Agricultural Affairs.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 4697, 13 August 1904, Page 3

Agricultural Affairs.

The Capetown authorities are going to allow the importation of Argentine cattle (to be slaughtered immediately on arrival) during a probationary period of three months, after which, if no oases of foot and mouth disease have been reported, live stock may be landed after a short term of observation.

It is evident (says the Pastoralists ’ Review] that a large number of New South Wales stook-owners intend to try for a second lambing from about 1,250,000 ewes. If the attempt is successful the percentage of lambs will be considerably raised. Out of a total of 14,670,655 ewes in the State, 13,362,305 will later on be put to the ram, the difference being unsuitable for breeding purposes. The price of beef in the Sydney shops (says the Australian Meat Trades Journal) is from 5d to 8d per lb; yet Australian beef is quoted in London wholesale at 2£d per lb. A cable offer has arrived in Sydney offering to land 2000 tons of Argentine frozen beef of high quality either in Melbourne or Sydney at a price slightly over 2d per lb.

The Meat Trades Journal states that scientific tests in substituting treacle for oat and other cereals in feeding horses have yielded surprising results, and that as a horse diet there is magic in treaole. With the syrup the horse rapidly takes on solid weight, develops prodigiously in muscular energy, grows a glossy coat, and enjoys uninterrupted health. It is therefore declared to be both a tonic and health food, and reduces the oost of horse maintenance over 25 per cent. The newly-installed dry milkj plant at the Makino Dairy Factory has (says the Palmerston North Times ) given most satisfactory results. The necessary supply of milk is being received from farmers in the vicinity of Makino, and the plant is kept running daily. It can deal with 70 gallons per hour. Farmers express their willingness to supply milk constantly, as, with the increased price received, they consider it more profitable than to supply a creamery. Farmers throughout the Ashburton County state that the area being put under cereal crop this year is much less than down in former seasons. They attribute this to the high price ruling for sheep, which has induced agriculturists to reserve as much pasture as possible. The winter crops in the lowlying districts are well advanced and look splendid. Sheep teed for this time of the year is plentiful, and the prospects of graziers for the coming lambing season are of a reassuring nature. There is a great scarcity of young stock here this year (writes the Waikaka Valley correspondent of the Wyndham Herald). There is hardly a sheep in the valley except in the form of a breeding ewe. The high prices offering for lambs and the partial failure of the turnip crop owing to the dry summer are responsible for the clearance of most of the farmers’ lines of lambs. Owners of store cattle showed their wisdom in quitting their animals a month or six weeks ago, while the prices were above that warranted by beef prospects. So far as the outside pastoral country is concerned, conditions in South Australia are more favourable than they have been for many years, and re-stock-ing is being attended to. Good rains are reported in the far north, and stock are in good condition. The rabbits have increased a good deal, and are likely to give lessees more or less trouble, but energetic measures are now being taken to reduce their numbers. Speaking generally, it may be said that, although the heavy rains were rather late, they were not too late, and that stock-owners, farmers, and dairymen have good cause to regard the future with cheerfulness aud confidence.

Some months ago farmers anticipated a reoord turnip orop says the Waikato Times, but actual results are far short of expectations. A small percentage of paddocks have produced very fine crops, but as a rule, the crops are disappointing, and to make matters worse, the excessive rain has been against stock doing well. In fact, forward cattle have done no good during the past four or five weeks, and fat stock off turnips are certain to be at least a month later than usual. Turnips are now scarce, and forward stores of turnips are being-sold at less than cost last spring. Grain sowing is very backward, on account of the wet state of the soil, and most teams are idle. It is impossible to read the weekly record contained in the English journals of purchases made by Argentine breeders at the leading cattle sales without realising (says the Argentine correspondent of the Pastoralists ’ Review) that this country -is gathering to its herd a large portion of the best specimens of the annual crop of Shorthorns bred in the Old Country. At the Birmingham, Perth, Carlisle, and other gatherings where Shorthorns come to the hammer, the longest prices paid for both males and females are those bid by representatives of Argentine breeders. Of the periodical statements made by the Shorthorn Society of certificates granted for animals exported, two-thirds or more correspond to South America. For years the Argentine breeders have been depleting the Home herds of their choicest exhibits without regard to coat. The final result is obvious. The Argentine is going to outstrip all other countries as the breeding home of Shorthorn cattle. In both quality and numbers the Argentine herd a quarter of a century hence will lead the world. At a lecture given under the auspices of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Dr. Symes declared that predisposition was as important as infection in spreading tuberculosis among cattle, and the most predisposing cause was the treatment of calves. The young animals were deprived of their natural food and were given nothing to replace the cream taken from the milk. “It is simply absurd to talk about wholesale slaughter,” he said. “If all the tubercular cattle in New Zealand were killed to-morrow there would be just as much tuberculosis in the colony 20 years hence as there is now. Tuberculosis is far more widely distributed than is generally known. I have conducted more postmortem examinations probably than any other doctor in Christchurch, and I have never yet examined the body of an adult without finding traces of tuberculosis. The disease has usually been cured, but the signs of its presence at some stage of life are practically universal. I think that in many cases the human body contains latent germs of consumption, which under ordinary condition? are harmless, but which may be brought into activity by ill-health. Such a complaint as in fluenza has a particular tendency to rouse the latent germs of consumption, but, if the people live healthy lives in well-ventilated, well-drained houses, they need have no fear of developing conconsumption.”