FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 224, 15 September 1908, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

A South Tarauaki farmer received the record price of JCII a head for a draft of fat bullocks the other day. The Eltliam Argus states that the Mangatoki Dairy Company has disposed of the season's output on open consignment through Messrs. Wilier and Riley. Several other factories in the district aro inclining towards consignment. Mr. S. Turner, of Wilier and ltilev, Ltd., informed a Hawera Star reporwr that market advices to hand indicate that there will be a cheese famine this season. Canadian September cheese is commanding «'/ 3 dat the factory, and the market in Kngland is very much higher than last year. Mr. Turner thinks "the companies in the Dominion which are selling under fl'/ 2 d are .not doing the light thing. One of til.-, biggest factories in the South Island nad refused over (id. Several other companies had sold at (i 1-liid, but Mr. Turner considers they are selling too early. Those interested in dairying would remember that fortunes were lost in the Dominion last year by companies selling their butter, and the game thing would happen this year with tlie cheese. A s an increased number of factories were making cheese this year Mr. Turner expects that butter also will fetch a good price. A well-known Taranaki horse-breeder gives it as his opinion that the finest and best c i ass 0 f draught horses in Australasia is to be found in the southern end of Taranaki. This opinion is volunteered after having seen the South Island horses and visiting the great annual Clydesdale stallion sale recently held at Melbourne.

New Zealand land owners witli large purses of gold are buying sections of the Australian continent—considerable farms iu tilie "fameel Darling Downs" —and are busily engaged booming the Queensland country. Shrewd farmers who have been induced to visit the .Downs, and have thoroughly investigated tlhe position, hold quite a different I view. Vast grazing territory may not be available in New Zealand, but the fertile soil, good even rainfall, and environment favorable to successful stock-raising are all present, and these a:e advantages which no part of the Commonwealth can offer. No doubt tire Darling Downs looks a likely country at the present time of the year,' but let the prospective settler see it in the height of summer, investigate the matter of pests and the drought problem. He may then conclude the land would be dear at a gift compared to New Zealand land and conditions. A recent visitor to Queensland described as the most interesting thing in liis\ travels, the number of broken-down men he met, who, from bekrg station 'holders, had becu rapidly converted by the drought fiend, to men without means or occupation, 100 broken in Ihealth or advanced in age to make an attempt to again climb the ladder. This sane New Zealand.-r who was glad to return to the Dominion, reckons a very different tale will be told by the men who are transferring capital from Ne.w Zealand to Australia in tlikj course of a s'eason or two.