AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

At the invitation of the Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister of Agriculture, Messr» W. J. -Charters (president) and H. V. Fulton (secretary), of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society, recently accompanied the Minister on a tour of inspection of the Momahaki experimental station, near Patea. The visitors were much impressed with the useful work that is being done at the station, and brought under Mr Mackenzie's notice the advisability of establishing an eicperimental station or stations in the South Island, reminding 1 him of the fact that considerably more* practical farming is carried on in Canterbury, Otago, and Southland than in the North Island. The station is devoted almost entirely to cheep and cattle farming. The visitors were of the opinion that its great value is not appreciated by th« settlers. * The Minister expressed his thorough accord with the sentiments of the visitors, who were led to believe that Mr Mackenzie, who well understands the practical eide of the farmer's life,, will endeavour to do justice to the.. South Island and its requirements. Mr Fulton, who returned to Dunedin on Wednesday night, brought back with him some shrubs and plants indigenous to the North Island with* a view to ascertaining whether they will thrive in the vicinity of Dunedin. ~ Mr Charters and Mr Fulton expressed to Mr Mackenzie their grateful' thanks for tho opportunity extended to them of inspecting the farm, and for his courtesy in giving*

Storrie's Ridger is the only one .with: patent hillside attachment and facilities for packinsr drills whore the land is dry.-' Nimmo and Blair.

them the fullest information with reference to the experimental work in progress tt the station. The report of the directors of the New Zealand Dairy Association for submission- to shareholders at* the annual meeting states that the price realieed for butter shipped to London ha& been less than for th« preceding year. The - quality of (he butter sent had been better than for any previous time. It had given unqualified satisfaction, and notwithstanding the difficult season and . the general tendency of London buyers to complain, no single unfavourable comment of /my kind had been made. Satisfactory ' business was also done with South Africa, prices being better than in the preceding season. The local business was also well maintained daring the ' season. The . advances on butter-fat were at the rate of lid per lb during August and 9d per lb from September to the end of the season. In addition, bonuses were paid; the largest payment on this account this year was l|d per lb. The quantity of milk received for the fceason was 102.843,6741b, and the butter made 4,371,9551b. This was an increase of 754,0971b. The work of draining Piako Swamp goes on steadily. Already 20,000 acres have been drained, ,and three surveying parties are now engaged on this block, which will be ready for settlement in 12 monthfe. The two dredges a,re now engaged on the main canal — one at Wa&r takaruru and the other at the upper end' of the swamp at Maukoro Block. Since draining operations have taken place llax has been growing in abundance,, but owing to the low price of fibre there is no. inducement to make use of it. It is estimated that if the whole swamp were drained it would yield sufficient product for 50' or 60 mills. A Waimate farmer informed a Timaru Post reporter that 7 the majority of the settlers in that district were sowing a greater area in wheat than usual this season. On being asked for a reason, he stated that the fait in frozen meat in the Home markets had made a number rather despondent. As for himself, the rise :n wool had cheered him, up, and time had proved that the district was very well suited to sheep farming. A St. Andrew's farmer mentioned to a Herald reporter that he knew one farmer who had los*; considerably through shipping his matt on Home, tfcis- year on his own account. A firm of meat exporters offered the farmer in question a half -penny per pour.d for his sheep (1000) clear of all expenses, but he said no, and after shipping on his own account the carcases returned him 1-16 of a penny per pound. The- sheep averaged 60lb each, so that the farmer got 3£d per carcase, as against the 2s 6d per carcase which he had refused. The value of skins and fat has, of course, to be addrd to those prices. __ In response to a suggestiw^, made that come of the wheat supplied »S^ * Kie -^-S r '- cultural Department to the MsSjterton A. and P. Association should be sown in :poor

soil, Mr W. Mowbray, of Opaki, has agreed to do so in order that a comparison might be made with that sown in tbe better class of soil, and a true estimate of its

practical value arrived at. A Masterton land agent states that there is a fairly strong demand for small cheep and dairy farms. "The trouble is," he added, "that there are* to many big holding* about here and people won't sell. I could dispose of 40 email farms straight off if only I couM get them. I have customers waiting to buy them." \ At a sale of purebred 6horthorn cattle from Canterbury Agricultural College, held by Messrs Pyne and Co., the following prices were realised: — Oxlip- 11, 9gs; Rachel IV,- lOgs; Lincoln Lady, lOgs; Lincoln Teviot 111, lOgs ; Lincoln Slitrdg, 14gs ; Lincoln Lady Ellen 11, 8£g«; roan heifer, oalved 1905, 15gs; Lincoln Violet VII, Iligs; Lincoln Carolina IV, 8&gs; Lincoln Sugar IIL 33gs; Lincoln Mijdre V, llge. Messrs Dalgety and Co. (Limited), in conjunction with Messrs Pyne and 00., offered for sale, at the Addington Yards, on behalf of the executors in 4 the estate of the late John Deans, the entire purebred flocks of Liocolns and Southdowns froaa the Riecarton. and Waimarama Estates. There was a. representative attendance,, including a number of buyers from the North Island, and a good sale resulted The Southdown flock was offered first, and met with satis-

factory competition. Prices for stud ewes Tanged f rotu 4gs to 15gs, flock ewes 2^gs to 3ge, ram hoggets 4£g3 to 6£gs, -and six and eight tooth rams 2gs to 2£gs. Stud rams realised to 15g6. The Lincoln stud flock was "not in strong demand, but prices compared favourably with those ruling at the

last Christchurch ram and ewe fair. Breeding ewes sold at lg to lfes. ewe hoggets at • lg, ra-m hoggets l£gs to 2igs, and rams, two-tooth and o\er, lg.

The daily average attendance at the recent horee show at Olympia. England, is estimated as slightly* under 30,000, and the total receipts at about £10.000. The extensive manner in which butter is faked is shown by a statement made by Mr T. W. -RusoelT in the House of Commons thai out of 115 test samples sold recently as Irish butter in London and Liverpool only 22 were genuine butter.

His Majesty the King is a rent-paying tenant farmer in respect of a 165-acro farm at Abergeldie Mains, Scotland. * It should be remembered that the . food value of grass is not as good during, or just after, rain as in dry weather, owing to its rapid growth, and consequently washy nature. Nursing mares are. apt to get their milk flushed by it so a 6to cause ecoui in tbair foals, a complaint which fre- . quently proves fatal in those of tender age; therefore prompt treatment is desirable. Dry food, such as ohaff and bran, with a handful of crushed bailey, should be given to mares whoso foals have the least tendency to scour, and long hay may also bs given to check the- flow of milk. It J6 neoessa.ry to "notice whether the youngster sucks frequently, and if not, the milk should be drawn away at intervals till he regains his appetite and can take a full quantity. The Tapanui branch of the N.Z. Farmers' Union, after considering the demands to ba made by the Labour party, as represented by the Trades and Labour Council, decided to crp-pose all the remits, members expressing disapproval of the legislation which is sough* by the Labour party. Fears are entertained by some farmers in Canterbury, especially in the northern portions, that after the mild winter experienced tho caterpillar pest will prove very troublesome next seaeon. It will be remembered that much damage was done to thd crops ir Canterbury last season. Otago escaped on that oocas'on, but there, are indications that the farmers may not ba co fortunate on another occasion. About Dunedir quife a number of " nests" of the caterpillars have been - discovered in gardens and destroyed: It may t>3 that these are isolated intrtances; at any ra>te, it is to\ be .hoped so, as tbe long-suffering farmer has already sufficient pests to cope with. The great differsnoe in the requirements of the North and South Islands it? agricultural matters has made*- itself manifest at the biennial conference o^f A. and P. So- " oieties. Mr K. M'lntosh, the delegate of the Nortiheri? A. and P. Association, Canterbury, said that after bis experience he had come to the conclusion tba.+ far more good wou&d be dons Jf. the South Island or even Canterbury alone held a conference annually. ' Matters of local interest could then be di*oue3&d . and prepared for remission to the Dominion conference. At present much time was neoessairily occupied in 'the discussion of agricultural matters of interest to tbe North Island only, and thes« would be better dealt with at z local conference.