FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 143, 26 September 1910, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY

A CHEERING PROSPECT. OPINION OE MR. J. G. HARKNESS. Discussing with the representative of the Wellington Times the outlook for the season now entered upon, Mr. J. G. Harkness, secretary of the National Dairy Association, said there as every indication of the season proving highly, favorable, and this from every stand-' point. As far as the country was con-' earned, there was every appearance of a phenomenal growth of grass, a better management of pastures and their renovation by top-dressing combining with good spring weather to bring this about. Added to this, stock had wintered well and had entered upon the milking season in better health and condition than usual, in excellent form to stand a 'heavy season's production. Then maintenance of the milk flow was mora assured than in the early days of the industry owing to the fact that dairy [ farmers in general now realised the necessity of giving more attention to the: provision of green fodder in the drier, months of the year. All this pointed to increased milk production and a big advance in the amount of dairy pr#duce to be exported. A MNE COMMENCEMENT.

The first of the season's shipments, said Mr. Harkness, compared most 'fav-i orably with those of last season. The two steamers already despatched carried 14,733 boxes of butter, whereas the two first steamers of last season took only 9,001 boxes. Up to date 41 cases of cheese have 'been shipped, while 974 eases were shipped by the first steamer of last season, but these were all accumulations during the winter. i BUTTER VERSUS CHEESE. | There is not the same amount ol cheese being manufactured at this stage of the season as there was last year, due principally, Mr. Harkness points out, to the high price of butter and the j greater appreciation of skim-milk, owing to increasing attention being paid to the rearing of calves and piga. Of course, he explains, cheese-making _to any extent does not commence till the milk becomes settled in quality. j GRATIFYING DEVELOPMENT. |

While there has not been the increast in the number of dairy factories _ tins winter that there was in the winter of 1909, Mr. Harkness considers there will be a gratifying increase in the output .right throughout the Dominion. Practically all existing factories will show a big development owing to the general extension of herds and the establishment of new one,s.

;THB ARGENTINA HARVEST. | From time to time I have referred to; the bad harvests experienced m this country for the years ending 1908 and 1009 (savs the Buenos Ayres correspondent of the Lyttelton Times). Statistics just published show that up to May 28, 1910, the wheat exported amounted to 1112,121 tons. For a similar period in 1909' the exportation reached 2,030,642 tons while for 1908, in the same month, no less than 2,500.000 tons was shipped. The shortage, therefore, this year amounts so far to no less than 900,000 tons, but comparing 1910 with 1908 I find a'shortage of 1,400,000 tons. Maize also shows a decline. In 1909 the total shipped reached 2,357,264 tons, while this year,- taking the most sanguine view, not more than 1,300,000 tons will be available. In addition to this, 'both linseed and oats show very material reductions. Two million two hundred thousand tons of "rain represents an enormous amount of money; at £5 per ton it represents £11,000,000. Such a sum would have made an enormous difference to this republic for any one year, but had the yields of 1908 and 1007 been repeated for IMS and. 1909 the present inflow of gold could have been probably some £25,000,000 in excess uf to-day's total. The gold held bv the nation in the "Oaja de Conversion'.' stands at £38,600,000. This is held as a guarantee for the paper on issue, which represents a value of, approximately, £03,000,000. The holding therefore represents about 60 per cent, of the issue. I

Fair rains are reported from some parts of the cereal producing area, but, speaking generally, the prospects are not verv favorable. Large areas have had no rain for a long period, and sowing has been very greatly hampered.

WOOL PRODUCTION. I STRIKING FIGURES. Statistics of the world's wool produc-i tion and the wool-using populations,. i-show -that the former is not keeping pacej | with the latter. In 1593 it was estimated! 'that the production of wool was 2.602,-j | 986.7731b, and the wool-using population at that time was 528,386,225. At the .present time the wool-using population has increased to 010,391,508 people, an; increase of 51.555r253, while wool produc- 1 tion in the same period lias increasid by | 11'1.149,7751b. The per capita production 1 was thus 4.881b in 1895, as against 4.271b at the present time. The decrease in the numbers of sheep in Europe during the pak half century or so has been just as remarkable as the increase in wool-growing in Australia, France in 1840 had 32,000,000 head of sheep, whereas now the total is under 17,000,000. Tn Germany the decline is even more marked. In 1870 they had 25,000.000. whereas the flock of the Fatherland now numbers barely 7,000,000. In Austria-Hungary there are only half as many sheep as in 1869, when the country could muster 20,000,000. The United Kingdom, on the other band, seems to hold its own well. Naturally, expansion to any large extent is not possible, but the industry well maintains its position. In 1871 there were 33,000.000 sheep in Endaiv.l, while the 1909 figures were 31,335,917. So far as England is concerned, the stud sheep industry has led to a steady export demand both from this country, Australia and the Argentine, and in British breeds Old World breeders have gone closer to lierfection.

The Australian wool season is exceptionally early this year. Double the quantity of wool has come forward for the early sale to that handled in previous seasons, .and the sales could have well commenced a fortnight earlier. Excellent weather is being experienced in South Canterbury, and prospects are very bright all round. The sowing of. spring crops has made good progress, the ground being in fine order, while the winter-sown wheat is showing well above the ground, and is growing vigorously. 1 The season has been a favorable one for lambing, and in all parts-of the districi the percentages is satisfactory. Gra* is coming on well. 1 One of the great grain ranches in ColI orado is protected at night from hungry \ wild ducks by a ! hig display of fireivovks. ! It has, been/found, that (rockets and Ro-[ I man candles are the only things that will I keep the .birds out of the grain. ' ] Two Ashburton residents are planting apple trees on a large scale for commer-

cial purposes. One proposes to plant twenty-five acres, and the other is preparing about fifty acres of land, twentylive or which will be planted this season. The land w good river silt, and is to be laid down in apples and in stone fruit for the New Zealand markets.

So pronounced is the shortage of beef becoming in Timaru that one butcher is buying regularly from distant northern and southern markets. One tradesman has for several months been securing his supplies from a farmer in Southland. The quality of the southern meat is known to be • prime, but what with the cost of railage, etc., the butchers are left with but little margin for profit when the time comes for local retailing.