Agricultural Items.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5281, 11 June 1895, Page 4

Agricultural Items.

Canterbury Tim xne committee o! the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association has bowed to the weight of evidence that was brought against; thoir grand stand proposals. They have at last had to recognise, what we have endeavoured all along to get them to see, that a stand can be built at such a cost as to be a sure source of profit. If the stand and luncheon-rooms can be combined, well and good; it will be a considerable saying of valuable space, though posßibly not much in the coat of building. Oneßubßtantialbuilding.however, will be much more satisfactory in the long run than two of a lighter and less durable construction. It ia nob necessary now, we feel sure, to adduce evidenoe of the necessity for a stand, but it may be mentioned, aa a well-known fact, that year by year numbers of women are deterred from risiting the chow by the absence ot sitting accommodation. In addition, therefore, to the direct revenue from the stand an increase in the gate receipts may be expected when the stand gives rest and shelter to those whose strength is not equal to a long day's perambulation of the show ground's, as well as to those who are willing to 'pay, for the right to occupy a coign of vantage from which to witness eotue of the most popular features of the show.

There are very few who are interested it the success of the dairy industry in New Zealand but will regret that the negotia tionß for securing to the colony the ser vices of Mr J. B. M'JBwan, the Canadiat dairy expert, have fallen through. W< are in entire sympathy with those who an endeavouring to induce the Government to reconsider the matter, and we hopt their representations will have the deeirec effeot. We are aware that from theoutse' there have been difficulties in the way of en gaging achief dairy expert, but hoped tha they had been overcome, and tru«t tha they and the new difficulty that haa ariaei will be disposed of satisfactorily. Taking the salaries paid in Canada as a basis i can scarcely be that the demand. mad< upon the New Zealand Government wai greater than could be conceded, especially as thiß Government has shown a disposicioi to liberality towards its employes in th< field of dairying. A flret-rate expert, o: courao, commands a good price ; but it ii a firßt-rate man, and nothing less, that ii wanted here, and it is admitted tha Mr M'Ewan meets the requirement. Thi industry is of such magnitude that a verj little geneial improvement in the produc would pay a hundred fold the cost of ai expert; the improvement must be mad* and can only result from efficient instruc tion ; theretore an instructor of the highesi qualifications must be obtained — if not Mi M'Ewan, then some one else equally com

petent. The travelling dairy ia a eupceßafu feature of Ontario agriculture. Tin Ontario Government's latest departure ii to eend out a travelling spraying outfil in charge of experts, who visit all section! of the province, giving practical in&truc tion in the ait of spraying. Two 01 three yeara ago the Ontario Govern-

ment took in hand to improve me cheese-making industry. . They gave aid to cheese factories, and the result hat been that an immense export trade in cheeße has been built up, reaching ovex .£3,000,000 per annum. A few years ago this trade was a minus quantity. They have instituted a vigorous campaign to enlarge the butter trade, and now cornea an attempt to improve the apple crop. Ontario ie a wideawake agricultural community, Rud Now Zealand will Ao well to take example therefrom in more subjects than dairying. . A remark which was made under the heading "Frozen Meat," in the report upon the Home markets, in last week's Canterbury Times, calls for the careful consideration of every farmer. It points out. that in future, on the London market, only two classes of frozen mutton will be recognised by the trade, namely, " Prime Canterbury "—the best — and "Australian and Argentine," with wbi.h all New Zealand mutton not up to "Prime Canterbnry " quality will be classed. It now becomes, therefore, more than ever imperative that farmers shall produce the beßfc. The London salesmen complain that even " prime North Canterbury " mutton is not so good as it should be, and that the secondary qualitie, light weight New Zealand mutton, are out of favour with the retailers, who prefer the neater and better grazed Australian and Argentine sheep. Then as regards the heavier mutton, the Down croa6es from the Argentine have established! a reputation for quality which will bring them, dead or alive, into competition with the best New Zealand sheep. At all points there are distinct signs that a general improvement in the breeding and feeding of New Zealand sheep must be effected if our mutton is to retain for "prime Canterbury," and regain for other qualities, its former pre-eminence. One of the most important of the services which the United Stateß Government . performs for farmers and others interested in agriculture is the publication of weather reports and warnings and bulletins of the state of the crops. The National Weather Bureau and tbe State Weather Services throughout the country collect and publish in bulletin form, from week, to week during the soason of planting, cultivating and harvesting of crops, the prevailing weather conditions and their effects upon farming operations and crops. All State Weather Services are branches of the National Bureau, and the general plan of work, in the several States, is practically identical. The bulletin, besides giving ! a brief telegraphic summary from each ' State Weather Service centre, contains a series of four charts, showing respectively for each week (1) lines of maximum and minimum temperatures, (2) departures from normal temperature, (3) departures

rainfall. These charts m connection with the Bummariea of the reportß furnished by more than 10,000 special correspondents throughout the United States supply to all classes interested in agriculture-producer, consumer and dealer alike-accurate and impartial information as to the actual ! weather and crop conditions from week to ' week throughout each season. The daily weather reports and waraingß are posted at each post office and telegraph and mil* way station for public information. Another of the United Stateß Government'a aids to agriculture is of much less service than the National Weather Bureau. This is the seed distribution division of the Department of Agriculture. We recently : gave some particulars of the manner m ; which this institution was worked by the | legislators for the purpose of ingratiating i themaelveß with their constituents, with the result that its object — the obtaining of trustworthy information from practical farmers regarding the value of new plants and varieties— was completely lost sight of. It now appears that an even greater abuse of the institution i 8 practiced. The Secretary of Agriculture has obtained inforation that members of Congress had been disposiag of seeds in a way other than was contemplated by law. The agent for the seed division brought to the secretary the written order of a member of tbe Eouee of Representatives for his entire quota of seeds, which he sold to tbe department agent for 75d015. The full quota of seeds furnished a member of Congress by the department consists on an average of 1400 packages flower seeds, 15,000 packages of vegetable seeds and eighty-two quarts of field seeds, grasses, &c. The total cost of the quota to the department ia between £45 and M 0 sterling, so that the legislator Bold tbe seeds for not more than one-third of their value. No wonder that Secretary Morton is making an effort to abolish the free distribution of seeds. There has been

a little free distribution of seeds in tbis country, but though it may not always j have been justified by the results there j have been no abuses euch as those which have been practised at Washington. One of the plants of which seed was distributed by the New Zealand Department of Agriculture for experimental cultivation was the Laihyrus Silvestris. This much-boomed and costly seed was tried in many part* of the country, and, though in some situations a good growth was obtained, it is now safe to say that as a forage plant this variety of the wood-pea is a failure. The same conclusion, it may be mentioned, has been come to by some of the American experimental stations, after three years' trial. This result may serve as a warning against other attempted booms in exotic plants, the latest of which is that of "the new forage plant," Baoaline,(PoZt/oonum Sachalinense) which ia being widely advertised as producing from 90 to 180 tons of green forage per acre in one year. The seed iB offered at the modest prioe of 10s per ounce, and plants at Is each, or six for one dollar (of course the vendors are citizens of the States). Of course, also, numerous testimonials are published, but they are almost without exception based on what iB said of the plant, only an occasional plant having been grown. The reverse eide ia seen in an unsparing condemnation of the Sacaline by a writer in the Rural New Yorker, who eaye that though rapid of growth it is nseles3 for feeding, and more difficult than the Canadian thistle to

eradioate. This is dearly a case in which authentic information from practical growers should be awaited before the plant ia introduced to our farms; It is also worthy of notice that cr uiaon clover (trifolium incarriatum), which has very high credentials as a fodder plant, is not uniformly successful* At the Western New York station it was,, endorsed as a most valuable plant, while at the Pennsylvania station it was i condemned as a failure, the fact being, according to an authoritative writer, that this variety of clover requires a warm climate to be Bucoeßßful.

) Our recent remarks upon the scarcity of - fat cattle in the American markets is borne ' oat by a telegraphic despatch stating the position of tbe supply, at the beginning of April last, at one of the Nevada centres of the beef trade. It reads— "Not for ten years has this State been co free of beef • cattle as at present. There is hardly a beef steer for sale in Nevada, Grant County, Oregon, or that portion of Cali- , fornia lying eaat of the Sierra, when last . year at thia time there were folly 25,000 head seeking a market on the western aide : of the mountains. Eastern buyers have < cleaned up all the beef cattle in this section, and stock cattle have gone up about ' 2dols a head* There is. a better feeling among the cattle raisers now than for ten : years past." ■ Beports such as this show ; the possibilities that are in store for ship- j menta of live cattle from Australia to London. i

According to one of their beat authorities, " American growers have not a hopeless straggle before them in their competition with other wheat • producing countries. Wages are certainly againßt them, and, of course, any decrease in the rate of farm wages will be obtained at a corresponding loss to the labourer. Bat in the application of energy, , inventive genius, thrift, enterprise and the direction of intelligent methods, we have opportunities of excellence. Two very important elements in the situation are the building of the Nicaragua canal and the open ing of the Columbia river. In neither of these adventures are the American farmers interested aB they Bhould be, and it ia doubtful whether these great enterprises will ba carried out in any way which will benefit the American producer." Other -nations than that of the stars and etripeß are practising energy, thrift and so on, and it is a question now of the cheapest production.