuig », ewe,: seems tikely to have very »er.r.iis effect, and will further curtail the already short snpidv of breeding ewers in the province. The writer vaggest = thnr Canterburv will have to Took to Nelson and Marlborough for supplies ot ewes rt, keep their paddocks foil.

HOMK WHEAT FTiOSPECT*.

j Regarding wheat. F. Lenders a: d j Co., wiiting Horn London on February : sth, say : —in spite of a good lead givci j by America, where prices have reguiai'y [ ia-.ved t:p all the weak, markets on this ■ side have ruled extremely quiet, and alj though there is no appieciable alteration jin v.dues, trading has been of the most I desukoiy chataeter, and it is seldom that i ;::: bra-eke.; of the grain busit.ess show , such uniform si;.e'.rie>> of trade. Wheat \ taken on its own merits should command a I good trade at steady prices. although there ! seems ncthirg in the position t.> v.anar.t an imnic:l:.:ta iaiprr.ve'.nent. yet. stiange to j say. prices in the option markets have j daily advanced, but- actual st-.tif has proved , almost un-aier-.b'e. One thing certain, i however, is that this state of affairs cannot | continue much longer, and einicr the c;;n- ---[ rumptive dcmar.d must materia*-;.- improve i or the r.t-vance in eptio:'-: lie -kecked. V/ho-.t j v.-h--\.t becomes at:.active to c.i:>i;r.li-is it i scene; a!t'jge:!:er hopeless to judge it on j its merits. ai:4 as tin: to be tils ! tiushu-a of :;iT-:its jttst :;r->r in ih-3 ChioagT K:.:ke: iwhi-'h :-ii:i e-.;-rc"sc:. so ni-ieh ik- [ C-.icr.Le o:> ihe *:itcr-:at'":i;.l s:t'.::-t:or:;, it : is r.;.:rc than usrr.:!."y dirt-cult for us to ex- : press an op'r.v n fnm the (rata at our ritsP' -a!. For in-tance. i: is veiy diuicu't i to discover the true reason of the isceu: ; Ch'; ago advance, an 1 rutiiour may be quite I correct in attributing it entirely to the | force of capita! with a!i tlie prestige ntI trckhig to a strong and vigorous psiso- \ :v.t'*ty behk.d it. and report ha? it ::*si> | that ti is interc-t which also largely con- ;::.•::-. the raii-oida servirg Chicago could, j i-" >r c-:e : . !el: w!u:t cui-ed the ear famine, j tlie sear-.ity -.: 1-r--uotives. and the dilli- [ t rt'.ty of r.v.,vir-_- grain to it? nntii'al • !;<- : tri'-itting terttre. Arr-' ! 'tir.e selic;:: stili show r. marked i:i«p: sit ion to follow Ai'ie- ! ricT. am* oifers .-.re becoming daily mo:o • s-r>-ie and limits xre Ining rn.-c'i. making I.H>inp,-, s mare difficult than ever. Ship- '■■ me::ts are fakir:; plate <m a fairly liberal • scr.'e. and we look for these tn be increased : ::s the se,'?on .-.t:d it is no doubt ihe comp'et::!g <f 'l.l contracts which en- : ables sp:.t prices t.> In iitaiiitasiicd. o!T .ki:'.i!»h sprir.g shiimier.t. no doubt. cmiH hj? nb.niued .->: n fair disi.-miit when ship- : per-- -rppear cr.ee more as serious sellers. j POULTRY NOTES. if stock ducks are not shut up at night triey will lay in the pond. Tnis can tie proved by raking the bottom, and if ike water is at all clear the eggs can sometimes ba seen round the side of the pond. Eon't let dirty egsjs go to market. Fven if you mast tske the common price, put the eggs on the market in such a condition that they will be attractive. Mr H." O. Hunt, late of Oamaru, and now at Clinton, has had a very successful se-.son with the chicks. He has over 100 yocr:;; birds, ar.d some of them show great promise. He hss had numerous enquiries

i'.r cockerels for show purposes. He sent a ".mmi-imr cockerel to Waneanui last neck. Mr H-jnt intends to begin the sorting process shortly and look out she ores he int:i'd« to prepare f r trie Champi ■'.'. Sinn: at Timaru. which will be liL* tit?: sin.-.- this rear.

Green cut baiie will make even moulting hcr.s lay. It is generally conceded that tU;s is absolutely the most perfect oagfood known. Alntuu: all st:cccss;u! egg farmers use it. and no one who has given it a proper trial speaks otherwise ihan well of it. At moulting time especially. not only will the egg-producing elements keep up the yield, but that part ■ I it that is of a fatty or oily nature will l.e'p materially to turn the birds out in good feather in the shortest amount of time possible. A fancier living in the metropolitan*district went down to spend Chri-tmas with tome relatives in the South of England. to whom he had often sent sittings of eggs. When looking round the stock of poultry on Christmas Day. says the " Stockkeeper." he espied an uncommonly line I>utf Orpington cockerel hatched from his own eggs, and believing that it was good en ugh to win a few prizes he said to the lady of the home. "I should like that bird." "" Very well," was the reply, '"you shall have it." He le:t for home on the Monday, but on the Sunday there was a very tine plump fowl for dinner, and a very large cut of the breast was served to him. When he asked for the Butt Orpington cockerel, however, nest day, he was informed that he had already had i:! The words he used as he journeyed homewards and thought of the hearty dinner he ate the day before are not worth mentioning.

POULTRY RAISING

Mr D. D. Hyde. Government Poultry Ksjiert. has been lecturing in Hawke's Bay on the poultry industry. having spoken :it Taradalc- and Hastings to audiences which ■were mt.si appreciative if not too numerous. Mr Hyde stated that the industry was only ia its infancy. He predicted a large increase in the business within :i few years, and believed that it would shortly lival the dairy industry. So class < f stock could return such good results as poultry. The chief faults of persons in the busines.were allowing the fowls to roost in trees 1 and breeding out of the proper season, j which should commence in July. 'nstead !of the summer months. The fowl ' houses also should be kept c:«tin. I and without draughts ; and ;.erches ! should not be higher than eighteen i inches from the ground. Vermin in fowl 1 houses should be rigidly excluded. Re ad- ! vocated the sale of poultry and eggs at per | j pound weight, which would encourage at- | tention to proper breeding. He contended ! that the four Government poultry farms | j had greatly improved the class of stock | I iti the colony by supplying well-selected j birds a:.d sittings of eggs. Tire depots I | we:e handling poultry at the rate of live ' i hundred head daily for export, and the i supply was fur below the demand. Fowls ] should not be kept for a longer period | than two years, arrd he favoured the use j of incubators as bringing out better results '; than sitting liens. Hugs corjd be stored 1 in freezing chambers at low prices in order ; to be available wher. the market was ini sufficiently supplied. Cardboard sample ! boxes very suitable for this purpose could i" be obtained from the Department of Agri- ' culture. In reply to a question Mr Hyde ■ ; stated that there was no " best" breed . of fowls. ;is from careful records kept it i was proved that it was very rare for the same breed to produce the largest number ■ of enes in more than one year running. i On the motion of the chairman, seconded [ by Mr J. I'catson. a hearty vote of thanks t v.as passe-! to the lecturer.—("X.Z. Farn.ers' Journal.")