FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1915, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

DAIRY PRODUCE. With two months to go before the new season's butter commences to' come into the market, the position appears to be one which should give consumers one small morsel of comfort. The quantity of butter in cold store is •now approximately 4:2,000 boxes. At the middle of Juno last year the quantity was 78,0111) boxes. This would seem at first glance to make this year's position a bad one, but there are several other points to be noted. Last vcar about 40,000 boxes were shipped to Vancouver in July. This year export to Vancouver lias stopped'long since because of the prices asked. Instead, Australia has come in as a new customer, and lias taken about 33.000 boxes. If Australia had not been a buyer—and she would not have been but for the drought —the quantity in store now "would have been aliont the same as in June, 1914. New Zealand's butter (consumption may be stated, very roughly, at 15,000 boxes a inontb, so that there is ample for local requirements in store. Export to Australia, however, jontinues, and at tlie high figure of Is o'/jd, but there are other supplies than -the store to draw on, as the make, though not sufficient for the local market, is yet fairly large, suppliers being tempted by the high prices. A big shipment of lmtter is coming back from England, and this will certainly help to make up any shortage which might otherwise have been caused by export. Tintter sold locally fetches Is 5d a pound in pats, and this, because of the terms, is -more than */, d per pound less profitable to sellers than sales to Australia; but there has been decided opposition in certain quarters to a local advance, on sentimental grounds if for no other reason. Tlie Loudon market continues buoyant, touching 143s on latest advices. Prospects for next season are at present very bright, and if the weather is right dairy farmers will again havfl (cause for rejoicing.—Wellington Post.

Thousands of pounds are spent annually in the country on ditching agricultural ]and, and the problem of finding labor to cany on the necessary work, together with the high cost, is quite a serious one to most farmers. It 'will be a matter of great satisfaction to agriculturalists to know that a machine has lieen invented that will do the work not only at « surprisingly low cost, but also in a very thorough manner, and with remarkable rapidity (says the Southland Times). The inventor of the machine is Mr. .Tames W. Cooper, of Merino Downs, who has originated an entirely new and unique principle in digping and excavating, anil the simplicity of the machine is one of its most noteworthy features. All the material excavated is delivered and stacked at cither side of the ditch, and the -work can be performed toy a good ploughing team of horses.