FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 255, 26 March 1914, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

- ROBBERS IX THE HELD. Hundreds of farmers purchase fertilisers every year in order to provide plant food for weeds. The weeds in a field will sometimes take more nitrogen than is furnished by the fertilisers supplied. Therefore, if farmers will give thorough I culture- they will save the value of the fertilisers appropriated by weeds. The diligent use of the hoe between potato rows will go far to make all tbe diference between a good and a poor crop —and keep the young growing crops free from trespassers that steal their food. . , ■ AGRICULTURE IN GERMANY.

Kditccl at the English Foreign Office and Board of Trade, the report of the Consul General for the important di»- | trict of Dusseldorf has just been Issued. This report contains some highly in- | structive information about the position j of agriculture in Germany, and affords a glance at jits enormous development. The wheat and sugar beetroot crops lof 1912 were very much larger than those of 1911. Unfortunately, the quali- . 1 ly of the crops was somewhat marred I by the unpropitious weather; the latter rather spoiled the spring-sown b'ar- ] ley and oat crops, and all the wheat ] crops suffered from the wet summer. The I rye crops, which ripen earlier, were good, I both in quantity and quality. I The statistics for the last three years ! show an increase of 300,000 tons in the I wheat crop and an increase of 732,000 | tons in the rye crop. The rye crop of I 1012 was a record one. The oat and ; barley crops were larger in 1912 than 119.11, and the potato crop of 1912 s'ir- .! passed that of 1911 by nearly 16,000,000 j tons. The larger crops are partially due ! to better and higher farming; the aver- ! age yields per acre have risen during ■ the last three years. Hay crops were. I satisfactory in 1912, and the suga; beet- | root crop of 1912 surpassed that of 1911 bv 7.000.000 tons; in 1912 it amounted to 1H,470,000 I The price of meat has of late ycais I risen so much that in 1912 the Prussian Government was compelled to permit ■ meat to be imported under certain conditions and restrictions. The duty and railway rates on imports of meat were reduced. If we compare the imports of fresh moat during the last quarter of ■ , 1911 and 1912 we find an appreciable inj crease. The imported beef and pork < I rami' from Denmark, Netherlands, and Kussia. I : Formerly the import of live stock was not permitted, but during tlic last quar- ' ter of 1912. 9252 head of live cattle were

imported irom thi' iNetherlands. I. lie price o( mi'iit has risen so much of late | years that a large number of municipalities imported fresli meat and live stock j at tlieir own expense, and sold it direct j to (lie public at fixed prices; but of late j some have voluntarily offered to sell i file meat bought by the municipalities at fixed and prescribed retail prices in I their own shops. It is mainly owing to I municipal initiative and action and the j Government's reduction of duty and I freight tariff that the price of meat has ] been somewhat reduced. To counteract ' the high retail price of meat many municipalities have imported large quantities I of fresh fish, which is sold at fixed re- ', tail prices by fishmongers, whom the , municipality has suplied with large | amounts at rates'just covering the aoi tual cost price. I In his concluding remarks the Consul points out that Germany's imports and j exports in 1880 amounted to £300,000,1 000 as against £950,000,000 in 1912. j Germany imports £150,000,000 worth of foodstufl's, whereas the United Kingdom imports nearly twice as much food, in ' spite of Germany having a 50 per cent. i larger population; Germany is therefore,

from an agricultural point of view, far . more self-supporting as regards foodstuffs. It is a noteworthy fact that I Germany's cereal harvests have- in- : creased from 14.700,000 tons in 1880 to 25,100,000 tons in 1910, mainly owing to 1 more scientific and better farming. ' Miners' wages have risen form £4O per annum in 1886 to close on £BO in 1912 —that is, an increase of 100 per cent, i Wherever one turns one sees higher incomes and increased prosperity.

I A NEW BREED OF PIGS. ; In the West of England at least sonic benefit is likely to be derived from the live stock scheme issued by the Board of Agriculture in connection with the Agricultural Development grant. Bristol University was particularly successful in selecting a highly practical live stock officer in Mr. W. Nixon. In his tour around the counties under his super- . vision he found that there was an exceptionally good race of local pigs generally known as the Gloucester Spots. I . He was thus confronted with a problem j in his distribution scheme, as only pure breed or registered boars could be used ! I under the scheme. j When the local fanners heard of this they promptly began to look around and I see what was to be done. They were determined that they would not'losejheir local pigs, renowned as they were for ] prolificacy, rapid feeding, hardy qualities , and a line pork or bacon carcase with an abundance of lean flesh. There was I . seemingly but one thing to be done; that was to form a society. Such was the enthusiasm with which this was' . taken up that in less than a month meetings had been held, a foundation life membership of twenty members at j£» each had been formed,'and other life members and annual members enrolled. I The name ~f the society -is "The Gloucestershire Old Spots Pig Breed Society." A committee of inspection vis- , ited the markets and farms in Glouccsj tershirc and a scale of points and stanI durcl of type has been drawn up and I adopted. The curious part of the establishment / of this breed society is that it has beeE entirely a farmers' movement, and that I every promised subscription has been paid up.