FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 145, 16 July 1909, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

THE PLANS OF "WEARY WILLIES." m THE FAIiMUK SKES THEM. The fanner 110x11 the trades unionist, are perhaps destined always l to look. at J things through spectacles of dill'erent I colors. Just, now 'what the trades I uuiouists consider serious and reason- | able propositions, and. have entered 011 ; the order paper of the Labor Conference, the Wellington Provincial Executive of the Fanners' Union (sitting a t, Pulmerslon North) lias looked at as precursors oi "high jinks" for "Weary j Willies." This humorous Wellington | Executive oi the Eanuers' Union lias j issued to its branches a criticism of the j labor proposals, in which it poinU out that, in addition to the usual endeavors to place the burden of taxation upon "the other fellow," labor now proposes in its order paper to ask for a State subsidy for trades union insurance funds agaiust unemployment. "Imagine (says the Farmers' Union circular) the increase of unemployed we would have if it were subsidised! Then, again, our old friend the 'State farm/ where the 'unemployed should have the right to claim employment -it a living wage,' ia brought u,p. What 'high jinks' there would be there! What discussions as to what constituted a living wage! The 'Weary Willie' who Jives by periodical visits to farmers, with gentle exercise between, at present considers a living wage a little bit of tucker aid tea and enough tobacco to enable him to pass the time on the road; but his demands would no doubt increase if he could go from on© State farm to another and find out at -which the best food was combined with the least work. When these s'ources of livelihood were exluiusted, these 'Weary Willies' would be able to get work in i-omc of the national works which are demanded, and if they preferred indoor work they could got into a boot factory; or a cliange, if required, could be had by joining one of the numerous boats in the service of the State—perhaps one on the WcUftigton-Lyttelton run, for the advantages of a sea life with the pleasures of town could in that way be com'bined.

"The leaseholders who fatten on the nndone work of the worker are not forgotten, and are to have a Fair Rent Bill passed, which, would enalble them to contribute more to the State. Wo think the tranches of the union should study these r emits and platform, and let us hear their views upon them. Year,by year the demands of the trades unions are becoming more and more Socialistic, till now the Socialist aad the Trades and Labor Council are synonymous. There arc, however, a large body of workers who are not under the tyranny of the Labor leaders', and these workers should have the farmers' oide of the case presented to them." SOUTHERN CONDITIONS': A GOOD OUTLOOK. Although operations were somewhat retarded T).y the recent rain, farmers are still pursuing their ploughing operations witli vigor (says the Oamaru Mail). Indications are that an exceptionally largo area will this year be devoted to the growing of wheat, the iow price now ruling for oats and the prospects of n shortage in the world's wheat supply constituting the latter cereal a much safer and more remunerative proportion. A gentleman whose ibusiness takes him over the whole of the North Otago district vouchsafes the opinion, backed, he says, by the opinion of others, that it is many yvars since the agricultural outlook 'was so promising as at the present time, or when farmers were blessed with such an abundance of feed for the carrying of their stock over the winter months. Stock are indeed look-1 ing well, and oil some of the pasturages many of them are running half fat. The Ashburton Guardian states that a gentleman who is in a position to speak with authority on the question says that lie has no remembrance of stock looking so well at this period of the season for years past, and there is every probability of sheep coming through the winter in first-class condition. The winter pasturage on the hilly country has not been covered to any great depth with show. In his opinion, there is a slight improvement in the sheep and lainlb market, and an upward tendency may be expected in consequence of the hardening of the Home wool markets. As far as the frozen meat export trade is concerned, sheepbreeders need not anticipate in the future anything like the prices that have ruled for lambs during the past few years.

CATTLE IX TIII3 NORTH: SOME rXTERESTIMJ FIGURES. A Southerner will not believe (says a correspondent of the New Zealand Herald) tlmt there. arc over 150000 head of eatUo in Xortli Auckland, and perhaps even to those Jivinj; in 'do«e proxnmty it may come as a great surprise to learn that approximately the cattle would muster well over 1 (ifI.OOU. From a reliable source 1 have ascertained that in the ,vear JHOU-7 tli v jimnber of cattle in the eight counties north of ltoduey (inclusive) totalled 150,102, hi.it (luring 1907-8 the aggregate vi'iuimml 157.5*25, or an inm»a«o timing lie twelve months of 7223. During the hist twelve months more wonderful additions still ivcrc made to herds, and my informant considers' that when the statistics for 100S arc published they will be an as to the amount o stock North Auckland is at present carrying; m fact, would not, he said, come as a surprise to him to learn that tile cattle would muster ill the vicinity of 1 Go,ooo head. .

Tll 1002 the (locks of Australia had fallen to 53,000,000 sheep. In a little over six years they rose to 55,000,000, and this year or next they are expected to number 100,000,000 (against our 20 linHioiis). That means a doubling of the Hocks in eight years, and it places Australia easily ahead of the world as a sheep-owniiig and wool-producing country, with tlio additional advantage that the quality of t/lle 6h'ccp all round is of the. highest average anywhere, whether you range from the ordinary ii »°r n J ks or "P t0 the studs of the McCaughey's, the Gibson's, and the Dangtira', with thein rams fetchiii" up to 1000 guineas and more for an individual sheep. Tile Argentine, which comes next in rank, has about 08 millions, !hut while in. Australia the natural pastures are almost universally relied upon, in the Argentine a great "nuinJ>er of the ranches .have as -staple their Inrn-ne enltn-atioms-.thcy call it alfalfa

I'iirnier," writing to the Fanners' 1. lUO7I .Advocate, says:—"l observe in your issue of the 2llth June, in your report of a meeting of the Taranaki piovineial executive, !i motion, proposed by .Air. Maxwell and seconded by jj,Burgess requesting the Govern,,,J,,t to amend the Drainage Act was carriel it has heen proved lieyoml a doubt that draining land is the .foundation of a"rieulture hence the neccs'sity of matin* all landowners drain the natural watercourses which llow through their properties, where their neighbors desire to get relieved of the surplus water, each paying for tlic draining of his land. It is singular that such an important matter has been so long neglected, seeing that the Government has such a lar»e number of high-classl engineers in the I Agricultural Department."