LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 952, 7 May 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We have to apologise to our readers for the Agriculturist not haying been published on its proper day. We delayed its publication with the object of obtaining full reports of the important sale of stock which took place at Totara last week, and of the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association, besides many other items which we feel sure will prove of interest to our large circle of readers. * The North Otago Agricultural and PastoraLAssociation, at a special.igeeting held*s>- ' '• * V''V;. /

fatalyv decfdcd not to sell the present Show Ground- The matter bait been under corsidemtion for several months, and many negotiations for the purchase of new grounds had been cntereil upon. irot against each fresh ."it© jfirae objection wm raised. The for selling the ground mt 4®, facial natti ag was Mr. Janes Oetntr.ell, wh» wguedi that it* the present ground, •which be contended was too small, was sold i« wooM m&» 13000. and that with this sum, th« Society would be able to purchase a much, forger ground a few miles &u.t of town, ami erect the necessary sheds. pens. yards. Ac., leaving * balance that would enable them : to offer larger prize*, in addition to better accommodation. They might then hope to induce Canterbury owners, Messrs. Boag. Walla, and others to compete. Mr. Fleming, who most Strongly opposed the proposal. ,[.• nieit that the ground wmitd fetch anythtnr lilto the amount stated by Mr. f«emrnell. and said that the- ground ww unite enough. and woutd bo large enough for years) to> come, for the Society's stfio-w*. He said that they might re-<t assured that no matter how large the show ground was, or where it was situated, neither Mr. ftoag nor Mr Walts wowldi show a single animal here. Th<? muwww of the Canterbury Society's show* w:w attributable to the t,s ground being close to- the town, and it it wiertt removed into the country the attendaecu would decrease 60* or 70 per cent. Toobtain thtt attendance of the public, the shows? must be held in the town, and the day on. which they removed their show from tlio hwn woutd mark the downfaU of the Society., These were the chief arguments used, and a large majority decided to- maintain the present ground. A Mivheno correspondent writes : Mr. Editor, .1 have to- inform you tlx it a targe number of our agric.ntturi.sts in this part of the district got really a severe shock at the sate of the Totara hind. 1 do not think there was a single settler about tncholme or Maheno, from the cockatoo, down; to the shepherd and surfaceman on the road, that had not teen looking forward to the- sale for tho last twelve months, and gathering np nit tlinir spare cash with the intention, of securing to themselves farms, or adding totheir present holdings t it* f"«t, f heard of a party who- bought, sold, and bartered sections before the sal" camu off.. £ heard of another who was in the habit of turning the * "ompany'tt sheep otf the section he wanted. t believe tho intending purchasers were under the impression that the land was to he sold without reserve, or if there was a reserve that it wotitd to tow enough Cor thoir purses. Front what E could taarn ehey wmsufoml about Lffor Ltt>the value of the r fc.hotm<* block, cwnsiderating its undulating Fiaru, but they were very wide of the n, Mt,"

tt has been the fashion to souk puce-bred .shaop m Victoria, w Taanuinhv for this (Colony,. b«t it would seem that the; Cables j are being ruv«rs«?«t. The ».». Afbwu took to I Mftdbotirno- Hift pure merino shoep. shipwat j by Mr. Thos. Dowling,. »6 ftakutw to the order of a Victorian shccp-owncr. The annual! sheep' rotnrns for OUgo- show that during the past year a decrease of nearly 4&0.M& had taken ptae* in tlie nnni,ber of sheep i» the provincial: district as compared; with the munber for the ptrvfww y«ar. This dwrouw was mainly owing to hwwes attributable to tin* wnow storms of las? winter. The total number of sheep-in-Otag<» is set down, at 3,;"0t>'..01H). Duri.ug the year were imported' into the provincial .district.. the bulk being from Cantirriwy. y«>m Victoria VTO sltUit sheep were awl from Tasmania •"> were received.. The export* amotmU'il to -t.tW>. and the »•••■»** preserving establishment.-' wrte re*pon..ibt«. for the decrease in th« total number of sheep to tho extent of tfUOt that number having been sent to- pot daring tlse year. During- the past mouth Mwx Fleming s «i«t Kedtey fold three of Mr. tVter OrrV. edl<ji> rated Ayrshire cows to Mr. A., i-oru-w.'tl'L of Ditnodin,. for the followitig [."in * ■ Bomb. «)■ guineas r Yoitmy F.ily,s<» guinea* ; aid- Soiing Daisy. 35 gitineas. T!>« young ball Saltan t.„ by hornet out of Snltaiut. was alstt sold at the same time. the price obtained for him- being guineas The cows mentiou-fd wore prwe-takers at the ta»t show -of thu North t>tago Agricultural and Pastoral' Ansoriation,, and olitained for Mr. Orr the cup for Ayrshire cattle. They were also the winners- of tho chief prizes atit .'tmu tatwi, Blueskiu,. Punediiu an-.t Taieri. They ihavu, wii are informed.. been specially selected to compete against stock from Scotland, and we took ferward wit'ii interest t<» the result. White we re;;ret that the- district should l<«e .iu-b excellent stock, w« feel pleased to Hud tJ»niar« l'.emg looked upon um the best iu ttie Cotony from wh«nco to obtain weli-bu."l Ayrslure eattfe. It would seem that thi--. Weed -«£ cattle ta- coming into- favor in the Colony, inanities for thutrr. having lately been r«- • ceivcd f"*on» AucktamL Wetfin<:ton, auu d'antwrbury. The pedigree* of the cattle mentioned »T«m» may prove of interest to tnany besiiles the purchaser, and we tl-.ere-'tnro gW« them aa follow t-K-osie : Dam ,lVnuty» g d t''oq-uette, g g -d g g g ( \iaucv, g st £ g <t St«y (iw>p»rt«.l) : YosaMt Ivy. out of Craig'* Old Daisy by Joy. Rom* wa» first at fidroewton. and BlueskiiT,. 1879 1 , and took ttw Kev. U. u. 'Stanford's cup as champion, animal in the yard. Yottnjc Lily : Lity. g d ttUuu-he (uiu.ortetU; sire Brogden- Lily champion eo* at Oamara three years m .succession. Young Lily was fi»« »t Dr.n- , fdin, and second at lUneskin-. t'alraerston. and Taiuri,. Rosie lieadinj? her.. Blanche took the gord cap -at the <te«tong «xh»U- ---■ t-ion. Young Dai.-sy f Dam Orr s O-ht Da.sj. Mire Brogden t out of the famons prire pure cov.' fey Vuteun out t>t j N'elV. old Daisy took liwt pri;-,' ivt Oamaru . •as eiuwipion dairy ro'.v. Ph'.s nnd Vn i -.-i , .f.iok KM prixes at Toknmairiro. !>un-,hn. i lUi-,e»kin. and Oam.vru. \eariii»- : bu'i , tan t. : Dam Sultana., g *t Pviw**> l' !? •' | Daisy. ggiCd Jfancy. g g g g ported) t aife Suttan. out o. ..lam-iu- (u. ported). Sultan's sire Sir .Redmond, out o. ■Cleughen by t \vnVgM (..««• ported). S'uttau I. has tie v.a- been eshtb: ted. These cattle are destined for Auckland. The t'luiterbury fariuers. though ! ptited. do not appear to be dwcoitragsd .<y j tlm low.priwa ruiiiigfor this j tolU u» ikat it m u rL ' x wet winter a v .u-a.-th c'oiiiii'-ry bo pla-.-d under crop n«t aeaaou. To-the farmers m dwU». . wouUl say, "tb' y«« »» lt <U> There i* no- earthly good in bewg «!«-. hewtencd by the result of fcto * ; tiuna. Tlie only means by which farmew . tossea may be recouped is by the exercise of runuwod energy and the planting ot » - crop for nest season-.. If are not gr«»«y mistakoa tie signs of the times pomt very clearly t» u*uch higher, if not exceedingly .higb, rata»^xviu* n*rt year. Intelligence from Hut appears to p«nt .PghMU-ty (Imi very strong probability

a little of this result will he due to the disputes between the farmers and the agricultural laborers, hundreds of whom in Kent alone have struck in consequence of a proposed reduction of wages. Farming operations have been negb-'rted in consequence of {iiia struggle between the employers and the cir.ptoy&j. Large tracts of land were at last advicsa- lying in the conditions in which they were after the last harvest. These and : other things induce ns to the belief that i England's wheat crop wilt fall short of the ! usual amount nest season, am! that a market I wtrt be open to ottr farmers that cannot fail ! to have some iaft'tencs upon prices. Beside.-, there seems a prospect, owing to the longeontinaed dry weather, of the Australian crop 3 also being deficient. Therefore we say to our farmers —Sow freely, and do not be disheartened. Here ia a piece of pleasant intelligence for grain-growers in this C'olcnv : W heat is ..'.f,-ltiti-'4 at Cape C/tony at from 20s to 22s per three bushels. ami this notwithstanding tinfact that the local crops last season were unusually good. The Attcktandera seem determined to Em- | prove the class of thetr stock. Klscwherc we announce that Mr. Orr has sold, through Messrs. Fleming and Hedtey, severat c,E his |inr»-brr«t Ayrshire cows. The:-.!' are d:-snme.£ for the northern capital, and are intended to compete against some animate from th« Old Country. \\ e now i learn that the Hero, which arrived at Auckland vesterdsy. brought a splendid lot of yo!tn;» raein-/ sr,o"k, (!on.«:sttng os c/lts and tidies, which have arrived t'r. splendid condition. They were received i»y Mr. George ♦fendnttn on arrival, and were disposed of to- the best advantage. They* arteight in number. The first 13 a bay colt foaled on the October, by Tim WhiJHer from Parachute by Kingston. The nest is a bay colt t'oated on the 7th November, 1577. by Marvb-yrnong from Lady Audtey, by Littte .rohn from Bessie KedEani, by Sir ; i'hartes. The nest is a chestnut colt, : Vortex, foaled ! 7th October, lS77._l>y lie- : prieve out of Khiva, the dam of Wanderer :and ♦"olinia. by Velocity out of Atalanta. the 1 darn of Vtva. The nest is a brown idly. Frailty, foaled December 10. 1577, by ♦"fotdsborort'/ti out of Flora M'ivor, by Roive's !-migrant (imported) out of Cornelia, by t ira.ishf'pper out of Manto. The next is a black tidy, Rebecca, foak-d October «, tS*T. t>y (loCd-dioroitgh out of Sea Brevw.-. by The EVarb out of Mermaid, by Fisherman (imported) o it of Sv.-eetheart. by Ketlheart out of Meisina, by out of E'atEen. hy Young Blackwfj.t 1 out of Brandy Bet. The nest is a chestnut .-.ctt, Kentlworth. foated August 3f>. ISH7, by Kelpie out of Repress., by Xev»- Warrior, sire of Tint WhtrtL-r. Tarvagott, Voluntocr, Jic. The next is a chestnut fitly, tWied t-tifi September. tStT. t>y Old Mu'i'latul from Mediator, by Lord of Lytine front Reflection, by Sugar from Mirror., by Sir Hercutes from I'ristn. by Caniet. The pedigree <>i the ottier orte not yet maile known.

That the introdnetion ft' tabor-saving (.lacuuiest witl enafite fanmern I;»td their ground in times of depression in the grain mavket must, we think, be freely acknowledged. Krery pound spent upon laborsaving machinery bring* it-i return to the farmer in an appreciable, it' mdtreet. I by lessening eonsiilerabty tir," cost r.i prorinction. and in time-* tsktr the-i ■ tr'uTi t-ibor is dear and grain e\e.M--iwty el'.'-'.-'.p- trf a matter for serious eoa-iiderattort. V. r- h"'-*e no- doitH that many ><f the fanner 5 ! ::i this distrit't will beabl.- to- o--,'.r t-.-.Jtirn--rty as to- the beiu'tits defivabbv from the emptoyment of labor-savin/ rna-'!du-.>i-y to tFiat by th > Tittmru Fferal.! »>f a str&wvr that has com-.; un-i.".' :t< ob.-—r.-atfn« : •" A farmer nu Kiog-ibr.v rt, just bufor.r harVc.-it. bought an improved tt'r;«vdV reaper r,:td binder. Determined to- test the sttpcriority of the machine over hand-binding, he cut and hound part of a heavy etop of v.-fi-at with it. whit.:t the other part was bound by hand labor. The n s-.rlt .:scec-d«-d hh m-.st - saved cully three bushels per a.-re with the machine, and this of tliis. ailded to tFie saving trs labor, amounted to- at least 14s. per acre. The farmer in nuesti.-.,;: calculates that the xtra iidiioiiut of money whic:* he has thus in his p<"'ket witl pay for the whole e'-.-jt of the machine, ten.* F.«". !

A late number of tW Tuapeka Times contained the following tf.wvvsting operations have Im-ck vi-ry tiwalc at tt nitahnna during the past few days. Alt tin; fanners have been busy .felting their corn staeked. The croprt throughout the di.-iti'iet arc erv good, and it is thought will yii-ld an average of about 4t) bushels tt> the acre*. The Christchurcfj I'res-s says that s-xne of the best wheat gr>«m in tin? northern district this season was on the tarn: of Mr. Charles Young. Church Hush, ft was the sfjtuir* heait variety, and a tutlEer states he gristed n»> b.-.ss than 4i»lb. of Hour per bushel from part of it. The tanrest |K>rtion of the crop has been ssrwrted to England. Wo have seeii reports 1-tely of large stalks of corn grown in aotne tocafitit-'j the Tuapvka Times), but the foltowing eclipses anything we have known. One of tiiree atatks of short Tartarian oats, promiscuously taken front a good patch grown on the liillaidti by Mr. John Scott, of tt'aitahuna, was iousd to- contain grains, and -00 grains for each exvr was tpiite a common thing to find. Tlie Auckland St;ir publishes the following choice morsel "The I'lorernmcnt has requested Mr. Uuncrnuui. ttie tt aikato Sheep Inspector, to forward to Wellington apceimeris ot «ktp lice and 'scab. Tlie tiring insect being rwjnired. Mr. Knncsroan h;w made many critical esaniinations. but cannot find a iirvrton. In despair Mr. Unncttnan made Mr ,io!tv's c del.r.vted fl'i'-'k. but was ag'iin teii.-iu'.-'i, Nol a srab w;.-s vi-ihtc. Onty two tiny sheep tic; on a striaU lamb wer-.i discovered. and these were no doubt jtei-ied iri triumph, and wilt be he-nictically scaled up arid sent to the au\ioits entomologist at Wellington. It is. however, very satisfactory* tij. know the tt'arkato district is so clean, and it« condition reflects credit on the vigilant Inspector.

The I'attgitikei Advocate tells us that some of the crops gathered thu season in the Kangitikei district h.ve been prolific far bi-vor.d expectation, one crop or oats trom abo'it r.iac aeresi of laud on Messrs, Death titid Lyuck's tstate twhig computed to yield between DO and ItX) bushcLj to the aero. The straw in this crop stood nearly sft. <>tn. Ittah. and was ao thick that it had to be cnt with the sickle. The oats, which are of the «ltfacription known as the white Tartarian, arc alio very full in the ear. The writer concluded by saying it is a pity that with sitch tine land as'is found ia this localitj, still greater attention in not paid to cropping, now that there are to many facilities for cheap harvesting and economical conveyance of produce to market, through the instrngjentality of railway transit and improved labor-saving agricultural implements.

This is what Mr. Vincent Pyke, has to say upon the Government proposal to base representation upon population, and the worthy member for Dunstan is right: "Now, the proposal of the Government is to have one representative for every 5000 persons. But if the House assents to that it will simply assist the towns to swamp the country districts, and you in this, as well as other parts of the Colony, may as well be witiiout representatives altogether, for yon will be without power." Mr. Pyke, after arguing that representation should be based upon the number of electors on the roll, and not upon population, says : —"Then, again, I object to the proposition to have the number fixed at one representative for every 5000 persons. I propose that for country and suburban electoral districts 500 to 700 electors should return one member ; and for large cities 600 lo 1000 electors should return one member. That would give a fair and equal distribution of representatives, and the same number of members would do for N'cw Zealand as wo have now. And I must say that we have enough at the present time." There is some amount of common sense about this proposition ; bnt still something more than the number of electors must be considered in re-adjusting the seats in the House. Special and peculiar interests ret|i:ire special representation. By rcdueiiit all districts to the common level of onemember for a certain number of electors, the very opposite effect is produced upon the representation of interests, for the preponderating branches of industry and commerce must obtain a preponderance o: representation, to the neglect of others of an equally important nature, but not so fully developed. The farming interest is not now fairly represented, and under the proposed arrangement we fail to sec any prospect of improvement in this direction. At a sale of improved farms in the County of Oeraldine held lately, a goodly-sized block of land in the Oiiapi Estate realised from Ll2 to Ll."» an acre. A block of 93 acres near the township of Geraldinc \\ as sold for LS Ss. per acre, and 20 acres at Kakr.hu realised L 5 15s. an acre.

The Australian Sheepbreeders' Association, Victoria, has abolished the distinction between Leiccsters and Lineolns from its programme, and the " best long-woolleil sheep" will henceforth be the term used. A gentleman in ilav.kes Bay (says the Telegraph) who;» opinion is worth ([noting, states that, owing to the i'a!' in wool at Home, the spending of money in New Zcal;>:td this year will be one iniliion and a quarter less than last year. Owners of Clydesdale entires in this district must look to ti:eir laurels. According :.> r. London agricultural journal Mr. Kobert Wilkin, of C'hristchurch, Xtw Zealand, has purchased f'onr Clydesdale stallions from Mr. Kid.tell. viz. ltothuoll, Merryton, Billy Fairplay, and Glasgow Laddie. Tha Sottth Australian Agricultural Soeiety ; - upparentiy alive to tin; necessity lor fiiKi.iig «>;:te effectual means of preventing the destruction of the crops by red ru-jr. and has re-commended the Government to <'!Ti:r a reward of L-HXIO for a cheap c.peciiic against red rust.

The Tapamii Courier of the -!th April S.IY9 :—"During the past week a considerablc amount of rain has fallen, and this has had the effect of retarding late harvest operations. There are still a few paddocks of grain not !:aiT'.-->ted. but the greater portion of this seanon'ii crop been salcly s .vinv l. Thrashing machine-* are busy in a:! parts of the dutriet preparing gran lor utarl'.et, and the y.eldj are sai I to Ijc unM.fttaliy heavy and of tine tpialitv. i'loughing stui;b!e iaud his commenced on some of the ;";'.r;r)s in tin's locality.

Mcs-.k. il:.'gg. of Ilillend (tlie Clutha Leader informs had •<•>! bags of wheat destroyed by lire a few day-J ."go. The ;:rc i.-; stijiposed to have b :en causei! ?;y an ineondiarv.

Tiie Lyttelton Times records the loss of several valuable horses nntier peculiar circumstances :— *' Mr. Job (Jsborne sent six horses from South llakair. to bring his threshing machine from Mr. S. \\ right s farm, Wakanui. The horses were placed in a grass paddock in whteh, unknown to Mr. S. Wriu'ht, a load of wheat had been left by a neighbor. Kariy the l''!h»*.v>ng morning the hoi'»«.-r.;e"t were aianited at finding a load of wheat in the paddock, but on examination it was found that oni> .1 little wheat had been eaten by the horses, which was not considered enough to do them any injury, and as a precaution they were not allowed water, but within 24 hours four horses died, three of whicii were show hor-:es, of course making the loss more severe.' 1

.Despite £ tic strict regulations in force in Victoria in regard to the importation of stock, several stock&v.-ir.rs of that Colony have lately been making extensive purchases of pure-bred cattle, and very long prices have been given. Mr. tt\ M'Culloch has purchased extensively, and his selection is unimpeachable in point of pedigree, and well-calculated to improve the class of stock in the Colony. The second consignment arrived in Melbourne lately, and comprised two Jtcd Hoses, Tiiree Countesses, two Gazelles, a hej fur of the Cowslip family, and the high-class young Fusilier, by 3rd Duke of Hiiihurst, dam I'uchihvs Puchess. Gazelle 2.5 th. by 2nd Duke of 'l'.cguntcr, has been called -a pattern shorthorn cow" by not a few good judges. She cost 425g5., and her daughter, Lady (iazellj, by 3rd Dnkc of Hiiihurst, who wa3 bought at three months old on the same occasion for 150g5., bids fair to equal if not surpass her dam. The two Ited Hoses cost at Mr. G. Fox's sale SOOgs. and 2\!-s£h. respectively, and one of them, Duchess 20th, was bred in Kentucky, and imported into England by Mr. Fox. An English paper also says that Messrs. Robertson Brothers, of Victoria, have purchased the i-uk.' <>f Devonshire's Duke of Oxford •!:>!•!, by sth Duke of ttViherby 31.1)33. daw Grand Duchess of Oxford 21st, by 4th Baron Oxford. Messrs. Robertson have also bought for exportation Victoria, Wethcrby Winsome 2nd, 40,905, by sth Dnke of Wetherby, from AVinsome 15th. by Baron Oxford 4th,