AGRICULTURAL ITEMS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXX, Issue 20165, 20 July 1935, Page 15

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS

BIG SHOW MEMBERSHIP The Hawke’s Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society now has a total membership of 2018. During the past ten years the membership has varied from 1789 in 1926 to 2160, which was reached In 1931 — the Royal show year. In that ten years the sum of £19,212 has been paid in subscriptions. Japanese Experiment A Japanese experiment in wool production, according to Mr C. H. Bertie, has enabled the substitution of a very fine merino wool on the backs of the normally coarse covered native sheep of Mongolia. If the experiment is successful Japan would soon have large flocks of sheep producing a fine merino wool. It was doubtful, however, that wool of this quality could be successfully grown In the East, with a climate so different from that of Australia. The Seven Yeax's Cycle “Egypt has held the recoi'd for at least 3000 years, so that unless the Dominion is out to break that record things must right themselves within the next two years,” remarked a supplier at the annual meeting of the Okau Dairy Company. The supplier, who has apparently made a study of his Bible, was mindful of the seven fat years and seven lean years of biblical history. The remark was made when In reply to a question as to when butter was going to rise. The chairman stated that it was rising now. Mai'ked Calves are Best Calves marked under the group testing system in the Gisborne district have produced better when brought to profit than the average cow of corresponding age. This is shown convincingly in figures made available by the secretary of the Poverty Bay Group Testing Association, Mr M. Whttham. In the case of mature cows, those which were marked as calves under the system have averaged 601 b of butterfat more than the average of all mature cows tested, while last season’s two-year-olds which were “marked” averaged 511 b of fat more than all the two-year-olds tested. These figures are based on statistics of production of cows 101 days and over during the past season. Life in Central Australia Salient features of life in Central Australia were touched on by Mr J. J. Waldron on his return to Melbourne from a 5300 miles’ tour, states the Age. Mr Waldron said graziei’s were experiencing a great season in the sheep country to the north of South Australia, and with wool at its present price they would make substantial profits. On the other hand, cattlemen to the west of Oodnadatta were fighting hard to save their stock from the effects of a four-year drought. At Alice Springs there was luxuriant growth, but in the west and centre of Queensland the plight of -domestic and native life was pitable. Carcases had been burnt in heaps, fenceswere down and the gates never closed.

Sub. Clover Supplies With New Zealand getting more and more “subterranean clover conscious,” it is to be hoped that in time we will be able to supply our own New Zea-land-grown seed for establishing pastures of this plant. At pi-esent all our seed supplies are obtained from Australia, and, from all accounts, our Australian cousins must be making quite a good little income from this Dominion. When speaking to farmers at Massey College recently, Mr W J. McCulloch, Fields Superintendent of the Depai-tment of Agriculture, mentioned this matter, and explained some of the ways in which the seed was harvested. Sub. clover is a prolific seeder, and, provided that farmers were prepared to go to the necessary trouble of harvesting the seed, there would be a very satisfactory return obtained. Italian Ryegrass This great annual grass promises to become the greatest of all our winter fodder plants. It throws a great wealth of succulent and most palatable food and if completely fertilised gives the most valuable food for the winter and spring months. But the right variety must be used. There is nothing to equal the Western Wolths variety of Holland. In maintaining and improving strains of this the Plant Research Station at Palmerston North could render an even greater service than it has done in developing improved strains of perennial rye. Italian rye 'is not only a wonderful winter grass for cows, but it will Drobably prove just as valuable for pigs. To grow Italian rye successfully in the dead months of the year it certainly should receive some nitrogen and, considering the need of animals at such time getting complete mineral matter, some potash should be applied. Wool Sales to Germany Great Britain this year has experienced large sales of semi-manufactures to Germany. Her exports of tops to that country from January to March were 8,687,0001 b. —an increase of 5,447,0001 b. on the 1934 total for the similar period, and much above other previous years. The shipments of worsted yams were 3,737,0001 b., displaying an increase of 956,0001 b. on the 1934 figures. Exports of British-grown wool were 5,158,0001 b. (an increase of 2,119,0001 b), noils 1,242,0001 b. (an increase of 128,0001 b.), waste 1,511,0001 b. (an increase of 175,0001 b.), and treated wool and skin wools 7,716,0001 b. (an increase of 6,066,0001 b.). Those commodities would be the property of English traders, who would relish the business, which also indirectly resulted in very bulky purchases of raw material in Australia by Yorkshire operators. By way of contrast, the re-exports of wool imported into the United Kingdom, which would largely consist of supplies at London sales, were 24,734,0001 b. less for the three months quoted than in 1934. Of late, German buyers have brought the staple more freely, but at earlier periods trading arrangements apparently induced consumers in that quarter to favour ti-eated wool and semi-manufactures.