On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 1 February 1917, Page 59

On the Land

—— * .■■■.-.: .-. ■ ■ ■ ■ -•. .;. ?.... ■. ;■ ■- ■••■ •■> -. .. GENERAL. Harvest operations throughout the district are proceeding apace, despite the depletion of the ranks of harvesters (says the Asnhurton Guardian). In the Wakanui district many of the crops which have been thrashed have given good yields. In some cases crops are affected with rust, but not to any great extent. Rape and potato crops are coming on well under the influence of recent rains. The disease of ‘ ripe rot ’ is proving more serious to Hastings orchardists than was at first anticipated (states the Hawke's Bay Herald). It attacks stone fruit, particularly peaches and plums. Last week one consignment of 48 bushels of peaches was sent into Napier. It was graded and the next morning 36 bushels were bad. The remaining 12 bushels were regraded, but were delayed and only three dozen were ultimately marketed. The condition of many of the. wheat crops this season, and the difficulty of harvesting them, has led makers of farm machinery to provide appliances that reduce the loss from tangled and beaten-down crops to a minimum (states the Sydney Morning Herald). One maker of Australian harvesters provides such an appliance that can be fitted on to the machine by the farmer, and he is able to harvest a crop in a way that would have been _ thought impossible. The device is worked by means of an adjustable comb, a false comb, and a spiral beater, that picks up the crop, no matter how tangled it is. The cost of this appliance is according to the size of the machine, but it is not more than £6 or £7. The country round about Wakefield (says the 3 el son- Evening Mail) is at, present in a rather bad way, owing to the continued dry spell. Although rain has fallen in different parts of the district, Wakefield has had next to none since November last. Farmers, fruitgrowers, and hop-growers are having an anxious time. Many of the root crops have turned out failures. The harvest has been got in well, but the crops still standing appear to be badly blighted, and hardly worth cutting. Many farmers are still hopeful of getting a good strike of late turnips, and are preparing the land in readiness for when rain comes. The hops appear to be suffering severely, and unless rain comes at once many gardens can be said to be absolute failures. Bush and grass fires are beginning to be common owing to the dry state of the country generally. ’ > In a wire last week to the Dunedin Evening Star its Wellington correspondent stated that contradictory reports are circulated regarding the condition of the cheese in store in Wellington, totalling more than 80,000 crates. The official statement is that the cheese is keeping excellently under the adverse conditions created by the overflow from the cool store to ordinary wharf stores, but other reports insist that the long period of storage in non-insulated sheds during the hot weather is causing serious deterioration. The Government, under the requisitioning scheme, will take over only the cheese that is graded at the required standard, and any cheese that has suffered damage in store is not likely to be purchased. The Imperial authorities (says the Otago Daily Times) recently offered to purchase Australian cheese at 9 i d a pound for first grade, and 9d a pound for second grade, or £d a pound less than that offered for New Zealand cheese. Representatives of Victorian cheese manufacturers, in an interview with the Acting Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Adamson) contended that the same prices should be given for Victorian cheese as for New Zealand. Mr. Adamson announced last week that he had received a cable message from the Agent-General (Sir Peter -Mcßiide) stating that the same prices would be paid, provided that the cheese sent from Victoria was equal in quality to New Zealand cheese. Before shipments were definitely arranged, however, information on certain details had yet to be obtained. ' The

Director of Agriculture (Dr. Cameron) stated that 300 tons of cheese were on hand for: shipment. ;: Two; hundred and fifty tons would be shipped shortly; and a further consignment of 240 tons would be available for. shipment during February. ‘ ..,1 The weekly sale was held at Burnside last week. The weather was very warm, and in addition to s the ordinary attendance of butchers, a number of freezing ; buyers were present. Fat Sheep.—A medium yarding. ' Export buyers were operating freely for all {prime wethers for freezing, and this s had the effect of keeping up prices, which showed an increase of from Is to Is 6d per head on previous week’s rates. Competition was very keen. Best wethers from 37s 6d to 40s y- good wethers from 34s to 36s 6d ; light and inferior wethers from 28s 6d to 32 6d; light heavy ewes, up to 38s; good ewes, 32s to 355; light ewes, 27s 6d to 3ls:' Fat Lambs. A smaller yarding than usual. Exporters were operating very freely, and consequently prices showed an increase of about Is 6d per head above previous week’s rates. Fat Cattle.—A large yarding. The prices showed a decline of about 15s to 20s v per head' on previous week’s rates. Extra prime bullocks from £lB to £2l; good to prime, £l6 to £18; others, £l3 10s to £ls; Pigs.—A medium yarding. ¥ Prices-were very firm, and it was one of the dearest sales held at Burnside for some time past. Prices generally showed an increase on previous week’s high rates from 5s to 7s 6d per head. Porkers realised as high as 84d per lb, and large-sized baconers. 7)d per lb. Suckers "sold from 20s to 26s ; slips from 37s 6d to £2 2s. At the Addington market last week there was a heavy entry of fat cattle, a large yarding of store sheep, mostly lambs, a moderate entry of fat lambs, and a small offering of fat sheep. The store and dairy cattle foimed moderate yardings. Fat cattle were somewhat easier, as were store lambs, the dry weather affecting the latter. Fat lambs were very firm at late rates; and although fat sheep were somewhat irregular the pi ices were high. Store and dairy cattle and pigs sold well. Fat Lambs.—Best, 27s to 35s 8d; medium, 23s 6d to 26s 6d ; unfinished, 18s lOd to 235. Fat Sheep. Prime wethers, 33s to 39s 3d ; lighter, 28s 2d to 32s 6d; prime ewes, 31s 6d to 375; medium ewes', 26s 6d to 31s; lightei, 22s lid to 265. Fat Cattle.—Extra prime steers, to £24 10s; prime steers, £ls to £l9 10s; ordinary steers, £9 12s 6d to £l4 15s ; prime heifers, £l2 to £ls 2s 6d ; ordinary heifers, £8 10s to £ll 15s; prime cows, £l2 5s to £l4 10s; ordinary cows, £8 7s 6d to £l2 ; extra prime cows, to £l6 17s 6d. Store Cattle.—Two-year steers, £6 ss; two-year heifers, £6 2s 6d ; 2i-year heifers, £7 15s; three-year steers, £9 19s 6d to £lO ss; three-year heifers, £8 5s to £8 10s; dry cows, £5 to £9 7s 6d. Pigs.—Choppers, £4 to £4 12s , extra heavy baconers, £5 6s; heavy baconers, £4 10s to £5; lighter baconers, £3 10s to £4 5s equal to 7d to 7-Id per lb ; heavy porkers, 47s to 55s ; lighter porkers, 40s to 55s—equal to 8d to 8 W per lb; best stores, 56s to 625; medium stores, 38s to 48s; small weaners, 14s 6d to 245: best weanefs 28s. ’ PLANT DISEASES. From the time that the seed of a plant is placed m the soil its struggle for existence begins. Numerous hostile agencies are lurking around, always on the alert, ready to seize the first opportunity to fasten on to any part of the system of the plane that exhibits a weak spot. If the plant is delicate from hereditary causes, or from want of proper nourishment or moisture, it will succumb unless helped to combat successfully its insidious foe. Some plants are more liable to attacks than others, and among those most subject may be classed the potato and the turnip. The Royal Agricultural Society have for years been doing useful work at their Woburn Experimental Station in carrying on from season to season a series of investigations to ascertain the causes which lead to the disease and the best way of enabling the crop to resist it, and the reports issued by the society from time to time make interesting reading. ’ , y