COMMERCIAL

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13807, 19 January 1909, Page 4

COMMERCIAL

WAIMATE SALES. Messrs WalL and Rickmau. AVaimate, report tipon their-usual weekly sale as follows:—An entry of 53 weaners and store pigs came forward, all of which were sold at tlie following prices: Weaners 8s 6d. ,10s, lis 6d, 13s, ,14s 6d toil's 6d; small stores 18s. 19s 6d, 20s. to 23s 6d; porkers up to £2 4s. I'ouy mare £9, double seated buggy £ls, set spring cart harness £2 12s 6d, set light harness £3 2s 6d. Poultry—Hens Is to. Is Id, roosters Is 3d to Is 9d, chickens 9d. Produce, new potatoes from Ad to Id, onions from ljd to 2d per lb :: cauliflowers 3d to od, cabbages 3d, chick wheat lis to 14s, oat sheaf chaff 3s, oats 8s to 8s 6d, straw chaff Is 4cl, at. per sack. Fruit, oranges' 4s 6d to as, peaches 2id to 3d, plums 2d. A large assortment of sundries and furniture sold at full market prices.

PEST AMONG CROPS Per Press Association.

CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. IS

Mr A. MacpherSon, . South _ Island supervisor of agricultural experiments, some time ago sent specimens of affected oats from the Otaio portion of the St. Andrews district. South Canterbury, which on being submitted to Mr-T.'W. Kirk, Government biologist, were found to be affected with oat mildew. Mr Macpherson has now discovered that the same fungus is prevalent in the Rangiora district, and that the yield will be seriously affected. Mr Kirk says that the mildew,. which is a fungus, is worst in crops that have boon thickly sown, and, under those conditions, it may prove disastrous to the crop attacked. The fruit of the fungus is produced on the under sides of the leaves in long chains of spores, which blow about'with great ease.» '1 am sorry to say," Sir Kirk states, '"that there is no practical means of controlling this disease amongst large crops of cereals. Spraymg being impracticable, the destruction of the straw after harvesting is one of the best means of avoiding the recrudescence of the disease next year, lie most effective way is to spread tlie straw over the stubble so as to burn all affected portions of the plant, then plough as soon as possible. Up to tne present time this mildew has not been as destructive as it is in various parts of Europe and America. In Southern Russia it has been found that ciim sowings,' although yielding less, suiter far less than those which ar C sown thickly."