NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 7

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS

r Or the farms and low country of Otago [ lambs are already to be ( \ WUIt the seen sporting themselves in T ¥ous Lambs, line weather, while in the 1 higher country stations and * grazing runs the. lambing season com- [ mencea about the first week in October. Tbe weather for tlje last week or two has been a sou* oe of, anxiety to the shepherd who hg£- the. responsibility of the lambing on h» sheukfens, far changes have been, • : sudden, and one never can. tell what is going to- happen— whether a fall of snow is pending or a- deluge of cold xain pro- . bable. One morning one goes out to find the ground fairly haxd; with frost, and perhaps by afternoon it is mild and raining. Then a change i» the wind takes place, and a cold sou-wester with sloefc squalls- com«s up, and all these changes in the- course- ci s day possibly. Good hedges and shelter plantations are an invaluable asset to sneep-braedets, and many a lamp's life may be saved by the protection afforded it froar pei-iodical sleet squalls by a useful belt or clump of tress, and, as previously; stated, too cloa attention cannot be paid by everj Coxmer to the necessity for plenty of shelter accommodation provided for lambs against the cold rain squalls which are, as a rule, so frequent at this tine of the year. On going through the country the limbs one noticed appeared to be strong and healthy, and from reports so far bo la&ittl theßC have not been many deaths from, the changeable weather experienced of late. Year by year farmers ara learning how iKjcessary it is to have a good supply of mangels or 6wede turnips j stored for the lambing season in spring-, ! because for another month to come there, j will be very iitti-a visible growth in the grass. In many paddociks in the country one observes quite a number of ewes feeding on tha roots strewn about for them, with th© young lambs following closely at thslr heels. It k to bs hoped that the remainder of September and October will be moid settled in the vteathei line, and that for the sake of the farmers, the pas-toj-alists, and the eosm-cy generally a record lambing will this year be recorded. An interring and important demonstration of farm - cultivating Cultivation implements at work was Ventottttra- .recently carried out in IreKoBB - land, at which 40 manufacturers were directly represented, and the large number of implements shown at v.ork excited the keenest interest by their novelty of design and general fitness for the work Gther machines were seen which by, tbeir originality, the- exeeUen' -workmanship of thsir construction, and the satis- ■ factory way in which they did their work proved of great mt»re=t to the- spectators The diso harrows especially seemed to attract the attention of farmers and ethers present, while arzi&.'ial manure distributers ' of many makes were on show, and >n view of the great and increasing usa of artificial fertilisers in Ireland it seams ibat each year these machines attract a grsar-or msasure of attention. The demonstration referred to scsems to have afforded a great tleal of useful information to the many farmers and others present, enabling a would-be purchaser to sec for himself the efficiency of the work dcr.e, simplicity of construction, and probable length of life of the machine. A great C3ntra of interest throughout the days of the trials seems to ha\ c been a Marshall oil moi.or, and the woi'k done by this machine shows that motor haulage power has now a-thanoed beyond tha experimental stage. This particular engine proved on trial that it was capable of doing many kinds of farm work that were formerly considered onlj practicable for horse-power. It afeo showed its capability of doing many things that could not well be done by horses. This motor, which is simple in construction, is stated to be ■

capable of exerting 30 iorse-povrer, and its total weight is lees- than four tons and ahalf distributed over four w<beels of considerable width. Its fuel is* ordinary kerceene, so that no difficulty would be experienced in any district in obtaining supplies. . Ou the trial ik proved its usefulness in plougiting, cultivating, and battling. Many otber implements of great utility were exhibited, wfcioh were of interest to the hundreds of \ spectators present. Seeing- that so much of out land is now under' cultivation there \ saems no reason why a similar demonetra- . tion should not be held in this province j in a district cot far from a large centre of I population, and close to a railway line, \ because if some practical demonstration I were given, by implement-makers, importers, and others much good would result to themselves and the farmers by allowing the users of the machines and implements to see for themselves the practical utility cr . otherwise of the articles that are- every • year being placed ov the market. From the particulars that have already been advertised the coming ; The Otago parade of stallions, wihich is Horn* I'artde. to take place at Tahuna Park at the end of this month, promises to be more than usually interesting, principally because the Otago A and P. Society has tafiten tine- initial step in Nev? Zealand towards having horses ! that have been entered for show purposes certified to as being tree from hereditary I unsoundniess by a veterinary surgeon before E being allowed to compete for prizes. The [ question of the veterinary certification of f stallions at present travelling in New Zea- ; land has been before the public for a long I: time, and a* the- late conference in Wellington a resolution was carried, which emanated from Otago, that the system of veterinary examination and registration of stallions as at present in vog*ie in Victoria shall be adopted in New Zealand, so that it seems' fitting that the first step towards applying the principle should come from tfi» metropolitan A., and P Association of this province. In addition to the usual prizes given for competition in the various classes, a. valuable Challenge Cup is offered for the beet Clydesdale stallion, three years old or upwards, entered for competition at the annual horse parado of the Otago A. and P. Stociety under the following conditions : — ; 1. The Minister of Agriculture will be asked to appoint a duly qualified veteri- . nary surgeor to examine the horses Jhat may be entered for competition | for the cup as to soundness, and certified to by him as being free from hereditary unsoundness. No animal will be allowed to compete before being examined by the veterinary surgeon on the- day preceding or the day of competition, at a place to be decided upon. by the committee. (An enclosed area, ir which only the veterinary surgeon and two atto-nding members appointed by the committee of the eociety will be allowed the right of entry.) 2. The certificate of inspection will be handed to the owner only by the veterinary surgeon. 3. Tbe cup must be won three times by an exhibitor, but not mere than twice by one horse, not necessarily in consecutive years, before it becomes his absolute property. 4. The winn«r of the cup other than the actual winner shall before delivery thereof is mada give security to the society that he will d«liver same a . the society's office seven days before th© folio wing parade. 5. Until the cup Is won outright the winner will receive in addition the society's gold medal as a memento of his winning the cup. > silver medal will also be awaidcd to the reserve champion. ■ This initial step towards the principle of having all stallions which travel for feo first examined and passed by a qualified veteri- ' nary surgeon will doubtless be wafched wirh interast by all horsa-breedsrs in the Dominion. At a meeting of the executive of f northern branch of the New Zealand Vf'o*l Farmers' Union a proposal Classing. was brought forward with a view to having wool sent in in small lots for auction being reelassed prior to being submitted, and a novel sug- ' gestion was mad? that th< Woolbrok-eis' Association be a.«k- J ro consider upon what t€Tm3 thsj would bs prepared to reela-s the wool, the idea being that thota who wish?d to pay a fp-e t-c have the wool leelasssd and sold in Auckland vith a guarar- i tee could do so The advantage of som?- ' tiling being <'on& in th© direction indicated w«s recognised by the meeting, but it was thought that they were beginning at the ' w,rong end. because in •c'ealing with the Woclbrokers' Association they were mak- ' ing terms with a body which had in eye. to th*. main chance. It was thought that very few farmers would consent to allow their ■wool to be opened and reclas»ed by the very men who wanted to buj' it at the lowest pries. A suggestion was made that a practical man should be employed by the Farmers' Union to go round the farms and teach the farmers to class the wool themselves, as they should, without doubt, learn

their own business and not ask the buying ' firms to do it for them. There can be no doubt that the real trouble in this connection arises - from the smalln«ss of some of the clips, which, prevent a man, though ' competent, - from, properly separating-- and j classifying his wool, and it may not pay ; him to bale small clips separately. There ■ is, however, a good deal in what hae been • brought out in the northern part of this ■ Dominion, and if farmers would endeavour to keep the bad wool', the rubbish, and dirt out of the bales they would find f masked difference in the price their wool brought . later on, and, in addition to this, they ! would establish a name which would always be of value to them at the time of the wool sales. : AGRICOLA.