Rural Topics

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2089, 15 January 1908, Page 6 (Supplement)

Rural Topics

Tho great danger in admitting fruit to the Dominion from countries whero the fruit-fly exists, oven with the most rigid local inspection is well demonstrated by Mr. French, the Victorian entomologist, who was presented' during a visit to Queensland with some mandarins by a grower, who desired to impress the visitor with the quality of his fruit. The mandarins were some of tho finest Air. French had ever seen, and were put. away to bo enjoyed later. AVhen sampled they were very much enjoyed, hut the flavor of the third was not so fine. AVhen placed under the light to ascertain tho reason Air. French found it was full of the larvae of the i'ruitfly. Thus a fruit was rotten with the disease and yet the fact was not known to the grower who selected it or to the entomologist till he opened it.

On one of the Government settlements near Feilding, writes the Alauawatu correspondent of tho “Farmers’ Advocate,” I heard of wonderful takings. A young fellow had a 65-acre section, paying about 15s an acre rent. Ho milks for the factory, and runs his cows in winter time on some rough swamp land lie rents at a cheap rate away in the sand-hill country. His takings last year were £soo—and after paying rent, taxes, and labor he had £351 to the good. At Aorangi, near Feilding, the goodwill of some of the leaseholds had been sold for £3O per acre. A\ 7 linfc has done it? Dairying and fat lambs. Air. Pharazyn got £2O an acre for his land on the Makiuo about ten years ago. Now it is worth nearly £4O, through fat lambs. It is great rapo growing land.

'Messrs. W. 'VVeddel and Co., writing tinder date London, November 10, report a general tendency towards improvement in the frozen meatmarket during the week. Australian mutton, however, benefited possibly to a less extent than any other description, as stocks were ample, and the offerings then on the market were not in favor of buyers, who preferred Plate sheep even at the higher price demanded for that description. Now Zealand mutton was firmly held, and prices were |d higher, though sales were checked by the advance. In Australian lambs there was a moderato inquiry for the increased supplies available, but owing to irregular quality, tliero was a wide range in quotations. Stocks of New Zealand lamb were considerably reduced, and Smithtiold men showed some anxiety to cover their present requirements, which, though reduced, were fully up to the average for the time of the year. The market for beef was' steady for hindquarters, and a shade firmer for fores. BEE-KEEPING. As it is intended to make an. exhibit of New Zealand honey -at the coming Franco-British Exhibition, glass jars will he distributed among the principal bee-keepers throughout the Dominion for them to fill with their best honey. Such vessels will bear tlie names of the proprietors, and apiary from which each sample came, so that is will prove an excellent advertisement and draw the -attention of merchants in Great Britian and France to the first-class quality of our product. Grass may ho kept down immediately around the hives by a good sprinkling of salt. Cut a small trench about one inch deep and six inches from the bottom and alighting boards on all sides, then sprinkle about 61b of agricultural salt all round and within the trench. This will kill the grass and weeds, and with an occasional starring up, and cutttiiig round with a spade, the space can bo kept clear at very little cost and labor. Agricultural salt costs about 3s per cwt, or five-sixteenths of a penny per lb. so that treatment in this way only costs about seven farthings per hive—a mere nothing considering the labor saved, and the convenience of having no growth near the hives. It is expected that the newly-ap-pointed inspectors under ibe Apiaries Act- will shortly commence their duties, and that considerable headway will he made this season in doing nwav with diseased bees. It will he well for those keeping bees in boxliivos who intend lo transfer them to frame hives to do so at once, while tlie honey season is in full swing, otherwise they will bo liable to have them destroyed after March 14 next. Now is the, time to reopen colonies that are pot- up to the mark in storing surplus honey. Do not bo pestered/with poor queens. Surplus’

FROZEN MEAT. NEW ZEALAND’S EXPORTS, FIGURES FOR 1907, The following tables, showing ehipinents of meat from Now Zonland lo tho United Kingdom during 1907, have boon prepared by Messrs A. H. Turnbull and Co., of Christchurch: TOTAL SHIPMENTS OF CARCASES FROM NEAV ZEALAND TO UNITED KINGDOM. Mutton Lamb Beef. To Lon-

don. To AVost Coast 1,868,703 2,412,927 193,610 61,677 387,842 3,280 Total 1907. 1,933,440 2,800,709 196,890 1906 1.850,215 2,464,566 150,690 Increase in 1907 83,225 336.203 46,200