AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The Otago Executive of the New Zealand) Farmers' Union is doing its utmost to bring the claims of the union under the notice of farmers, and is endeavouring to stir up the branches in the different centres. On& of the methods adopted is the holding of Farmers' Union picnics in the different districts. One of these was held at Olin> ton last week, when there was a very large gathering of farmers and their families and friends. Mr Taylo(r, president of th© branch, addressed those present on matters connected with the union and also pointed out the necessity for joining the union and the benefits to be derived frorri membership.

Some difficulty is beinpr experienced by Masfcerton farmers in procuring- men who can drive harvesting machinery. Otherwise the labour market is normal. # On some farms in the Bega district of New South Wales it has been found necessary to sink casks in swamp beds to ereti wafer for th© stock, a method which iC had not been necessary to adopt for 40 y(? Trie quantity of flax graded at Auckland? during January. 1908, was 3635 bales, or 627 tons, of the approximate value ofi £14,500. Tins represents an increase of 25 tons on the output of_ last year. During the season, which commenced on July 1 last, 691,490 bales of wool wore received at the depots of Darling Harbour, Newcastle, and Morpeth, up to January 2^. That quantity represents a decrease of 7439 bales on the receipts for the corresponding period of the preceding year. A Kaituna farmer has. according to the Christchurch Press, sold 8000 bushels 06 barley at 5s lOcl on the trucks, and bis crop averaged 60.45 bushels per acre. Th© return was thus £17 12s per acre. At a meeting of dairymen of tho Western suburbs of Sydney, the chairman (Mr J. W. Pvnsent) said that if milkmen were compelled to sell pure milk it would do away with all under-selling.

In conversation with-Mr George Scoteber (of the firm of Bourke and Co., flaxmillers. etc., who hold extensive areas at Thames)

the representative of a local paper learnt that the recent decline in the price of hemp is principally due to the fact that the Americans are again handling large quantities of the Manila fibre, and that tffS market has been affected in consequence. It is fWly expected that ihe butter and cheese factories in the Eketahuna district will be compelled to close down at least cix weeks earlier this season than last. owing to the curtailment of the milk supply consequent on the depletion of grass by the recent bush fires.