JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14970, 18 May 1914, Page 5

JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

Entries for the Winter Show under tho auspices of the Otago A. andl. Society total 1414, as against 129/ last year (says a Press Association tolograra). The'principal lines-are:—Fac-tory cheese, 106; fanners' butter. 117; merchants' exhibits, 125; roots, 108; grain, 80: fruit and honey, 95, school gardens, 30.

At a special sitting of tho Patea Court on Friday, a claim was heard that was mado by J. I. Pearce, of Whennakura, against John Shield, of the same place, for the loss of twentytwo sheep, alleged to havo been killed by tho defendant's dogs (says our Wanganui correspondent). Evidence wont to show that the sheep had been attacked by the defendant's - greyhounds. The dogs went for the side of the sheep, and after throwing it attacked the throat. The Court "gave judgment for the amount claimed, with costs.

Our Ashburton correspondent writes: —The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company concluded on Saturday, * for Mr t>. W. McLean, a really good sale of a dairy herd. The principal sales took place on Friday. Ye3terdav a number of Ayrshire bulls were offered. There was keen competition, and every bull sold realised full value. Tho draught horses were a partioularlv good lot, all well-bred, staunch animals, and eacii animal was sold at high market values. Tho young cattle, the whole of which were particularly well-bred. also sold well.

Whether there has been of late years deterioration in the average quality ot the fat stock marketed throughout Queensland (writes the Brisbane 'Courier"), is a question upon which there is no unanimity, but apparently the weight of the departmental opinion which the Minister has at his command either supplies an affirmative answer, or holds that previously the standard was not as high as it should have been. Sir William .M-icGregor was more direct. He stated that whereas in 1912 the Argentine imported from England 332 head of pedigree cattle at a first cost of £48.000, Australia in' that year purchased in the same market only 12 cattle at a cost of £1300. Not only then did Argentine buyers acquire 26 times more stock, but they sought a better class of animal i*_co they paid an average of £144 per head as against the £10S expended by the Australian buyers. The time had not yet come when Australia could afford to dispense with the importation of new blood tor tho cattle runs.