GENERAL FARMING NEWS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 90, 9 January 1918, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS

Except for shearing operations (says the "Southland Times")' there has Icon little doing in the local labour world. The New Year holidays practically put a stop to all out-door work, and there has been little demand for labourers. Now, however, that everybody is settling down once again the demand will again become insistent.

Tho coveted honour among dairymen of champion butter cow of Australia comos to New South Wales after being held by Victoria for the past two years. Tho milking Shorthorn cow, Melba VII of Darbalara, has completed twelve months' official test by the Department of Agriculture for a record of 17,3641b. milk,- yielding 1021.591b. butter. Tho previous record, established in 1914-15; was 14,9721b. milk, yielding 10071b. butter, by the Victorian Department of Agriculture's M Poll cow,' Mnria. Melba VII finished the year's test in full production, returning 621b. butter or 21b. a. day, for tho final month.

The harvest is working down tho South Island. Stooks aro now to be seen in South Canterbury nnd Ncrth Otago. Given good ripening weather, the whirr of tho reaper will f.ot be many weeks absent from Southland's oat fields. Shearing in iSouth Canterbury is being greatly delayed by the continued wet weather and farmers are getting anxious lest there should bo a shortage of labour for the harvest field caused by the absence of shearers who will bo detained in the shearing sheds much longer than usual this year Some new wheat, claimed by the grower, Mr. O. Ortlipp, of Bungowaa]nah (about nine miles from Albury, N.S.W.), to be a variety hitherto unknown, is creating considerable interest. Five years ago, Air. Ortlipp, who was a. share farmer, noticed three stalks of wheat in a growing crop, which stood about two feet above the level of the main crop. He secured the heads and cultivated the grain in a small plot. As a result of his continued cultivation, Mr. Ortlipp was enabled to sow tills year about 14 acres of the new grain, and the result is one of tho most beautiful crops seen in tho district. Tho crop is very uniform, on a stout stalk, about six feet high, and carrying good ears, containing about ten morn grains than the average variety of wheat. Last year Mr. Ortlipp sent a sample of tho wheat to th« Wagga Experimental Farm, but received word that on tho sample submitted too variety could not bo named. Ho has therefore decided to naine the wheat "Ortlipp's Bungowannan.

Some of the Taranaki dairy companies are taking steps to meet a possible shipping shortage by building storage accommodation for their produce. Onu comoany when setting out to erect a store offered the contractor a substantial three-figure bonus to have the job completed within a certaiu very short time! The contractor put an army, or men on and won the bonus. While visiting New Zealand recently (says tho Melbourne "Age") Dr.. Cameron, Director- of Agriculture urged the Dominion Government to lift the embargo which it placed last June on the importation of young fruit trees from Victoria. The reason given for the embargo was that root knot was prevalent. among the fruit trees m this State. Dr. Cameron, however, •held that the. disease was harmless, and disappeared as the trees matured. > An officer of the Now Zealand Department of Agriculture, who recently visited Victoria, was afforded the opportunity of. inspecting orchards, but in no instance did ho find the disease in- a matured tree. Similarly, Dr., Cameron found no trace of the disease in tho New Zealand experimental orchard planted with Victorian trees five years ago. None the less, the New Zealand Government, in a communication lately received by tho Victorian Department, states that the embargo is not to be lifted, and that in view of the restricted planting, necessitated by the shortage of shipping, local nurserymen will be able to supply all the trees needed for some time to come.

The problem of the fanner with regard to tho question of grass seed becomes increasingly acute, and imported grass seeds, particularly, are steadily rising in price. Locally-grown grass, seeds (say Auckland "Sftvr').nre also increasing in price, and with the exception of New Zealand ryegrass the prospects are for higher prices this season than ever. Ryegrass should not show a very great increase owing to the good crops in Canterbury and Hawke's Bay. ' Quotations for the new crop of cocksfoot, however, opened at Is. 4d. per lb. f.0.b., s.e., at Lyttelton recently, and those prices seem likely to be maintained. In the Auckland district the principal demand is for autumn sowing. The continued fine weather will probably mean earlier burns than usual, and so far as canbe seen the new crops of we and cocksfoot will not be available for these sowings, a fact which will certninlv not tend to lessen the prices. It is estimated that where a farmer couM formerly sow his burn at about 235. per acre, it will now cost him something in the vicinity of 40s. per acre. With regard to danthonia, which is practically tho only locally-grown crop, "die-indications are that it will bo very much smaller than usual, and consequently hi'ther prices may be expected for this also. *