AGRICULTURAL.

Waikato Times, Issue 12187, 23 September 1911, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL.

NOTES FOR FARMERS

Fat cattle are being sent from Gisbonv' to Christchuroa to supply the local market. An exceptionally high price was obtained for a pen of four-tooth ewes by the National Murtagage and Agency Co., at Otautau. Southland, or. Friday last. The pen realised 22s tid per head, and considering ths comparatively poor demand for store sbr-ep at present the price is> a rem irivab-Iy good one.

Draught-horse breeders in New Zealand have been doing a large and profitable trade with Australia, and it is not surprising that in some parts of the Dominion alarm is felt at the number of mares going out of the country (snys the Pastoralists' Review.) New Zealand enjoys a unique reputation for the standard of her heavy horses, and it would be a most unwise policy on the part of fcre3ders to deplete their studs for the sa've of the high prices ruling in Austrafia.

Tht report of the New Zealand Hereford Cattle Breeders' Association for the past year states the Hereford cattle are becoming more popular not only in this Dominion but all over the world, as evidenced by the high prices ruling for both bidls a nd heifers. The breeders in the Dominion were unable to supply the demands for bulls last year, and enquiries for both bulls and heifers were made from the Fijis, proving to what a creat range of climate the Hereford is adapted.

Speaking of cow testing the chairman of a South Taranaki dairy company srid he had recently listened to an address in Auckland, in which it was stated that tests had been made with poor cows and good cows. The former yielded a;n average of 13-iJll. of butter-fat, and the latter an average of 3011b. There was a net profit from the former of £2l 10s, and from the latter of £9OO. Twenty-five of the best cows were equivalent to 102 of the poor ones. Thase figures opened their eyes and made ths>m think of -the value of testing-. By testing they might be able to counteract the effects of the increase in the price of land.

Reports from every part of the district (says the Southland Times) are to tb»> effect that lambing is proceeding under the most favorable circumstonoes, a nh big percentages are expected unless something extraordinary occurs. Many milk suppliers are regretting the fact that the cheese outputs of their factories during the corning season were sold too early ; hut on the whole dairy farmers seem to be well satisfied with their prospects. Owing to the remarkably favorable weather all farm work ig well advanced. The grass grub, however, causes many an ominous shake of the head.