GENERAL AND PERSONAL NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1501, 25 July 1912, Page 8

GENERAL AND PERSONAL NOTES.

Reports from several portions of the Masterton district state that the grass lias recently assumed a fresh' spring-like appearance,with a, very perceptive growth, lhis is presumed to be due to the warm rain which fell for three days in the early part of last week. In some respects the recent iloods experienced in the Masterton district have been a, blessing in disguise (savs the Daily limes-'). During the winter months the grass grub has played havoc with pastures in several parts of the district, and many farmers were heavy losers .through the depredations of (lie pest. So numerous had the grub become that the ell or ts of the farmer to exterminate it had failed, with the result that the pest gave premise of destroying many hundred acres of pastures. Fortunately the flood water has 'assisted tho tanner to fight the grub, and in many paddocks thousands of dead grubs are now to bo seen. Good progress is being made with the erection ol a new cheese factory at Riverside near the traffic bridge over the liana•R";or» between Pahiatua and Woodyilje. lhc management expect that tho building will bo ready for manufacturing cheese' within a month's. time. Owing to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the United Kingdom, a proclamation has been issued by the Commonwealth Executive Council prohibiting the introduction of cattle, sheep, goats, or swine from that country. A further proclamation prohibited t&o introduction from .• oversea countries into western Australia of apples, pears, and quinces affected with codlin moth. In .regard to animals travelling with- circusos and exhibitions between Now Zealand and Australia, an arrangement was approved of under which it will not be necessary for an examination to take place oh their arrival in the Commonwealth, provided that a certificate can be produced that they had been absent from Australia for not more than 12 months, and had not contracted any disease during that time. Mr. Hv Tolley, manager for Messrs. Hodder ami Tolley, is to judge the seed and grain at the Hawke's Bay Spring show, to bo held in October. The eleventh annual report and balancesheet of the Cambridge Co-operative Daiiy Company, Limited, discloses a highly satisfactory state of affairs. The number of suppliers is 175,. representing an increase of 20 during tho year Tho total butter output was 583 tons, showing* an -increase of 115 tons...The working account shows a profit of <£10,000, which it is proposed to allot as under—Bonus on butterfat supplied during the season, 2d. per lb., .£9378; interest on capital,..£4o71 balanco to be carried forward, ,£224. 'This 1 makes the total payment per lb. of butterfat. to every shareholder, free of all deductions and inclusive : of interest, over 12 9-lGths of a penny. The statement of assets and liabilities shows assets totalling <£20,551. The butter sold realised ,£70,408, the payments to suppliers totalling >£50,175. The Victorian agricultural statistics show that the production of potatoes fir til© 1911-12 season was 119,092 tons from 47,692 acres, as compared with 163,312 tons from 82,901 acres in the previous year. Tho production of maize for 1911-12".was 792,660 bushels from 18,223 acres, as against 932,103 bushels from 20,151 acres in the previous year. ,

For some time past disease has affected to i a marked extent the tomatoes grown in(the Dominion. Tho Agricultural Department is taking steps to fay to copewith this outbreak, anil the experiments will be carried out in Christchnrch. The tomatoes will be put iu under the direction of the Department's experts, aud the occasion will take the form of a field day for those interested. The tomatoes will be cropped in November. The Egmont Box Company's return of butter boxes and cheese crates manufactured for the year ending June 30, 1912, shows:—Butter boxes 210,618, cheese crates 102,136; t0ta1,'372,751. This is'a decreaso of '27,586 in butter boxes, and an increase of 32,551 in chc-se era tes. The total output since, the inception of the company ill 1905 is 2,170,388, of which nearly twothirds are butter boxes. The grass grub is at work ill some of the cereal and grass crops in tho Ellestuere district, Canterbury. Iu some cases tho grain'crops are beginning to get a brown and withered appearance 1 in patches, while grass paddocks in different parts show unmistakable signs of the damage wrought by the pest. Tho late rain has had the effect of bringing the grubs to the surface, and on some farms seagulls and other birds have been. seen, in llock-s devouring tho grubs. A new-cheese factory at Ivolii, near Wavcrley, lias just been completed. The building is 02ft. x 28ft., and on the latest lines. Mr. 1". Brooking, manager, has just started installing the machinery, and arrangements for meeting the demands of the coming season are well in hand. Reports from the country indicate that the area in crop this season will be less than last year (says tho "North Otago Times"). This, it is said, is due to the shortage of labour for handling the crops. In the 'gathering of the crops of tho late harvest men could not be obtained, and in some cases women had to drive the reapers and binders, while their husbands and families; did the stooking. The export of butter from New Zealand to Vancouver has kept up well during the past two months, in spite of tho fact that it is summer time in Canada, when that country can l depend to a largo extent on local supplies. By the steamer Malcura, which will leavo Auckland for Vancouver on August 2, space has already been booked for 2500 boxes of butter from Auckland, and there is still mora available space on the vessel for cargo for tho, refrigerators. At least three now dairy factories will lie in operation in Southland next season, the' settlers in tho Wairio, Fairfax, and Brown's district having decided to enter upon dairying.

You are liable to lose money if there is a hole in vour pocket. When you otilot tlmt Slitting Machine specify that an /'Anderson" Oil Engine is supplied to pVti'vidc the necessary power, otherwise there will l>e a "hole in yonr pocket" that will mean lost money to you. Farmers all over the country can testify to the excellent time, money, and labour saving finalities of "Anderson'' Engines. These Lngine.s are specially suited for driving llilking Hants, and can keep going for •hours on a very low oil consumption. They are exceedingly simple, and require little atlentiin. Each Engine is thoroughly tested before leaving our works in Clirislchurch; and we are always at hand to attend to clients' wishes in respect to their Engines. Run your Milking Plant with an "Anderson." Write for purticulnrs to Anderson's Ltd,, .Cliristcjiurcli au4 JVsllisßton, ■