GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 749, 23 February 1910, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

'' The <f Taranaici'"Herald's" - "(Vhangamomona'Vcorrespondent states that .whereas "gb'bd ~blfain:"iS-7repOTted- i -'to -be selling 'at ■Ifls.' a 'toh in'-Southlands it cannot .be /boughtTiat 'under This iS of'' steamer. 'New- l'lymbuth.: :lt is suggested • that a shipment of 2000 or 3000 tons oh consignment from' the Bluff.-woiild' pay Taranaki merchants. -

'Freezing, operations are in , full siring at; both' the Gisborrie ' freezing :.ivorks at tlie present time.,' Last week . over; 12,000 sheep. were put through the Gishornc Sheepfarmers' works.- . Bookings/continuo heavy, " especially ;;witb .mutton. \ The "Herald" ; says ,the. quality, 'aV .n '.'result of the, recent spell of dry;,weather, is showing 'a 'steady' improvement.

' The ballot"' for the Kumeti sections,' four miles' from Dannevirke, takes place to-day,; and-J370 applicants;;, are,, stated by 3 ress 'to have put .'.over.; ltOQi.applicationsi sec-' tion's/ comprising- 3060"acres.? ]' '

- Kabbit-poisoning - operations are . now being carried, on throughout the . '"Wairarapa. The. Greytbwn"Standflfd"..'says ■a : systematic minatioh .is under way, and 'improvement' is •' already- noticeable ;■ at .CPon'atahi-, . and ;around' tho Daleficldi:district;.

; Despite the badly-roadcd condition of the ■ district, several;-; new: ..settlers a re shifting their families ■in at',; Wh'angamona '(Taranaki); anil ;pr'eparirig for the winter.;' One; sheopfarnieiv there -has had ,liis wool stacked iii his shed for over but,cannot;get - it. away,ias' slijis/Sfhich- came I'cjbwn .early 'in the spring -'still .block - the -' roads. :>

-E:.'.'.Clifton,'.'Director of the.Fields ;andfExperimental Pavms' Division of 'the 'Department .of - Agriculture, accompaniedby Mr. -]). Kois, .'Pields Supervisor for, Uawke's llay, :is- paying-a visit of inspection'to. the Poverty Bay district, and will probably; journey - south' through the rabbit-infested '■ country , in Sfohnka . and "Wairoa counties." 'It/is- suggested in Gis;.' borne', that- extensive- forest ; reserves should be made around. Waikaremoana;: both for, 1 scenic purposes and ' for .' the" protection of the district from invasions' of rabbits. ■ ; -.' '

An analysis: of the points scored in the fat cattle classes at ; the Masterton Show reveals 'the fact that out .of a possible : 115 points, Hereford-Seattle; scored no-less than.B9 points,, leaving"'th'e' other breeds only 26 points among them. As. 171 fat cattle were exhibited,: ithe record demonstrates that for beef purposes Herefords are hard to beat.

■ '•.It is reported:that.a-'crdpVof'wheat on the.-south bank of -.the'; .Opihi ' (Canterbury), estimated to yield -40 bushels,- returned ■ only 21' bushels to, the. acre. -- -

'■■■Some Bood-'returii's;of t ..Velvet-:wh'eat'ar6 reported; .from:"the.i:Hbqk'f district,i. Wai-m-a-,'.¥*• Secured a yield of :d3 .bushelS':..to;, the ;aore, and Mr. ;*y -;l?ushe)^^;AtAVaituha :a :6t-.liedchaiT-,wient 40 bushels, • of •Ai? 0 ?"®*»' ; at.;the ~foni'f last shows;, at-' 'which they *\aW-;.cxhi)]Ucd 3s inteesting.,, Detail's . al'e ras " ;fo)lbw Show; ' Six Jfl'nbft:champion .and Umbel] piSints in anv one breed., of . jiurpbrcd sheep.V™ Feildi ng Show: champions,aU'l QuibcU-Cupi,for ~m ostlpointst I points iii ratus ;an<l. <avef.,;ui*aer':2t ...igintUM .JwrHnK-'Bdiiw seconds,, two,4JiiraV«onb' ; xliainpioh, out thirds, and "'threeu.tih'AfilnitosMpsj'ViWolsley . Cup fcr.-most points in English'iLeicester and IJiiibell Cup-for most points' in' air purebred sheep. : .

. .The crops, of . oats and wheat 1 around Carterton are very; variable, in .quality .'.thiSvseasbn;:- .-In'asoin'i^-'inistnnces.rsays'tire' •"News,", ther are fii'it-elass,- but in others tlia" caterpillar,' rust, and- smut . have rendered' them .wortlu lmfdlyj the cost of tlwshing. . .-.Chafi" .will average light weights, and, it! is anticipated, will be high in price.. .

,;3tr. - C.. .Hall, Spl ■ has ;l)Ceh for .a' . tri'p through'the'- north of : Auckland districts, and , thinks that settlers ■'in liis; will ;do,niuch' het,tor; for 'tliehiiaves'.iby staying.'where,they .•!are,'thaif;!by; thgir.'.fhrtu'ne bn'jtho lands that are', being opened up in the north.;.,; - ' '

_'Tlib East Coast. Rabbit Board is to bo J elected about March i-l. It ivill consist I of five' trustees, elected by. .the slieep'owner's in the' Poverty-Bay. arid. East :Coast districts,, ami. nn officer of tha ;Department of Agriculture ivill also b» M member, ex officio.

; ; Tho Westland"A. and P. Association ;Held its thirteenth annual show last : week. There was a. very; fair attendance .of- the public;'. The genearl display ivas !a fair one.' A good number of cattle :and horses ivero shown. , Sheen were not much' in evidence, and only a limited number of , pigs and dogs, but those shown were generally of a good class. The farm produce and miscellaneous classes Were very creditable: ■ - - '■ p..

The Cheltenham Dairy Company suppliers threatened "to.strite last-week,' being dissatisfied'with the price of Old. paid, for butter-fat.. . After three hours' discussion with' the directors' they ' were persuadedjto accept ■ the figure.'

.' The Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister for Agriculture, stated to a 'West' Coast interviewer the other day that he believed Westland would in time be as great a dairying district as Taranaki. He-pro-posed- to have' experiments made to dis-cover-.which class, of'grass was most suitable for ..pasture in the province. Once the Midland -railway .was through he was' sure there would be a steady stream, of farmers' .sons into -.Westlandfrom the East Coast of the South ; Island. ;He'looked forward. to, seeing manysmaU dairying holdings of 100 acres' or so.

The Horowlienua Ax and P. Association, after .-.increasing its; prize-money at- the .recent show 'by .£SO over 'last- year " and spending about 460 on, new -yards, ex-.' pects to show a small, credit balance on the'year's operations. 1

The Waverley A. and P. Association has had a: handsome X2O eup presented to it |by Mr.' James Smith, for the leaping competition at its forthcoming show. 1

The New Zealand Utility Poultry Club (Cliristchiirch)' is .holding a duck' egglaying competition, limited to about 20 pens, at Papanui. The competition will begin on May 1 and continue on March 31 of- next year:

Faiakai the ■ well-known flai and dairy property of 347 acres freehold and 160 acres -leasehold, some of the richest land .on'the Manawdtu, with flax cutablc this year, will be' sold at auction by Dalgety and Co.; at Palmerston North on Saturday,. 2Gth February. : The terms may bo arranged.—Advt.' v