FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 15, 11 February 1909, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

The Otago A. anil P. Association Ims decided to support tile Canterbury society in its work of establishing a Draught Horse Stud Book. In several South Australian fruit districts this year the starlings are literally wiping out the soft fruit crops. They are also destroying'figs and tomatoes.

The average number of settlers selecting on the Crown lands of Sew South Wales works out at 2000 per annum. According to the latest returns prepared (or the Minister for the year 1908 the average has been exceeded by 3(13. The Wellington Times is informed that Mr Symons, of Foxton, has sold his llax area to a wealthy Lnvke's Hay syndicate trading under the name ui tne Xapier Hemp- and Bye-Products Company, which intends to erect an expensive plant to dress pbormium on an entirely new principle.. Two years ago Mr, H. Ford, of Lagm■iior, Ashburton, introduced several new kinds of wheat, one of which, tiie Xew Era, appears to be in every way adapted for the Canterbury plains. For nulling purposes, it is a strong, glutenous wheat, and is not easily threshed out with the wind. Mr M. Stitt has a large paddock under the Xew Era on his Eiffelton farm, near Ashburton, which experts consider will yield up to 60 bushels per acre. The very large shipments of lamb from South America in December are remarkable, and of interest to Xew Zealand. No less than 110,090 carcases of lamb were shipped in December, and this seeins to indicate that South America is going in strongly for the lamb export trade. In 1907 their total shipments were 109,000 carcases, while in 1908 this had increased to 350,000 carcases. Communications were received from one or two sources at a late meeting of the Otago executive of the Farmers' Union expressing the opinion that Crown land rangers should be transferred to other districts at shorter intervals than at present. The executive expressed the opinion that an officer required to be in a district some time before he was possessed of the necessary knowledge as to values, e<r., ot the* district, and" did not consider it would be advisable that changes should be made as frequently as some correspondents had •suggested. ' The Xew South Wales Minister for Agriculture is in receipt of a communication from Mr J. B. Suttor, Commissioner Jn the East for Xew South Wales, in which he states that there is evidence, judging from the local (Japanese) press, that attention is being more and more given to the possibility of importing frozen products, such as beef and mutton, from Australia. Owing to the heavy duties at present ruling (l.js 3d per 132.271b on mutton, and 30 per cent, per 132.271b on inntton. and 30 per cent, ness are considerably aiinatcapped. Efforts are now being* made in the r:ght direction, owing to the difficulty in obtaining live cattle from China, Korea, and other centres, on account of the prevalence of rinderpest. A late discovery is meat-curing by cloctpeitr. The meat is placed in tanks ;brine, in the same solution whijß.iv ustd in curing establishments ?vejjgj>S»». Electric currents are sent thr&il'gS the tanks. They drive the salt into and through the meat much more

quickly, and distribute it much more thoroughly than is possible under the old method, in which the meat is merely

. allowed to soak in the brine. The orij;- ; - mators of the process claim for it til'.! l ;it is quicker, more thorough, and more sanitary than the old method. I'nder the old method ham is cured in from 75 to 105 days. Electricity cured, it 'r. need stay in the brine but from 25 to ;i."i days. Under the old method lincoa h .•, cured in 22 days. Electricity cured, it vy remains in the brine only four days.

While immigrants are still steadily arriving in the Dominion thcv have by 5- 110 means filled the demand for labourers ■j: existing on farms round this district (says a correspondent of the Kltliam ' t 'Argue). One dairyman assures me lie i-L. could do with two hands, and at pre- •• srat is milking 49 cows twice daily. This together with the general farm work is proving too much of a good thing, and b next season lie will instal milking •• • machines. Another man is also anxiousf; ly scanning the horizon for labour and ** mil give anything to get a man or lm\ but sn far lie has not siict with sue?e*s. * Mr W. Norman, an English farmer, t*. accompanied by ILr G. Bisset, of the finvernment Agricultural Department, paid " a vi-.it to Rangiora last Wednesday (says the Lyttelton Times). He was X dm en through the Woodend, Waikuku % and Flaxton district, and he express-' ; ed great admiration of the splendid crops of all kinds on the farms inspected. Mr Norman has visited the principal : agricultural districts sr Australia, and is inspecting farms in New Zealand, in order principally to ascertain what "] portunities arc presented to farmers tn come from the United Kingdom to buy , or rait farms. j

One of tlie principal Australian maniifneturers of the harvester is now erect- ?■■■■ ing workshops at Bahia Hlanca, Arp n tina, and lias imported a staff of work- »■: men from Australia to make the ina- &- chines 071 the spot. lialiia Blanca is the port of the soutliern half of the peat E~ province of Birenos Ayres, wLich is about "half as large again as Victoria. It | i also drains a considerable area of a«rri[At cultural country to Ue west, outside the Mfoundaries of the province. The Ausgf.tTaliairharvester, which was first intrnInduced into Argentine about six years j ag. Bgo, kas evidently gone there to stay.