GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1073, 11 March 1911, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Blackberries from tho districts near Wellington aro still being sold for 2}d. per pound 011 tho Wellington market.

A creamery has been opened at Paraparaunm. Tho prospects of success aro good.

Auckland is already well ahead with preparations for its winter show.

Tho milk supply is decreasing so quickly in some parts of Tarauaki that tho farmers will probably havo their winter "holiday" earlier than usual. Tho Christchurch Moat Company and the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company are to be asked by the Timaru branch of tho Farmers' Union to open works in South Canterbury earlier than in tho past, so as to avoid the necessity for early lambs from South. Canterbury being sent to North Canterbury to bo killed for freezing. A farmer who was questioned by a Masterton "Times" reporter as to tho prospects for tho coming winter, stated that on the whole he thought they were good. Had he been asked to express an opinion several weeks ago, he would probably havo returned a different answor._ But the rain had changed everything. . The majority of farmers should havo no great difficulty ill weathering the coming months, even though they were severe. Cattle and stock generally were in good condition; which would help them very materially to withstand the cold and the rough weather.

Tho hemp jnarket has been steadier during the last week than for some time past. Tho prico for good-fair is now £17.

The "Breeders' Gazette" (Chicago) states that a "serious mistake is threatening American draught horse interests. Last year it actually did considerable damage, conSned to the comparatively few individuals who made unwise purchases. While tho principal demand "last winter was for high-class stallions and mares, there were some who looked at tho price first and at the horse second, if at all. They get horses with registration certificates, it is true, and in some cases they got about everything undesirable in shape or unsoundness that one horse can carry. A lot of cheap discarded stock was picked up abroad by a few unscrupulous importer?, and unloaded on these American farmers at unwarrantably high prices. These investors got imported names and certificates, but they did not get horses."

Tho Killarnev Lakes, in Southern Queensland, which have, been dry for years, wera filled by the recent, rains. One had remained so persistently dry for years that a local farmer cultivated tho bottom of it, only to find that his SO acres of maize and lucerne are now under 10ft. of water.

The annual report of Armour and Co., tho American meat packers, states thai:

"the capital of tho company is 20,000,000 dollars, and gradual investments in buildings and plant aro put at ' 73,053,3K:1 dollars. Tho two amounts aro added, making 03.053,313 dollars, and it is stated that the net profits on tho past year, 5,517,721 dollars, represent only a little over (j per cent. But if the investments, amounting to 73,853,313 dollars, iu buildings and plant, were met as expenses in past years, and deducted from "tho gro. ; s profits of those years, it is misleading to reckon the percentage of the year's profits on that sum in addition to tho share capital. If the net earnings were divided among shareholders who have paid, only 20,000.000 dollar? for their shares, the dividend was really over 20 per cent. The sales in the year amounted to 250,000,000 dollars."

Reports from .ill part? of the United States show a-marked decline in the priec of meats and other food-stuffs. Not only have there been reductions from the Allantic to the Pacific, hut prominent puckers say that prices will fro yet lower. It is said that tho recent hish price of merit-; and packing, JiopCj.p.rod.itfff: cnmio.t..bo, attributed in any way to the packers \or to any combination of persons or firms engaged in the. .packing industry.