FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 October 1920, Page 9 (Supplement)

FARM AND DAIRY.

Ffiesian cattle aro pushing their way In Queensland, as in other parts of Australia. There are said to be over 30 studs of the 'breed in the Northern State. The champion bull at the recent Brisbane Show was imported from New Zealand.

The Western Australian Statistical Department reports all-round decreases in live stock. Sheep totalled 0,fif)7,05], a decrease of 485,790; cattle, 880,044, a decrease of 68,203; and horses, 174,91 ft, a decrease of 44,373.

A big syndicate is said to be ''forming" in London with very large capital at its command, the prime object of which is to render the absorption of low grade wools by the Central European States possible. If this objective can be achieved, it should tend to materially improve the outlook for corresponding qualities in Australia. Artificial wool made by a chemical process is being submitted to Yorkshire woollen manufacturers, but their verdict is that sheep breeders need not be uneasy. The substitute and the natural product are ai* brown paper to' leather. Both have their uses, but the artificial wool can never be -anything but an adulterant.

In a recent speech in the House, Mr. Powdrell said that if ""& herd of cows averaged only 1601b of butter-fat—and these are Government figures prepared by one of the Dairy Division —for making cheese it will cost 21d with land at £OS per acre. If the herd averages 1801b the cost of production goes down to 19d; and if 2001b', the cost comes down to 17d; and if 2201b the cost of the production of butter-fat comes down to 15d.

In Melbourne, as well as in Sydney, large quantities of mutton are being withdrawn from the cold stores and supplied to retail butchers owing to the great scarcity and high pi ice of meat. No fair objection can be taken to this by the graizer; he cannot supply meat himself, so he can hardly object to consumers getting it elsewheie.- But this action is going to have an influence on the price of fattening aged sheep and cattle in the future.

When everything is going well in a company the shareholders as a rule express their satisfaction in silence. The executive of the Wyndham Dairy Factory Company can congratulate themselves on their satisfactory management, as for the second year in succession the shareholders did not roll up in sufficient numbers to allow the annual general meeting to be held. A- sure sign of good management. Referring to herd-testing.in the Edendale district, the annual report of the local cheese factory company says: "A comparatively small number availed themselves of the opportunity to have their cows tested by the Government Tester. Those who did gained valuable information regarding their herds. The Department ijitends to continue i\\& testing, if sufficient support is forthcoming. It is hoped that as many as possible will take advantage of this further opportunity to gain accurate knowledge of i their herds. » ,

Great success has attended the establishment of the Canadian Co-operative Woolgrowers, Ltd., which now handles nearly all the wool ajrown in Canada, although established only in ItilS. The company has over 2000 shareholders, and during 101 ft it handled nearly 4,000,0001b of wool. This would represent roughly about 11,000 bales, which would he a small turnover for any one of our Australian companies. But Canada has only about 2,000,000 sheep,-so can teach Australia nothing in that way.

The meat trade in America is investigating the amount of loss entailed in the bruising of meat, and in view of the very high prices and the small margins on which the meat traders operate, the subject is regarded as one of increasing importance. By the bruising of the tissues edible produce is not only turned into inedible, but first class meat becomes second-class, and second-class is converted into third class. One of the directions in which reform is sought is the better handling of stock from the farm to the packing-house. The wheat pools are charging millers lfis per bushel for wheat for gristing flour for overseas orders. Combating a statement, that this was a record price for wheat, a Coonalpyn farmer wrote to the Adelaide Chronicle as follows:—"I think it was in 1855 (I am not quite sure of the that farmers who needed seed wheat had to pay 21s a bushel for it, and the next harvest had to sell at 2s 6d a bushel. The sudden fall was caused by two shiploads coming here from, I think, America, just before the harvest. I knew three farmerp on the Brighton plain who bought and sold at the above prices." After entering into a contract with the Imperial Government to supply first grade butter at 240s per cwt, the butter producers of Australia have secured a revision of the price, and what is more, have induced the British authorities to pay 274s per cwt. for butter which they previously contracted to buy at 240s per cwt. The new contract fixes the price to be paid by the British Government for butter graded DO points at 274b per cwt, with an ex'tra Is Od per cwt. for each point up to 94, and Is 6d less for each point below 90. All the other conditions are similar to those of the eontract concluded in June. The period of the purchase is from August 1 to March 31.

A Scottish exchange reports that one of the Aberdeen-Angus sensations of recent times was the sale, by Mr. James Wliyte, Hayston, Glamis, of the two-vear-okl 'bull Perinthian (44,320) for export to the United States, for the record figure of IiOOO guineas. The purchaser was Dr. Huggiiis, Dandridge, Tennessee, U.S.A. r-erenthiaii, in the hands of Mr. Wliyte, won first prize in the yearling class at the Highland and Agricultural Society's Show at Edinburgh last year, and was bred by Mr. F. J. Robb, Lisnabreeny House. Castlereagh, Belfast, after Petuman (40,202) and out of Pride of Miilhen 23rd (42.402), by Enthalito (21,8!10).