GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 821, 21 May 1910, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

By the Moana yesterday there was dispatched to Sydney a shipment of 57 draught horses, all of which were from Lyttelton. Tho Uliraaroa on Thursday took a shipment of 43 draughts from "Wellington to on behalf of Mr. E. D. knight, of Longburn. - At the next meeting of tho Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers' Association, Mr. J. T. Fawcett will attend and give an exhibition of emnlsifyiig his vacunm red spraying oil. It is anticipated that there will be an increase of fully a thousand cows in the number supplying to the Cambridge Dairy Company's factory, and creameries during next season. The milk supply is falling away fast at Tokoinara. The Fresh Food and Ice Company's creamery started work every other day from tho first of this monthj and the Dairy Union creamery was to work every other day from Thursday. Tho season for milking has been the best experienced in the district (says the "Manawatu Standard"), and the majority of the herds have done 50 per cent, better than in other seasons.

The Totara correspondent of the Timaru "Post" writes Uijat for sometime past the weather has been first rate, and farmers have been very busy preparing .the land and getting in the autumn crops. Tho fino shower of last week did a lot of good to tho newlysown crops and freshened the pastures considerably. A Hawke's Bay Central A. and P. Society has been formed at Waipukurau. Mr. Geo. Hunter, of Porangahau, has been elected patron, Mr. J. W. Harding president, and Messrs. D. Canning, Sydney Johnston, Allen, and M. Williams vice-presidents; secretary, Mr. P. S. Carroll; treasurer, Mr. M. R. Smart. A strong committee was also appointed with power to add to their numbor. It was decided to hold an autumn show annually, and application is to be made to tho Waipukurau Jockey Club for the use of their grounds.

The eighth annual report of the Feilding A. and P. Association, to bo presented at tho annual meeting of members on May 25, states that a substantial profit was made during tho year. It is satisfactory, continues the report, to note that tho action of the association in raising the membership subscription to £1 was quite justifum. Notwithstanding the increased privileges given to members in the way of ladies' tickets, etc., there- was a larger amount taken at tho outside gates than at any previous show. The association has £300 and accrued interest on deposit, and a bank balance of £328 4s. Id. Assets and liabilities show a credit balance of £1213 9s. Bd.' Tho lindernotcd dairy companies around Stratford paid out tho following amounts on Thursday for butter-fat supplied during April:—Ngaire £1722, Cardiff £1172, Lowgarth £1191. In each case the amounts are larger than for the corresponding month last year, when tho figures wero: £1430, £922, ,and £1137 respectively.

Tho southern grain brokers have been having rather an unpleasant tirao lately through tho shortage of railway trucks. Tho Department, said a Duiiocliu grain merchant last week, is now taking up a most unsatisfactory position by compelling all demurrage charges to bo paid on all wagons held over one day. Tlio matter will hardly bear reasonable consideration when it is understood that a farmer sometimes has anything from two to four days to load probably five or six wagons.

Tho Cambridge Dairy Company's output of butter during tho past season totalled 400 tons. An order from Durban, Natal, for 150 boxes will bo dispatched during tho present' week.

A meeting at AVaipukurau this week passed a resolution in favour of tho formation of a Hawke's Bay Ploughing Association, and that :i meeting of delegates from each club affiliated bo held for the purpose of drawing up rules and to allocate the champion prize given by tho Hawko's Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Association.

Ono of tho loading business men in this city (writes "Drover" in tho

"Otago Vfitness") and one closely connected with the agricultural industry, but not with dairying, holds tho opinion that in, say, 20 years, the export meat trado will be a much smaller thing than it is now. His view is that dairying will increaso and population also. Hβ points out that if in 20 years our population increased by one million—and there is nothing out of the way in this suggestion if this country is really to bo done justice to—this increase will consumo two and a half million sheep and lambs. This would absorb about one-half of the present export, and with the lessening of sheep through land being taken up for dairying tho export trade in frozen meat will bo small. The travelling correspondent of the Dannevirko "Evening News" says the Malcaretu district in common with others is evidently losing population. At ono time there were SO children on the roll, but now it has dropped to 40. This depopulation of larger areas of country, ho writes, is a disquieting sign, and reacts unfavourably right throughout the community. It cripples business, makes education and postal facilities relatively moro expensive, and in many districts tho land is actually going back. It has not the carrying capacity it had years ago. The country is getting overrun with various noxious weeds, and tho settlers in many cases have not the capital to properly work ihoir land. As fast as the Government are putting settlers on the land, others are selling out to their neighbours and help to swell tho number of applicants at tho ballot.

As a result of a visit to the Wereroa Experiment State Farm, Levin* Mr. J. C. Wright, of Matapu (says the Hawcra "Star"), purchased a young shorthorn bull, Baron Cornwall, by Royal Cornwall 21st (imp.). The dam, Sweet Briar, besides being a prizetaker, is a heavy yielder. Her season's yield on tho farm is 11,4791b. of milk and 4261b. butter-fat. The bull is to mate with the celebrated Diamond's stock.

In its annual report the North Canterbury Executive- of the Farmers' Union states that the union is to be congratulated on the formation of a number of branches in South Canterbury, and the establishment of a provincial executive to control them. Tho balance-sheet shows receipts of £457 4s. Id., and an expenditure of £229 7s. 2d., leaving a credit balanco of £227 16s. lid. ■ ■

At the present moment' (says tho Sydney "Herald"), farmers, produce merchants, and consumers of chaff are somewhat anxious as to future supplies, iho chief mart whero local chaff is sold is at tho Redfern railway station auction saleyards, where the sale is conducted daily. Largo supplies arrived up to three weeks ago,, but since then tho number of truckloads per day has considerably lessened, and prices have risen. The cause of tho shortage is set down by somo to the dry weather in the country, while others aro of tho opinion that at this time of the year farmers aro busy ploughing and sowing, and have not the time to cut chaff.

Some important remarks in regard to the work done at Lincoln College were made by Mr. T. Tesohemaker at a meeting of tlio Timani Agricultural and Pastoral Association's committee on Saturday. The opinion, lie said, was tairly general among farmers that tho work done was all in theory, and that the practical side was neglected. Ho had obtained figures as to the yields of the crops for the- season, and he thought that theso would prove that the methods employed were practical and quite safe for farmers to follow In all, thero were 131 acres in wheat the average yield had been dl bushels per acre, and the average profit £4 hs. per acre. About 102 acres had been sown m oats, and these had threshed put on the averago at Gl bushels, making tho average profit £2 Is. 7d per aero. He had gone into theso figures very carefully, and ho did not think that any farmers should say that work was conducted on purely theoretical lines, as the college was worked on thoroughly sound and practical lines iho reason why there was no lam> profit was because of tho numbor of experts engaged.