BY THE WAYSIDE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 71, 10 April 1937, Page 18

BY THE WAYSIDE

News of Interest to H.B. Farmers LAND CLASSIFICATION • A classification of all land in New Moaland at present covered with standing bush was urged in a remit submitted by the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture to the bush preservation conference recently. The suggestion wals made with a view to the proliibition of further clearing, (a) , in all cases where such clearing would be de* trimental, and (b) in all other cases oxcept when satisfied that the land so cleared will be economically ntilised. It was decided to refer the remit to a pi'oposed national organisation for the eonservation of New Zealand 's native vegetation. and for amenity planting. Sheep Sell Wedl. More than a quarter ofi a miiiion sheep were oft'ered for sale at the various ewe fairs in North and MidGanterbury during. March. A proportion of these ewes wero ofCered the second and even the third time, as there had been a fair number of forward purchases at prices too high to allow of a disposal without showing a loss. t Field Marrow Blight. Gisborne farmers growing field uiarrows this year report that the leaves have been attacked by a white blight. The marrows nearing maturity do not seem to be aiiected, but many of the younger ones on the vines are failing to mature. The pumpkins so far have remained .immune in most instances. T * • / PigE in Chains. Like all nncommon methods pig tethcring, which has become popular among some .breeders in England, has metf with a certain amount of scepticism. An English journal points out that many sows, however, take to the tether quite calmly, but if trouble was antieipated the .best thing was to, put on the haruess and then let the pig iun about loose for a few days with the harness on. it till it got used to it. Mr. H. E. Davidson, the well-known English Large White breeder, states that he has found the system moist advantageous in several ways. Where several litters were tethered in one field there was a certain, amount of straying from one to another, but if the sows were good mothers this did not amount to very much. However, he always ear-marked his young pigs before thev were 24 hours old., Eimu Butter Boxes. Following successful experimeiits with rimu in the manufaeture of butter boxes, the Primary Products Marketing Department has arranged to purchase up to 125 tons of butter packed in 5000 boxes made of this timber for export to Britain. The Commfesioner of State Forests, the Hon. F. Langstofie, stated that immediate arrangements were being made ,by the Department of Agriculture and" the State Forest Servfce for 2000 of the rimu boxes to go forward as soon as they cculd be manufactured and packed. Farmers and Forms. Farmers, like mo>st other people, do not like filling in forms, even those required of them for Government purposes, and apparently there ara still a number who have not returned the' schedules setting out the AgricultUral and Pastoral statistical returns, which are supposed to be sent in within seven days of the date on which they are reeeived. There is a eaution on the form making provision for a heavy. fine if this condition is nct complied with. Ofiicial sources this week expressed eoncern with the slow rate at which these returns are coming to hand this season. v. Grapes Attacked. Great difdculty has been experienccd in Hamilton this year in preserving grapes from the attacks of birds and a particular kind of fly, states one gardener. For the first time in his experience the white-eye has been destroying the fruit, and wliile pther birds do a cortain amount of damage th'is diminutive species has made serious inroads into some erops. However, the fly, which he says resembles the ordinary hpuse fly but is considcrably smaller, has presented a more difficult problem. Where it is found that the birds ean be kqpt off by the use of muslin it is found practically impossible to prevent the insects from reaching the fruit. In wet weather the muslin collapses on the bunches of grapes, and the flies penetrate the material. Whole bunches of fruit, states the grower, have been eaten by this new pest. Sheepskin Imports. It is not generally recognised that the quantity of wool a country im'ports on sheepskins is a very appreciable factor in supplies of the sheop's staple. France is an example of that aspect of the trade. During the 11 months ending November, 1936, the estimated quantity of wool imported on sheepskins by France was the equivalent of 134,000 bales of' Australian weight. In a single year Australia and New Zealand export more than 13,000,000 woollen sheepskins. The estimated quantity of wool skins imported and retained by France, the United Eingdom and Germany is approximately 250,000 bales annually, France being easilv the largeist importer and trade r in sheepskins and the wool secured from them. Waikato 's Pigs Increase. The enormous increase that has taken place in the pig population in

the Waikato during the past two years is indicated by the record pig entries that have been forward at sale centres recently. At the Morrinsville sale last week, 1400 pigs were penned, the largest number ever on offer at this centre, while at Frankton there was a record number of 2000 pigs, the biggest entry yet Seen in the Waikato. Substantial additions have been maffe to the pig section at the central yards, but the many new pens were not sufficient to cope with the extra numbers forwarded yesterday and Isheep pens had to be requisitioned. Long-wools Favoured. The great demand for coarse crossbreds is bringing long-woolled sheep into favour again. This is a good thing for the wool industry cofhrteii^S i?xi Australian correspondent. Years ago thore were two foundation .breeds in Australia — the Merino and the Lincoln, and the Merino-Lincoln crossbreds were famous. But a great change has since come over the crossbred flocks, which are now comprised of many breeds, and wools of all nondescript sorts are filling the stores from these flocks. Wools of the Lincoln and Leicester-Merino cross, as coarse almost as the pure Lincoln and Leicester wool, are selling now at prices which have rarely, if ever, been reaehed before, and if the current prices for these wools continno there will be a great demand for British long-wool rams. Anstrallia and Flax. Senator McLa'chlan stated in Adelalde that inquiries into the possibilities of growing linum flax in the heav-ier-rainfall district of Australia 's temperate areais had been made by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Eesearch. The results had been most eneouraging, and the chairman of the Flax Assoeiation of Great Britain (Mr Wrigglesworth) while visiting Australia had called on him and had indicated that for various causett there should be a good export market for linum in the near future for the manufaeture of linen. Senator McLachlan added that an important step in the work of the council "would be taken in April, when Mrs E. Gromwade would open in Melbourne the new forest-production laboratory of the council. The laboratory had cost £22,000, of which £5000 had been presented by Mr E. Grimwade. The Guaranteed Price. During a post-sessional addresS at Horsham Downs in which he vigorously defended the Government 'a policy, Mr C. A. Barrell. M.P. for Hamilton, said the present indications were that the guaranteed price for butterfat next year would be 1/1$. He predicted that there would be drastic rationaIisa.tion of the dairy industry to avoid ovdrlapping. No factory could produce economically on less than 1000 tons of production annually. Cruelty to Cattle. An English exchange reports that a Berwickshire farmer has been fined £20 and his steward £2 for permitting the dehorning of .bnllocks without the use of a general anaesthetic sufficient to prevent them feeling pain.