JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14885, 27 January 1914, Page 10

JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

According to an Auckland Press Association telegram, every farm boy who arrived in Auckland last week from the Old Country by tho Ayrshire, under engagement with the Immigration Department, reached his destination. Officers of the Rural Workers' Union made strong efforts to induce the boys to break their engagements, and take positions elsewhere to be found for them by the union, but it is evident that this move was unsuccessful. A special meeting of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Labourers Union was held in tho Orange Hall, Southbridge, on Thursday. In the absence of the president, Mr Georgo Adams wa.s voted to the chair. After formal business had been transacted the following resolution was unanimously carried:—"Tliat tho dispute between the threshing mill owners of North Canterbury-on the one hand, and tho union on the other, be referred to the Council of Conciliation for settlement.'' ..- One of the districts in Canterbury in whicii great progress is now being made is the Amuri. »ince the Government purciia&cu the Iltgiiiield Estate in IUH, and established some thirty-three settlers on 43,000 acres, very considerable expansion and develojimeiit have takcu place. Formerly the land was used solely for sheep, but large areas have been tried in crop, with results which are eminently satisfactory. Tiie crops this season havo been a picture, and show that the moro the ground is worked tho better the results. So far, practically no manure has been used for cereal cropping, but splendid yields havo been given. The land has an averago rainfall of some 40 inches in the year, and grows wheat to perfection. So far it has been unprofitable to do so, on account of the expense of a fiftoenmi'.o cartage to Culverden, but when tne railway is brought within striking distance, there will be a remarkable development in this district in wheat-growing. This declaration is heard on all sides, and a case is known where one man alone has £-000 acres which he is prepared to devote to wheat instead of solely to sheep, as soon as the railway comes. Because of

this promise of the future, Driceg rf .and h:\vo beon firming ever smr© tfe ''" (lovernment purchased tho estate at *« - l 1&- per acre. Now some of that Im-''« is worth upwards of £'2Q per acre. - "^ ■Speaking to a local expert, our TV 4*l muka correspondent was informed th*fc ' at air number 01 crops in tho TemuS'" ' district had tho Hessian fly an d-» ' ;orm of blight at tho roots." On »»! *; v lhe hw > vier . undrained lands tt£ ' wheat had gone down badly **§ ' tanvs had come up in profusion vt ' the Totara Valloy and on the Waitok; Downs fairly large crops of wheatw«£ ' down Speaking from a commercial "' standpoint the absence of Mv&n, iachtios. the high freights, andffif ' Australian crop made it iruprobahl! that th* best wheat would open .7 anything higher than 3s Gd TWI appeared to bo absolutely no proswv* iioni Australia of any demand thisVsZ son for Nmv Zealand wheat or powl toes., jspeaking generally, the iT ' creasing demand for wool, mutton i»i' dairy produce threatened to lnat« and potatoes side .Jimoven in Canterbury. Freights vfp ' readily obtained for* wool, mutton am? produce, but could only bo obfi£nS with difficulty, and then at prohiS, ;rat©s, for grain. Past Government ■ had concentrated their attention upon - j the needs of tho mutton and w«£ '! growers and dairy farmers, to the d£ Iriment of tho grab-growors TU time appeared to bi» ripe for train - - growers to secure an understandbe Irom the shipping companies, failing " which they should appeal to tho Gft! comment.