FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 104, 25 September 1914, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY.

NEWS AX'D NOTES. We, do not realist' what a surprising country New Zealand really is until «■<, study its Few of our folks are aware, for instance, that for the ha'f of this year \ Zealand supplied Great Britain with more wool and frozen mutton than any other country. In the six month elided iu June last the Homeland received from us £7,171,7% worth of wool out of a total of received from a dozen overseas countries of £22,225, 397 value (Australia, .€6,802,541). Out of a total of £O/406,910 worth of frozen mutton received from overseas Britain took from us £3,199,294. Thus New Zealand is easily first, with 45 per cent, of tile total. Australia is second with 2!) per sent. Why should our farmers bo down-hearted? Authorities maintain that there is not a more profitable industry than that of pig breeding, when run on proper lines. Being aware of the fact that Mr T . W. Lonsdale, manager of the Moumaliaki State Farm, was an expert in pig-breed-ing, and probably one of the best authorities in the Dominion, the Chronicle's travelling reporter got into touch with him recently to learn his views on the matter. As a coincidence, Mr Lonsdale, in reply, said that lie* had recently received a letter of congratulation from a breeder in Victoria upon the splendid type of pig bred at Moumaliaki, the. State farm having recently exported a Berkshire breeding sow to a farmer about fifty miles from Melbourne, in the course of a short chat that followed, the representative gathered that .Mr Lonsdale established a herd a little over twelve months ago and the sow sent to the Commonwealth formed one of the first litters. Attention was directed to the breeding of one breed only at present, namely, the Berkshire, which is looked upon as a quick fattener and makes splendid bacon, «ad reports concerning tile herd have been so favorable that the management of the Moumaliaki cannot supply the demand, for stud purposes apart altogether from baconers. "Yes," said Mr Lonsdale, "I speak with authority when I say that if farmers only realised the tremendous profits lo be made iu the pig industry if run on proper lines, they would make every effort to foster it." Mr Lonsdale mentioned one institution in Australia that went in for specialising in several different types of animal, and made over £2OOO annual, revenue out of the sales effected, some of the pigs raised finding their way to South American breeders.

BUTTER AND CHEESE. PROSPECTS FOR 1914-15 SEASON.

An interesting review of the Australasian dairy produce for tlio season 1913-14 to hand from the London office of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company. Referring to New Zealand butter, it says:—

"The past twelve months proved to be a disappointing season for the marketing of Australasian hutter on this side, especially as regards exports from New Zeftljvnd, the normal course of events having been seriously disturbed consequent upon labor troubles in connection with shipping in the Dominion, culminating in the latter half of October last in a strike which subsequently extended to all classes of transport workers. Other factors also inlluenccd the general course of values from the end of November onwards in a manner far from satisfactory from the point of view of shippers and importers, the prices ruling up to <hat time having been better than anticipated. "The reasons given, among.it others, for the disappointment were-- (1) The regrettable forcing up of prices for New Zealand butter to too high a level at the outset by speculators anxious to obtain the maximum of profit from their dear purchases, the effect of which was to kill the demand when it should have been allowed to develop on a more gradual and healthy hasis; and (2) the very ltiiM winter experienced in this country and on the Continent, which prevented ft general demand in the United Kingdom for colonial butter until an unusually late period, and seriousy curtailed the enquiry from Belgium and France. Referring to prospects for butter for tlie 1914-15 season, the review says: "For various reasons the outlook for the coming season is very encouraging. The. present position of all markets here is very firm, there being an excellent consumptive demand which i 3 satisfactorily absorbing supplies, while in France anil Ireland dry weather has curtailed production. Stocks of colonial in cold store are quite moderate, and even at this early juncture are rapidly going into consumption. We may look for, if anything, an increased demand durin™ the winter season from the American 0 continent for colonial butter, which may counterbalance the increase of production in Australasia, which under ordinary circumstances may ho expected to take place."

As for the cheese prospects, the review proceeds:—"Here, again, it is generally anticipated that tile prospects for next season's markets point to an excellent demand. Markets at present for practically all makes of cheese are in a firm position, while weather conditions in Canada do not favor a big make— in fact, there is a shortage of present stocks as compared with the corresponding period last your. "A fact which has been manifest (hiring the past few years is the greatly mcieased consumption of dairy products in Canada owing to the rapidly growing population, and shipments to England from that source have (lecrcascd,' and may continue to shrink on that account. In these circumstances each winter seasou will lind British markets more and more dependent up 021 the Australasian cheese."