FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1327, 3 January 1912, Page 8

FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

HBWe AND NOTEfi.

AGRICULTURAL YEAR.

A REVIEW. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. ■ ; UI,) ' , .-' The present dairying'season was not so ,' fliitisfacWryiat the outset as tho-previous oho as far us the dairyman was .concerned. Last' year there ".was an early spring land a plentiful*supply..of'-feed for stock I in the early months, although it became ! very dry*towards tho close of the season. !As a consequence, many of tho dairy j cattle wintered .rather badly, owing to (the scarcity of feed. .Although the effect of this was,bad, it should have served as |an object lesson for the.fanners in that it must have .improved upon them, the .'.necessity for providing something in the nature of supplementary feeding to meet ) a"similar position, in'tho future. Having started the season rather badly.'tho cattle (took some time to make up tho lost 'ground, and did not.give as good a supply ;of milk as they would havo uouo had they ,'corno in. in fair condition. The weather \experience<l up -to the present has not been at , all favourable—in fact, it h;i3 been th* worst spring arid early 'summer experienced for very many .years—and has (been right against liigh supplies of milk :, at the , factories.'• There has been .an ' abundant rainfall, but. tln>.weather has been bitterly cold, nnd.liigh Winds have •added further.to the general discomfort, and have interfered with the milk Sup;ply. prospects at present, however, aro fairly bright. There is now an ample supply of. grass, and, given normal weath'er and. plenty o't"-sun,'the "production of milk from now on to the'end'of the nensqn should be considerably ahead of that for the. same pwried last'yfjar. It (is ono consolation that the.'prices for iboth butter-fat a'nd cheeso for tho present: I season havo been unusually high. In I fact, tho prices paid'to. date constitute 'a.-record'for New Zealand dairy produce. I To some.extent theso good prices.should I,make up.for tho loss resulting-from tho 1 unfavourable weather conditions. I Success of Herd Testing. j Another. gratifying feature about the ! dairy industry at prceent is the increased 'interest which farmers,are taking in'the I productiveness of their herds. For many 'years past atteriipts havo been made to ! increase the supply of tnilk given by inJ dividual ■ animals, but it was not until i tho herd-testing associations commenced operations that tho full benelit of this work was realised by the farmers. The work dono in thi.s connection so far has J been tho meaus of creating a movement i amongst farmers towards the. general grading .'up-of herds.. Where tho associations' havo. been started the farmers havo'. .taken, a very keei) interest in them, and ; the movement is being extended gradually to other districts. Notwithstanding the. success which has attended the established associations, there is. still an enormous field in which the pStfcnston. of cow-testing has ;yet to be pushed. However,-, 'aVeacji season comes round, new:associations huist be.foi'med to. contirilio this excellent 'work'for .'the good of the farmer and the' country ■gaivcrally, - Following on' the eSperienw , gained -J:hr6ugh .tho, associations started by the' Department of-. Ag'riciilture's d:\iryirts: staff, seydfal societie's have been started during tho year at the instahco of the farmers themselves. This is one of tho niost gratifying features of the movement, showing, as it-does, that : -the- farmer's are becoming alive, to thS-ii£c<i=Jity"fo£a3CßV.-. .tiining the value of each individual cow in the herd. • Confidence in..tin Figure, One of the various ways in.which dairymen have shown their confidence in the fii'turo of 'the 'dairy industry, has been by investing thousands'of pounds in th 6 importation oi pedigreo stock during 'the 'past 12 iho'cths. Practically every breed has befen represented in the imports, but the favoured breeds have -been Holsteins and Jerssys. Many first-class animals liave arrived, and ihezo havo come from tho best herds of .Groat Britain, America, avid Australia. The enterprise of breeder? in this connection .must havft its reward in a general grading up of the herds of -tho Dominion. It is an excellent sign that farmers are becoming moro and ino're alive to the necessity for the use of pure-bred sires only, in the building up of (heir dairy herds, Butter and Cheese. Whilst there. has been a decrease of 22 per ctnt. in. the amount of butter : exported up to December, 20, the exports 'of "cheese'show an'increase of 13 per cent. Tho detailed figures are-,— ' ~' . Butter.' Season. " ewt. 3910-U '.' ; 150,538 1011.-12 122.&16 Decreaso' .., ' ;13/J'JO or l.fiflD tons. Cheese. ■ ■Season. , ■ '"civt. inio-11 in,.'!7.-> 1311-12 125,091 ; Increase .-,... 11,310 - or Tl.Vtons. ffsoroo colour is lent by the above liguros ,'tn Iho oft'?xprc-?scd ■ -opinion that New : Zealand ..will eventually bo a/eheese-pro-Ulucing country because of its natural ■ advantages in thi? "direction. Quite a puinbtT'of new. factorips have 'Tmtlertiiken the production of clwese during 'the year Every one of.th'jm is'reported'to ba going jtrong. "■ ■ ■ . ..... JA'Weak Point. ■ One o.f.the weakest points'in the "dairy industry in this country is tho lack'of .provision for winter feediug and.this, is ;a matter which.will liavo (o be .sitfen to jif ..tho 15051. results are'-to: "\% ...secured. * Mainly as a result of (lie; efforts the De'iKirtiijent .of Agriculture.and, the severe Jeispon of, p'xpei'ioiice ...farniers , nre. Iwgi'nning to realise the nrccisity,for.. providing .some sort of winter feed for .thi'ir Xcick,'the coming winter ' jhiiuld sec affairs better lnnuagod in this direction. From inquiries iniido' it appears (hat tho V-ualit-y of the IJiitter exported this ?i\\son hns been r'ery. tsatist'aciory and has IrCcn .more uniform as 'rugarils '-(lavoi'ir and 'rrcnr-ral get-up. . Tho roaicin for this is, said to bo the fact that many of the dairy .companies have adopted the 'system ■.of/yastenrisfujf their .crfcml; oiily a lew of'the companies now working 'under the iold f-yitau -of making butter from.cream lin its raw condition.

~ to fherse it may be. menitioned that the ctiol weather which has !bi>en ex'pcriiniccil, has bftcii conducive to •n-better , quality of milk being delivered factories, and in, conseqiionco the Rtjricral avcrago ffuaiiiy of the cheese this year ha* been ioihowhat above thnt of the .previous season that farmer* havo sortie consolation for the reduced qtianti'ta of milk which have been fortiinom:jng. It is staled tlrat the Xew Zealand I/Utter and chftero which is arriving on • tho Home market is opening up in ver-> t'uir condition and no complaints have I lj'*n lorthconifn's. I Signs of Development. One of the points-which indicates that dairying in ><cw Zealand has riot, even . on present lines of procedure, been devotoped to tho fall extent is shown in ■tljo nUmbf-r of new dairy companies . which have been registered (luring the year. . A survey of the list of «impanic3 registered, a:< published in the "Aleroantile Oazette," . duridg the past ■ year • gTves tho following new companies:— GENERAL DAIRYING CONCERNS. Maraliapa Co-op. Dairy Co., Ltd., capital ,em, Auckland. Kail.ie.kc Dairy Co., Ltd., capital JJSOOO, •RAurimu. Pigeon ,Bay Dairy Co., Ltd., capital .61200. Aria Co-op. Dairy Co., capital .£SOOO, Auckland. ■■..'. ' Hclensvillo Co-op. Dairy and Bacon Fac- ■ ■ to'ry Co., Ltd., capital. ,£13,«)0. Waikato Diiiry finance "Co., Ltd., capital. 'tal. JEiO.OOO,' Hamilton. ■ , . Kaipar.i Co-fip. Dairy T'dotory. Co., Ltd., . capital .£3OOO, Helensville. . Ksirajupa Co-n'p. Dairy.i-actory Co., Ltd., capital £2Mi. . Briiiscdiribo Co-op.-.DAiry.Co,,'Ltd.j capv . -tal '£2fXQ, .Wainui-o-mata.

To Knit i Co-op. Dairy Co., Ltd., capital .£IO,OOO. ■ Opua J toad Co-op. Dairy Co:, capital .■S3ooo,"Opunake.' ■ ' Miitnumu Co-op. Dairy Co., Ltd.', capital .■£3000: ■ AVUitcng Co-op. Dairy' Factory Co., TAI., capital .C2UOO, Invoreargill. Tuarajiero-■ Co-op. Dairy: factory Co., Ltd., capital ,£2OOO, .Invereargill.. , Otoramika- Co-op. J)airy ' Factory' to., Ltd.'. capital J2000,. Invereargill. ~.. Toatoa Dairy C 0.,.: Ltd., capital.' .£3OOO, Auckland. . ''. •' .'.-.: ','". -,'. Longbush .Co-op.'Dairy. Co., Ltd., enpr-' tal .£2000,' ■Wellington.. . .' ".".:. • Wa'irah'i Dairy Co., Ltd., capital ..£SOOO, Wellington. . Kutricm Alilk Co., capitaL .C 2230,,; AVellingtou. " Birehwood Co-op. Dairy Factory, Ltd., capital jeiuOO, Invercargill. Railhead-Dairy Factory Co., Ltd., capital JSIOOO, Duucdin. " Excelsior Dairy .Co., Ltd., capital Napier,' : ■ . ■ Tarara Co-op.-Dairy'Factory Co., Ltd., capital .£looo,'Dunedin. ■ '■•■ Simplex Milking Machine' Co., Ltd., capital .£3ooo,'Wan'ganui. '' '■ ' Nowbury Dairy' Co.. Ltd., capital .£ISOO, Palmcrston North. '■•' •' Switzer's Dairy Factory Co., Ltd., capital ,£I2OO, invercargill. Waikawa Valley' Co-or-erative Dairy Factory Company, Ltd,," capital, -EIOOO, liitcr'curgill. '

MISCELLANEOUS COMPANIES. Wellington Farmers' Bacon Company, " Ltd., capital J'sooo. Caverhill Shearing ni«l "Mac'iinn Agency ConipaDy, Ltd., capital' .£(>0O0, Clirist--1 church. Okaihaii Cheep Farmers' Company, Ltd., capital ,61000, Gisborno. Whangarpi b'roezing Company, Ltd., capital iE25,000, Auckland. Tasman Fruit Lands, Ltd., capital -J816,- ■ 000, -Nelson.' .- .. '•'.■■ ". Stoke CanniiiL'.and Preserving. Company, Ltd.. capital JiSOflO. Nelson. Furthers' : Agency . Ltd'.', . capital,.' Auckland. ■ ,'.-"" Roam for the Silo, ■ ''' , Tho silo, which has'proved of iniraeuso value to' the Aniericanand Canadian farmer, b just beginning to "catch oh" in New Zealand. Agents of the Agricultural Department havo boon urging tho claims of .the .silo for some, time r-"?'.. 'put tjio farmer' is slow to move, and it is only now that any progress is beginning to lie made. Many farmers are deterred by tlio ri.sk of failure of tho ensilage, but, uc- , cording it> experts,'thero is liltlo or no fear of failure if tho instructions, which can easily bo obtained from the zVgrietilturiil Department, are carried out. It would appear that it only remains for 'a few farmers to slack their ensilage successfully and reap tho advantage, which must of necessity follow, for this method, of storing feed to become genera'j. The Grass Grub. For several months during the year the grass' grub played havoc with the pastures, particularly in tho South Island, where larj;e areas '.of land jvbro ruined. Remedy after remedy was trjed, biit the best 'was rewarded -with: nothing bettor than very indifferent success. The Departmental experts 'studied the problem, : l)ul: they nlsowero unable lo give a eolutibn. .

The Spring Shows. '■ . ' ■■-.- De-spite a bad season and wretched weather, tire rtrioits ipring sh'bwj, frefe •uoioiialed with ..success iu every instance. 'HlO Palmbriton fixture was, ;i;s th'e premier -fathering in tho no'rth, but tho emallcr shows were air we'll up to the •mark-. Tho cattle exhibits havo-,be«n 'particularly, strong at all tho'sliows, 'ljut too ofteu the sheep and pjg , exhibits have been small; artd cbiififtarl to., a few well-kaown breeders, •fudging from His .pnMent'trend'of events it looks as though sheep may disappear fro'fti.snhie of the smaller 'sh'o'ws -alto.gether before 'many years;have Kecognisi'ng (ho 'nc-ce-sity for providing Jiew judges to take the place of the older brigade, in due course, more than one society cast ab'out for a nieans of bringing young judges in. The Wairnrapa and East Const. A. , and P. Association mapped out a scheme under which young judges were put in charge of old arid tried hands at l.h'eir annual show. The scheme was fnirly successful, and more will -probably be heard of it during.(he new year.

Crop Returns. The crop reUuns for Iho 1910-llseason', were (akc'ti op. April 2 (farmers lining a:-kccl lo show the crop=, etc., on their land at Iho beginning of the year),, show n large, decrease'in. area. C'omparins the grain arid jjreGn crops ivith the reLurns of hvo years ago, ljoth show a large dociciife this year. This is accounled for by the drought experienced in several parts of jlie Dominion last sum-, uier, and by Hie increase of dairying and shcepfariniijg. The principal 'decreases : were, in Caillcrbnr.v and Olago, where thn droKglit iras very severe, and whore Uio turnip and other crops were, in limny instances,. lotiil. I'ailur.es., In grain crops, whilst , tlicrc was, an increase in the nrea lilftliT wlirat. ahioiinting to 33,160 «cres, i>ats. on the other hand, showed the very large .decrease of 153;32t-acres. London Dock Accommodation. An. imiioTtaut niorcuient to ''provide bet for facilities for -Now Zealand pfodilra at the London docks Jias been .'progressing during the year, ami at the time of uriting it ioojcs'ns thbngh the efldrtsof Iho Pruducer?' , 'Asso'ciiltiDii's representative, y\r. F. J. Sliellon,' , aro to be crowned with success, ! a'nd that 'Ilie Port of London Authority 'will make the iiecos-. Kiry .provision for New Zealand needs in ■its reconstruction scheme. The South West -India Dock is the spot on which the ip'fbdueers'. eyes -are-set. When ; .the rocQustnicfibii-'scbcmo'was first put forward by the Port Authority, Jt was inti'niated -that'"the impi'dverdent in tho ■S6iUh-Wp.it: India Dock, could .not commenro for four . or five years, Imt in a repl.v lo .tho Producers' A.'socltitton's. representative,.'dattil October 21, tho ..Port Authority reftrettod that it vus not possible to l>cpin tho works for about 18 ■ months. .-Still 'Liter advice states that the Port 'Authority have given a satisfactory, .indication, that the .suggestions ■of the association in regard to the .improvements to the South-West Jndia J)ooks will bo proceeded with at an early date.' The proposals of the Port Authority 'arc considered so satisfactory that-Jtr. Sheltou has. been instructed to return to Spay Zealand with a.'view : to placing <tho whoie position Ijcfoie the producers of tho Ddminioi}. Mi'. Shelton is expected to arrive in New Zealand about January

Fruit. A considerable expansion lias taken place' in the areas-planted with friiit trees, and ns tin; industry stands at. present it would appear that -arrangements will have to hi; made -for cool 'storage, so that the product at the Hush 61 tho season will not bo wasted, but will be spread over a considerable portion of the yenr. Accordin'g (o official fijrures, tho estimated area under orchards throughout the Dominion i:-i as under, with increases on tho previous year:— ■Acres. Acres. Acres. District. 1909. 1010. 13J1. Auckland 11,100 11.400 12,0faj Increase 200 ,100 800 Hawfce's Bay ... 2,7-W - 2,Bi!T 2,061) Increase ISO . 100 ia) Tarhnaki 7G2 817' SO" Increase 20 ' 55' ' ' r>o Wellington/ 3,165 3,565 8,715 Increase' '50 100 150 Marlborough .... GOO . 6GO ' VfiO lucteasc 10 BO 100 Nelson ' 1,361 .l.fifiV . 5,2(i1 Increase -100 300 . 600 Canterbury, Wetland .... 3,60»". 3,65t 3,5? l ■Increaso ....... .50 so ioQ ~Otatro,Fouthl'd ' 3,72.1 4.123 'd.iii ; .• Increase ,0.10,.- 400 :!00 Totals' ..:... ,HI),VH 31.760 33;M1) . . Incre«e. ..., i;S7O i,:iO3 : "' i,120 Factory managers are invited to rlfopa post-card for particulars t.f chee?« vat-, and hoops, the beit made, Victery..brand, to Albert J. Patten, -'Cartertonj :: -lM it iwifj*. .- . ': .

COMMERCIAL ITEMS. FIIOKKX M.K.VT lIA UK W. Messrs. Dalecty ami Company. Limited, have received the following cablegram from their liondou nDire, under ilnte Mcceinber 29:-'M'roion Mcnt: Market iiiiiet. nance our last cablegram, price? are ouc-cislitli at a penny per Jb. lower, for mutton mill lamb, but'recovery is iiiolmblc in tnenear future. Meet is nucha iifrcil." STEKL TKADK IiEIUTKS. The steel trade merchant.- of England or intermediaries ".between, makers ana consumers held a conference recently, attended by representatives from nil parts of the country, and decided to form an «i=focKition- to look after their interests, '.flie inn in- business under discission was the Miltcme for-tbo'jtrßntiiiß -of -a rcDntc or J.=: per ton on all stocl material purchased direct from 23 of the principal maker!, it tvas agreed that this scheme threatened the bujincfS of the steel stock-tarrying merchants with destruction, and an intliirntial committee w_a.s appointed to open up roinmuiHwUioiis with the associated rankers. The opposition to the scheme is prowing h> rapidly that, the steel makers are credited with a, 'disposition to grant merehauU special concession? 'which will induce them to look more kindly on the proposal. Meantime, it is staled that the Knjtlish makers are not nearly bo partial to the scheme'.as the Scottish makers with whom it originated. THE LATEST "WII;D CAT." In Xcw York, according to the "Express," they can out-Herod Itcrod in. the matter of.wild cats. It-is allepcd that a circular is bcins sent to possible investor?, inviting their attention to the largo money to be made in cat skins. The circular reads: "We will fiiart a cat ranch, petting 1.000.C00 (•It's; Each will-have twelve kittens n. year. Cat skins arc worth sd. for white ones, and 3s. for black. They will average Is. 3d. each. There are, therefore, 12.M0,CC0 cat skins a year, and a daily gross income of some £2000. A man can skin fifty cats for Bs., and it will take 10C0 men to operate the ranch. leaving our profit. .SI6OO a day. Wo shall have to feed the oats. ..How? Start a nil ranch next door. Bats multiply four times-as fast as catr. Vt'c shall"'hail', therefore.-four rats a day for each cat-a plenty. -JTow'to feed the rats? Simple; feed them on the ent bodies—a fourth of a (rat per rat-amply sufficient.. ; Thns, you sec, .the business will be tolfsupportirig and automatic, all the way. The cats will cat the rats, and the rats will eat. the cits. We will eel the skins and the-wealth. Arc .yon with me?" The fiuestion arUrc. says the "Kxprcen"' c'orrespondeul. is the. scheme feasible, and if not, why not? ' '

' 'BIrACK AXD OBEY rIIAIKS IX WOOL. The wool trade section of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, has taken up the Ouoslion of bla'eJi and -grey liairj in wool, fl.url'.ha,sissu'oii tho following statement'on the subject, which is of great importance to the worsted and woollen industries:—

"Nuineroii3 complaints having been made to this i:iiamb'er ol the prevalence of tilacl; and pvay hoir? in all claries »f wool, a joint ineelin.s of the VTool Merchnnts'. Spinners', and Manufacturers' sections was convened for-thc purpo.-e of finding out whether this difficulty was confined to individuals or was general throughout, the trade. A' very lstrpcly attended meeting was the result, ami every speaker 011 the subject had the same complaint to make, viz., that bla/.-k and crey hairs wore prevalent more or less in every type of wool, both colonial a.nd English. The Continental rn'onnfacturcrs have" also strongly expreshcel their feelings to the same effect.

"It was pointed out .by many speakers 'that, these blacli and grey hairs are found in the stifle, and are chiefly due to the praetiec of breeding from fhe Shropshire and Down types of sheep, due, jio doubt, to the desire to improve the quality of ■tile carcass; whilst sonic fipeakers pointed oitt. that tn many 'districts'tUe presenc , ! ot a.-black latn'b'ur-bla'ck sheep iu the flock was considered to be lucky.

"Those, black hairs are comparatively few 111 Jiilhiber, and : ar'c -in spread ainoncrst the Whit'o oiios as to ■render it impossible to take tliom out. by sorting, and are therefore most delctcrioiis-for-all bill theoheap«t.'or Marktst- kinds'of cloths.

"As (lie traciciu pure white goods ha* been 'developed to;an •enormous 'extent, and is one pf ' the smost important, branches hi the .industry, the wool .frjirie rt'etion of tho chamber Ei.rongly desires u> impress upon all grotrttfs the imporfanU? of cvorcising Such action sis the.r may rleein nxpedieri't to remedy theso difSculties, and recommend :—

"1. That farmers should not breed from :blaek of grey thefc'p; •;3. That the 'i-reatest care eho'nld bo •taken in .selecting rams from flocks as •free ,/rom 'black hair's as possible; •5. .That black and grey lemha-bc slaugli:teTi:a.

"It is Sincerely hoped that tho prominence which is Bow 'beiite given will have the desired effect, including amongst ot.htr« Hiat of, where .possible, selecting '. tho breediTjp 'stock from -si«ch .sheep as show the least tendericv in this direction." CUSTOMS IiETTJKXF. ■ Dnrin? the riuarter ending December 50 leOislMi revenue collected at thfl port of Wclhngro-n -amounted'lo ■2207.388-2s.'ld for the corresponding period last year-t.hc revenue amounted to £20,5.029 Hs. "Bd. The ber>r duty collected for Ihe quarter iust 'f«-vi <I if m ? On, f 1 <i tn£i7H V d " <"'*Hfainst £36(4 145. for'the coTresponding period la H year. " : . Kor the month or December, .1911, Customs ■ r /\ cm '2,?£ e V sa '-* i £ M.949-ls. 3d. and beer duty £1402 16s a.« compared with £67.910 hX. , 16i - ■"»"«««'* «" '-DeCustoms duty collected at the port of Wellington yesterday amounted to JC1375 ARGENTINE MEAT. B?Tolcsraoh—Frets AesoHitlon—Cnprrlchl (Eec.; January 2, 10.50 p.m.) '" „■„ . London, January 2. lollovrmg are thinments of meat from j>JScnti"A to British ports during Dceem.Froien .mutton (careat'scs) ... 208,000 JTiMe'n la'mli- (carcasses) lffi.ooo ,J°?F", beef 'nuortcrs.i 80.600 ;; Llulled beer (nuarlere) 163,500 !.-ShTpmcnts during December. 1910. icre — ;Muf ton, : 150.154 rarcassps; la nib. 95:661 oarcaascei; Jror.cn beef, 57,319 auartcrs; chilled beef, 154,680 quarters. . TIN AND .TALLOTT. i "B»Tel«Bra ? h-;PreK-A'S.-Deiation-Oeprrieh« ,'... ■: (Rμ. January 2, 10.30 p.m.) '. _. ~' ~- London, January.S. Tinj-SWoks, 16,92o.'to'ris; spot, 6519 tons; lafldat, 5401 tons; deliveries, 2932 tons. ~: - Tallowj-rbtookij, '4670 Casks; importE, 3266 casks; • deliveries, .2J07 cask'.