FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 201, 3 February 1915, Page 7

FARM AND DAIRY.

A reporter wag informed by a farmer last week that for the Manawatu district the season has, despite the dry weather, been a better one than last year. Stock are in good condition, and the milk yield well up in volume. A Dorie district farmer, who fed his flock on a crop of oats earlier in the ,season, has just cut out and thrashed the second growth (says the Ashburton Guardian). A return of 18 bushels to the acre waa secured. Several farmers in a large way in Queensland havo notified that they intend to lay down at least 1000 acres each of additional wheat crop in the coming season. The Government is helping as required with seed wheat, money for ploughing, machinery, extra labor, etc. The late fine winter and almost rainless spring were (says the Timaru Post) favorable to the most happy domestic relations of the small birds, and just now, amid the ripe and ripening crops, they are taking toll *o th" full from the "man who pays for ■/\" The small bird likes his porridge, and just on daybreak he and his numerous relations enjoy the oats for breakfast. In the oat crops the birds are to be seen in myriads, and all crops near dense gorse fences is stripped clean to the shell. In some small paddocks on the Seadown some oat crops will be hardly worth chaffing, so completely havor the fqathercd shellers threshed them out. "Speaking generally," said the manager of a Manawatu dairy factory, "this has been a better season than any of the past three. Feed has been very plentiful of late and the cows have, so to speak, had a straight run—they have not been checked by recurring dry and wet we-a ther." This has enabled a mora steady supply of milk to be received by farmers owing to feed being kept in fair condition. I In the Kairanga a happy condition of affairs has prevailed, and the season will be written down as a record one. Up to last week, a splendid supply of milk had been received at the Kairanga Dairy Company's factory, though the supply this week was, owing to the drier weather, was not so large, and the test also slightly fell. During the past three months, 10,0001bs more milk had been received in comparison with the corresponding months of last year. /An increase in suppliers was responsible for part of this, but a good portion is attributed to the excellent season. The statement was also made by one gentleman that a dealer in Wellington was prepared to pay 13% d per lb for butter, f.o.b. Wellington, and risk the market in London. As this means selling at 140s to Isos on the London market, it seems a fair conclusion to draw that butter is still maintaining a good price at home. Yesterday's quotations from the English markets show that New Zealand cheese is bringing 86s a cwt., or just under 10d a lb, which means a retail price there of about Is per lb. Cheese companies in the district must, therefore, have a profitable season, and many companies who so)' 1 their output of butter and cheese when war broke will no doubt bave great cause to regret doing so. Such a record season when other parts are sorely in need for rain speaks volumes for the Manawatu district as a whole. At Fitzhcrbert and Kairanga, feed is still in good quantities and with steady sbower of rain, which is threatening, pastures should be freshened up. Through the Gorge and around Woodville, fields present a fairly green appearance, and the lower Hawke's Bay has not suffered at all when compared ■with, the eastern portions. This is the result of the moisture-laden winds striking the hills above Woodville and bringing rain. In and around Bulls the dry season has been felt to a severe extent, and a local resident who has just returned from there, stated the grass was considerably dried up. One crop of i mangolds tie had seen had wilted under the heat of the summer sun.—Standard.