NOTES FOR FARMERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5501, 28 February 1896, Page 4

NOTES FOR FARMERS.

The heir of the house of M'Cormick, of reaping machine fame, a millionaire, was recently married to the eldest daughter of Rockefeller, the oil king, -whose dowry is reported to have been thirty million dollars. There is a fashion in potatoes, strange to say. The French people fancy only those kinds that have yellow flesh ; others like the white-fleshed kinds ; others prefer round tubers, and others the oval, and . some the flat, kidney-shaped. Mr Sutton 1 mentioned one excellent variety of superior flavour and the finest table qualities, -which, being introduced into France, was rejected solely for its pure white flesh. Meat inspection made rapid progress in the United States during the past year. According to the annual report of Secretary Morton of the [Departure of Agriculture 18,576,000 animals were inspected at the slaughter houses compared with 12,944,000 the previous year, an increase of about forty-three per cent. During the same year 5,103,000 live animals were inspected at the various stock yards. Total cost of jinspection 262,731d01. During the fiscal year 1895 more^than 45,000,0001bs pork were micros•copically examined and exported, this ;being chiefly the output at Western packing centres. When the Special Commissioner of the Sydney Morning Herald and Sydney Mail, Mr J. P. Dowling, was recently in London, he was invited to contribute a paper to the Society of Arts, and chose for his subject, " Australian Prospects in British Markets." The paper was completed when at sea on board the Ormuz, and duly forwarded to the Secretary of the Foreign and Colonial Section, K who, in a letter to the Agent -General, Sir Saul Samuel, desired to convey the thanks of the society to the author for so promptly fulfilling his promise. It is proposed, to read the paper in April or May next, and Sir Saul Samuel has kindly acceded to a request to take the chair on the occasion. It is stated in the correspondence that the paper will be published in the Society's journal. An undertaking which has for its object the benefiting of small tenant farmers in pastoral districts has recently been brought to a successful issue in North Wales where a landowner has erected on his estate an abattoir where the farmers of the surrounding district can send their cattle and sheep to be slaughtered and dressed for market. By this means the farmer is not only able to dispose of his stock at the., time when it is in best I condition, but he is able to participate in the advantages of the special railway rates for large quantities of produce. An i important detail in connection with this ! abattoir is a refrigerating chamber in [ which the meat is chilled before being I despatched, so that it may be in the very best condition when it arrives in the ! market. A suitable lairage is provided for j the reception of the animals in the ! immediate proximity of the slaughter house. The latter is fitted up in the most i approved style, so that a very small staff of j butchers is able to prepare a considerable I number of animals with comparative ( ease. ; " The Irish bacon-curers have ascerS tained" says the Australian Farm and Home, " that the old-fashioned custom of ' spaying sow pigs has been discontinued to > a very large extent, and have given notice , that on and after Jan. 1, 1896, they will not j purchase the sows that have not gone I through the operation. At the present . time the competition between foreign and Irish bacon is so keen that everything must be done that will improve quality* and as the flesh of spayed animals is decidedly superior, the practice must be again resorted to. Moreover, unspayed sows cause great damage and hindrance to growth of those feeding with them, thus inflicting unnecessary loss upon both feeder and curer. The bacon-curers press this point on the immediate attention of all pig-breeders, as it is a matter of very great importance to the whole trade." Later on the article deals with the question of the prevention of consanguinity, or close breeding, and on this point the writer remarks : — " The evil effect of close breeding shows itself sooner in the case of pigs than in any other of our domestic animals, and therefore fresh blood is most essential • In practice it will be found that a wellshaped pig can be reared, fed, and brought in a shorter space of time to a greater weight upon a smaller amount of food than a mongrel-bred one ; while the bacon and ham cut from the carcase of a well-bred pig are superior in quality, and command a higher price in the market."