MISCELLANEOUS.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 3 October 1919, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

It i* estimated (states a southern paper) that the rabbitskin industry in Otago brings in at least £50,000 a vreelc, and as it is accepted as a fact that there is no profiteering in this line. The men who find the rabbits get practically the whole of this sum less a fixed commission.

The Stoke (Nelson) fruit growers passed unanimously the following motion: —“That the association regrets the lack of encouragement being given to returned soldiers for settling orchard areas, and urges the Government to facilitate matters by immediately .establishing soldiers’ orchard areas, including beekeeping, especially as fruitgrowing in suitable localities would give better, returns acre for acre than dairying, sheep, or agriculture.

In a petition presented to the Christchurch Repatriation Boyrd, signed by twelve soldiers engaged in the retail | fruit business, it was alleged that eer--1 tain Chinamen from outside Christ- ! church were endeavouring to capture such trade in the city. The board decided that in view of the regulation requiring the consent of the Efficiency Board to be' obtained before a new business could be established, to forward the petition and correspondence in connection therewith to the board, with a 4 view to it taking action to prevent unfair compeition.

, . The practice of advancing money for the purchase of milking plants is not favoured by the North Auckland Land Board " (states the “New Zealand Herald’)’. When ah application from a discharged soldier for financial assistance was being considered by the board, the Commissioner (Mr R. I*. Grevillo) said that owing to the rapid ; depreciation in suck plants the board i discouraged applications for advances for such purchases, and always tried to make it / clear where milking I machines were taken over as part of i the chattels of a property, arrangoI merits should Ire made to pay the cost, j off within a period of not more than ' five years.

Mr E. McDonald, of Te Horo, informed the Manawatu Sub-provincial Executive of the Farmers’ Union at Levin on Saturday that the weed known as goat’s rue, which was being declared noxious by many public bodies in tho Manawatu district, was first planted on lands subject to flood for the purpose of preventing erosion. However, a peculiar feature was that stock would not touch it, hence it spread unchecked, and as it smothered grass right out of existence it was becoming a real menace on the numerous farms affected. It was monopolising the land. Mr Montgomerie, of Kauwhata, added that the weed was seriously affecting the value of the lands attacked-'luid the menace ought to bo seriously grappled with.—“Chronicle.’’

A correspondent to the Christchurch “Press’"’ writes: During the dry weather towards the end of the winter some of the small Peninsula creeks ran very low. I was visiting a friend.one evening, and . during the conversation my host told me that he had a cat which was in the habit of going down to tiro creek below tho house and 1 catching young eels. It would then j bring the cel home and share it with j a well-grown kitten. Knowing the i aversion of the ordinary cat to water, I Thought it rather remarkuble, but on parting from my friend later on I found the old cat and the kitten on the back verandah. They had an eel about 5 eight inches long, which was being . attacked fore and aft, and slowly but surely disappearing. An interesting potato-growing contest, in which all schools taking agriculture as a subject are considered as competing, has been promoted by the Canterbury Education Board. fc>ix ! prizes are being offered, ranging from £2 10s to 7s (id (says the “Farmers’ Union Advocate’’). Any main crop 1 variety suited to the district may be grown. Not fewer than twenty, and not more than forty, sets are to be planted, at distances apajt not exceeding twenty inches, and in rows not further apart than thirty-two inches. The pupils are required to keep a rceord of the various operations, observations, and other data connected with the growing and harvesting of the erop. The digging.and weighing of the potatoes must be conducted in the presence . of a member of the school committee, or of an agricultural instructor, who has to sign the record. The potatoes which are to form this basis of judging for prizes must be the yield of four consecutive sets, which must be kept until points are assessed for quality. Three marks arc to be awarded for every pound of seed potatoes (minimum size 2) inches), two marks for {,- every pound of seed pootatoes (minimum size two inches), and one mark for every pound of small potatoes. Fractions of a pound over half a pound are to count as one pound in each case; weights under half a pound to bo neglected in the calculation. Marks are also awarded for the quality of the table potatoes, for the children’s records of operations, observations, etc., j and for the yield in tons per acre.