AGRICULTURAL ITEMS

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8006, 11 September 1906, Page 1

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS

According to the Official Year Book, 19U5 6, the »ero;gu ot luud under sown Krusbes is f*r greater in Now Zealand than in the whole of Australia, and Tabiuini*. When compared in tizj witli the States of Australia, New Zealand is not largo— about one thirtieth of their tot.il area- but in respect of grtzing capabilities the relative importance of this country is much greater. Australia is generally unsuitable, owing to c.-nditi. us of climate, for the growth of English grasses, and the amount i f feed prod' eed by the natural grasses throughout the year is very much less per acre than is obtained from the sown grass lands iu Now Zealand; indeed, it may be said that the average productiveness •of grass laud is about nine times as great here as in Australia, or in other words, that laud in this colony covered with English grasses may be considered equil for gsazng purp. ses to au Australian area about niue times as great.

Out of a total of 1,810,036 cattle in the colony, the North Island is sh.wn by the Lllijiai Vear Book to have 1,362,474, or 75 per cent, while the South Island has 448.462, or 25 p-r cent. Similarly the dairy cows and heifers intended fur dairying in the North Island number 409,916, or 71 per cent., and in the South Isiand IHI.S7S, or 2'J per cent. Thus the North Island, which has a slightly greater number of sheep to the South islaud, contains besides three times as many dairy cows and other cattle. lhe North Island is outstripping the South Island in the matter of laud settleuient. Iu 189S 97 fcouth Island had a blight advantage, but the figuros now are —North Wand, 38,225 holdings; South Island, 31,7J7.

Between April 1902 and Ap il 1905 there was a decrease of 1.211,852 in the total number ot sheep iu the colony, there being a drop from 2u,:5A2,727 to 19,130,875. The proportion of small tijeks of sheep has been increased considerably. It has been estimated that the annual consumption of mutton in New Zealand is equivalent to 2.25 sheep per inhabitant, and that the number ot sheep required in the present year (1906) for food will be about 2,137,000. The number of frozan carcases exported last year was 3,605,5 ( J2 a decrease of over a million on the figures of 1903. Local consumption has inertased by 300,000 carcases since 1900, and as the population grows the need of a low-priced outside market will diminish.

In a conversation recently, Mr Drysdale, manager of the State Experimental Farm, told a Winton Record representative that they had one cow only in a herd of 158 cows which they milk at the farm, which gave a milk test of 6.4 per cent, butterfat. Her breeding was first cross between the Ayrshire and the Hereford. On this farm every cow's milk is weighed daily and tested several times during the month. The variation in percentage of butter fat run from 3.0 to 6.4, and Mr Drysdale is firmly of opinion tint a large percentage of the dairy cows are unprofitable, and that complete knowledge of each individual cow in the herd is necessary to run the dairy farm profitably. It may take a little time and labour and expense, yet it pays well to do it.

DAIRYING IN TARANAKI. The Canterbury Times 'laranaki correspondent says: Seasonably mild weather has characterised the past fortnight, with the result that the Oarueu of New Zealand is putting ou its beautiful green swaid. More favoured iocaiities have passed that stage, but almost every part of the province is far en ugh advanced to find work for the dairy tacturies, very few of which are now unopened. Singularly enough, some of the earliest portions of Tarauaki are those wherein the much - discussed back-blocker has his abode. The advantage of three or four weeks, unfortunately, benefits him little. Giving to want of roads or to their impassable condition, these naturally favoured districts cannot commence milking for some week?, simpiy because it would be impjssible to get the milk to the factories, even by packhorse. The back - blocker is praying that the solicitous interest apparently being taken in him by Parliament this year may get beyond the talking stage. There are evidently a good many factory people who believe the butter market at Home is to maintain its present firmness. Whereas two or three weeks the agents of commission houses were deploring their evidently fruitless missioa in seirch of consignments, all produoers mostly being prepared to dhcuss only a straight-out sale, a change has come over the scene. Quite a number of factories, on later consideration, have decided to consign, and one well-known; firm's agent informed me to-day that he is almost certain to secure at least 15U0 tons on consignment. Though a few sales were reported during the week at lid, Eltham and several other large concerns still hold out, and unless buyers spring another fraction, several of these factories also may con.-ign the bulk of their output. It is, however, extremely hard to draw dairy factory directors a'. this stage; one might as easily secure plans of a battle from a general's stall'. There is considerable rivalry between the Ports of Patea and New Plymouth for the dairy export trade. The Moturoa freezing works at New Plymouth, unfortunately for themselves, are situated on the main line about half a mile from the wharf. For carrying butter and cheese over that distance the Railway Department charges Is (id per ton, notwithstanding that the Department has only to pay handling at one end, as the trucks are loaded at the works by the company's stall The Harbnur Board is again drawing the Government's attention to the excessive charge. Auont a a recent item regarding the earnings of cows in the Mataura district, an Eltham fanner goes one better. 'lhe Mataura average showed a return of .£ll 13 10id per cow. The Eltham firmer, with thirty seven cows, giving 20,144 gallons of milk of lOjib to the gallon reokonei at the same prica as Mataura, brou.-ht in £419 13s 4d, or £ll bs lOd per cow for the past season.