RURAL TOPICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2160, 16 August 1907, Page 4

RURAL TOPICS.

Foals, old horses, or those with defective tooth should liavo tlieir oa,ts crushed or bruised.

Tho first entries of tho new season’s lambs wero seen at the Addington market on August 7th, and realised prices ranging from 10s 3d to 235, the highest price ever obtained for a small lino forwarded by Mr. W. Buss, Wiaikari.

The value of breeding a good marketable class of sheep and depasturing them on good feed was recently demonstrated at Tinwald. A line of 99 crossbred owes in lamb, owned and bred by Mr. D. Crowe, of Tinwald, was disposed of at 20s 3d per head.

An observant fanner, met by a reporter of the Tiinaru Herald, said that wo aro apt to liavo two dry years in succession, and consequently ho would not ho surprised if the coming spring and summer proved to be dry.

Quito a new industry has been started -in Australia in connection with rabbits. Nearly half a gallon of oil possessing valuable lubricating qualities, has been obtained by a rabhifcer at Gilgandra, New South Wales, from 731 b of skill’s, without lessening the commercial value of the latter.

Young la'nibs are beginning to make tlioir apoaranco all along the coast. Farmers have been very fortunate as regards tho weather in the Wanganui district (says tlio Herald), and as there is a good supply of feed for this season of tho year, the ewes generally are in a good condition, and there is every prospect of a good percentage this season.

As au evidence of the large increase in the value of land in tho Ashburton County, it is stated that a farmer who purchased a holding in the Mayfield district seven years ago at £5 5s per acre, estimates tho value of his farm to-day at £ls per acre. He bases this value on the prices recently received for adjoining lands of similar quality.

At the Tinwald Saloyards on August 6th, a number of old half-bred ewes in lamb, in poor condition, was offered for sale, and, after starting at 4s, was passed in at 4s 9d. Tlio bidding doos not spea'k well for the outlook throughout the country. Owing to the severe frosts, farmers, as well as graziers, have found it very hard to weather tlieir stock through the winter, and, as feed is becoming scarcer, many are finding that thoy must reduce their stock. At the weekly markets, there are largo quantities of poor-conditioned sheep coming forward. Unless rain comes shortly matters will bo serious.

This is probably the driest winter ever experienced in the Ellesmere district, writes tlio Southbridge correspondent of the Lyttelton Times. Tho effects of tho long-continued dry weather are beginning to assume a very serious aspect. Wator is Short and also feed for stock. Farm work is behindhand, and most farmers are waiting for rsriu before sowing. Sheep have wintered fairly well, but food supplies aTe becoming exhausted. It is not unusual for a good deal of rain of fall during August, and agriculturists ami pas-toralists aro earnestly hoping that this year will not bo an exception to tho rule.