The Farm.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 25, 16 September 1893, Page 3

The Farm.

STOCK AND DAIRY NOTES. From On; Christchurch Correspondent.) A large and representative meeting of butchers was held at the A 1 Hotel on Wednesday evening to consider the question of raising the price of beef in consequence of the high prices now ruling for cattle. It was unanimously decided to raise the retail cash price of beef Id per lb from Ist September. The Canterbury Central Dairy Company’s branches are, it is satisfactory to learn, rapidly increasing in number. Creameries are now being erected at Kaiapoi and Ladbrook’s, and another is shortly to be built at Little liiver. Should sufficient inducement offer, additional creameries will probably be erected in other districts where farmers requir andjare able to supuors them. A really good line of crossbred wethers was recently offered at the Addington saleyards. They were entered by Mr James Neeve, Waikari. and may be considered one of the best finished lines of crossbreds in the market for some time back. The sheep realised up to 21s 3d per head—-very remunerative prices. k * Mr Joseph Taylor, Harewood Road, has something phenomenal in the way of lambs. One of his stud four-tooth English Leicester ewes, bred by him, has given birth to four strong lambs this season, and the whole of the •‘litter" is thriving well. Two of the lambs had. of course, to be nursed by other ewes. The lambs are now some weeks old, and in point, of size and quality are all that is to be dcsi el. They were sired by a last year’s ram. Twenty-six of Mr Taylor’s stud ewes have given birth to twin lambs, eighteen have been content with one, while only one lamb of the entire Hock has died this season. Mr W. Hoag, well known in agricultural circles, has delinitely decided to contest the liiccarton seat at the next general elections. The requisition asking Mr Hoag to come forward as a candidate was very largely signed by farmers and stockmen. Some evilly-disposed person or persons have lately been laying poison for dogs, and as a result canine mortality has been unusually high. The nuisance is unfortunately not confined to Christchurch, but extends to some of the country districts. A very valuable dog was recently poisoned at Kaiapoi. Should the offender be caught he will be summarily dealt with. A draft of pure Ayrshire cows and heifers from Oamaru was lately sold at prices ranging from (1 guineas to 131 guineas. The fifth annual meeting of the Tai Tapu Dairy Company was held on Monday evening last. The report stated that during the last six months 3,4fi9,8571bs of milk had been received, from which 139,9271bs of butter had been made, the quantity of milk required to make each pound of butter being 24’791b5. 9,01()lbs of butter were exported and the balance sold locally, with the exception of 12,0ofilbs in stock. The average price obtained was lOd 7-12ths per lb. The balance sheet showed a surplus of assets over liabilities of £3lO 12s fid, after the dividend was provided for. The report was adopted. Sept. 4.