FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 332, 26 January 1909, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

'■ We have niagniiicent crops on the Canterbury Plains," said the Hon. D. litlddo, " and feed is in such abundance that most farmers in Canterbury could increase their llocks by 40 per cent. In fact, the agricultural industry is flourishing, and the only drawback is the erratic weather of the past six weeks." A prominent stock authority, who has been moving about lately, gave it as his opinion to a Wairarapa Daily Times reporter that half a million more fat lambs will be exported from New Zealand this season than last year. The estimate was based on the percentages of lambs, which were stated to be remarkably high everywhere. In every way the authority considered that a record season for fat lambs could be looked to. Mr Frank Moore, of Bushy Park, Kai Ivvi, Wairarapa, writes as follows to the Pastoralisls' Review : "During the past two winters I have been struck by the marvellous capability of Hereford cattle to live on practically nothing. I have had weaners and two-year-olds on rough bush, log country, running where there was absolutely no feed for cattle. Yet they managed to live, and whe.i the spring grass came, threw oil' their old coats and put on condition wonderfully. After my experience I have no hesitation in sayiiig that had these cattle been Shorthorns tliey would certainly all have been dead. I am not saying this because I am prejudiced in favour of Hereford cattle, but because I believe it to be the simple truth. .1 am convinced that on good country one could fatten two llerefords to one Shorthorn ; -also that the former would come out better than the latter even under these conditions." There was exhibited- at the Tauranga Show recratly a bullock, the property of Mr .1. Brown, auctioneer, wliich for size ought certainly to hold the champion prize. This beast was bred on the Fertile land around Opotiki. is at present live years old. and weighs considerably down at 22'/. cwt. The animal stands over six feet "high, and is a strikivig illustration of the quality of the land on which it was reared. Whatever doubt may be entertained in the cities as to the beuelit of the telephone, there can be 'none as to its ad-, vantages in the country, and one of the lirsl needs of the isolated settler ill New Zealand is a cheap telephone system such as is at the service of Aiifrienu "»d Canadian farmers. Mr Edwin Hall, secretary of the Auckland A. and l\ Association, who has just returned from a visit From the States and Camilla, says tliat one of tile questions put to every witness by President liooseveldt's 'country Life Commission, was,

•■ Do the farmers in vour neighbourhood receive from the Tinted Stales postal service, the service they should reasonably expect r Whatever may be the Commissioner's report on this aspect of American country life. I here is no i|iies(iou that fanners hi the I'liiteil States enjoy privileges in regard to cheap telephoning that would lie a boon |» manvu Xey, Zealand settler. To lake one example, a farmer told Mr Hall that in his district the local councils erecteib the system, and provided farmers with telephones for Cti per annum, and t'-l of this was pa ; d to the Clovernmenl to give the farmer the use of long distance trunk lines. This man happened to be u Canadian, but a farmer from Texas and another from Oregon, who were present, agreed with him Hint all the fanners in their district had tclcpiiuncs, the charges being much less than in New Zealand.