GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1242, 26 September 1911, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

A southern fanner gives the following advico in reference to the aphis blight and diamond-back math:—"The birds aro the farmers' friends, and in ordinary seasons they aro able to CDpo with tho pests, but with a long spell of drought tha latter increase too fast. In Hint caso tho best plan is to put the sheep on as soon as tho pests are seen. A

A farmer from one of tho upper districts told a representative of the Ashburton "Guardian" that the mortality among breeding ewes and lambs during tho past few weeks had been very serious. Ee knew of several farmers, who had lost half their entire (lock, lambs included. Taking the marked decrease in the flocks this Mason into full consideration together with the loss of sheep and lambs as a result of unfavourable conditions, he expressed the. opinion that the number of lambs available for export in tho Ashburton County next season would bo at least one-third less, as compared with last year's figures.

The first consignment of cheese from the Mangatainoka cheese factory will be shipped from Wellington on October 5. It will consist of 120 cases, double the first shipment of last season. Tho milk supply at the factory is stated to bo iucreasing daily, and on Saturday the amount delivered was 930 gallons. Saturday's testing sheet showed that one supplier had the excellent test of 5.8, an exceptionally high figure for thi? time of the year. . Tho majority of the tests are, howtyer, not as high as for the corresponding period of lost season, one being as low as 2.9. Tho average, is about 0.2 lower than last year.

According to Messrs. Weddel and Co.'s annual review. New Zealand cheese is steadily but surely making progress towards .a higher standard of quality every year, and tho past year gave evidence of this. In the cot-Iv period of arrival, say December to Fobruarv, tho ehceip, owing to its immaturity, shows a lack of "meatiness," nnd is not, as it should be— a texturo that is "silky" or "fat" to tho palate. As this cheuso is nearly two months on thu voyage, and during that tinio is under a temperature Mintrclkiblft within a few degrees, it ought to ba possible by carrying the earlier shipment* nt higher tempuraturcs than the latter, and so arrange- that lach shipment is ready for the counter when it arrive,-. Regarding colour, white cheese from New Zealand is becoming whiter without that chalky whitene-55 which i.s detrimental, and tho red is becoming redder, and mere likq.thj} Canadian,..