BY THE WAYSIDE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 128, 16 June 1937, Page 15

BY THE WAYSIDE

News of Interest To H.B. Farmers STATUE TO A COW A life-size metal statue of a cow, weighing iive tons and reeting on a granite base, will be unveiled in August on tlxe farm of its owner, Mr. T. E. Dent, of Waadstock, Ontario, Canada. The famous cow thus to be commemorated was tho Holstein Sprdngbank Snow Countess, which died a year ago at the age of 16 years.. The cow set a new lifetime record over all breeds of 90621b. of fat. Her greatest year's production was 25.7631b. of milk and 11251b. of fat, when she was six yeara old. Sons and daughters of tlie cow are scattered througliout the world. The statue to the worthy milk-giver will be set up in park grounds beside the paved highway that runs from Toronto to Windsor so that passers-by may read of her fame. Revision. of Course. A prclhninary exchange of vlews between the stafts of Canterbury Agricui.tural College and Massey Agricuitural College lias taken pluce with the objecc of inodifying the agricuitural degree courso so as to bring it more into lino with present-day requirements and to co-ordmate teaching activities. This was reported to tho board of governois of Lincoln College by the director (Professor E. R. lludson), who stated that the niatter was not J'et sufiicienlly far advanced to enable any concrete pioposals to be put before the board British Dairy Farmer. The British dairy farmer is not doiiig badly. For December, January and February the Milk Board 's pool price Was 14d per gallon. The liqu'id milk saies shoTYed a slight increase ovur those of the previous winter, due, no doubt, to the vigorous efforts which are being made to sell in liquid form, milk which otherwise woald have to go jnt.o butter, cheese, etc. Besides the milk to schools scheme, a new scheme. etafted a short while ago by the National Milk Publicity Couueil for the supply of milk during working hours to faetory workers, is making rapid progress, while milk bars are boomiug. Australian Dairyifcg. The reduted output of Australian butter was roferred to by Mr. L. MacInnes. director of dairying in New South Wales. at a recent conferenee iu Sydney. Abnormal conditions operated during the period froin April 1, 1936, to March 31, the last'good producing year being 1934-35, when the output of faetory butter reached 62,570 tons. ua 1935-36 it fell to 53,180 tons, and for the period to March 31, 1937, there had been a furthor decrease. These reductions had been due to dry weather and under-feeding, and to disease. The decrease in production between the July-December figures for 1934 and 1936 represented a loss of £1,250.000 to the dairy farmers. These losses were controllable to a large extent by the eonservation of fodder surpluses, by improved pasbures and soil renovation and by growing more crops. Th decrease in the nine months eutb ed March 31, 1937, compared with tbe same period in 1934-35, represented a loss to the farmers of £1,669,710, equal to aboqt £100 each. To this had to be added losses from stock and supplies for whole consumption, condensing, and cheese-making. A Closed Potato Market, Tho prospect of a rovival of tho potato trade with Australia appears to be further off than ever, not because of any mtensifying of the trade policy of the Australian Government, but because, economically, the business is not there, comments the Christchurch Press. In Victoria this season the estimated yield of potatoes is iive tons an acre, and as there have been 46,000 acres plantcd this ineans a crop far beyond tho Stato's requirements. The estimated yield is substantially more than normal, and thorfi Las been no extensive damage this year from disease, which is not always the case. During April prices for prime table potatoes rungod from £3 5/- to £4 a tou, a price too low to oncourage normal deliveries, aud most growers wero pitting in anticipation of higher values. Only 4231 tons wero exported from Victoria last season, of which 2500 tons went to New South Wales. At the present time neither the price in Australia nor tlie quantity required in Sydney appears attractive. It is wiser to develop the South American outlet, which appears to possess a fair degree of permaneuce, providcd the right quality is sent The dull market for farms and the total disappearance of the policy of subdividing large estatos for closer settlement are in mnrked contrast to the settlement trend in Australia at the present time. Kecently, at Walgett, in New Sauh Wales, 11 grazing blocks were offered for settlement, which averaged about 14,000 acres in axea, each bloelv'wUh a caryying capaoity of 3000 sheep. For the . 11 sections no fewer than 45G5 applications were received- The task of e^amining the applicauts and eliminating tlie iueligible is expected to (ako about throo weeks to a njonth, when the ballot will be held. • The absence of inquiry lor farm properties which require much labour lias been a rather disquieting development in New Zealad this last year or two. The slump certainly removed the glamour of land ownership, but the disinr.lination to take up farming Jife almost, ju any form is marked. The Australian rusli in tho instance reported is due, no doubt, to the faet that the properties are oue-Tnan runs, excexit for the labour incidental to shearing and similar work,