AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 23

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The president of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society (Mr E. F. Dufhie), v. ith a view to following up the steps taken by the committee to arrange with the Education Board that every facility should be afforded school children to attend agricultural shows, offers special prizes for — (1) The befj" description of exhibits displayed at the coming winter show written by a boy or girl between the ages of 13 and 16; (2) the best description of exTiibite displayed at the winter show written by a boy or girl under 13 years cf age. To give all competitors every opportunity to inspect the exhibits at the winter 6how admission tickets for four day 6 will be granted to each competitor on payment of 6d. This amount will also co\er cost of entry fee. Harvest is now well advanced throughout the Clutha district, and in most places the bulk of the crop is in the stack. The crops are bulkier than in former years, but in many cases they are not so well filled, and it is doubtful if the yield all over will be up to the avera.ge. It is 6tated on good authority that dairy farming in the Clutha district is in a prosperous condition, the farmers averaging £12 per annum per cow, the dry season notwithstanding. A well-known farmer in the Clutha district (saya the Leader) wa.s badly in need of a man for harvest work the other day, and the only man likely to be available, a stronger, was doing a few hours in the look-up as a drunk. The farmer qui.'kiy grasped the situation, stood by for a time, met the man at the door of his Majesty's quarters, and was soon escorting him cut to the harvest field. The recent rains in Central Otago have (says our Naeeby correspondent) had a most beneficial effect, and the turnip crops are almost everywhere looking exceedingly well, while the grass has come away surprisingly. Dairy cows In the Pahiatua district are at a discount, as a result of the bush fires having destroyed all the feed. " You would not now get £2 10s," says a Pahiatua resident, " for cows that a little while ago easily brought £7 or £8." At a recent meeting of the Waimea. County Council (says the Evening Mail) a councillor stated that gorse wae one of the finest fodder plante in New Zealand, tie knew an instance of where 60 sheep were taken off six acres of gorse, and 40 of them were fat. Jt is rumoured (says the Orepuki Advocate) that a well-known- district farmer, whose land extends to many broad acres, has received an offer of £16 an aero for bis farm. The offer came from an equally well-known cattle dealer in the Western district, recently retired, and is backed by the promised deposit of £1000. In the Hokonuis flax grows in great abundance. It is generally considered to be a plant that grows beet on swampy ground, but in the hill country it may be seen groviing luxuriantly at a height of 1500 ft. Settlers -who had it on Fteep faces were doing well out of it until the recent fall in the price of fibre. Some farmers itrc quite enthusiastic over the results of the blackleg inoculations carried out by the Department of Agricultuie. A well-known farmer told a Hawera Star representative that whereas he one year lcefc 40 or 50 wives from that complaint, this year only +hree or four died.