GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 794, 18 April 1910, Page 10

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

As further ovidenco of the unusual business at the Canterbury freezing works, a southern- paper states that every killing board is working three full'shifts of butchers, and all of tho men are making big cheques. During the past fortnight several butchers at one of tho works earned £14 for the eleven working days, and tho averago cheque for the board was £13. During the week before last 32,000- sheep and lambs were killed at. the Belfast works, and tho total number slaughteredat Belfast, Fairfield, and Pareora was 68,000.

A Wairarapa farmer imported somo solid straw Tuscan wheat from Temuka, in the South Island, for experimental purposes, last season. Tho crop, which has recently been' threshed, has .returned a yield averaging forty bushels per acre, which, taking into consideration the season, is very satisfactory. He states that in parts the yield was fully fifty bushels per, acre, tho averago being reduced by one or two wet patches in tho paddock, where, the. wheat did not grow- so well. It was noted, too," that this season it did' not take the rust so readily as 6omo of the other Tuscans. One of tho advantages claimed for it is that it stands up better than some of tho other varieties. -

A sheep farm in the Mangaweka. district has just changed hands at £15 •per acre, a Taranaki farmer being the purchaser. Perhaps it is not generally known, but the majority of land in this district (says a correspondent) is good, three-sheep country. Opinions cannot be formed from what littlo is to be seen when passing, through by rail. An up-country settler, speaking to a Wanganui "Herald'' reporter, expressed a wholo-hearted contempt for Mr. Foster-Fraser, of "flaccidity" and bookwriting fame. "The idea of a man, who has seen only the cities and . taken a few drives .in. a motor-car, presuming to describe;a country!" ho-said. "I wish I could take him by the scruff of the neck, • and drag him through the back-blocks' and show him what is going on thero. : Bo.would.be pretty flaccid himself by. tho time I had dono with he added.

The: cool. storage and a jam factory proposals which were discussed •at the Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers' Association's meeting have caused a good deal of'interest to be taken in the-subject, ,and Mr. N. R. Wellwood, who opened the matter up,' is' receiving many inquiries, and ' there • are considerable hopes'of definite action. , Dairying is still brisk in the North of Auckland districts, and thero is every reason to believe that supplies for tho current month will equal" those of tho last. During . March , the Northern Wairoa Dairy Company produced 46,2831b. of butter, as against 36,0111b. .'manufactured during the corresponding period of last year. The increased production compared with/ last, season is, 38 tons to date, and all creameries are receiving good supplies.

The members of the Oxford branch of tho Farmers' Union paid'a visit: to the Belfast Freezing ' Works . (Canterbury) on Wednesday, and had tho whole of the processes explained to them by Sir George Clifford,' chairman- of. directors, Mr. N. L. Macbeth, secretary, »nd;Mr.iA. P. Hopkinsj,work3 manager. After the inspection the party was entertained' at luncheon 'by the company. In responding to one of the toasts, . Sir George Clifford stated'that the company was purely a farmers' concern, and by it they were.able, to. secure 3s; per; head more for their'lambs than if the-in-dustry had been monopolised. Excellent" weather is being experienced in tho Seddon and Flaxbourno districts 0f..,-,Marlborough, ••and.Vthe country, haiviiig' benefited by tho recent rains, is looking well. Sheep • and grain are being sent away in largo quantities by the farmers in that locality;, in fact, it is considered that a greater' number of sheep 'will leave the Awatere and Flaxbourno than' ever before.

The homestead of - the Anikiwa estate '(comprising over.,3ooo.acres, and ( .situated in the. Queen. .Charlotte - Sounds): was sold by public auction last week to the widow of the late Herbert Beauchamp far the sum of £5475. Bee-keepers in tho far north havo been sorely troubled with/the depredations, of kingfishers. . These, birds- have devoured whole colonies of bees,' and it' is a.common sight to see kingfishers perched in proximity to hives make sudden swoops and devour bees whilst they are on the wi»g. At Tangaihi Mr. G. Schick has lost altogether 10 hives, and has been forced to wage war against the marauders. His mode of defence is /to set' traps for tho kingfishers, which have. been caught in hundreds, as many as 25 captures-per diem beingfrequently recorded.

. Fallow ploughing is being largely carried out in the Wairarapa district at present, and , the majority of fanners are recognising that if they wish to secure-good crops it is absolutely essential to work their ground well, fallowing first and cross-ploughing afterwards. . A splendidly-fatted bullock, killed by tho Lovin Meat Company last- week, turned tho scales at 11701b. The animal—a Hereford—was . shown by tho company at the last show of the Horowhenua A. and P.' l -Association, when it secured first prize. The fine bulk and general symmetry of the bullock were .commented upon at that time, but there was wide diversity of opinion as to what -his dead moat weight would be. The supply of milk to-the Mangaweka Creamery' is a long way abovo the average for this time of the year. ; Butter-fat" cheques ■ continue to show; an appreciable increase in -Taranaki. I'he Avaitara Read Dairy Company's payment to suppliers for March milk was £1134 19s. 3d., as against £739 7s. 7d. for the corresponding month of last year, when lOd. was paid, as against 9Jd. this season. The amount of milk reoeived was 640,0281b., as against 380,6071b., an increase of 329,4211b. Butter-fat produce totalled 28,4211b., as against 17,7481b., an increase of 10,6731b. Commercial butter made was 33,2541b., against 20,1871b., an increase of's tons 16 cwt. 751b. The average test was 4.44. The favourable season is responsible for the ' satisfactory increase in tho supply of milk.

The annual show of the Dunedin Fanciers' Club is to be held on Jane 1, 2, iand 3. A largo number of. valuable oups and prizes are being offered for competition in the poultry, canary, pigeon, and dog'secfcions, into which the •the show is divided. Entries close ou May 7. The erection of a new Agricultural High School has just been completed at Ballarat, Victoria, by the Public Works Department. Accommodation is provided for 300' students, and the'building combines four class-rooms, a large assembly-hall, nature study, physics, chemistry, art, • cookery, dining, and Sloyd rooms, and a timber store, in addition to an office, a teacher's room, hat and cloak rooms, and lavatories. The school has a floor space of 15,000 ft. super., and, inclnclin£ all the special fitting throughout, has cost about £11,000. It is not generally known (says .the "Chroniclo") that bee-farming on quite an oxtonsivo scalo is carried on in the vicinity of 1 Wanganui. The proprietor is Mr. J. Mauder, than whom there is perhaps no more* competent 'apiarist in the Dominion. Mr. Mandcr's apiaries' avo at Rapanui and Long Acre, while .noxt season he will, in all probability, start a third. As an indication of the the extent of the industry it may bo stated that this season's output amounted to between four and five tons. The honoy.is of very fine quality, and .« in much demand.