AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 21 September 1880, Page 2

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

The weather during the past fortnight in the Ashburton district haa been, on the whole, very favorable to the growth of crops throughout-the County. With the exception of two windy days, which dried the lands up considerably, there have been plenty of heavy dews and slight showers, which have helped tha autumn-sown crops and the grass very considerably. The wheat is "stooling* out well, and on the heavy lands looks particularly healthy, and where it has been rolled is coming on rapidly. The want of rain is, however, felt very severely on the dry lands, and it is looked forward to with some anxiety in somo quarters. A good large acreage of wheat, has been sown throughout the County, aixj with barley, these two cereals will koalmost equal in the matter of acreago thia season to last. Oats have been nowhere largely sown, and in all probability onlysmall quantities will be sown as compared with last year. Some good heavy showera are now wanted in order to bring the crops and grass well on, but there is no' indication of a change in the weather.— Lyifcelton Times. It is announced that Mr. Baieman, whose name has been brought prominently before the public of North Canterbury by his papers read before the Corn Exchange and Farmers' Club, will deliver a series of lectures at various places in South Canterbury on the advantages of co-oporation. The lectures will be given under the auspices of the Farmers' Co-opmtiva Association. If a workable scheme of cooperation can be devised this is doubtless the best plan for making it known among those interested, and even if no such scheme'as haa been lately proposed is evw carried out, the lectures are bound to havft a beneficial effect.—Timaru Herald^ It is said that some of the Baden vinogrowers, troubled by the wretched yield of the last vintage, have turned from nature to the chemises* The latter have assisted them in producing some highlydeceptive artificial wines. The spirit they employ is, unloaded at a remote station, confided to the care of some local conftdaat, and then brought to its diestina- • tion quietly by the read. The State ProI secutor of the Grand Duchy has at length had his eyes opened to this shameful procedure, and a sudden invasion of the polio© has lately surprised some of the ingenious manufacturers. Casks have been sealed with the Government seal and put under the jurisdiction of tho public analyst. One great house, which has hitherto enjoyed public confidence, to an unlimited degree, is marked out iot prosecution. It appears that this houses has done business to the amount of 500,000 marks since the beginning of the present year, and the police sure in possession of evidence that it has purchased uo less than 300,000 marks' 1 worth of spirit in the underhand way which we have doscribed. The name of the firm is not given as yet, but it will be published at the session of tho Strafkammer. the German vintagers were not adepts ifo the mystery of supplanting " Natuvwein 1 by <s Spiritwein," a clever "artiist" wna obtained from Paris, who has jpjio.ved thftt it is just as easy to prodw.ee ohenVSAl hocks as chemical clar^fes-