FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 227, 30 October 1909, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY.

SAWMILLING ACTIVITY. WHERE IS THE SLUMP? fn March. 1009, there were 423 sawmills operating in New Zealand, with au output of 49,000,000 feet per annum, or little more than half their capacity. The Forestry Department's annual report contains a very suggestive comparative 1 table .showing the number of hands omi ployed in the sawmilling industry, and 1 the yearly output:— Hands Mills. Employed. Output. In 1880 .. 220 3,85)0 103,740,516 181)5 .. 290 4,055 101,053,400 1900 .. 334 0,085 261,583,518 1905 .. 414 0,012 413,280,742 1007 . 411 7,13!) 432,031,611 This table does not display much evidence of i.he slump in the timber trade. IK- report points this out, .stating: "A perusal of the above will reveal the fact, tnat, notwithstanding the distress that has prevailed in the sawmill industry during the past twelve months, and the complaints that have been made against the importation of foreign timber, the ;ml.put is still very large, whilst more hards have been employed than two vears previously. This will doubtless occasion surprise, but, m the statistics have ?>cen compiled with much care, and each distiict has been separately dea t with, it is thought that the figures are f-.'.ivlv reliable, and can be accepted as bc'ng fairly correct." THE WOOL OUTLOOK. QUESTION OF St'PPLY AND DEMAND.

Everything points to good values ruling during the early sales of this season, but, whil» there is nothing on the horizon to warrant any fear as to any serious fall in values as the new clip goes into consumption, there are certainly indications that prices will n<>t he so rilrong at the end of the season as they will be at the beginning. The demand iis most satisfactory at the present | moment. Stocks are said to be bare ,n manufacturing centres, and trade i* I '»ood, especially in America, one of our ! best customers. Again-t this, however, ;w" have the* fact that there will be a , ivord clio marketed in Australasia ant | this country, and though Argentina is [evicted to show a decrease by reason

(* the drought, there is a sheep boom on in anthem Patagonia, south.-ni Cl 'li, Tieiia del Vneuo, and the islands of the Slrails nl Magellan, while th*» shiymtvuts of won! fv«»m the Chilian port of Pnntrt Arenas are going up by leap* am' lion nils. Then theiv i.- a reported increased production in South Africa this year of 30.000 to 50,000 bales, nutw'thstanding a disastrous recrudescence pf scab in certain districts last year. All this points to the probability of prices weakening should the trade find that the abnormal supply is more than ,it needs for current requirement*. As wis; pointed out in these columns be* foie, there i« absolutely nothing tn justify a wailing poliov on the pari of growers.—'Time*. AX AORICULTriiAL 11AXK. A QUEENSLAND EXAMPLE. Ihat the Agricultural Hank of Queensland is au institution which is appreciated by agriculturist* of the State nuv readily be seen by a glance at the annual report of the trustees for the. year ended 30th June. During the year 50 formal meetings were held; SSO applications were received for advance-;, a

number considerably in excess of those received during the previous year. Tl ese, w itli 73 mentioned in (lie last repoit as being then in abeyance. were ft.r_a -total sum of cn»3f)3, of which .C-f"i,<)S7 was for improvement* to lie "llected on I lie laud, and ,C47,27(i for paying off liabilities on Uie land pu •- cinse of si nek, He.: 4.11) applications were approve,l for a total amount of Cro.l |S: 1 ■>:) applications were either declined er withdrawn, and 101! are still in Til,, fees received from appoints during tile year amounted to C11.)3. ::ud the expenses were C 73.";. . ■nety-ok advances were repaid during l»' year, and the uropcrtie. r:'lcas"d. Pile instalments uaid n„ e\i>tin,_r niin.'LMeo |o 3i)||| .lune, l!)(t!l. amount lo | U.■<«.!) 10. as against L'11i1.341 on 30th I'll"'. The total advances up- , proved amount to C 2110.41!}. The balance will lie paid as improvements are (Heeled. \t (lie end of tile year ,C23fi7 "■iK owimi- to (lie bank for interest and . !"'ld I'' paid fiv 3nth September. ' The "i.'-rcsl, received during the vear was y-illr.'. while the interest paid |o th? i-"»«ur V vas €38.30. The profits on '!!— -■ "■ansactions amounted to