GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 836, 7 June 1910, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

A Makuri correspondent writes:—"The winter in this district so far lias been wet, with, a great abundance of feed. Stock all round are- looking well, especially ewes-'in'lamb. In" Weber County, and' to the east of the Puketoi range, hoggets are reported to be dying whole? sale; AYq had., the samo. experience "'two' years ago, and I lost 300 out of 800. The chief cause,! think, is too rank feed in tho autumn. What the hoggets want is dryfeed, chaff, etc.,' which we are unable to give them." .

Tho Kaikoura ."Star" says the Clarence Valley is aiot .grazing half the sheep it carried twenty 1 years ago, and is steadily becoming valueless owing to tho ravages of rabbits...

.The rumour:that the, "Forestry Department intonds-io prosecute; tho planting of ing 'of trees'' in the'-vicihity of-. Naseby .proves to be correct. ' The" Department has; selected'an area of 1200 acres near the, Government dam, about four miles from JJaseby, and will shortly commence planting it. In this connection, says tho '.'Otago Daily.-Times,'' it'-'-is- interesting to know that.the number of. pits.(that is, holes for receiving trees) that one man can dig in a day .is from 600 to - 700; and that the .number of trees which one man can plant in-. pits. prepared for ■ the purpose -is abojt^the^-s'ame.

The Dannovirke A. and V. show is to be held on "February 8 next, and the second Wednesday in February will be the permanent date for this show.

The Northern Wairoa Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, Mangawhare, near Dargaville, manufactured during the month of May, 19,8731b. of butter, as against. 13,9811b. during the previous May. Tho total butter made for the season from Septcihber to May inclusive was 215'.- tons, or an ; increase of 431 tons compared with,the same period■ the previous year. V,

At the. Otago meeting. of, the Now Zealand Farmers' Union, it was resolved that tho Dominion Conferonce.be asked to urge upon the Government the necessity of building more sheep trucks, and to protest agiinst the use of tho L.A. trucks for transporting sheep over long distances. These trucks are not drained, and it was stated that one man who had sent 160 sheep on them from Dunback calculated to have lost one. shilling a head on account of the filthy condition in which tho sheep arrived at their destination.

The paddocks about Dromore, Canterbury, show the ravages of the-grass grub rather badly.. It is especially amongst autumn sown wheat, and in old grass lands, that bare brown, patches testify to the work of - the destroyers. Many of the paddocks are now sown down, and look clean and well cultivated.

At tho meeting of tho directors of the Kaikoura Dairy Company last week the secretary stated _ that the quantity of cheese made during May was nearly 10,0001b. more than for May, 1909, and the total output to May 31 this season was over 231' tons as against 189 tons for the whole of last season.

Entries in the apple classes at the National Dairy Show (telegraphs our correspondent) are being received from all parts of New Zealand, and the secretary states that the collective exhibit will be one of the strongest features of the show. We are advised from Paroratigi that Mr. E. Short cabled yesterday stating that he was bringing live of his best sheep back to New Zealand, via Tenoriil'c. Mr. Short will have to pay an export duty of 'lo per cent, on the .value of these before he .will be allowed to tako them' out of Argentina. Presumably the sheep will be transhipped on to ail outward-bound New Zealand liner at Teneriffe. I,'ndcr the British live stock regulations the sheep could not be landed alive'in England and Mr. Short'could not therefore.compete, against-English breeders on their own ground. . . '

"Still 'they, come!" says' the "Weekly Press" of the fat sheep and lambs. The entries at the Addiugton saleyards continue to be very large. If a rise in price is reported in one week, entries are sure to be larger the next. The yardings of fat sheep will probably, however, be much smaller from now onward, as ewes will have to be sold under a guarantee that they are- not in lamb.

A number of sections at Bunnythorpe have changed hands lately. -Messrs. Hall iiros. have, sold out In. Mr. Bowers, who resided here some twelve years ago, and Brown Bros, have'bought the section lately owned by -Mr. C. Olson.

At tho Nelson provincial conference of the Farmers'' t'nion, tho president (llr. Ivo Timnielill'e) said the district was sadly in need of an olticial organiser, in order to increase the membership, and expressed 1 egret that he had not been able to visit all the branches, but was pleased to see that the financial position of nil the branches showed a substantial improvement on the previous rear. The membership remained about the same, viz., about; MO.

As in other districts of Taranaki, the cows are going nil' fast at Lincoln lioad, and'the Moa Company is taking in milk oniv every oilier day. The fanners generally are 'beginning to take it a liltle eas'irr now, and (he younger generation are alividy availing themselves of uhatover aiuUM'inents a country district affords.

Land values up this way, writes the Toko correspondent of I lie Tnranaka "News," have boon increasing at a great rale, and seven 1 farms have changed hands at highlv satisfactory prices, and as I lie deals were mostly cash, cocky, instead of tho Usual overdraft, now iiiuls himself in possession of a solid banking account from the summit of which he adversely criticises the soeialistic tendency ol' the present Government, talks severely lo the hired man, and savs "Haw!" to the calves.

The liunnythorpe Dairy Company is calling tenders for additions to the faclorv in brick. This decision, says the '■Jliiiiiiwiitii Standard," is to enable the whole factory eventually lo bo hi brick. With Ihe great increase of milk during the last two years the directors will soon have to rebuild. Tenders will be advertised at an early date, so that the now work will be finished before the coining season. .

One of tho most promising features of the market of late (says the Wnikato correspondent of the "Farmer") is the influence of southern buyers upon the value of certain classes of stock, and it is becoming quite evident that the closer communication now existing between the various centres of the North Island, by the completion of the Main Trunk railway, Is going to equalise- prices lor live stock in a manner scarcely expected, liver since the Main Trunk opened large numljers or bacon pigs have gone over the line, some coming up from the south, but a niucli larger number going to southern bacon eurers. The trade is now extending to fat and store cattle, of which some thousands have already gone south.

The "North Otago Times" states that the drv weather is giving some concern to fanners. The wheat that was put in early is coming away so irregularly.that it lias been found "advisable in some instances to plough it up and re-sow. The extra ploughing,.however, may lead to "a better ultimate yield, so that all the farmers' labour- may. not be -lost.

A good iiielicatipii of the value of 'horseflesh in New South Wales is given by the following paragraph from the Sydney "Herald":—Messrs. T. A. Stirton and Co., in conjunction --with-. Messrs. Wm. Inglis and Son, Sydney,, held a very successful horse sale at Narrabri on May 12 and 13, when they yarded between 100 and 500 head. Local horses were in strong demand, Sydney buyers being disappointed in not being able to secure suiliccnt. There was a large attendance of buyers, including - about 20. from Sydney anil Victoria, besides a'couple of good buyers for India. . The following prices we're- realised —Draught marcs, .£37 to .•£46; drailght geldings, .£25 to JMI; draught growers, .£ls 155.; Indian remounts, .£18: to ".628 10s.; buggy pairs to .£35; light harness and saddle horses, .£8 W= 'to ill); ponies, .£" 10s. to £19 lQji.