FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 211, 12 October 1909, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

A VERY EINE YEAR. DAIRY EXPORTS TOP X2,500,0(IO. The butter exprted from New Zealand last year (October 1 1108 to September. I'JIKII weighed 14.451 tons and was worth .t1,457,107. The cheese exported weighed 12,783 tons, and was worth .CJU3.723. These are imposing quantities fur 11 small country, and they represent an extensive increase over the quantities and values of the preceding year. The value of the butter was greater by one-third of a million pounds sterling- C 342.257.' The value of flic cheese was greater by a quarter of a million—£2o3.o77. The quantities and valuer compare as follow: CHEESE. IWS-U 1007-8 e«l. £ cwt. £ 255,072 003,723 255,427 727,74(1 RCTTER. lOOSt) 1007-8 ewt. .c t wt. & 280.018 1,187.107 23U : 023 1,144,850 The increases ale gratifying and »e.u due to three cause:—("n The great growth (if 1 lie dairying industry; (2) the very fin., sea-on experienced Jasl year us regards vegetation; (3) the 11usiiiilly high prices paid by purchasers of dairy produce. Great, however, as was the increase last year, thero is promise Unit the increase in the season now beginning w ill equal that of last' year both in quantity and in total viilm. List year's increases were over 25 per cent, on the value of butter, and about 3 per cent, on the value of checjn.

We are infonned that the lfurlcyville Dairy Company has decided to consign its season s output without recourse at 5%d per '!>.

In the Clydesdale class at the Dunedin horse parade tlie judges said that the lirst four would hold their own in any prize ring in the world.

In regard to the prospects of next year's prices for fat lambs, I learn (savs a Southern writer) that a South Canterbury lamb-buyer recently offered a farmer lis, hut, being of aii optimistic turn of mind, the farmer declined tlie ,oiler. There is a. general feeling among farmers—find this is becoming reconciled—that the ruling price next season for fat lambs will be considerably lower than that obtaining last season. Speaking (o a pressman in Wellington, Mr. F. Waymoutli, who has just returned from England, expressed the opinion that the recent low prices of our frozen meat in the English market were the result of .111 unusual combination of circumstance*. There had heen increased importations at a tunc when Great Britain was not in a position to absorb even the normal supplies. The had times in Britain were largely responsible for the slump, because even though meit was as eh:ap as twopence a pound, a man could not buy it if he had not tip necessary twopence.

Mr. A. W. Rutherford returned b Chrisleliuich last week, after a seven months' slay in Australia, during which time he visited many portions of all the States excepting Western Australia Mr. Rutherford has not visited the Commonwealth for ten years, and he noted signs of great advances having been made everywhere. In answer to a question by n Press reporter. Mr. Kullierfovd said he had inspected (he much-talkcd-'-f Darling Downs country, and came to thi conclusion that it was not quite so valuable as had been represented. Although the soil w,is fertile it was very porous, and required more rain than it usually got. The climate was cold excepting .n the summer time. The speaker found that Australian pastoralists could not understanfl why > T e\v Zealand lamb realised from '/; d to Id per lb more than theirs at Home. The reason was the preponderance of merino blood in the Australian (locks. In New Zealand the strain wag only a quarter merino blood and threc-ipiarters English, whereas in ! Australian flocks the proportion was reversed. Tlie Australian lamb consequently was dark and close in the grain, 'die Xow Zealand Inrnb was whiterfleshed anil of more open texture. It closely resembled English lamb, and the English consumers took to it more kindly than to Australian. The dairy industry was extending i n Australia to the good profit. A lot of worn-out] sugar-cane land in Queensland was being utilised for dairying, and more especially since the deportation of the Kanakas. Mr. Tintlivrford said he tasted some Queensland butter, and found it quite equal-to th,» New Zealand. He could not say. however, how it landed in T/mdon. All the Australian cheese lie tasted he found decidedly inferior.