FARM AND DAIRY.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8080, 17 December 1906, Page 1

FARM AND DAIRY.

A considerable area of land on the drier parts on the Wairau Plains is, in the absence of tlie usual amount of rain, being devoted to peas instead of oats.

A Government return, just issued, shows that the quantity of potatoes imported into the colony during the two years ended July 31st last was 8089 ton?. The duty paid amoun'.ed to £10,058 2s 9 i. Pure water is not the only thing; it must be kept cool. Water, uo matter how pure, should uot be swallowed in a tepid state. You know the effect of such water on yourself, then why not have enough consideration for }our birds to give them something better'.' The very best things whicih can be given birds are fresh air, care and exercise. Sunlight is a more potent prevector of disease than all the medicine in the world. Let the fowls enjoy it, wiih the option of if desired, and let the sun shine into the hen house every day it saines.

As a set-off to the rather gloomy Reports which are generally received about the condition of the crops (says the North Otago Times) we may mention an area of about eighty acres near Windsor which at present promises to yield about forty bushels to the acre. The laud had been thoroughly Cultivated, and that in a dry season, is invaluable, A settler on the Tables also informs us that his crop still promises thirty-five bushels, and his rape is doing well. While reports in a measure differ as to which crops are suffering most, it would appear that the wheat sown last autumn is doing fairly well, but a great deal of winter and spring wheat, forced on by the heat, has prematurely shot into the ear, and for this rain would now do little good. Stock haß been turned on to a number of such crops. Generally speaking reports point to the Phpakaio Plain as the locality where things look best, though it should be added that wherever wheat was sown in the autumn the prospect is more cheerful than in localities where spring wheat is in larger proportion.

THE PROVINCE'S EXPORTS,

The butter export from the port of Auckland for the past fortnight (fays tne Star) was 389 tons, an increase of 37 tons on that of the preceding fortnight, which in turn showed a 26 tons advance on the previous fortnightly period. The shipments for the past two weeks include 14,900 boxes per Papanui, 600 for South Africa, and 88 for the South Sea Islands ; while the output so far for the whole season has been 1837 tons, or an increase of 714 tons for the corresponding period last year, ample evidence of the growing importance in the Auckland province of the dairying industry. This 1837 tons represents, roughly, a value of about £163, 956, against something like XIOB,BOO for the corresponding period last season, an increase of about £56,156 in valup. The export of frozen beef from Auckland for the month of November was 1,500,0001b, representing a value of 1,095, and was the largest export of beef ever made from ihe port. The shipments for December promise to exceed considerably this big output, as 1,400,0001b are being despatched by the Papanui and Mamari alone. The export of flax fibre is also on the increase, the present month being 58 tons ahead of the corresponding period last year, the respective figures beiog 435 tons and 348 tons. The prices, also, are better this year, averaging a ton, as against £2B last year, the respective values being thus £14,355 and £9744.