GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2010, 18 March 1914, Page 10

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

A fine crop of Calilowiian tiiisUes may now bo seen flourishing ii> tho (komi ltiyer-betl, about half a mile above the j railway bridge near Foildiug, says au j exchange. The seed is now ripening-| fast, and no doubt the , settlers .m the vicinity will get their fair share of it, ] The Holstcin bull that was donated to I be rallied for at the recent AVcikaio Contral Sho'.y brought in. tile sum of £74; tho tickets behig os. each. It was balloted for on Saturday evening, when Mr. Frank Vosper was tile winuor. There- is practically no demand for horseflesh at ibc jsroseut time (saj's the "Southland Times' , ), although one buyer Las becu iu tlw western district aud lias offered fair prices for the pick of farmers' breeding toares. But it is the colts that tho latter wish to dispose of. Another dealer is espected over froni the Commonwealth shortly, when perhaps as the sales are again drawing round, some buying will ha doiw, and an idea of the presyi'.t- market value gn tho other side- obtained. Tho lease of tho Cajuard nifl, situated near Kingston, Lake Comity, and comprising 44,610 acres, together with thirteen thousand sheep, has been purchased as a going concern by Mr. D. King, of "The Bend," Some alarm is being expressed in farming circles up north by reason of thn long dry spoil thap ha-s now teen oxperieuced. In many instances the paddocks are very brown and bare-look-ing, and a repetition oi" last autumn, when grass became- very scarce, owing to tho dry season, is feared. Around Helensvillo the rich rives- Eats are still in good condition, find tho factory supplies are holding up fairly well. I'ijo northern farmers, however, are very much in need of a good downpour, as there has been practically no ra.sti worth mentioning since January. During tho past few days (says the Southland correspondent of the Otago "Daily Times") tbere have hesm several commissions afloat to s-ecwo laffibs for tho north, aud according to .one author-it-y a line of 6000 has been secured by one firm. One farmer in fBo eastern district lias obtained 20s. per head for a 60 per cent, pick, and another a shilling Idss for the first "run off." Kefer-. ring to tho fat Jamb trada this year, tho "Alataura Ensign" says that Mr, A. Bell, of East Chattmi,' has sold SO per cent, of his lambs for ISs, 6d. Six years ago for the first "run. off" ho obtained 10s. per head.

The Ballajico Dairy Company, which is the largest dairying instiifition 'in the Forty-Mile Bush, paid o*t £6374 on Monday for milk supplied during February (states our Pahiataa correspondent;.. Although t the . laeiitlj ivaa fairly dry, the output" that of the same month last- season by 2J tows. Since- the commencement of the present season the amount paid to suppliers for miile and home-separated cream totalled over £45,000.