THE FARM INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 507, 14 May 1909, Page 8

THE FARM INDUSTRY

MILK AND BUTTER TRADE 0 L.'f-v.. "' v.'_ v . ■ J t VALUES UNCERTAIN. -In'; the 'retail milk : 'trado' m Wellington i.' thore : are still'three prices ruling—3d., BJd., I; and ;4d. : per ,quart—and there are naturally 1 .threo opinions hold as to tho correct value a of -.'. Although doubts havo been ?• exprcsswl as. tto the, possibility: of .' retailing § ; winter milk 'in-Wellington: at loss than Id. , per quart/ and , paying tho their- Bd. ! per gallon, there is yet no definite sign of 1 any change in tho position. ■■■" j ' In regard to butter, there js a rumour that - the'members'.of.- the, Butter. "Committee have r. .discussed the question of..a further increase - 'of - i'd.'* per ' pound wholesale. This ' would j. make the wholesale price Is.'per, pound, and ■ .-tho.retail' price, lvonld bo-.ls. 2d. Tho halfporniy ri&o is not' popular, with grocers. Grocs era -do not deal in odd halfpennies in "a rot-ail pound of butter, and, as their ' customary s profit is ?'.lid.'; per' pound,' they 1 prefer the - wholesale'- price, to include an odd halfpenny so that, thoir price, with profit added, comes to, even-money. ..Wien the'wholesale - - prices become Is., as now hinted, the grocer, ~ ; in order:to avoid tho odd halfponny, lias to. [ add: a profit of eifcher a' penny or: twopence, t Being human, he chooses the twopence; or; .. -.at .least, :thoso. who decide his price' for him i .do : so; the apparent hesitation, 'to mako a full penny riso .is duo to the; fact '"that! tho'last rise is only fresh, in the pub- • lie's memory, and. also to iho uncertainty , . that.still, -prevails .as .to . the .future of sup-:plies.''..-'For'.some .reasohsfit would be advis- ' able, <if it were possible,'to defer, any change I till the month's storings become known, or j -till, the position in Australia i 4 more clear, i But as. the end of tho month' is still far !■ away," it , is', scarcely likely that th'e change - will be so long' deferred,' v . ■ .' '

DEHORNING OF CATTLE

HOW THE LAW RECARDS IT. i . Horned cattle, ;'as ; is- woil.known, '.are' very--1 apt; to .lap .serious ..injury to. one another,-,es- ; poomlly 'ia: .mob's . have been collecteil i from,'" various sources, and are strange -■'o each ! ; other,.Even among. animals that: liavo; been reared together, tliero is usually one, -.\rhicb' 'is .a bully.' Dohorning, therefore,-Vis:'a. precaution that has ■ very much' ,to recommend -it; : That dehorning is : : gainful .is , not. denied,-but 'it -is- no ' more • painlulthaii : soirie'. 'of the other operations ■ which custom; sanction s; for : less .worthy, pur-! : po6&s,\.lllehorninff-is, l (lono;in several ways;: Some owners pick out tho. rudimentary, liorns in vyoung icalves rivith a p6nkhife, ; in'which case'.tho io£ hora 1 is' no '.more ' than 1.: a v harmless "buck,"' Others ' apply , caustiovpotash/ iwhich, stops'all,development, and;.-is ,'-the .. metbckl, ; ,most . '-highly: rocommendod. Somq owner 3 hold .the 'belief .that it is; better to 'Jot tho horns,, grow,- in order that, the,,animal: may learn, their use, and : then, out i them : off,-. ; in order . that Hoi may ; realiM'-'his. helplessness'; This is; perhaps, thel most;!painful '.of - the.; methods,' and the >. claim i 'thaf; tKe„' animals thus -'. treatedaro r .!^ 0r 0: docile than;those idehdrned- in infancy is.;iiot,iegarded... as'.having, sullicient weight . to.: justify the .process. ;'■ Usually tho dehorning is don'o as closcly to tho head as possible, either.-by/spccial shears,- or,by a saiv. ''ibe;day ,has not ,-yet. arrived/for tho admin- . .'of^.an./anaesthetic,': or 1 other,. painwound by a hot ; iroji; to. stop;.tho bleeding : is .now,considered ' ': dehorning ; .'Close to-tho skull- is legal .ill Scotland, but 'illegal .[inwEnglandf-ian Scotland, several - cases were tried, . but- the' defendants wero :- always:acquitted. ' At Norfolk, •in England, , liowey.er; . 'of Brown v. Ford: a . '^ftti#>9j^s.':^ord^»v«n;.,tho- : 'grbnnd'bf cruelty, and : High Courts sustained tho . decision. Then a "test", case was 'sought ' by,..the,.,authorities iin Scotland; 'and. found : inj the l.case;' of '.Todrick; ,v.- Wilson.' : Scottish fattenera rallied round tho defendant, sub-; .scribed -;all.: the i costs,, and sent their,' ablest ' veterinarians to giv© evidence. -It was ad--11-' 'bat; the Operation'! waspainful, •' but ' ithey.declared it lass painful than docking.ctc. ' i?? fhonff ' Court, at- vEa'ddington' acquitt=d ! tho .defendant, ■ and subseqiiently tho s Court of; Session,on.-appeal, 1 upheld that conclu:sion,., basing'..-,their. decision on tho,' finding , of tho.. Sheriff, that operation could" not have been performed less phinfully. In New Zealanil,. dehorning is general. -

TAMPING FOR BLASTING.

:• .. Trobably . in. tliis slack season of th?. year , ,on; the:fariiis;a considerable amount of blast-'^g-bf-logs 'A reader of: , . The ;Do3iiOToNvwho has dono a considerahlo :: amount jet this , work' says that although' the usual .mothod of .scouring tho charge is to ' J? m P, 't-homo'with clay, it will'bo found, sand.' vThia iß'fdr ; niora.oSectual in its work,: ; .very -much',quicker,'and' easier: to use, and—. : lyhat is of chicf. importance—-less dangerous, ! . .'because 'no ramming ia ; required."'' The power ''®f/ I Vd.ry , Band^to;hold^ri'' ; tne' charge, is attri-; butcd by. this authoritv to the: pyramidal, arTangement; oftho which ■ diverts tho ' 'pressuro toward: th'o.-. sides.-' It^vis' claimed • that one or two inches in depth. of sand, without;'any..ramming,'•■iwill render the blast' very successfnl.: ..Other,readers may like to, try: this method !and give; their , opinions of it- or of. oUior methods.. '• .. V'

A' FARMER'S PLEBISCITE.

, , -Oio .secretary of tho nowly-formcd Pahia- , tua-Akitio, A':,.-and/P.; Association', is arrangaiig :for an election of-a committee by'/means of a banot',conducted by post.. - He has issued iyp^'pg''Papers |to - each member, of the asso- ', ciation,''..THer?'are, 34: candidates: for rthe 21' seats on tlip committee, : and many good' men ' flre.said- .te.-'tjo -included. : ,Votes must reach - thesecretaryr:!Mr.■: : ' J., A. Walsh, by 10 -ofclockVnext■vMcindaj:'evening.-' On the.fol- .; lowing 'ovening the,members will hold a geii- ,• meeting •; to, ; 'clect otlicr ..officers, pre- . select' a for show- ' grquM.. •; :

RANGIWAHIA FARMERS' UNION.

: ; ;;i?anndrs'; Union has re- ;. solved ;to extend',to',Mr.: Clifton of the Agri- !■'. o^ural. 1 pepaHiufeiit—' all", possible assistance '■ in ; jrespeot '-i to:"«.tho, ' eradication ' of noxious ... ; weeds ..and Rabbits,; ■ It ;has' further resolved , to- for^. l: to: ! the..Proyi n bial;:Conferenco' a' : remit v. that, the-free-trade'question sliould : » cc *-from: tho Farmers' .Union plat-'

. FARM AND CARDEN LITERATURE.

1 i 1 1 0 :^' Uyc !?P a , etlit! •. o f/Agriculture/' edited > iYpting, a yaluablb work,of re- •' 'four 'large volumos, bas • • ;• in , th& Public Library- at' Wbl- ; ; ■ } -^ [ . • W° have received d copy of-an'interestine , catalogue_ of_ rosoa- and carnations from'H 7 • C ®R>--,.9 f : Unley;, Park -nurseries, Adelaide: ?' 'Ample lists.of ,varieties are given, and.'alsonotes on.-rose ..cultivation:!:,;

OUR ARCENTINE RIVAL. |

r. Argentina,;; whicfrjis mow Australasias no-"' cepted'rival ;in woolnmcVmeat'exports/is fast -/ increasing in . its TabQity . to .develop' its ■ im- ; mense,.resources: just as it is increasing'in its According -to a special agricultural number :■ of tho" -'Buonos Ayres I .Herald," now -m -tlio "Wellington Public Li- ■■ brary, its total area ; consists of- 1,135,900 '-. '.squaremiles,; -afld.the .population .is in the ' ratio of about 5} persons to tho mile. In j ;rbiuid .figures ;its people number about ; -.6,000,000-h-six. times .asmany /as there ': aro' ' in.. Now Zealand.' . Tho. / net increase ... of-. y; populationby', .immigration over I. emigration,; which - may : give, 'some* clue ; to the --increased 'power: .'to'compete J against. Neiv 'Zealand.'in : tho..'world's: mar- ; kets, has taken plaw at the following speeds I. over periods of five years:— . , Period.. . ; Increase 1892-6 193,312 o 1897-01 212,106 1902-6 461,312 1907-8 277,913 ■ 'Bius, in sixteen years the addition from over.sosts was more than equal' to population .df. 'New .Ze'alarid. -'-iThe ".British,-capital in.Rested- in. Argentina-is : estimated at;3oo mii- ® lions ; sterling. -A large" portion of this cajv -1 ital is invested in tho farm stock,'-: which.

form? the basis of the growing competition with New Zealand. Theso consist of:—

; 1 Though thqr production of wool in the- bettor, parts of Buenos Ayros is declining beforo the drift of closer settlement, increases are anticipated in other parts. Wool-ship-pmg ports at present number about five, and there are six- othor ports likely to bo opened in the near future. ; .

THE POULTRY FARM AT BURNHAM.

A. Ohristciiurch l'rcss Association telegram states that- Mr. AVitfcy_, M.P.,, introduced a deputation interested in thei poultry industry,', to Sir Joseph:; Ward, yesterday. They desired to bring under the i J rimo Minister's notice the argument in favour of continuing the Government Poultry. Farm at Burnham. ■ Sir Joseph asked whether the, deputation had.got the idea that the farm was to bo discontinued,: and it was stated that information to that effect had appeared in tho newspapers. ' : \ Sir Joseph said. he did not know where the information came - from It ;had .not come from him. it was not intended to close tho farm, as it was one that had succeeded, atlhough tho profit made was a email one. it was not intended to'do away with tho services of pnblio utility that: paid reasonably,'or: that had any chance of jiaying. Last year the surplus on the working of the Burnham poultry farm was £2 14s. Bd. The expenditure for tho year was £950 17s. During tho .current year the farm should give decent results! owing t<v large orders having .been received for dressecl poultry, 'l'here.was one, perhaps, there would qo two, poultry farms ' that would be "closed, but' there was no justification for the ; closing of Bamham farm on economical grounds.

SHOW DATES.

Juno 1 to 4.—Duncdm Winter , Show. Juno 15 to 17.—Invcrcargill Winter Show. Juno 22 to 25. —National; Dairy Show (Pal- ■ merston North). ' : ; ' '1. ' July 6 to 10. —Waikato Winter Show (Hamilton). ■ ' . Octobor 20 to 21.—Hawke's Bay Spring ■■ Show. . October 27 to 28.—Timarn. Oetoboi 1 29.—Ilangiora. Novembor 3 to 4.—Ashburton. - November 10: to 12—Canterbury. ' November ,16. —Tttieri, at Mosgiel. i - ... November 18 to 19.—North Otago, at . .. Oamaru. November. 25 to '26.—Otago, at Dunedin. :.' December 14 to 15.-rSouthland, at Invcrcar- ' gill.

FARMERS' UNION CONFERENCE DATES.

~ •Farmers' Union .Conferences will, be held •this year as follow:—. ylv.;.?. May 20.—Taranaki Provincial,' Stratford; May 24, 25.—Wellington Provincial, at Eketahuna. '';,.1/' May 27) , 28.—Auckland .Provincial Conference. End, of May.—Canterbury Provincial Contor- ■ v enco. Otago.—Date.not yet notified. ' End of July Conference, at Wcl- ' lmgton. ./i i v .: .' ~ A biennial conference 'of. agricultural socie- , ties ' will bb held in Wellington this year, probably at the end of-June. -•'-,

Cattle ... ... ... 29,116,625 Horses,;... ... ... 7,513,376 Mules .... .... . 465,037 Donkeys... , ... ' 'ibo,l)SB , ; • Sheep ... 67,211,754 Goats • ... ... • ... 3,245,080 1'iga : 1,403,591 ■