STATE FARMS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 990, 3 December 1910, Page 8

STATE FARMS.

. THEIR. FUTURE-USE. The lines on. which the State farms, should b? conducted has been a topic of controversy so often that tho -portion of tho Minister for Agriculture's annual report dealing with tlio subject will.be read with special interest. ;.Tho Minister, who holds that tho experiment -and demonstration work dono on the Stato farms is of great value, that the Departniciit , aims at, making the institutions still more instructive to farmers and others, while duo economy in management is to be observed. ' 1

' "The reports of experiments (sayi the report), instead of, as heretofore, being included. in the annual . report of tlio Department, will be published as soon as available in tlio monthly journal of the Department,- and. will thus reach more quickly."those".for whose benefit tlio "experiments are carried out., Mbct of tho stud horses have been sold, and thoso remaining will bo so' placed as to bo remunerative to tlio Department while of benefit to farmers'.;.-Steps arc being taken to strengthen tiic pedigieo herds of dairy cattle, so . that in due time farmers may be supplied; mill bulls of undoubted miiking-strain. Tile stud flocks of sheep are .maintained at a high, standard of quality; the ordinary flocks have given good returns, and have also afforded the opportunity of conducting experiments in the breeding and rearing of lambs for tlio export trade. . ; • . . The agricultural experiments have covered a very wido range, the chief subjects being in relation to pastures and varieties, of grasses, varieties of. cereals; varieties and manuring of j-oots and fodder crops, tlio management of orchards and vineyards, and varieties of fruit. It is also being endeavoured," by means of plant- and seed selection and plantbreeding, to difcoverDr evolvo improved strains or varieties of the various economic plants, which will be characterised by largo yield and resistance to diseases and pests. Some progress has been made in these various dircc-. tions, a considerable voluino of preliminary work in plant-breeding having been done at the MoumrJiaki Farm, anil a smaller but still' useful quantity at other farms. The operations' so far have been mainly directed towards the breeding, by selection or crossing, of a variety or varieties of oats -which shall bo of good quality and productivity, while resistant to rust. Some .attention has also been given to grasses and cereals. This work is of great importance; and it is hoped that it may bo placed ou such a footing as to lead to valuabla results." DAIRY COW COMPETITION. PAHIATTJA A. AND P. SOCIETY. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.).. Pahiatua, December 2;'* The following is the result 7 of the dairj' cow competition (quantity -and quality • of milky for two. milkings for cows of any age), conducted. by the Pahiatua-Akitio . Agricultural and Pastoral - Association. Tho competition closed with twenty-two entries, but six were-withdrawn. The first and-second cows were grade Jerseys. Miss Cleghorn's "Bonny," 46 pounds' of milk, 5.4 test, 2.4841b. of butter fat,. was first. M'Govc-rn Brothers' "Pearl," 52Mb. of milk, 4:7 te5t,;2.4681b. of butter-fat, was' second. Mrs. Matthewa's "Topsy," 521b. of milk, 4.2 test, 2.1841b. of butter-fat,, was third.Tho testing was. carried \ out, yesterday' by' Air.- D. Kelly, manager of the Konini' branch of the Ballanco Dairy Company,;, in the presence of Messrs. O. A. Burgess, J. D. Wilson, J., B. Westlake, and the secretary, (Mr/ J. A. Walsh). Most of the competing cows were of the Jersey, breed. The lowest on tho list gavo 3411b. 'of milk, 4.2 test, and' 1.4491b. of butter-fat.' The second cow occupied a similar, position .in the, competition last; year.. '• , i — . GENERAL FARMING NEWS.' Tho schedule for the aiinual show of the Bush Districts Agricultural and Pastoral Association has been issued. Thci.show is. to bo held,at Woodvillo on January 25. The schedule includes an interesting list of" competitions, among which aro a couple of horse races. Various descriptions of horses - aro catered for. The cattle classes aro for Holstcins, Jerseys, Ayrshires, and dairy cows. There aro sheep .classes for Lincolns, Border Leicesters, English Lciccstors, Bomneys, • Shropshires, Southdowns, crossbreds, and fats.\ Tho pig classes are for Berkshires, ■ Tamworths, Yorkshires, 'and miscellaneous kinds. There-is also a .farm and dairy prodiico section. • ; The!, wool-classing competition, at tho •Hawera Show was iiew in.t-lie district, and .was. of great interest. -.Twenty-five samples of wool wore taken. Messrs! F; AY. AYilkie and ;G.. .Williams'.-tied for first place ~v,ith: 16 correct. answers in their favour, Messrs;' A.vE'. : Death 15, Ll 0. Alan and J.'Blair each-14, Jas. Winks and S. Nixon, each 12, 'wero tho nearest of the remainder. ■ -The . Shannon Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd., ha'vo recently installed •a", pasteurising, plant for skim-milk at their factory at Shannon, and another is.'now being installed at. the company's Moutoa creamery. The grade of butter at present being titrhed out by the conipajiy is one of the highest' on tho coast, practically tho whole of tho output reaching 93 points. • Tho •amount jwid for butter-fat is at tho, rate of llid. per lb. The company has mado arrangements to consign the year's output of butter with a guarantee of lid. per lb. _ The supply of milk at present is far in excess of that of previous years, and at the present time the daily output' of butter is fivq boxes moro than the highest tally for last year.— Boston. "Herald." The ; ,Tariki correspondent of a New •Plymouth paper says there is some talk of_the old.Moa Farmers' Creamery on the Tariki Koad being run again next season by the Midhirst Company, but probably nothing definite will bo de-cided-until thoso principally concerned see which comes out on top tlus'scason, chceso or butter. • ' Mangaweka has benefited by very . welcomo rains, according to tho correspondent of tho "Wauganui Chronicle." flic 'contributor mentioned says that tho rain has done a vast amount, of, good in bringing forward tlio grass. Everything is now'looking bright and fresh. .Now it again, appears as if there is to bo moro oppressive weather. Perhaps a great deal of this oppression is duo to the smoke caused by fires, hut it will bo even worse when bush (ires at at their height. The season is much later up the Main Trunk line tlian it is in tho Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa districts,' aiid in this it much resembles the Bush' Districts country. There appears to have been an abundance of rain from Marton and Taumarunui, and feed .is-in plenty and very green all along the railway Hne v -~ Shearing. is 'in full swing everywhere. At Batley's, Moawhango, l>e;tween twenty-fivo and - thirty Native shearers " arrived yesterday' from HawkeV Bay, -European shearer's .being scarce, on -'the'various farms and . -stations. '