THE NORTH ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 4030, 9 June 1931, Page 14

THE NORTH ISLAND.

GENERAL. _A considerable decrease in the average yield of milk and butter-fat per cow for the last month, as compared with that for April of last year, is shown in the monthly returns of cows tested by the New Zealand Co-operative Herd Testing Association. Hawera’s golf links are bounded on the sea side by cliffs some 200 feet high, anil some seven months ago, a young lamb fell over, coming to rest some 100 feet down on a ledge. There it has lived and thrived since its fall, and despite its lonely and precarious existence appears to be quite content. A sow weighing 6001 b and measuring alwut eight feet from snout to tail, was dealt with at the Levin Abattoirs recently. The animal was brought in by some Maoris, and was killed for their own use. Owing to its enormous size, the carcass could not be put through the de-hairing machine, but had to be scraped by hand; and for the same reason it was necessary to accommodate it on the cattle rails. Lard will probably be the principal product of this outsize in pigs, as the appearance of the body was compared to “ rolls of fat.” Many eheep farmers in the Gisborne district have intimated their intention of changing over to dairying this winter, in view of the extremely low prices for wool and the much brighter outlook for butter (says the Poverty Bay Herald). A few months ago sheep men began to talk of the possibilities of going into dairying, and one man went so far as to purchase a number of cows at a clearing sale. Since then, several more flock owners have signified their intention of placing herds on fairly large sections of their farms. Work of any kind on the land is exi ccedingly difficult to obtain. A Hawke’s Bay settler who advertised for a handy man a few weeks ago was fairly inundated with inquiries from all round the province. A well-known settler of the Rangitaiki Plains recently advertised inviting applications for the position of sharemilker, on a quarter share basis, and received 160 applications from all parts of the North Island and one from Canterbury. The greater number of the applicants came from the Taranaki and Te Puke districts.

A mysterious disease, which apparently attacks no two sheep alike is causing mortality amongst flocks in the Manawatu district, and at the Manawatu provincial conference of the New Zealand Farmers'’ Union, Mr M'Gregor, of Waverley, brought forward a remit asking that immediate investigation be made into the cause of deaths of grown sheep during the autumn months. Mr M'Gregor said the disease was causing a serious loss to farmers. It was hard to trace its origin, for no two cases were alike and no two farmers had had similar experiences. Various cures and remedies had been discussed, but had been fruitless. Once a sheep was down nothing could save it. An optimistic view with regard to the wool trade was expressed by Mr B. Galloway, of Bradford, England, who is at present visiting Napier, when, speaking at the weekly dinner of the Napier Rotary Club. Mr Galloway said that he was of the opinion that one of the causes of the depression in the wool market could no doubt be ascribed to the fact that foreign countries, such as Germany, had been placed in a position to use their own machinery for the preparation of woollen goods, with the result that a large portion of the English trade had been lost. “ I think that the feeling when I left Home was,” he went on, “ that the lowest state of depression has been reached, and we Englishmen reallv believe that tilings are on the eve of becoming better—better for us in England and better for you in New Zealand.” COWS DROP DEAD. To have seven of his valuable cows drop dead was the unfortunate experience that b< fell a dairy farmer. Mr P. Pal’eson, living near the Tukituki River at Hauinoana. Hawke's Bay, recently. The cows were a portion of Mr Palleson’s herd of 40 or 50 head. Thirty of them were in milk and had been let into the lucerne paddock after milking at about 7.30 o’clock in the morning. Evidently the frost was still on the ground, for it was not a great time before practically the whole lierd was suffering through being blown. Mr Palleson and his neighbours worked on the stock administering medicine and doing everything that should be done, but the seven cows just dropped down dead one by one. The efforts were successful with the remaining cows, however, which have now recovered, but Mr Palleson estimates his loss on the others to £lO a cow, or a total of £7O. Mr Palleson was injured in- the earthquake disaster, and spent several weeks in hospital- His little daughter was also • injured, and a woman who was in his car when the earthquake came was killed, and Mr Palleson’s car was, of course, wrecked. IMPROVEMENT OF CHEESE. The following recommendations regarding the improvement of dairy produce, ■with particular reference to cheese, were made at the conference, of dairy factory managers at Hamilton recently: “Having regard to the urgent necessity of improvement being effected in the general quality of New' Zealand cheese, the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Dairy Factory Managers’ Association .strongly recommends, as aids in this direction, the adoption by the industry of the following points:—That steps be taken to ascertain the breed of cows most suitable to the manufacture of cheese: Firstly, qualitatively; and second,;economically; the grading of and differential payment for milk used for cheese, making; the grading of cheese at not less than 28 days after manufacture; the provision of facilities for the more adequate control of enringroom temperatures and humidity; that the waxing of cheese be abandoned; and :that relief be sought from tjie.-working hours’

restrictions imposed by Arbitration Court awards in respect of cheese factories. ■That the regulations in respect of salting of butter be amended to provide for a minimum of 1.2 per cent., instead of 1.5 per cent.” FENCING POSTS. Considerable discussion on the relative merits of concrete, totara, and other fencing posts took place at the annual meeting of the Wairapara Executive of the Farmers’ Union. It was agreed that concrete posts were economical at a long view on flat country, but some members said that these posts were too heavy for use on hills. Mr J. H. Heckler said that he had seen concrete breeze posts, which were light, but this kind of concrete was of an acid nature, and staples only lasted in it for 12 months. Mr H. Cotter considered that all hill farmers should grow macrocarpa trees to provide future supplies for fencing material. His experience was that macrocarpa lasted better as fence posts than totara, and he knew of macrocarpa fences which were sound after giving 30 and 35 years’ service. MILKING SHORTHORN BREEDERS. Encouraging lesults from the year’s operations in spite of the prevailing conditions were shown in the annual report of the New Zealand Milking Shorthorn Association, which was presented at the annual meeting in Hamilton. Mr J. H. Mason, of Feilding, presided over a large attendance, which included representatives from Timaru, Canterbury, Invercargill, Blenheim, and a number of centres in the North Island. The report stated that the membership of the association had increased. The record of sales during the year was a clear indication that the popularity of the dairy Shorthorns was being well maintained. It was encouraging t 6 note the increase in the number of cows being tested. The report emphasised the importance of maintaining an increasing interest in the breed, as there was beginning an appreciable swing toward the milking Shorthorns. P?he financial statement disclosed a credit balance of £254. The chairman advised that the advisory council had decided, in view of the depression, to reduce the prize-money allocated to the various shows. A remit from the Canterbury branch suggesting that New Zealand should not take any risk of introducing foot-and-mouth disease and that the association should protest strongly against the importation of stock from countries where the disease was known to exist, was carried. The following officers were elected: — President. Mr R. Peach (Canterbury); vice-presidents, Messrs R. D. Duxfield (Ngaruawahia), R. Ranstead (Matangi), secretary, Mr A. W. Green; treasurer, Mr Duxfield. Messrs H. Brown, S. Grant, and E. Clifton were elected life members. It was decided to hold the next annual meeting again in Hamilton. FEILDING SALE. Agents report the following prices at Feilding sale: —Fat lambs, 9s to 19s 6d; fat ewes, 8s 7d to 12s; fat wethers, 12s to 14s: fat black-face two-tooths, 15s: four and five-year ewes running with Southdown rams, 7s 9d to 8s sd; four, six. and four-year ewes running with Southdown rams. 8s 9d; two-tooth ewes running with Romney rams, 12s. THE FRUIT TRADE

SATISFACTORY PROGRESS MADE “The New Zealand fruit industry during recent years has made very satisfactory progress, and it is interesting tc note the position that fruitgrowing holds, in the Otago district and the part it plays in the industries of the province,’' said the Minister of Agriculture (Mr A. J. Murdoch) on Tuesday. “ The commercial fruit areas of the Dominion now approximate 27.000 acres and of this area some 4500 acres are in the Otago province. Orchard de velopment has continued along sound lines, and production is continually on the increase; also a very important trade has been established in the export of fruit.

• “ Some idea of the growth of tlii.trade can be gathered from the following figures (representing Dominion totals) :—

“Owing to the dry weather conditions experienced in the Otago district, the past season’s crop was lighter than that of the previous year, causing a reduction in the quantity available for export. % “ One factor that has contributed materially to the success of the expoit trade has been the Government guaran tee on fruit shipments. The guarantee at present is on the basis of a gross market price of Ils per case for extra fancy and fancy grades, and 7s for good grade. “ This guarantee, apart from the finan ci al assistance it has at times affords j to those so unfortunate to strike ba’l markets, has been of the greatest bench - to the industry in facilitating the finane ing of the export trade, for by this mean arrangements can readily be made wifi, the various banking institutions to mat r the neces«ary advances to enable the bus’. > • Hess to be carried on. leaving «li< ii

dns'rv rmh-podffi.nt of oversea hr. k • advances —a method of financing which

almost invariably applies to the export of primary produce such as fruit. “ The high standard that has been reached in the quality of our product has resulted in a name being built up for New Zealand fruit on overseas markets which is equal to that of any other part of the world.

“The past season’s crop in most districts has been a very satisfactory one, and the total quantity exported (1,348,112 cases) constitutes a record since export was inaugurated. “ Otago is also famed for the quality of the stone fruit which it produces, the quality being second to none grown in any part of the Dominion. This is no doubt due to the climate in which the fruit is produced and the elements of which the soil is composed, which are evidently highly suitable to the culture of fruit of this class.

“ Much has been done in the development of the fruit industry in Otago since the advent of irrigation, and it is hope.! that under the irrigation scheme now in operation the development of the Otago Central district will continue steadily."

1908 1913 1923 1928 1931 Cases. 1.236 .. 33,000 147,972 .. 1,026,986 .. 1,348,112 “ Otago shipments for the last two seasons are as follow Total Apples. Pears. Cases. 1930 .. .. 90,263 4,245 100,508 1931 .. .. 77,081 4,031 81,112