Farming Notes

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 99, 24 October 1893, Page 2

Farming Notes

(by our travelling correspondent). Crops. The wheat and onts though sown late tliis season, are looking well and will soon " pick up " -if we get some warm weather after the late showers. Grass. Farmers were beginning to cry ont a few weeks since about " short of feed," but the warm weather of last week caused such an abundance of feed that farmers expressed surprise at the quickness of growth within it few days. Many gave expression to the following " Why the grass has grown more the last week than it did for six weeks previously" Lamb Per Cektage. Most of the farmers are fairly well satisfied with their per centages . this season. They range from eighty to one hundred and twenty-five. Mr Harrison, of the Wanganui Harbor Board Block, tops the lot, so far as I have ascertained, viz., twenty-five. Lamb Docking. The poor little lambs who had to " leave their tails behind them "—in the yard— lately must' have had a sorry time of it during the last few days. Most of this work is now completed throughout the district, and preparations are being made for Shearing. In fact, I believe it is in full swing in some of the large sheds. The prices for shearing are about the same as those ruling last season. The men trust they will not have such a wet season as last. Prospects of the Future. In regard to the future prospects of sheep -farming, various opinions exist. The sanguine are hopeful that the price of sheep will keep to about the quotations now ruling. The phlegmatic prognosticate a big fall, Others, again, think that the prices have been too high and that there will be a fall. Cattle. It was presumed when cattle " jumped up " to such prices, that there would be a corresponding fall after a while.' I notice a decline in tbe prices. The cows sold at Mr Hopping's sale tbe other day, at Campbell town, were about JO2 per head lower than those sold at Mr Retemeyer's sale some months ago. Weaners were sold on Wednesday last at 7s per head. Last season they were selling at from twenty to twenty seven shillings each. That is a big drop. Those Banks. That is tbe topic of conversation just now. Some very strong epithets are used to giye expression to the feelings entertained towards the procedure of the banking institutions at the present time. The fiat is gone forth to reduce the overdrafts. Stock, they say, have to be sold. The man who can command the money will reap the benefit. It is generally supposed that tbe late crisis in Australia has affected the money market here. Let us hope that the elasticity of our colony will bear the strain. Farmers Alliances and Co-operative Associations I am glad to find that there is among some farmers a feeling of " live and let live." Some would have your towns closed and the whole of the business concentrated into one large affair, the centre of commerce. The experiences of the West Coast Alliance has not increased the faith of farmers in such institutions. " How can it be expected," say some, " that farmers who nave not had the mercantile training to be in a position to compete with men who have spent their lifetime in mercantile affairs." Politics. Of course the farmers take an interest in such matters. In fact it is becoming the whole absorbing question, even putting " those banks " into the shade. What is to be the outcome of the great " leap in the dark ?" as some will term it. I refer to the women's franchise. Some very silly remarks are passed in connection with this matter : Very few women I find object to enrol themselves. I believe they will be a po\ver for good. It will take a few years for all of the women to fully realise this. Notwithstanding " the tender mercies " of the present Government towards the farmers, their policy do not •' go down " with them, The Hon •• Dick's " touting for his party they consider is very bad taste. However, there are some who have faith ia the present Government, and think that they are sincere in endeavoring to settle the people on the land. The sturdy farmers object to the molly-coddleing po)icy of making euch provisions as the present Government are doing for some who flock into our large towns and join t)ie unemployed. They don't believe in such Micawbers. " Let them come out and do, as we have done, turn up something for a living and not wait for something to turn up." So say all of us in the country.