FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1921, Page 12

FARM AND DAIRY.

NORTHERN FARMERS PANICKY. STOCK MARKET DEPRESSED. Scores of rarmers wlio taxed their stocking capacity last season, irrespective of the individual output of the cows, have been compelled to cull, and, in addition to the seasonal disposal of springing heifers, there has been a great glut of mature stock, mostly of an inferior character (says the Auckland Star). The price of all qualities of cattle has been affected by the unprecedented supply and exceptionally low demand. At nearly all the recent stock sales calved cows and heifers have been almost. unsaleable, and 30s to £2 10s has been no unusual price for the cow and calf. Better quality stock that sold freely at £l2 to £l5 last season, uas been sacrificed at the absurdly low price of £5 to £7, and at most sales £lO has rarely been exceeded for guaranteed cows of good capacity. Three-year-old heifers, for which there is most demand at this time of the year, have also been phenomenally cheap, while yearlings, both heifers and steers, have been practically given away. Many instances have occurred whore fat steers have been sold at 25 to 50 per cent, less than was pai* for them by the vendor a year or eighteen months ago. As reflecting the current prices for wool, there was a recent instance in Hokianga of a farmer who offered to allow 1000 sheep to be sheared and the wool taken by the shearers, contingent’ upon their undertaking responsibility for all charges in connection with baling and shipping, but the offer was declined. There is little doubt that prices of dairy cattle are much lower than the state of the butter market warrants, and that this' condition of affairs has largely resulted from a panicky desire to sell before a further drop occurs. Prices may improve when the glut has ended, but one result of the present condition of affairs may be,the elimination and destruction of many useless animals that have been carried in times of unusual prosperity, and a consequent improvement of the general standard of cattle in the north. BUMPER WHEAT YIELD. CANTERBURY FORECAST. Canterbury farmers are generally of opinion that the forthcoming wheat yield will be a bumper one. Reports from all quarters are that the crops are looking extremely well, and the yield, from present indications, should be up to recent averages of 30 to 32 bushels per acre. On the official estimate of 363,000 acres under wheat in the Dominion, this should mean a yield of somewhere in the vicinity of 11,000,000 bushels. It is I i >° ’-oars since such an area was sown In wheat, and all going well, the pre-.-noiiid lie the second largest on record in the matter of quantity.

A FARMERS’ BANK. VARIOUS POINTS EXPLAINM>. Tn an address to farmers on the evening of the first day of the Wanganui show, Mr. W. J. Polson, Dominion president of the Farmers’ Union, stressed the advantages of farmers’ banks, which had proved such a success in other countries, and emphasised the following twelve points:— 1. That they are banks to wmen 1,600,000 farmers belong, out of a total population engaged in farming (including laborers) of six millions. 2. That they are managed by farmers for farmers. 3. That they advance from 50 to 60 per cent, on land values. 4. That these advances are compulsory; they are compelled to lend to every applicant who has the security. 5. That they actively assist In use closer settlement of land. 6. That they protect and assist the tenant as well as the landlord. 7. That they lend in sums of from £5 to £500,000. 8. That they foster co-operation., some of them acting as the farmers’ merchant as well. 9. That their bonds arc recognised as first-class security with the great Continental banks. 10. That, having advanced over £500,000.060 their insolvency losses are one fifty-fifth of those of other institutions. 11. That they lend money at the lowest possible fates. 12. That they do not aim at making any profit. “Those are twelve very startling points if wc compare them with the methods of institutions we are more familiar with,” said Mr. Polson. “When I add that they give depositors market rates tf>f interest on current accounts, in many cases 4 per cent, less than they charge for overdrafts, and that their bonds are not subject to recall, it may be realised that here is a banking system whose methods will stand scrutiny.’.—Chronicle. MORE HONORS FOR BLACK AND WHITES. A FINE RECORD. All breeders of pedigree cattle air.' at high production, coupled with consistency, but surely Knownot Pride, tne property of Mr. Dew, cf Riverlea, must stand out as a remarkable example. Under semi-official test for 12 months she produced 21,429.91 b. milk with 700.5'5 of fat. made up as follows:

Looking through the pedigree of Knownot Pride, we find her gftatgrandsire, Nazli de Koi, and Paul Pietertje. the sire of Westmere Princess Pietertje, were both got by Sir de Koi Inka Pietertje. Mr. Dew was fortunate enough to get a heifer calf from his great cow by Waihi Lad of Honour, whose dam (Waihi Lass) made 722 of fat. while Waihi Buttercup, the dam of his sire, made 682. —Star.

Milk. Fat. August .. 1345.0 42.84 'September . . . . 1736.0 05.06 October .. nbon.7 05.66 . 2054.3 69.84 December . . 2059.4 61.7S January .. 1991.6 i) / ./ ;> February .... 1792.0 03.74 .... 1940.4 . * -1 .61 April .... 1840.3 57.23 Mav .. . . 1530.7 55.10 July . ... 1303.6 47.72