AGRICULTURAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13715, 3 October 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

AGRICULTURAL.

A new and noteworthy feature in connection with the wool business was the fulfilment of an order in Sydney last month for some wool for China. It appears that some little time ago, and iu. response to inquiries received from Shanghai by the proprietors of the "Tung Wah Times," in Sydney, samples of Australian wool were dispatched to China. Following upon these an order for a parcel of superior scoured wool was received by cable. Japan ii' now a regular customer for Australian' wool, and it is probably only ti' question of time when China will adopt western methods, and by fostering the woollen and worsted industries make an effort to secure a share of the trade ; n the Far East in these and* other manufactured goods. How a noxious weed may spread throughout the length and breadth .of the extensive Australian ; Continent (says the " Queenslander"), has been well exemplified by the prickly pear. When Mr Potter McQueen, representing an English company, selected the .. Segenhoe estate, nssit Scone, in New South Wales, he brought out with him in a flower-pot a plant of the prickly pear, and from this small plant it has spread throughout the whole of Australia. A letter from the Argentine says: We are continuing to astonish the old world with the weekly shipments of wheat, linseed, oats and barley. By the end of April over 2.000,0C6 ton.-- of wheat alone "will have been despatched, a total something like double the quantity sent away during the same period in any previous year!'- The magnitude of the late harvests is only now beginning to be thoroughly appreciated in foreign countries. Maize results' are not yet in a state to be forecasted with any great degree of certainty, but it is safe to assume that the export for 1908 will exceed 2.500,000 tons. Taking the wheat, maize, linseed, oats and barley in conjunction, the value of 1908 exports, at a moderate estimate, on board af port, will exceed sterling, figures that- will probably convey a better idea of what nature has done for the Republic with the harvests of 1907-08 than any mere totals of tons exported. Some statisticians have gone mi far as to place the value at eighty million pounds sterling, but. that was when prices were higher than they are to-day,' and also when the maize crop appeared likely to be nearly double what it now' promises to yield.

FERTILITY IN SHEEIV A commiUeo nf the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, with the aid of Dr. Marshall, of Edinburgh University, has been investigating the causes of fertility in ewes, and the results are reported in the "Transactions." The first conclusion arrived at is that " flushing" at the breeding season has a very beneficial effect on the pcreentngo of lambs born—i.e.. for a few weeks prior to ami. during the mating season the ewes gel extra feeding, cither in the shape of better grass or oat*.-, maize, etc. Whether this extra foods pays for itself is another matter, but as most floekmastcrs like to fee plenty of twin lambs, and feeding in common- in the south country, it is probable that it does. The most, important result of the inquiry, however, is the proof that is obtained that fecundity is hereditary-in other words, that sheep by selection can be bred to yield twin lambs even- time. Tup investigation was made in the ea.sc of the Seotti-h breeds of sheep, of eourxc. but the experience, of a Hampshire breeder is giv-n, who. by select ion alone, lias It-en able to obtain a nop of 2CO lambs to .-wry 100 <■!«■;. There i.x the p.csihilily that som-limis one good lamb is b-ttcr lh.m two wi-aklings, and in tho c.is- of the hill br<x-<!ii of shei'p high f.e<ling is never practised at any time, but with the large, low country" kinds, n here heavy f.cding ami folding i> the rule, extra lambs, are cxptcteld and de sued. And now comes the piiiicipal ]«'int in th<-.-v recoiium ndation- vie., thai, tin- pow. r to yield two lamlx- p-r head ).- h<-redilaiy ami may h- improved bv >eli<:ii.n. The civ..- iambs from a /-we that always be.us twin- ale likely to be • wiiibe.u-r.» in their tuin. but Dr. .Marshall points ..ut that tie- miiiic principle applies to the lint lamb,. The fear that a twin will not In- strong and vigorous enough h.'i» det- lied many fr«m Mining r-ueh for ram-, but it is certain that rams of this description will bring most tuin lamb- in turn, and evideme is giv.-n to prove thi-. while .. bt!l- -Via fee.ling. ill their youth will h-lp to d< v.-lop jjtc.it. r ligiiur. I h- ic-ulls note,| above wcr<obtained by eiielll.il,, H;,ued !o about hfly tl"i-kma»l- i... A (UANT -CAlt'lttN " lie id ■!• glowing in Lam i."lii!'- on lijltmi'ii .-< ■ d gioiinds a: Warrington, a Miigi.- fi.it plant who-li sin pa•>,■:, by -.- «.■-. ■ r-ii liiiiidi>'d points am < ci- .i 1 e\.r piodu. ..-■! in' th- wo, id. T'| i,,g[. 1,.. i.l ...titan-, ■ few -holt of HNS) gi uiiv t.n i 11,,,,. ~.*■ many a- \i.ii will lind in the Ins; elope Tie plant >v a mot.- or k"i.» .<• e|,j. nu! it-Mib of th- origin.i! -i.-t-m of u iu- m..v be r.llb-.l aee.--.. rated . whlei, !,..'- I.. -Ii pia.!i~d on the— gioum'c !<•: ill-la-l 27 t.arv This p.-.t!i.ii!ar piod.gv has b.-„ ~!, t.eie-.: bv ero-v.ug lughlv d.-vcl.q-.i ~.,•, With the Wild oat. which lias ..11 iiv ..I eitl.tbl- eaj-i<!t_v f.-r b.umg t <.-•!-. Th ■<•

are small and useless, but the strange fact has been discovered that the wild oat may in creasing even enlarge the grain of the cross, us well as increase its number. This particular oat. it; but an extreme instance of the new productions in cereals of all sorts. It is an indisputable fact, though practical farmeis wilt have difficulty in believing it, that oa these grounds oat crops of 160 bushels to the acre—that is, twice the weight uf a high average of present crop;—have been reaped without any artificial manure or any intensive cultivation. It may be yeans before the most prolific of these grains come intto commerce: but a. juncture has been reached when a great part of the world has suddenly come to see that England is the greaUst plantbreeding country in the world, even greater in plant breeding than animal breeding. Especially in Denmark and the United States have, these scientific results at Warrington caused a sensation, and this pitch of certainty has been reached, that each country can get from England just what it. rcquirie—a. large ear, a short straw, or loose husk, or tight husk, or early maturity. Indeed. Canada is now being supplied with her chief requisite, a grain no less than 17 days earlier than those at present grown. ' ' The yield of some cereals has been doubled in the last 30 years. It may ba doubled again in the "next 30; and it. is a. legitimate source of national pride that one of the chief of_ American professors of agriculture has" reported to his Government that England leads the way in the new science of the fields, as it indubitably does in the breeding of animals.

ELECTRIFEID WHEAT. '- * It is thirty years since Lewslrom, the Swedish physicist, accidentally discovered that electrical currents had a stimulating effect on plant growth. Not a great deal of investigation has been carried out on this subject, but Sir Oliver Lodge describes in the London News some interesting experiments, conducted at Salford Priors, in which a wido extent of ground ■nr.-s subjected to electrical treatment. A field of about twenty acres was selected. Poles were erected to carry the wires, and over the whole field was stretched thin galvanised iron wires, supported by a sfew posts, in long parallel spans. The wi.reis were just high enough to permit ordinary field operations to be carried on without interference.. Positive electricity was supplied to these wires from a dynamo, driven by a small oil engine, and a transforming and rectifying apparatus had to be used to maintain an even supply of current. The current was supplied at a potential of about a hundred thousand volts, but, to compensate for this high figure the quantity of current was small. The experiments were conducted in 1906 and 1907. "Canadian Bed Fife wheat and English Whits Queen were sown on the electrified ground, cs well as on a similar plot not treated, and the results showed that the electrical treatment increased the production, by 30 per cent, to 40'" per cent. There was no marked difr.-rence in the ears, but the electrified wheat was shrubby and sent up many stalks. Strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes and mangolds all showed that they received substantial benefit from the electrical stimulus. Sir Oliver Lodge says that the electricity was supplied during the day and stopped at night. He thinks that it is perhaps harmful In very bright sunlight, and suggests that the current Siiould be used all day during spring and during dull weather, but only in the early morning during summer. The " fizzling" of the electricity from the wires is sometimes audible and a faint glow is visible iu the dark. Walking under the wires one feels a light brushing sensation, like that of a cobweb on the face. The cost of the.experiments,' by the wav, is not stated. x. u. a. THE MEAT TRADE. chilling v. freezing;.' ■;■ The following is a letter written by Mr C. J: Turner, chief refrigerating engineer on the s.s. liidralema, to the " Hawkes Bay Herald." The liidralema. called at Napier, and some hint led to the letter. -Tho process of chilling meat is now as applicable to mutton us to beef, because the care;tse cannot be stowed in heaps like sacks; they must be hung. Nevertheless the method of chilling bscf for long voyages will be read with interest, unci there may be "something hi it," for New Zealand, directly or indirectly:

It may hs of interest to many of your readeih to know tliat the opening up of the chilled beef trade from the Australasian colonies to England has now been rendered possible by a process which ha-.; Keen invented by Mr J. A. Linley, who has been experimenting for some years with this object in view. And the* plant has now 1 been installed in several freezing works in Argentina, and a regular trade carried on from there with meat carried under this process. The chilled beef trade from Argentina has been in vogue for imiuy veins, but previously the meat had to be carried at odeg. or 4deg. below freezing jKiint, and on arrival wa* in a partially frozen condition. Under the new system it is carried at lew than Ideg. below freezing point, and the meat on arrival is <!« soft, and fresh in appearance as newly killed meat. nm | u -j|J hang in the market for uever.il davs before being sold.

The tiu-it cargo carried was- in the An-glo-Argentino Steamship Company's steamer Uuardiana. under my charge,' and we carried it from Argentina to London, discharged part there, and proceeded to Liverpool, where a further quantity was discharged, and the tetnaimjer carried on to Harry and landed in splendid condition after having liecn on board for 19 day*, which is equivalent to a voyage from the Australasian colonies Home, and. as chilb-d beef fetches about 2d jier lb more on the market, mm com|»arcd with frozen beef, it will be seen ut a glance what an advantage it will be to colonial (shipper* to place- their meat on the Home market* iu a chilled condition, espeeiallv when the ■superior quality of colonial beef is con-sid-red in comparison to that of tlie Argon, tin.-. The main features of th* process are, iiist, the treatment of the meat aft-.-r.-killing to destroy any bacteria which may have- accumulated after the meat has been handled, washed, etr., and afterwards keeping the ,-,ir purified in th... *hipß ( .ham. I* is during the voyage. To carrv out the fiiM part of the p,0e,,-.s. the neat is hung in a .ham!*-!- titled with ihe >tcrilii.mg apparatus, which consist--* of n fan for"eirciilating the air. and a steam heater for •. v.ijH.raling tie- stcialbing fluid, foimalin. which i, simply a strong antWptic. A» th. formalin > evaporated, she fan carries the vapour into th- cliainlw-r and keeps it in eirciilaiion while it depi.-sits itiv.df on the meat, d-.stroving all b.uieiia. ami form* ■ -light skin on the meat, making it prac t really airtight. The M , :a . is t| K -ii ,-„ vei-d with eh.:|is. which are sterile-d at the s.im- tin,.-, and >,< then r--ady for .-hip. m-nt. Th- sleameis eairviug' the meal .ir- al»o litted with a fan and slcili-.,, but ill addition have two o'her boi.s, for pin ■ fvmg th- air during th- vovage. The tii-i box through whi-h th- air'p., ses i- iii|.-,| will, ~!-.. U> of .-hlolld- of eal.-illlll .., ar langed tint, the air e.tnnot paxs- ui!f M ,u-. ■oining in contact with them, and the-,- ..■»..!!. th- K .,,.., win,!, are given oi! bv meat cairi-d at a high b-mp. latlue. I: L> ih.-n ].a-v,l through th cud box which >- fitted w,th lead ,i.y, h . fMdving slotelv in a bath of •.ulphuiie .n e' uiii.b c.-uipl. les th- |.uritic.,tio|i by .tl»-«,rhiug any ga«-., which have cecap.-d "th- chloride ,',( ...!. mm . luiiili- r After ih,- ~i.. ,: has. b. en lo.obsl on th.- s-e.niier. tie- , h , m !, . d-.lr, are ,i.,.,-i a„.| ~ Mll .,|| e|1.,.-.- of the llif.lt !..".l.Mroy any bae!.-;;., w hi h may have be- n puked up an.-ing the linj: and stowmg of tb- m--a!. ..ml :..!] (hat - ! ; :rt: ii-.s-mi;. timing ! h- vuy.i-e «:!!

addition to the usual refrigeration, keeping the chamber, between. 31deg. and 31£ deg.) is to circulate, the air for about half an hour each day. the fan drawing the air from the chamber through the chloride of calcium and sulphuric acid boxes, and. after purifying, discharging it back, again, the. same air being used during the -whole of the.voyage. , t>ampkiJ of this.meat were submitted to several, of the most eminent analysts in Great Britain and to the Public Officer of Health for London, all of whom made favourable reports upon it and failed to detect the presence of anything injurious on the meat. The*Jollowing is an extract from the "Meat Trade Journal," of September. 19th, 1907:—"New Era in Ocean Meat Transit.—The tiic-t consignment of-chilled beaf brought, from Argentina, under the Linley preservation process, w put on Smithtield Market on Tuisday, and caused quite a colnraotioh. The opinion of several well-known experts who examined the meat at the stalls of the Swift Beef Company and Mr. J. \V. Curry were most'flattering. The beef, retain? its brightness and colour, or 'bloom,' as it is? termed, and has all the appearance of meat just recently killed. " If future'coiisignniente can b* landed in the fine condition of this trial delivery, a new vista, is opened for'all foreign and colonial meats.''