GENERAL FARMING NEWS:

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1977, 6 February 1914, Page 10

GENERAL FARMING NEWS:

' Tho settlers of-the recently-opened Mangatainoka,' Block, near Paliiatua, ■ham shown 'considerable enterprise and energy, 'The Paliiatua 1 "Herald" states that a few; weeks ago these, settlers deciclod .to-fbrm a -chceso company . Tlio 'factory'lias-,now' been erected and will be.officially opened to-morrow afternoon. Telephonic connection, between Pahiatua and tlio block has also been decided'. ,'upon.-, lii addition, tho settlers are agitatmg' for- a school and postal facilities. . .

f The cohimoivpotato disease;is spoiling this year's crop: in'many gardens in and about Dunedin, states the "Star," •Tito.. staljjs liavo blackene'd prematurely 'atfd tho -'tubers' are small-.' ; An export tells us that tho cause was the warm rams after a spoil of dry weather, ami that nothing 1 can' be done nbw. \ .Gardners who sprayed' with Bordeaux inisturo early' are,-suffering; ,tho least; . :

Tho cocksfoot harvesting on Banks P.eflijisuJa 'has been practically .-■ at' a' /standstill -since Friday evening, owing to therein, which set in from tho south-' quarter that night.- A high northeaster hacl been blowing the two previous day's, and this wind had done - 'a -great deal of harm, 'as it had ' badly ■ threshed all, standing seed, eyen'though : it> were.-on tho green .'side, and, of' .course,, any .seed , that, ,w;as at all ripo .liad to be abandoned, once-tho iyind set "';V liV'Nqr.th '.'Ganterbjiry" largo numbers of .tho.horses;workiug'on tho farms, and ,Btdtioris/are,\i'eariug"strcaincrs-of bright. ■rkK'ribbon 'attached 'to the ' strap3~'of their bridles, behind- their . lower jaws., Iriiagiiiin'g that tho red ribbon, inclicat;c'd that'-tho liorses":were arremount reservo .for ;Ifed Fed.' cavalry, a recent visitor to the district', made inquiries into-the matter".' lie was quite rebs_su red -when ho-was informed that tho red ribbons were worn to scare off bjotr (lies, which'; usually attack a horse oil' its lower, jaw, but which .leave animals so decorated severelyalone. Tlio red ribbons :have proved, quite effective as a'-preventive of bot-fly attacks oil horses; which seems to,indicate that even that .destructive pest' scents, danger in- tlio' red -flag.• , . A The remarkably good-'prico of 225. Id. per head for a line -of 401b.' fat lambs was ' received at Culve'rdon a few: days ago. These lambs Were intended for ■freezing, and rnilago to the works' would bring -their price to practically 2.35. each. -With-these, prices ruling, fattening of lambs in tlio northern disftricts is booming, and as feed is plentiful,'tho farmers. are doing well. • ' Owing to the 'fWet \veather' early Mn -the season it was expected 'that tho crop of honey this season would bo I considerably' below, the avcr.igo. Tho - long .spell of'fino'weather greatly improved 'tlio prospects pf apiarists, and the yield will bo very littlo below that of last .year; Honey for export will in future 'bo passed in thr,ee grades for quality and fopr for colour. Tlio published statement that the Canterbury Agricultural ■ and Pastoral Labourers'- Uuiou intends , to cite somo fivo hundred farmers.- hefore the Coa^

eiliation Council, at Christchurch, is douied\% the,'secretary of the Union (Mr. K. Kennedy) jvho informed a representative. of; the ''I'fcss" that/ tho only action being taken by the union at present is tho' citation ol .the owners of threshing mills and. others engaged in threshing operations to the number of about two hundred. :

Mr. C. Lcecli, (f Rangiora, has set up a stripping machine in his ilaxmill to mako a moro eltectiyo dressing of the fibre., The wacliinc is the ordinary stripper fitted with feed rollers. Thcso bv a differential motion', travel at a less suoed than the Stripper rollers, whereby, a kind of scraping , process is promoted on the llax leaves. The Experiment lias been satisfactory, but a more complete teSt is to bo given sliortlv. Mr. Leech expects that tho dressing of' the flax will be much improved, and tho vegetablo and gummy matter will be removed'much more effectively.

"It's got to be done/' said a clieeso factory manager tlio other day. "Hera aro other \ factories installing 'Victor Vats, increasing their profits and the productive quality of their cheese." Yes, Sir, keep in line and writo Parton today for full ■ particulars of the : quality and profit-increasing capabilities of tho "Victor" Vat. Drop a 'line now. Albert J. Parton. Plumber, Carterton.—Advt.