FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 143, 11 November 1914, Page 7

FARM AND DAIRY.

The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., agents for McDougalls' Sheep Dip, have received the following information from McDougalls' representative, Mr. Hankins, Palmerston North, that users of this dip secured 119 out of 157 awards anif 11 out of 13 championships besides winning the Short 100 guineas challenge cup and the Southdown Society's (English) challenge cup. No doubt this will be of interest to farmers. Very few farmers, if any, can claim over 100 per cent of lambs this season. Several deaths after tailing are reported, mostly of strong, vigorous animals. In the course of his political speech the other evening at Wakanui, Mr. 6. Sheat, the Reform candidate for Selwyn, professed that he was able to calculate to within a bushel or two what the harvest was likely to turn out, and he claimed that on one occasion lie had

guessed correctly the average yield in Canterbury. He. predicted that the wheat ' crops in Ashburton this year would not yield above an average of 20 bushels to the acre. I A farmer informed a Standard representative that the recent spell of dry weather was the longest he had ever I known in the spring. For three months J he had had his teams in the field, and had hardly missed a day—a most remark- . able tiling. He added that he was planti ing more wheat this year than previousi ly, so that if New Zealand's crops were j very successful this would leave other j countries free to supply the Homeland. ; He thought that there would probably t be a shortage," as Australia's crops had \ turned out badly. The war came rather : late to ensure a great deal more wheat \ being planted. Crops in the* district ; were stated to be in need of rain, and '■ what fell on Friday would be of great benefit. i ANgaruavvahia dairy farmer had a cow j whose milk, to his perplexity, went down

in test. In order to find out the reason, lie attended to the cow himself for some time. One evening, however, one of his hove, to whom the cow must have tnken j a dislike, came into the shed, and she imi mediately became restive and coinmeni ced kicking. Significantly enough, the | test that night went down from 4,2 to 3.2 exactly. There are many small matters I like this which are responsible for a de- [ crease in test, and it would pay dairy i farmers to find out these factors instead , of at once jumping to the conclusion that j their milk has not been correctly tested j at the factor}'. I Chatting with a gentleman who litis [.had wide experience of stock, we gather ; that farmers at present have just cans? ! for. congratulating themselves on t'ne I great prices offering -for fat cattle as 'hose are now fetching prices hitherto I unknown. Ho instances that at Mr [ Newton King's Uremii and Waiiwakai- | ho sales the demand has been quite unsatisfied, and for bulls with eondi- ! Won the prospects arei exceptionally good, as the few that are offering at present aro selling very ireadil.v 'at prices which in most cases run out close on to 30s per 'hundred. To start at tliPe prices augers well for a little later when the freezing' works will be open, ami the buyers will then be able to operate more freely. At the last Stony River sale, a oyr. Shorthorn hull anade £ls 2s 6d for honing out, and at Urenu'i and Waiwakailm sales heavy Jersey bulls made from £lO 17s Od to £l3 los, the latter being a very ho«vy beast estimated to weigh between nine and ten hundred. Farmers should not miss selling all their cull cows and bulls Itihis sensor* through tin? sal<i yards and so receive, the bailout of full competition for their cattle.