GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 880, 28 July 1910, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

A majority of the forty branches of tlia l'arm Labourers' L'nion in Canterbury, have, according to the union organiser, expressed themselves in favour of. citing the farmers lor the purpose ot getting an industrial award. Tiio small birds nuisance costs Ashburton county a large sum yearly. Since April the County, Council has* paid e£9l 125.. 9d.' for birds' heads, and 'has > received 21,993 heads in return. Tlio council's agent at Methven has paid, in addition, Mo for 10,800 heads, and at Rakaia the. local agent has also paid <£30 for '7200 heads, a rough total of 40,000 small birds having been destroyed during the present season.. A man engaged in trapping small birds from July 4 to 18th in the Rakaia district, received a cheque of .£9 15s. 9d. for his labour. The secretary of the Egmont (Hawera) A. and P. Association (Mr. P. O. Treweck) advises that the association's show-dates "have been altered to a day later suit visitors from the north, end of the line.'' The days and the dates , now fixed upon aire Wednesday and Thursday, November, 23 and 24. What is stated to be the most important and extensive sale of dairy stock ever held in the Manawatu district is to be conducted by Messrs. Abraham and Williams at the farm of Mr. S. R. Lancaster, Fitzherbert East, Palmerston, on Tuesday and Wednesday nest, August 2 and 3,. when 400 cows and lieifers will be submitted. The great majority of the animals are grade Jerseys and have been carefully elected. Besides these a largo number of purbred jerseys will be sold. A feature of Mr. Lancaster's sales is the conditions, one of which is that every animal submitted is guaranteed true to description. The Apj.ti Dairy have a credit balance' of «£G0l) on the. year's working, and intend paying a bonus of Jd. per lb. for butter-fat to suppliers.—Exchange. A Rahatu (Taranaki) correspondent writes in a Taranaki paper:—"The local factory is now manufacturing butter. A combined' churn and butter-worker has recently been installed, and we now posses one of the most. up-to-date dual plants in the Dominion." Tho'Waitara correspondent of a Taranaki paper says: "A study of Shaw SaviU's summary of meat exported from New Zealand shows that Lite Waita.ra works are an easy first in beef output. Wellington shipments top-the list with 10,517,8881b.,'but this is the product of three works, whilst the amount sent\ away from Waitara was 5,437, These amounts represent only six months' shipments. In 1882; the whole export of,.meat from the Dominion was 1,707,3251b., 'while for the'six months-ended June 30 of this year no less than 213,701,0681b. left the colony for Homo. Last year's shipments were- 'the heaviest on record, being 209,773,6981b., but with another six months to go no doubt the 1910 season will prove a record one. It almost 'borders on the marvellous where so - much'stock comes from. , - , I*'

Another difficultyin connection" with the proposed new- creamery at Waion T gona (Taranaki) cropped» up recently (says a correspondent 'of- a Taranaki paper). The engineer (Mr. Orbell) refused to "pass" the 1 old dam, and a meeting of. guarantors was: ; 'held to consider the. matter. ' Mr. James' (factory manager) was present, and advised the erection of a concrete dam some chains further :up the stream. This would cost between -and. .X100,'.-JSut once completed, jFould ..be .a The extra length of-water-race 'would probably cost .£4O or -:<£so. • ■■•If-thfe settlers were agreeable to the proposals the company were prepared to supply separator, boiler, pipes, belting, etc.', for the creamery free of cost. After some discussion, it-was decided, to. agree to carry "into effect the proposals made by Mr. .lames.

Tlio ravages of the potatoblight during the last year. or two have been so only: a,* restricted area will,, it is expected, be devoted to potato cultivation'-this season,Ts'ays, our Alastorton correspondent.

- The annual meeting of the Masterton Homing Pigeon Club, which had a most successful season, is to be held on Monday evening next. At the meeting tha ■question 'of forming a 1 Poultry, Pigeon, slid Canary Association ,will also be discussed. As .the latter institution is one in which a large section ,of the community is interested, it seems rather a pity that a public meeting is not called, so that the services and advice pf representative men. may be -obtained. —Masterton correspondent.