THE AGRICULTURIST

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12066, 23 July 1917, Page 3

THE AGRICULTURIST

THE AGRICULTURAL IDEAL. Now and then wg seek to ease tlie strain of the war situation bv speculation as to what may happen to the world when peace comes ay a in—what) may happen industrially, commercially, socially. For some of us there is an alluring spell in meditation about, a possible agriculture. It is at least refreshing'to turn from a contemplation of the military ideal, so dominant and ao destructive, to tho agricultural ideal wholly constructive. The military ideal ha.s been on trial since the beginning of recorded history, and who shall say that it has been worthy of the race? One© upon a time there was an agricultural ideal, in a past so remote, however, that there remains 110 tradition even of how and when it was rreajted and developed. The Peruvian Expedition of 1915 of tho National Geographic Society and Yale University reports and describes a civilisation whoso masterpieces were not fortresses but fields, fields of built-up soil—a civilisation, an agriculture progressing from tillage to fertilisation and then to irrigation and at Inst to the artificial building of soil. Tho present natives are said to believe that tho fertile staircase farms were tho re&ilt of enchantment, if not the gift of the gods, but th 0 present-day practical scientist declares that only community organisation and advance planning can account for the marvel of agriculture in Peru. And so we are given leave to splcculato as to whether an agricultural ideal can again be created, can live again under tho conditions prevailing now, when the production of food and allied farming are clearly seen to be the underlying essentials in winning this world war, when agriculture is being recognised .universally, perhaps for the first* time, as. tho prime business of the race.

Peru gave to the world the potato. Spain took from Peru the fabulous wealth of the lncas, and her resultant splendour appealed to sentiment and to historians, but now comes the deliberate statistician to say that a single, year's crop of tho potato, totalling 6,000,000 bushels, much exceeds in value all the gold carried away by theconquerors of the lncas. Great is the soil \and great in ideals should be tho people to whom its use is committed.

"There is land enough for all. and when it shall have been divided into farms that are planned as Dr Bailey in "Tho Holy Earth" intimates they should be, and when the hind shall be used after the plan of the lncas with a highly organised social system, it will not be done with tho laborious expenditure of human labour as that old ideal was expressed, but, with steam, elec, tricity, steel, the miracle workers in other modern industrial arts. The people of the world are indeed :< ' hearts kindrud," and after a while the rulers of nations will get oMt of the way in order that tho people may work their world purpose. And this purpose, we may easily believe, is to incarnate the agricultural ideal. Agriculture is fundamentally important, pays the expedition botanist, because, "it constitutes the discovery of a way to live and to let others live, too."— "Breeders' Gazette." MANGEL CROP EXPERIMENT. An experiment recently tested nt iMoumabaki, of top-dressing mangel rrops with nitrate of soda at the rate of a hundredweight to the acre, was said to havo increased the yield by nearly 50 per cent. "With a view to proving the value, of this treatment in South Taranal>i, tho Government Fields Inspector, during the season just passed, arranged for trials on three crops, viz., nt Mr H. J. Berry's, at Kaupokonui, at Mr Johns's, Okaiawa, and at Mr Shanahan's, on tho Lower Glen Road (reports the Hawera "Star"). Unfortunately all of these experiments proved to bo failures, but thev cannot be taken as evidence that the treatment might not prove successful under proper conditions In Mr Berry's case mixed seen was sown, and this practienlly nullified tho value of tho test; at Mr Shanahan's the fertiliser was distributed over three-quarters of an acre instead of only one-third of an acre, agreed upon by the inspector, and at Mr Johns's tho crop faded altogether in its earlier stages. It was unfortunate that none of the experiments this year proved the value or otherwise of top-dressing a mangel crop with nitrate of soda in South Taranaki, but more exact and careful experiments will probably be conducted next season.

FARMING AT THE FRONT,

BRITISH ARMY'S AID TO FRENCH

(By W. BEACH THOMAS, in " Daily * Mail.")

WAR COB RESPONDENTS' HEADQUARTERS, FRANCE,

A new and fruitful occupation haft been found for our troops _when they retire for rest from the battle into the hospitality of French villages. They see about them fields sadly in need of hands; sometimes, now that the enemy has run away, sadly in need even of reclamation. Soldiers hero and there have always offered to lend a hand in the fields, but these occasional and partial efforts aro row becoming a regular part of lifo in lest billets. Our men and horses aro officially exercised in the work of production, and for that purpose released from a certain amount of puroly formal military routine. . There is actually in being attached to nn Army headquarters a sort of Department of Agriculture which is doing—in the most literal sense—yeoman work for French fields. If it is not turning the bayonet into the ploughshare, it is harnessing tho artillery horse to the f dough, using gun tractors to draw hreshing machines, and helping to the tillage of nearly a million acres. No single thing in France has given some of Us such genuino pleasure as tho sight of this wise, plucky and unselfish effort to heal tho maladies of war, even while war is at its height. Lot me give you a brief account of this "belle alliance," this fruitful cooperation between British soldiers and French farmers. The first definite command of Sir Douglas Haig's that pver came directly to my ears was an instruction to a photographer to take pictures of French men and women busy in, tfi9 fields. I have not the/least Idea whether tn*e Oommander-in-Ohief's deep admiration for these French workrrs and his perception of the vital value of their toil finally produced the new Department; but it stands, at any rate, For evidence of our Army's homelike interest in the land of France. Even at that date, a year ago, while searching For suitable views, I came upon more than ono picture of a British Tommy handling the plough and later piling ihe sheaves along with French children, their mothers and grandparents. In February of this year an excellent farmer—and soldier—who has owned

OUR PRIMARY INDUSTRIES. THE MAN ON THE LAND.

farms in parts of ths world as far apart as Australia and Sussex, formed a little Department of Agriculture, with branch offices. He himself was given an office in a specious town hall, where he is at the elbow of the Mayor, and can bo sure of the quickest and readiest help from French authority. His. method is this: Wherever British soldiers are at rest and can be temporarily freed from routine military work, they are asked to lend a band to any French farmer or cultivator who is short of labour. The_ work to be done is of all sorts and kinds. In some places, lately freed from the marauder, these men fill in trenches-, thus permanently reclaiming the laud, or pull up barbed wire; but the. more immediate need is to drag hack to cultivation the thousands of waste and fallow acres over which the enemy lias retreated or which are out of range of Lis gmis, and to help with acres from which the population has departed.

Tlie horses are more useful even than the men. and you may see many a, veteran artillery horse learning to plough and straightening out the land much more effectively than ever the shells upset it. By a simple system of dividing the work into areas, the system has rapidly extended, and by nextAugust the food supply of France will bo greater by many quarters and bushels for the assistance of our war horses and warriors. A great effort is to be diected to the production of crops for 1918.

The retreat, of tho enemy has given infinite scope for such labour, for the fields have been untouched. Rome crops, even of potatoes, have rotted in the ground, and everywhere behind tho German retreat you see the heaps of manure, put out on fields two years ago by French peasants, converted by time and weeds into green molehills. BRITAIN'S AWAKENING. AIDING AGRICULTURE. Tn August, 1910, tho British Prime Minister appointed a sub-committee of tho 'Reconstruction Committee, with tho following terms of reference: "Having regard to the need of increasing home-grown food supplies in tho interest of national security, to consider and report upon the method of effecting such increase." This subcommittee recently submitted a report, which is published in tho " Journal of tho Board of Agriculture," and the report stresses the need for a new agricultural policy, The sub-committeo savs that hy tho adoption of a complete policy hy the State, and by consistent persistence in it, a large proportion of tho foodstuffs imported into this country could bo produced in tho United Kingdom, and a large addition might bo made to the production of cereals and potatoes, not onb without a diminution of the prodiu ion of milk and meat, but with an actual accompanying increase of that production. While in the normal development of agricultural practice considerable increases in agricultural . output would result from education, better varieties of seed, greater diffusion of good stock and improved manuring, tho results would take timo and be limited in degree; and since very substantial increases are essential a bolder policy is required. Tho sub-committee state their policy in tho following words:—"The general average of farming must be steadily and continuously raised throughout tho United Kingdom; tho grass land and tho arable land alike must be more intensely cultivated; the improvement of live stock, for which landowners and farmers have done so much even through tho years of acute depression, must be progressive; much grass land must be reconverted into arable; tho sugar beet industry and the manufacture of potato products can bo introduced into British agriculture to its great advantage; estates must be managed with a single eye to maximum production; capital must bo attracted to the industrial equipment and improvement of the land and to tho operations of intensive farming: agricultural labourers must be, provided with an adequate supply of good cottages; small holdings, both of ownei-s and of occupiers, must he fostered to provide a 'ladder' for tho agricultural labourer and for the demobilised sailors and soldiers; tho organisation of agriculture must be developed; the country must bo permeated with a complete system of agricultural education; the status of the departments of agriculture must be improved and their powers enlarged and reinforced by association with existing agricultural and administrative bodies, both national and local. . . A basis of security and stability of the conditions under which agriculture is to bo carried out in the future must be the foundation of tho whole structure, and without it the increase of production cannot bo realised."

In the first placo the sub-committee recommend that the State should fix a minimum wage for tho ordinary agricultural labourer in each county, and in tho second place guarantee to tho farmer a minimum prico for wheat and oats. As there is probably no land in the British Islands which can growneither wheat nor oats but can grow barley, tho sub-committee consider that arable farming will be sufficiently safeguarded without a guaranteed price For barlev. With regard to a tariff, the sub-committco record their opinion that, if the State, for reasons of general policv, were to adopt a tariff on manufactured goods, then a tariff corresponding in degree (with the necessary differentiations between the products of the Empire, of allied and ot other countries) should be imposed, on imported foodstuffs such as dairy produce, meat and corn, and that special consideration should be shown to the produce of the more intensive forms or agriculture (of which fruit and hops and flax may be cited as examples) where tho capital invested, and tho annual expenditure in cultivation and the proportion of that expenditure on labour, are particularly large. In the opinion of the committoo it can never be compatible with national security, so long as wars are possible, to deprive agriculture of the stability of cereal prices, and it recommends a guaranteed minimum price of 42s a quarter for wheat and 23s a quarter for oats; but it suggests an initiatory increase of the guarantee m the, first two vears after the declaration of peace, their belief being that tho impetus which this temporary additional guarantee would give to the policy of the plough would be well worth the risk of a temporary additional cnarge, should there bo a drop in the after-war cereal prices.

WHEAT SHORTAGE

IN THE OLD WORLD.

By the reverse which was sustained by the winter wheat crop in America, the need for economy in consumption of breadstaffs in the United Kingdom was emnhasiaed not inb-K>ortune]j£. The

importance of the subject was recognised by the National City Bank of Now York, which usually publishes ati monthly intervals very well informed and well written circulars dealing with topics of current interest. The controllers of the institution, however, regarded the food problem as so urgent a matter that instead of waiting for the usual publication date the.v issxied a special letter devoted exclusively to a consideration of the subject mentioned. In this tho situation was thus succinctly summarised: —" All of Europe-—neutral as well as warring countries—has been placed upon food rations to eko out supplies until the new crop in harvested. This country entered the present crop year last July with 164,000.000 bushels of wheat, carried over from 1915, and in 1916 produced 482,000,000 bushels of winter wheat and 158,000,000 of spring wheat; total supply, 804.000,000. This year there will be practically no wheat carried ove>\ and the Government's estimate upon the winter crop forecasts a yield of only 430,000,000. On this basis the spring wheat crop m'.ist be 214,000,000 bushels larger than last, year in order to give nis a wheat supply equal to what we will export and consume in the crop year now closing. This is an alarming tfur.'.ook. Tho spring wheat crop is notoriously subject to weather conditions. Moi'o spring wheat should be sown, but it is doubtful it the wheat shortage can be mado up. Other food crops must be grown to meet the deficiency." Tho figures of the actual outturn of tho cereal havo undergone amendment since the foregoing was compiled, but the logic of the argument has not thereby been affected. DAIRY RECORDS. NEW SOUTH WALES TESTS. In the official milk and butter records in Xcw South Wales this month, a long list of records is published, including those of a number of Darbalara, cattlolmd also of cattle from the different Government experiment farms, writes Mr M. A. O'Callaghan in the Agricultural Gazette. Mr C. R. G. M'Donald, of Tngleburn, carrios the .Jersey flag to the front with his fine cow Exile's Brighton Queen. She gave 12,1421b of milk, which produced 75211) of butter. Phis is a record that will take some beating for a cow that was only three and a half years old when she started her test, especially when it is noted that she was giving over 251b of butter a day at the end of her test. This great producer is by that noted sire Brighton King (imp.). "When I first saw Brighton King at Mr Cox's farm, near Mudgee, T declared him to be the best Jersey bull I had seen up to that time in Australia. Mr M'Donald feeds his cows very liberally, giving 81b of concentrated fool daily and 41b of lucerne chaff in addition to natural paffoure. The natural pastures at Ingloburn, however, are not at all rich, and as the district is more or less subject to droughts it is absolutely necessary to hand-feed thero in order to get results. The Shorthorn returns are headed by that beautiful cow Empress, the property of Mr T. J. Young, of Bangalow, she having given Lhe exceptional record of In,07311) of milk, yielding 7361b of butter. This is the best performance put up by a Shorthorn under the official test to date. Empress was giving 2A lb of butter a day at the completion of the nine months 1 rest. Some very good records have been put up by the Darbalara, Shorthorns. Their average .i.s an excellent one, but thero are no record breakers in the list. Probably the performance of the two-year-old cow Melba 9th is the most creditable. A cow on her first calf that gives 93511b of m'ilk, producing 4711b of butter, is .something very exceptional, moro especially when it is borne in mind that on tho last day of the test she was giving over two gallons of milk a day, and nearly 1 Jib of butter. The three-year-old cow Melba Bth gave 11.2951b of milk, producing 51GH) of butter. This is a. performance of exceptional merit, especially when it i.s considered that this cow does not appear to have been hand-fed. The Darbalara alluvial flats, however, produce such a variety of rich pasture in a good .season that there is no necessity to hand-feed cows there except when a period of drought sets in, or during the. winter months.

For Ayrshirc.s Mr Prit chard's herd has done well, hi;; five-year-old cciv Orange Blossom giving 10,R-IBlb of milk, which produced 52611) of butter. Guernseys are. represented by Mr E. P. Perry's herd : his four-year-old cow Lavender pave Will) of but tor.

In all cases the milking period was 273 days except where otherwise noted.

THE FREIGHT PROBLEM

WARNING TO PRODUCERS,

Under the heading of "A Fools' Paradise," the " Otago Witness" recently issued the following summary of the meat export problem, embodying a warning to stock-raisers :

Tho writer invites settlers to consider seriously the following as bearing on their futuro action in regard to their stock-holdings. In New Zealand at tho present timo roughly there is on hand meat in works. 3,.500,000 carcases; wool, 1200.000 hales; cheese, 1,'30,000 crates: butter, 2.00,000 hoxes; besides huge stocks of tallow, pelts, hemp, etc. —sufficient for. say, fifty vessels. With luck we may have halt a dozen boats loading during the next two months, and unless some forty odd vessels fall from the. skies, there must be a tremendous carry forward. Last year, from January 1 to December 1. the quantity of meat shipped (translating beef to (501b carcases) totalled, say, 7.000,000 carcases. The New Zealand wool clip equals, say, (500,000 bales, l M that it is possible that in December this

year we shall find that tho stores contain about 3,000,000 carcases of meat and about 100,000 bales of wool, to say nothing about cheese or butter. If to tho estimated figures of the carry-over to next season is added the average of meat and wool produced the past two seasons, we find that tho ships have to lift in 1918 close on 10,000,000 carcases and 700,000 bales of wool, as well as tho coming season's cheese, butter, tallow, pelts, etc. Koughly, there are 24 000 000 sheep in New Zealand, and. with a lambing of, say, 8,000.000, vr& have a total of :Y> 000 000, out of which we use 2~000,000 and export 6,000,000 Jho sraco at present available totals under 5 000,000; but if 3,000,000 of this is occupied on January 1 (allowing 1 000.000 to bo shipped between Januarv and March, or, say, three or tour boats a month), it will take about '> 500 000 to fill the works, leaving some 3 ; 500',000 to be fed until space is available If shipping is even a shade worso next year we may have four to tour arid a,' half million more sheep to feed. Each and overv settler should consider very seriously'his futuro policy, and witii open eves deternmno what is the solution of the problem sot before him —viz. how best to conserve his own interests and avoid waste of foodstuffs which will be all wanted by our kindred later on. . . , It is evident that, owing to the lack of shipping it will be necessary to place considerable quantities of Induce in cool stores for long periods. The shortice is very apparent hero, as well as in Xustralia. The steps to be taken in Victoria directly should be, then-lore, of considerable, interest. A conference AV as recently held of those interested. Some of those present, indicated that thev thought it but fair that the government should assist in the provision of the necessary money to make extensions in storage, and guarantee them to some extent against any loss should hostilities cease suddenly and ordinary business be made possible. No guarantee, however, as to losses would be entertained; but money would be provided at advantageous rates ot interest Jt was found that some £.30,000 would provide double the storage atj Victoria docks, while an additional o0 per cent could bo provided ior £12,001). ]t was intended to use this additional space for the dairying industry in the storing of cheese and butter. It is intended to commence right away with the work of extending the cool stores n t Victoria docks. Attention is drawn to the abwo in order to impress Nert' Zealand producers' representatives here that the Commonwealth is hilly alive to the curtailment of steamers with rc-irio-erated space, and the urgent, necessity of preparing to hold produce indefinitely. There is a tremendous lot ot stuff in stores in the Commonwealth owned bv the Imperial Government at present, and there will be a clamour for steamers all round. The stores aro fnl' of Imperial wool, besides some ;},200,000 tons of wheat, which there is no chance of having moved this year-POLAND-CHINA PIGS. The Poland-China breed of pigs is popular in U.S.A. As a breed it originated in the Miami Valley, Butler County, Ohio, at the beginning of the nineteenth century. "Up to '.BIO tho Miami Valley contained two breeds of swine, the Russian (or Russia) and the Bylield. In 181 o the Society of Shakers introduced a boar and three brood sows known by the name of Big China, which were crossed with the lim-naiis. and the llyfields. The production c,f a breed called the Warren County pig wan the result. The name PolandChina was given to this breed at about 1800, although it had not been clearly shown that pigs of the Polish breed had entered into its formation.

The Poland-China is coarse, hardy, prolific and much larger than tho other ordinary breeds. It has a I road body, strong shoulders, .short legs, head and shoulders well squared, pendulous ears, short head, and eyes wide apart. This breed is now considered the best, bong the typical one for tho production of lard and obtaining the best prices in the market. The Western farmer is accustomed to graze his P'gs in the summer, and the Poland-China is well adapted to this practice. Tt attains a verv high! we'ght, 8801b to 11001b for' boars, 5501b to 8501b for sows, or sometimes even mor\ Its prolific character is indicated by the evidence of about 100 broed.-rs, which shows that each litter contains on an average 9.75 young. Litters cf fifteen have, been observed. Moreover, the Poland-China is one of the most longlived breeds ; tho case is cited of :i sow living for eleven years, (hiring which time she had nineteen litters and a total of 189 descendants. Some sow ! CLYDESDALE HORSE SOCIETY. The sixth annual report of this society states, inter alia, that i he document boars witness to the. apathy of many one-time breeders of the Clydesdale to their own best interests. r lbe market in Australia is still very v.vak, but there are not wanting signs that if our stud masters will take across oidy horses of size and substance their selection will meet with a ready sale. Owing to th heavy demand of the Defence Department on the services of the Government veterinarians, very few animals have been examined under tho society's scheme, of optional veterinary inspection of studs. The number of animals examined is row 420. During the year a considerable number of our younger members have gone on active servico, and a feu- cf bho older generation, having retired from farming, have resigned. Entries are'now being received for the third volume ol the Stud Pook. 'Jlie bronze and silver affiliation medals were competed for at twenty-four shows of rffiliatcd societys during the year. In some districts the competition for there medals was very keen, and the conditions under which they are olferod, and which were, specially framed with 'bat, end in view, have been the means of encouraging breeders to compote, who had not hitherto taken any interest in their shows other than as spectators. Tho good that this competition will do in broadening the appeal of the restrict shows is so patent that the. newly-formed

Australian Horse Society has agreed to adopt tho scheme for Australia. According to th© rules of the society eight members of council retire annually—four from each island. There were no fresh nominations.

POLLED AYRSHTRES. A. correspondent of the Glasgow "Herald" writes :—There were exhibited in April at Blnirnioro Farm, Blairmore, Argyllshire, seven cattle, which mav bo termed " Polled Ayrshire." They have all the points and milking qualities of Ayrshire cattle, but have no horns, and when tho cows or queys (heifers) are mated with Ayrshire bulls the calves may bo expected to be always polled. Tho original cow was purchased in Strachur district, by tho late. Mr Robert Caldwell, the former tenant of the farm. My reasons ior bringing this note before cattle breeders are that some of them may find in these cattle the basis of a breed ot Polled Ayrshire for the dual purpose oi meat and milk production as they are tho nearest approach to any dual purposo variety of cattle 1 have ever seen, and are first-class milkers. Perhaps we mav hear further of the breed after the sale should they fall into a brooder s bands and be crossed by Red Polled or milking Galloway or Aberdeen-Angus bulls. It might be interesting to f-ee the results of such a mating in forming a new breed of Polled Ayrslnres. "WAR TAX ON DOGS. A Kentucky reader who believes that "nothing is "so much a luxury as a dog" urges a. war tax of £2 on each dog, for raising revenue and discouraging'the keeping of dogs. He figures, and quite accurately, that less dogs would mean more sheep, and also more food for animals which better deserve upkeep. Through the increase of flocks material for much needed food and clothing would be promptly provided. The reasoning is without a flaw, says an American paper. No more certain and expeditious addition can be made to seriously needed production than the multiplication of flocks. Beyond any kind of denial the cur dog is the most repressive influence on the expansion of flock husbandry.. It has been earnestly urged that the eradication of the tick bo made a war measure, in order ttia't'the south may be aided in assuming the part in beef and milk production which it must necessarily play. With even greater force may it be urged that the elimination of the useless uncontrolled cur be made a war measure.

Legislatures are in session in a number of State.?. Have farmers gone their limit in. demanding dog-law legislation? The, farm press ha.s not failed in its duty. Ifc lacks merely the, effort of the, farmery, directed point-blank at legislators. A more opportune occasion never presented itself. "Dogs are consuming tons of food in the aggregate, that should be used to .sustain rentpaying animals. Wo are slowly awakening to the fact that sentiment' and precedent must yield to stern necessities in our economies. A ricli woman in a London hotel ordered a, whole roast bird for her pet lapdog and not even the excessive price demanded stopped the order. Soldiers afield and workers at home were in real need of food. The hotelkeeper was required to roast a bird for the useless little beas-t or lose a pairon. This extreme instance illustrates well the point. A £2 tax would be paid by owners of dogs which on the farm or in hunting Held yield some sort of profit. Jt would eliminate the uncontrolled useless cur, with his waste of needed food and his sheep-killing, stock-worry-ing possibilities. Legislators are manifesting a disposition to do some foolish things, all under the hysteria into which preparedness measures have driven some of them, but an elimination tax on useless dogs would classify among the sane legislative policies. AGRICULTURAL NOTES. The. dry spell experienced, lately has caused apprehension in tho minds of some Canterbury farmers, who decla.ro that nor-westers in .July have often preceded very dry spring and summer. Tho heavy downpour which set in during tho night should help to allay their lea rs.

Tho season that is being experienced is one of the best on record (observes tho Wanganui "Chronicle"). The mildness of the weather is such that in all parts of the country there is spring growth. " I have known of men asking £4 a week to go and work on a. dairy farm," said Mr F. Mander (Mars-den) in tho Mouse of Representatives. Mv Dickie (Selwyn) is to fl.sk tho Minister of Agriculture whether, in view" of tho scarcity of artificial manures in tho Dominion at thci present time, he will agree to allocate to the carriago of such manures awaiting shipment in Australia part of the space that has been .arranged for the carriage of Australian wheat to New Zealand?

The War Emergency Committee of tho [loyal Agricultural Society of England has passed the following resolutions:—l. In viow of tho serious outlook with regard to tho natural food supply, tho committee: strongly urgH agriculturists—landlords, farmers, and labourers—to mako us© of all reasonable facilities now offered, hy tho Government for tho cultivation of the land, especially in thei employment of the labour released from the Army, women's labour and machinery. 'J. Tho committee entertain grave apprehension as to' the effect on agriculture- of tho new Bill now being brought before Parliament/ with reference to the medical rc-exam.ina.tion of men of military age. In view of the already .serious depletion of skilled men on the farms, and the_w,asto of time involved in their re-examination, the. committee urge that all exempted and medically rejected men engaged in agriculture should be specially excluded fiom the operation of fcho Bill. '.i. The committee urgo tho Board of Agriculture to givei ;an assurance to farmers at the earliest possible moment thai the price which they wi'l he allowed to charge for their out put. oi 'milk next winter will be such as will giv • ;« reasonable p folio upon the cost, of production. Such an assurance is essential lor tho encouragement of milk production. f'he need lor further research workin agricultural chemistry was emphasised at the conference 'of the Council of Agriculture. Mention was made of tlie great economic Jo.ss rending from waste in certain industri: .<;. One speaker said that wool grease, from which lanoline was derived, was no: utilised. Professor Hilgendorf affirmed that valuable reports of scientific research already carried out had been persistently pigeon-holed, instancing in particular thoso in connection with flax and coal. The conference decided to urge the Government to publish the reports, so that practical advantage could be taken of tho information afforded.

As a result of the floods on the Taicri last month water is still lying in hulk on the central portion of the plain, states the Dunedin "Star." Roughly speaking, there is an area of five miles long by a mile and a half wide; thus submerged, to a depth varying from a. foot to two feet. This is the central and ■western portion of the Taicri. The stage is now reached at- which pximps can materially contribute to tho removal of the water, and they wero started this week, and are going night» and day. In some parts of the East Taieri, where the water quiokly receded 1 , grass has grown Already to a height of three of four inches. The general result of the floods, however, is immense deterioration of tho land, because tho owners Avill get no use of it for ever so long. Soma of the floded land coslti £36 per acre.

Tho most important incident in Par-

liament on Thursday was a very brief statement by the Prime Minister -with regard to shipping. Mr Massey wa.s asked if he had heard thait some 'of tho seventeen insulated ships promised to load in New Zealand before the end of September would be diverted. He replied that he had no reason to belieVa they would be diverted, but he ought to tell the House that he had received communications from the Imperial authorities who AVerc not optimisitie about being able- to maintain tlie supply of ships for the Australasian trade after September. He could say no more at present. Th 0 statement was regarded in the House as a serious one in view eif the heavy accumulations of frozen produce.

Tho frequency with -which farmer appellants stress the importance of erecting now fences and patching U p ohl ones brought forth a remark from Captain Walker, military representative, during a. Bitting of the First Wellington Appeal Hoard, at Pahnerston North. He said that soni© appellants appeared to attach unnecessary importance to the state of their fences. "Do you think tho Kaiser will wait till your fences are repaired?" he asked an appellant. The latter was not certain on the point.