GENERAL FARMING NEWS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 828, 28 May 1910, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS

The residents of Murchison County, between Nelson and the West Coast, have formed a Settlers' Associatioii. The objects aro to secure tho services of resident auctioneer, and the erection of saleyards, the holding of an animal show, and the improvement of road and telephone ■ communication, .etc. The threshing season has now virtually como to an end, although a few machines aro still at work. There are complaints from one end of Canterbury to the other that the return has been anything but commensurate with the amount of straw, there are a few exceptions whero the grower's anticipations have been more than realised. Mr. J. A. Henley, of Lincoln, had several crops this year which have turned out exceedingly well. One paddock yielded eighty-one bushels of Garton oats per acre, and another threshed out fifty-eight bushels. The threshing machine was able to put through four thousand bushels in twenty-two hours. The Warrimoo yesterday took 36 draught-horses to Sydney. All the horses, with one exception, were shipped at Lyttelton. Messrs. Dalgety anil Co., Ltd., advise thai the particulars furnished yesterday of Mr. Wybourne's shipment of sheep by the same vessel wcro in error. Mr. Wybourne is forwarding 52 Lincoln ewes and a ram to Mr. A. C. Lees, of New South Wales. ' •

A meeting of representatives of district dairy companies who manufacture cheese (convened by the Egmont Box Company) was held at Elthain this week to consider the- question of adopting a uniform size of cheeso cases, tip to the present time there have been six different lengths of battens and three sizes tif heads used by the various companies. It was decided to adopt a uniform case; 15-inch head and 27-inch batten, and to recommend other companies throughout the Dominion to take similar action. Most of the district companies are taking this standard cheese case straight away, whilst others intend to use up their present stocks of material before doing so. The adoption of a uniform cheese case for export purposes is of considerable importance to tho industry.

In their annual report, the commitiftio of tho Otago A. and P. Association state: "Tho ram and owe fair was again held at Burnside under tho auspices of'the society, when certain regulations and restrictions were imposed, with u view to ensuring that only animals of breeding and quality should be sent forward for sale, with the result that there was a considerable improvement in the quality of the sheep entered, arid, the fact that only sheep registered in' tho New Zealand Flock Books were accepted ensured tho quality of the stock which was offered for sale."

Mr. Robert Power, a well-known settler of Paringa, South Westland, started last,week with a largo mob of horses for the Dunedin horse sales. Mr. Power is travelling by way of the Haast Pass into Otago, and . tho Hokitika "Guardian" ■ says the present is the first draft of Westland horses to bo taken by that route, and so open up a new market. Tho horses are said to be a good stamp, being hardy and \ipstanding, and should command a good figure on tho open market. \ '

A Kotaro (Taranaki) correspondent writes: "As a result of tho fine weather wo have experienced for the last couple of months, all the young grass has coino away splendidly. It is gratifying to note that a number of settlers in this district aro going in for first-class mixtures ,of grain seeds. Tho finer grassos that have been tried take on well in this locality. Quite a large number of stock has been sent out to market recently, and to tho satisfaction of the owners, record prices have been obtained."

Many Southland rabbiters are at a loss to understand why there should he such a discrepancy between the prices offered by Southland rabbit.skin merchants and those in tho trade in Ihmodin. This will be understood to some extent (says the "Southland News") when it is mentioned that the higher prices ruling in tho northern city are for high country skins, and it so happens that tho bulk of the rabbit-in-fested country in Otago is at a high altitude, whereas the worst rabbitcountry in Southland is at a comparatively iow level. A high altitude means a reduced temperature, and Naturo provides bunny with a thick coat of fur as a- protection against tho cold when he ventures near the snow line. Of course tho thicker the fur is tho more valuable does bunny's pelt become. Tho manager of tho Makahu Dairy Factory, Stratford, has been notified that ho holds second place on the average grado list of 38 factories, shipping at New Plymouth. His average was 93;0G points. Fleven prime four-year-old Hereford heifers were killed last week at the Wallacetown Freezing Works, Southland. The average dressed weight of the animals' was 7801b., export weight. Mr. F. Chomleley, Noxious Weeds Inspector, interviewed tho Taranaki County Council recently (says the "Herald"), and referred to the alarming spread of blackberry, particularly in somo parts of the county. It was; he said, generally admitted that the spread of blackberry was due almost entirely to birds, and ho suggested that the council offer some increased reward for their universal destruction. The council concurred with tho inspector's views, and Councillor Tato also urged that when cases were taken before the magistrate fines should bo increased up to £10 or £15. A fine of £2 was not of much uso.

In order that the available refrigerating space should be fairly distributed, the Union Steam Shi]) Company has decided to call for tciidcr.i foj tliu space availablo under tho Vancouver mail contract with tko Commonwealth and the Canadian Governments. If more space is tendered for than is availablo (says tho "Australasian") a distribution will be made pro rata. In making this announcement, tho Federal Post-master-General (Mr. Thomas) said that bo .approved of the proposal. He understood that in tho past tho available space was controlled by one shipper, and other consignors had to mako their arrangements for space through that shipper. v

The estimated production of wool in tho world in 1895 was 2,692,986,7731b., while the wool-using population at that time was estimated at 528,386,225 people. At the present time the woolusing population is 610,391,508 people, an increase of 81,555,283. The world's wool production in the same period has increased 111,119,7731b. It will be seen that the increaso in production has not kept pace with the increases in population ; for the per capita production in 1895 was 4.88i1>., which has been reduced to 4.271b. at the present time. Mr. S. R. Lancaster, the well-known breeder of Jersey cattle, has purchased another farm situated at Himitaiigi on the road to Foxton. The property comprises 200 acres, which !?*.'. Lancaster will run in conjunction with his Fitzherbert-East farms. Entries for nil divisions of the National Dairy Show are coming in very fast now. The work of preparation in tho various halls is going apaco.