FARMING NOTES

Wairarapa Age, 18 November 1919, Page 7

FARMING NOTES

-~t?attle fair at Masterton to-day,

Mr G. E. Alleii, of Taratahi, left yesterday for Hamilton, where he will judge the Komney Marsh. sheep. Many of the settlers in the Mauriceville and Hastwells districts have this season killed the calves of their dairy herds in preference to rearing them. Yielding from 10 to 12 quarters to the acre, a crop of oats grown- by a "Whittlesea smallholder is the "record" yield per acre for a corn cr<ip so far reported to the Imperial Board of Agriculture this year. Quite a number of dairymen supplying to the Mauriceville Dairy Company separate their own milk and send tSe cream "to the factory in order to retain the skim milk for their..- calves and They, of course, do not participate in the divi- ( dends from the casein. A difference of opinion exists, now that pigs and .young» cattle are a big price, whether it is-not a losing pfoto receive' threepence per pound more for butter-fat and receive in return whey instead of skim milk. a» substitutes were cheap there would be little argument, but this is not the case. The lownesß of the tests at the various butter and cheese concerns in Utßa district this season owing to the backward condition of the "cows is likely to materially decrease the size of suppliers' cheques.' In some factories the tests are two points bei6w those registered at this time last year. A ulnque device for keeping the night's milk fresh has been" installed by Mr • Hansen (a returned soldier) at "his farm on Smith's Line, Hastwells. The contrivance consists of three "agitators," one of.;, which is pTaced in separate cans o&milk and worked up and down by* a flow of wate rinto a scuttlo shaped receptacle; When the scuttle is filled *t automatically empties, and this emptying and filling goes on throughout the night with an even regularity. • his agitation prevents the cream rising to the top, assists the.gassee to exude and keeps the milk perfectly fresh, thereby ensuring a higher test.

The problems in front of New ZeaI land in getting its frozen meat i shipped away after the present arrangement with the Imperial authorities comes to an end were again referred to by the Prime Minister (Mr. W. F. Massey) during his visit to tho North. He reiterated his statement concerning the difficulty that might be experienced in getting ships if New Zealand had to market its own meat, and said he had just had a reassuring cablegram which to a certain extend relieved his mind. The Argentine and Australia were both negotiating with the Imperial authorities to take their meat,; and if New Zealand were' left out the position undoubtedly would be full of, difficulty, but the Imperial authorities had now assured Elm that whatever was done for the Argentine and Australia would be done for New Zealand. The three countries would be placed on an equality. He thought it would be wise for the producers to accept the Home authorities' offer to take 'the meat—providing the offer was made. He strongly edvised that course in regard to meat. He would say nothing about butter and wool, but in his opinion it would be advantageous if the British Government would take our meat for another twelve months.