GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1187, 24 July 1911, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Tho annual Dominiou Conference of the New Zealand farmers' Union will bo opened in Wellington to-morrow morning. 3ir. J. G. Wilson (the Dominion president) is to preside. . The conference is expected to occupy three or four clays. . Early potatoes have be.su dug in Tara; naki. A Hawera grower had a smali lot of (the liobin Adair variety at tho beginning of this month. Kegardins the visitation of the grass grub, an Ashburtoh farmer of long and practical experience expressed thb opinion that the reason ot the presence of such a large* number of these pests in tho soil in various parts of Canterbury was due mainly to overcropping. Ho added that the farmers of the Ashburton county failed, in many instances, to treat "their, land in a scientific manner, and as a result of overcropping year after year, the soil had become.so impoverished tli:it it became'full of' insect pests and noxious weeds. "The time is coming," lie remarked with some emphasis, "when farmers will be compelled, in consequence of the .high value of agricultural land, to replace the, properties that are extracted by growing cereal?." Ho went on to say that ono remedy in effectively (loafing* with .insect pests was to treat the foil to a. systematic dressing of lime, the sweorpninsr and productive properties of which, while, lasting for several year?, could not be over-estimated. To.) much value was placed on superphosphates. Fanning matters in the dairying country south of Christcliurcli are quiescent at present. The soil is 100 damp and greasy for tillage operations. Ploughing is possible on grass lauds, but not on stubble fields. Exceptionally severe frosts —tho keenest for several years past—are being experienced. With the abundant moisture in the ground, the grub and other vermin of the soil aro -being forced to the surface and killed by the severe weather conditions obtaining. Thirty-one factories will compete for grade ptms, in clucso nt the coming winter show of tho Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society. In connection with the suggestion recently made,by Mr. John Lnmbie, chairman of the Ashburton County Council, that the Scottish lapwing should be acclimatised in New Zealand as a means of coping with insect pnsts, it is of intero-t to learn (says an exchange)-that American agriculturists are buying greal quantities of lapwings'.eggs from Britain in view of tho value of th? 'birds in destroying snails, beetles, and Ijihmp which ruin crops. The result is I ha! th« number of lapwings in Britain is - ; .'ii(l to be decreasing, mid that snails and slugs aro floutishins,