FARMING NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, 5 August 1921, Page 7

FARMING NOTES.

The Hannui factory will be open to receive milk in about a fortnight’s time. “Agriculture is the oldest of all sciences. Adam was an orcliardist. ” said a lecturer at Ruakura last week. Several landed properties have recently changed hands in the Manawatu district at satisfactory figures. The Rangiotu Dairy Company, 'Manawatu), has disposed of its coming season ’s output of cheese at 10|d f.0.b., Wellington, to overseas buyers. A dairy herd sold at Glen Oroua last week comprising Jersey and Jersey cross, realised the satisfactory average of £lO 2s per head. There is very little movement of line stock either into or out of Wairarapa just now beyond the usual consignment of stores, which are now chiefly to Waikato. -Mr John Cameron, who during the last 12 months has been dairy instructor for the Glaxo factory, Mata Mata, has been promoted to the position of chief dairy instructor for the Glaxo Manufacturing Company of New Zealand, whose factories are in the Waikato and Manawatu districts. The South Island Potato Growers’ Association has decided that a representative visit all North Island and West Coast consuming centres, and make as complete arrangements as possible for getting growers’ crops into consumption, as direct from farm to consumer as possible.

At the annual meeting of the Omata (Taranaki) Dairy Company, the chairman stated that the prospects for casein for the coming season were not too bright. Last year they stood to lose nothing, as casein was sold on a butter-fat basis, all working expenses being paid.

The following resolution, which was proposed at the Farmers’ Union Conference, was described by the Presidon (Mr W. J. Polson) as impossible, extraordinary, and ridiculous:—

all cases of criminal charges or otherwise, pertaining to land and farmers, especially in cases of stock lifting, etc., be tried by a jury of farmers and not by a common jury.”

At present there are four sailing vessels, including two of the largest in the world, in New Zealand ports to load wool for the British markets. These vessels will take from this country 40,000 to 45.000 bales of wool, at freights much cheaper than those being quoted by the steamship lines. The steamer’s average passage is about 42 days, that of the sailing ship about 90, and the wool owner, buyer or grower, who is shipping by sailer cannot tell what wool will be worth three or four months, hence, whereas he knows wnat it is worth today, and probably its worth in six weeks’ time. If the market improves by the time the sailing vessel arrives Home with the wool, then the shipper will have done well; if it is about the same as it is now, then some 12 or 14 weeks’ storage will have been saved by shipping the wool in a sailer.

A reduction of 3d per lb has been made in the retail price of certain butter produced by one of the largest companies supplying the Auckland market. The reason given for the reduction is the exceptionally large output for this time of the year, and the great uncertainty of the London market. The late season’s make, when tne pastures are bare, is never quite as good as that made in the flush of the season, and it is desired to dispose of as much as possible of it in view’ of the present position of the market. The reduced price of 2s per lb for this grade of butter does not affect the price of the ordinary standard lines, which remains at 2s 3d per lb.

The seagull is becoming an object of suspicion among the pastoralists ef the back country (says the “Lyttelton Times”). On some of the stations it is considered that this hitherto unsuspected bird is a rival of the kea as a destroyer of sheep and lambs. His guilt has not been definitely proved. In many cases “where the carcase is there is the seagull also.” In the back country nicre are colonies of seagulls which make their homes on the riverbeds, and probably never visit the seaside. They pick up their living from the rivers, and in the season they may be seen following the ploughs and making a royall feast of the worms and grubs which arc turned to the top. It is said that the eggs of the inland seagull are much more palatable than those of its seagoing sister, as they have not the strong flavour which, is induced by a fish dipt. The suspicion that a mutton or lamb course is taking the place of fish on the menu of the riverbed bird may result in this graceful and picturesque raider becoming decidedly less popular in the backblocks than he has been in the past.