FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 284, 31 March 1913, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

POTATOES AT UUAK.ULIA,

METHOD OF PRESERVING SEED,

This season's j>ot.itto crop ;it Kuakura farm of instruction .is the most even and tiie healthiest crop yet grown (writes A. W. Green in the Department's Journal), This success, 1 believe, is mainly due to selection of seed, while the 'better-constructed potato-shed, for storing tubers during winter, has jio doubt assisted in improving the crop. With the object of securing the best seed for planting, the following methods were adopted for storing, sprouting and selecting the tubers. 'I he tubers were placed in shallow boxes, so that a current of air could pass between them, and all be exposed to the light,. The light had the e/leet of turning' the tubers green, thereby keeping them linn, and preventing untimely sprouting. Finally, with good seed, it produced strong, sturdy sprouts. A good opportunity for selection was afforded when these sprouts were developing; for at this period weak sets can be detected by their weak eyes; and weakeyed sets should never reach the potatofield. It is often due to these that a light crop is obtained, and the seed sample for next year is thereby ruined. A few of the varieties which are showing up above the average at l'uakura arc Gamekeeper, Irish Queen, Commercial, Up-to-Date, Northern Star, Sutton's Bountiful and (Hold Coin. The lastnamed variety was the lirst to come into flower, and, although it cannot be called a first, early, it has the advantage of quickly maturing its crop. One spraying has been applied, and the crop is free from blight. NEW ZEALAND BUTTER. DRIVES ONTARIO BUTTER OUT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. ''The best New Zealand creamery butter is selling in Vancouver, British Columbia, at from 34 to 30 cents per lb; the best Ontario creamery butter is sell-, ing in Toronto at from 35 to 40 2ents per lb." In view of the fact that this is the first year since Confederation in which practically no exports of Canadian butter have been made to Great Britain, and that Canada, once one of the principal .sources of Britain's supplies, was compelled last year to go to the other end of the earth for supplies to feed her own people, the above observations, made to the Toronto Globe recently by Mr. J. Graham (low, trade representative of the New Zealand Government, are of more than passing interest.

Not only is New Zealand butter selling in Vancouver at the rate of 31b for a dollar, which is much cheaper than Ontario butter is selling in Toronto, but it is accounted superior to Ontario butter, as indicated by the fact that it always brought a higher price in the English market. Before the output of New Zealand churns was introduced to the people of British Columbia a year or two ago the sunset province bought most of its butter in Ontario. Now Ontario dairymen cannot meet the prices of the New Zealanders in the' British Columbio market, Mr. Gow said. When the New Zealand Trade Commissioner first went to Vancouver 18 months ago the imports of butter from the Antipodes amounted to .'iOO.OOOIb. During 11)12 they reached G,ooo,ooolbs. CANADA KUVS NEW ZEALAND HIDES.

Another remarkable fact mentioned by Mr. Gow in connection with the trade between the two countries was that during 1912 Canadian tanners imported from New Zealand 130,000 hides, which were shipped back to New Zealand in the shape of boots and shoes. ''lndeed." said the Trade Commissioner, "so many hides have been bought bv Canadian firms iu New Zealand that the tanners of that country are petitioning the Government to place an export duty on hides, the sale of which threatens to put the boot and shoe manufacturer and tanners of the country out of business. Mr. Gow expressed himself as greatly pleased "with the results of the tiade agreement between New Zealand and Canada, which became elective about four years ago. As an instance of what it, had accomplished he cited figures showing the trade iu paper. Four years ago. lie said, New Zealand bought 350,000d0l worth of printing paper from the United States and only 80,000dol. worth from Canada, Last vear she bought only 30,000d01. from the United States and 430,000d01. worth from Canada. • "Every boat sailing between Canadian and New Zealand ports has been loaded down with merchandise on both eastbound and west-bound trips during the last vear," said Mr. Gow. "and an additional boat will be put on the CanadaNew Zealand route next spring. NOTES.

11 U stated that tli« dip',sing, of potatoes in the South is very slow and .yields are n-encrallv indifferent. A few weeks a {jo the outlook for decent returns was far from encouraging. but the recent rains have improved the appearance ot the late potatoes materially, and there is now some reason to imiuMpatc fan yields, lutt the average returns will he below the level of last year. The strict enforcement of pure seed regulations in the Old Country was mentioned at the Manawatu A. and P. committee meeting recently. A member stated that when he was at Home recently he found that the Act was being carried out to the letter, for the post oil ice would not accept wil limit a eertilicate a package of seeds which he wished to post to Xew Zealand. '•Xew Zealand can look" forward to a big future market in Australia foi horses and longwool .-,lveep. provided you scud good stock and do not make the Commonwealth the dumping ground for stock, that is not wanted here." Such was the opinion expressed hv an Australian visitor to l'eilding recently. Two Frenchmen are reported to have made a discovery which mav possibly revolutionise the science of farming. They began by experimenting separately with small quantities of salts of zinc and manganese. They usrd these curious minerals as manures. In both eases remarkably good results were obtained. The crops were increased by the salts of zinc and also bv the salt of manganese. AVlien. however, the two were employed an extraordinary iueiease of fertility was obtained. Instead of gettin", say, a hundred good sound roots in a given space, the experimenters obtained '284. flreat expectations have been roused throughout I'ranee by rcaIson of these discoveries.