GENERAL FARM NEWS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 142, 5 March 1918, Page 8

GENERAL FARM NEWS

The abnormal growth of grass this season was most favourable to farmers in the country who had set aside fields for the purpose of saving the grass-seed, states the "Ashburton Guardian." Reports indicate that in the 'majority of instances the grassneed has yielded exceptionally good returns, and has paid many farmers far better than wheat-growing. Several large cheques have found their way into the Longbeach district this year as a result of the grass-seed and cocksfoot harvest. "The year of 1917, now so fast coming to an end, has been the most wonderful one pedigree live stock breeders in Great Britain and Ireland have ever known," said the "Live Stock Journal" in December. English and American papers adopt the view that in the near future Japan will bo seeking large numbers of horses. America has already shipped Peichcr oiis to the land of our Eastern Ally. .Writing about the future of the draft horse in the cities of U.S.A., Mr. Wayno Dismore, in the "Breeders' Gazette" (Chicago), says;—'Li tremendous campaign against the use of horses has been in progress for the past few years. It has been financed by auto-truck - and tractor manufacturers, j Advertising running into millions of dollars has been used to convince city and farm users of draft horses that all work which is being dono by horses enn be moro effectively done by mechanical power. Th.s old argument that the acreage required to raise feed for horses could be used to produce food for man, if horses were- eliminated, has been put forward in many publications. The buyors of Army horses, anxious to buy at the low,dollar, have been 'continually claiming that horses were going lower and that draught horses wore not in demand. By this argument they have frequently bought £55 horses, for £40 or less. Horse-breeders should know the facts, so as to plan intelligently for the futuio. I have made an exhaustive investigation into city traffic. The facts speak for themselves. Draught horses Et;ll move the great bulk <:i city commerce. The millions spent, in advertising and selling motor trucks have served to reduce the number of horses out slightly. .Without city advortis- !'■•<. without tho backing of strong selling organisations, built up and maintained out of large profits, draught ■ horses have held their own in numbers. In short-haul work they have actually increased, in spite of the competition.'' The Auckland fruit market at present is glutted with second-grade apples, particularly Scarlet Peanmiins, Golden Pippins, and inferior cookers (says the "Herald"). This has somewhat affected the price of first-grade apples. Tomatoes have also fallen through pricos at Wellington being particularly low, buyers working on the cheapest market. Good supplies of Bon Chretien pears haye conic forward, while plums and peaches . are practically finished. A Vermin Destruction Bill has been introduced in tho West Australian Legislative Assembly on account of tho rabbit plague in that State. It provides that all the district road boards shall be vermin boards, with power to levy rates on agricultural holding-'; To compel the wire netting of private dams, and. to enforce destruction operations.