GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

■';•• The Govef Anient 'has obtained estimates bf-.thedanjaijedono^to-fruit, crops by tho several.. recent;-.'gales.. :.:The... information :wiil 'probably-:be"published' shortly.: '" : ,'-A' ; ,want'."of:-:rain: is/still being felt : in cUsMcts,'.: notwithstanding '.&a ;f requent light .■shoAyers ■' of ' the ' past':. few. Iwoeks; vThese ' which' have ..been, copious enough-tb;wet the coats; of,ordinary, people; have'scarcely, done more: than touched - the;'' pastures. ::. The; wetting has reabned the .blades, !;bht scarcely, the, roots, ■ and.:two .or,.three 'days :of;sunshine' and' wind have tak'eri:tbo.tbings ; back to their bripnal..: state'of,i dryness. -There,; is ' yet ; no /lack.',' of /'feed,..."but ...the ' stoppage ,of growthiniay, of course, bo very sudden if more, rain:does ;hot come.;: . ■;.:;'•;.-.'-, : A. shrinkage of from 15 to: 20por cent. ,bn:'tho" .month's;'supply is.: reported .in, many, dairying districts,.;.which is: morethan ,usual at this -.time' of .the. year. 'It ;has,:to.,bo .recollected, however, ,that/the settson;;..-which began early.Ms. likely'.to ceiiso earlier.also. :'/•'■;.-/'::,'■■■,-■,•,■•'.•'.-■.-• '■■/ ; ,- ."= :The /chief .articles' ...of., commerce .'made :from potatoes' are/(l) starch,: and its pro,ducts,/. including dcxteririe, starch'-sngar, ~ . starch-syrupj< and. artificial sago; (2), dried '- potato;:and;(3)-alcohol, whibh,^is usually: imade''at /pbtatb-drying' establishments. One ...ton ,of potatoes (containing M 8: por cent./ 'of; starch) ■ will'yield 403.21b5. of, extracted starch,-, which can be converted into ..lSOlbs. . of .alcohol. ... The' wholesale price of/absolute /alcohol .'.in 'Australasia, is jibout,ss. 6d.; ; per pound. Thus/a New; Zealand /crop'':/of/ potatoes/Zyielding six' .tons -per/acre /could/ produco/10801bs.' of alcohol' worth;/ - wholesale,:/just --under, > iC3QO. / '.This':'sounds.::like a'' paying . proposition.; / On'.this 'basis .-Neiv-; Zealand's entire ■ crop/, /of-.potatoes/,this'•-season/ ' (185,000//tbnsj/would 'be worth; as alco-'; : bol,.over/'JE33,600,000.':-: /'"v;/ ■"':.;■ ./I