THE FARM INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 508, 15 May 1909, Page 8

THE FARM INDUSTRY.

THE NEW FREEZINQ CO. QUESTION OF SITE. Much interest attaches to the question of the locality that will be selected for the site of the works of the newly-formed Wellington Farmers' Moat Freezing Company. The suggestion to cater for the storage of choose and butter ind for the local butchery trade has been tak>:n as indicating that Wellington will-bo the site of tho works. In regard to tho other sites suggested none of them, except perhaps Woodville, is exactly central for all tho districts concerned, and there is naturally a certain-amount pf local prejudice likely to bo felt for each district proposed. Both Wellington and Woodrille, besides being the most central, have existing works—of limited capuity, howerer —that might conceivably be procurable. At Wellington ther a arc the Banks Meat Comply's works' at Ngahauranga. Concerning the Woodvillo works, the chairman ' of the now movement stated at a meeting that these works wore available for purchase. But it is understood that neither of the two works .mentioned would -be considered adequate to do all the freezing that the promoters of the scheme have in view, and it seems therefore probable that the selection of' site will not be very much influenced by the fact that existing works are available. Whatever.centra is chosen, either' now works or additions to .old works mil be necessary. Foxton, whose Harbour Board has much to gain by the' prospective revenue from the works, is the only place where a free site has been offered. This is, of. course, a strong recommendation for that port, and it will be interesting .to see how it weighs against its poorer accessibility from Wairarapa. Probably if Foxton does not become tho site of these works it will, in duo time, be the site of other works for a more restricted area-around Manawatu. There can be no; doubt that' the establishment of > important meat works would give Foxton an advance of a great many years;

BRITISH MEAT COMBINATION.

, HOW SWIFTS CAME HERE., The cabled statement of ti'lo British Meil Commission, concerning the alleged American meat monopoly, to the effect that inquiries by United States meat firms 'had been made in New Zealand and Australia, recalls a rumour of a short time ago, when it was alleged that a'firm having a large meat buying connection in New Zealand and Australia had an arrangement with Swifts, the . big American firm. The Australasian : firm 'in question,, however, at that time repudiated the - aUeg*tion, /and there hhs:'siiice v been, no reason to believe that the rumous had tiny fact in its foundation. " About two years ago, however, a representative of Swifts visited New Zealand, and it is stated that .'at that time ,he dispatched Home sample lots of; most of he brands of 'frozen' meat .produced;in New-Zealand, jmrchascd from the various freezing companies.. No arrangements were in»de, .however, for a permanent connection with this couiitry, and it is said, on the authority of one of tho best-informed men in tho oountry, that they aronot represented by any person here now. ■As the commission doubtless obtained its information on the point from tho representatives of .Swifts, whom it examined, it may bo concluded that tho' "inquiries'' 'mentioned refer to tho dispatch of the-.'samples /as stated. The samples were apparently obtained for intelligence purposes only.

ROUND ABOUT RONCOTEA,

/ AKTESIAN WATER ;■ FOR STOCK. .• The .question of /water on tho farm, is one which has beeii a good deal debated; lately— so,many places have had to depchd on dams for watering tstocki ; Occasionally ! (says /our travelling correspondenj;) theso dams aro repulsive, the wonder- being that 'stock, will go near.than, let alono drink. /Not many iarmers provide a guard at the dam, tlio result being that when stock (especially cattle) go -to water, they 'Tva'dei in,' and-' frequently stand quito a long time, and, when the noxt lot of stock comes. to. drink all'is churned up.. ,:This /unhealthy ./stato of things':could,• in most, cases, .bo obviated .by having a guard round tho drinking': place, as I liavo seen it done occasionally. " v . , In t-he Rongotea district farmers are exceptionally well, off, as. there is an illimitable supply of the-best artesian though, it is strongly impregnated.'with .iron',' making the water-very hard. On most farms where /bores have .been' put/down ;thoro is quito .a strong pressure, but-that at Mr. Bottclier's is the best I have seen. He has a two-inch pipe giving a wonderful flow; and when he puts in a smaller delivery-length he can throw : tlio' water right, over his . sheds, and the pressure is, good enough to scour out his yards and hails when the hoso'/is turned on. There arcs-many others in the.district whose supplies are very satisfactory..; The, best results seem to be derived from- a depth of about 250 feet. ' , ... ■ ■ Rongotea is also. a honey-producing district. The quality of the honey is excellent, as/I have had ra-any opportunities/of trying it. . Hastings used to be considered a splen-, did country for honey, but Rongotea is just as well adapted, as I know both, localities. I watched one fanner; Mr..Person, while he was busy extracting, and ho goes into his/ work .. in a thorough business-likor fashion. He told me that lie has some/ eighty hives or more, and nearly everybody about Rongotea keops a few hives. As the numbers are increasing yearly, the fear is that the bees' will .be starved. :I- was. iold /that"already within a small radius there are nearly three hundred hives. ■ Taken altogether, hoekeep- . ihg'is a" unique industry. You keep them and look after them, while in most cases your, neighbours feed them. However, they do an immense amount of good. A friend of mine near_PalmerstOn, who' has a largo prchard," told mo that he had tho best crop of fruit .this season that ho had known for many years, and he put it down to tho fact that ono of the local bee men had put about' a hundred hives his orchard, thus causing greater'fertility in .the fruit blossom.

FOR SERVICES RENDERED,

, The Jones-Evans testimonial, arranged by the Earners' "Onion; in acknowledgment of serviccs'-rendered to farmers of the whole ;country in. the Christchurch Arbitration Court-last'year, will ba presented at Christchurch oh Thursday, May 27. The presenta- l tion. 'will.take place at a complimentary, dinner given in their-honour by subscribers on the first night of the/Farmers' Union- Conference. -. 1

v FIRE RISK ON FARMS,

Mr. R. M. Simpson, general manager of the Phoenix Insurance Company,, told a "Taranaki Herald" reporter that ari erroneous impression prevailed with rcgalrd to the insurance aspect of detached country houses, suoh as farmhouses. Most people seemed te think they wore good "risks,' but they wers not. They were seldom built under supervision such as was exercised over city and town.; houses, wero not constructed so well, and their chimneys were not built so well, while largo open fireplaces were frequent. Very often "tinkering", at the buildings near a farmhouse was done by the farmer, making the buildings very risky. Then again there was the risk from hush or.hedgo fires, whilo the water supply was often poor.

CARRIAGE OF STOCK BY RAIL.

A STRONG COMPLAINT. An Auckland Press Association telegram states that at yesterday afternoon's meeting of Auckland Agricultural Association a letter was read from Mr. William Taylor, of Te Awamutu, stating that ho had disposed of his famous Greenhill stud because of what ho descrihcd as tho "shameful treatment of his stock" by tho Kailway, Department going and coming from tho Cambridge show.' Oil that occasion his stock wero in tho truck 23 hours, and it took that time to travel a distance of 54 miles. Some of tho horses woro so badly injured that they could "not go. into the show-ring, and apvond had not, at tho

timo of writing, recovered from thoir injuries. He waited at Ngaroto from 11 a.m. on tho day they were trucked to return until 4.45 p.m. and when he saw liow tho 6tock wero injured he rode off tho next morning to Hamilton and arranged for a clearing salo. To run a stud as' ho had done for tho last 15 years it wqs necessary to exhibit, and if ho went to Palmerston North with several trucks of his best stock, worth about £2000, and there was a similar delay, tho chances .were they just would be about killed. It was decided to forward a copy of the letter to tho Railway Department.

CHEESE FACTORY FOR WOODVILLE.

The suppliers to.the Dairy Union's creamery at Upper M'Lean Street, Woodville, havo decided to ask tho directors of the union to inst.il a cheese plant in their creamery for next season, and havo agreed to give tho necossary guarantee.

WANCANUI A. AND P. ASSOCIATION.

At a meeting of tho committco of tho Wanganiii A. and P. Association on Wednesday; Mr. T. A. Bamber was reappointed grand marshal; A letter was received from the Wanganui Jockey Club expressing thanks for a gift of two white swans received through, the association from Mr. Fred. Moore.

SHEEP-OWNERS FINED.

A Press Association message from Hastings states that the Magistrate yesterday dealt with eight cases of exposing lice-infected sheep for sale, and fined defendants £3 and costs. He said the offences were too numerous, and that in future he would inflict heavy penalties.

SHOW DATES.

May 17 and 18.—Wanganui. Juno 1 to 4.—Dunedin "Winter Show. June 15 to 17.—Invercargill Winter Show. June 22; to 25.—National Dairy Show (Palmerston North). . July 6 to 10.—Waikat6 Winter. Show (Ham- . ilton). ■ ) October 20 to 21. —Hawke's Bay Spring Show. October 27 to 28.—Timaru. \ October 29.—Rangiora. November 3 to 4— Ashburton. November 10 to 12.—Canterbury. November 16. —Taieri, at Mosgiel. . November 18 to 19.—North Otago, at Oamaru. • November 25 to 26.—Otago,.at Dunedin.: December 14 to 15.—Southland, at Invorcargill. •

FARMERS' UNION CONFERENCE - ' : DATES.

Farmers' Union Conferences will be held this year as follow:— May 19.—Taranaki Provincial, Stratford. May 24, 25.—Wellington Provincial, at Eketahuna. May 27, 28.—Auckland Provincial Conference. End of May.—Canterbury Provincial Conference. Otago.—Date not yet notified. End of July.—Dominion Conference, at Wellington. . ; ■ A biennial conferenco of agricultural societies will be held in Wellington this year, probably at the end of June.