FARMING NOTES

Wairarapa Age, 26 March 1920, Page 7

FARMING NOTES

As much as £l2 per ton has been paid in Masterton of late for oaten sheaf chaff, Messrs Moody and Brown, of Linton, have purchased a' property of. 304 acres at Managamaire. Mr John Clulow has disposed of his Pori property to Mr Grimmer, who comes from the Martinborough district. Mr Lonegan, of Eaitawa, has sold his farm to his neighbour, Mr A. S. Clulow. It is Mr Lonegan's intention to spend a long deferred holiday in the North. At the Auckland skin .sales this week, one small parcel of stout ox hides, in dry condition, fetched 2s 3d a lb, as compared with the former fixed price of Is l£d for this grade. Good cow hides brought Is 8d to 2s 0 l-Bd, country butchers' ox hides up to 2s, and cow hides up to Is lOd Calf skins sold for as much as 4s a lb for best grades.

A syndicate of eight returned soldiers at Pongaroa have made an application under the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act to acquire from Messrs Thomson and Gray the freehold of "Glencoe" Station, comprising 4000 acres. This well known property is now carrying 6000 sbteep and 550 head of cattle, and is situated about nine miles from Poagarc*., and eleven miles from Akitio. The sale is being negotiated through the agency of Dalgety and Co, in conjunction with Hankins Bros. az*i Munro Wilson, of Pahiatua.

A Feilding farmer says the waste that is going on in this young country "is simply shojcking." He says the observant man can see evidences of this in every direction. But he specialises upon one—the non-harvesting of grass seeds. "Acres and many acres by our roadsides and in a thousand paddockp have been allowed to run to waste, this season. Any boy could easily iiave earned £2 per day by gathering" cocksfoot seed —but not one bothered about it. Consequently this much needed seed has been lost to us." The: Star- adds: Cocksfoot that grows ferishly throughout our district, costs Is lid per lb machinedressed. Not bo long ago it was only sd. Cowgrass, that was lOd per lb this time last year, has gone - away tip to 3s 6d. And ryegrass is 14s per bushel, as against 8s 6d last year.

T. 8. Little, a half-brother of Mr James Little, the founder of the Corriedale, is now the owner of the home> stead block of the famous estate on which his brother initiated bis work in the evolution of the Corriedale. Mr Tom Little is regarded as probpably the most successful breeder of Border Leicester sheep in Australasia. Rumour has it that he intends' breeding Corriedales at Corriedale. For the sake, of tho breed it is to be hoped so, for there are few men in the country who have his capacity as a breeder and a shepherd. - At the present time Mr Little is also breeding the Romney, so that Corriedale is again a home for • the Kentish breed.

Mr E. Newman, M.P., who originated the proposal to hand over surplus wool profits to the British Seamen's Fund, has received the following letter from the Prime Minister : "I have to acknowledge the'receipt of your letter of January 14, and in reply state that the latest reply to the Government's inquiries on the subject indicates that figures relating vto the profits to March 81, 1918, will; be available at an early date, it being pointed out that great difficulties have been experienced in arriving at finality owing to the drastic and compulsory reduction of the staff of the Imperial Government departments concerned. I would* add my assurance that every effort will be made to enable the distribution of profits to growers to be carried out with as little delay as possible." ••' \

Miny roses do well rooted from i cuttings. There are Some, however, that almost refuse to*grow on their own roots, but these are in the minority. The climbing and rambling varieties and the hybrid perpetual section do very well as a rule. March and April is the best time to- put the cuttings in, although they can be inserted with varying success right up to pruning time.' The most suitable growths for the purpose are those that have flowered, and they should be taken as soon as the flowers are over. Cut them off with three or four leaves, remove the old flower heads, and trim the base close below the last leaf with a sharp knife. Choose a shady position for planting, them. Mis some sand and leaf mould with the soil, j Dibble tbe cuttings in three or four, inches apart, and above all make the j base firm. ; Spray the cuttings with clean water in the evenings after bright days. Keep them moist, but 1 not sodden. They will be ready for planting into their permanent positions the following autumn. Purebred' dairy cows and their economical value are fully deal* with in the Journal of the Department of Agriculture by Mr W. -.-u' Singleton, Assistant Director of the Dairy Division. He reports the growth of Jersey, Friesian, and Ayrshire purebred herds, as compared with the milking Shrothorns, which were the predominant animals in the Dominion, Valuable returns in increased milk and butter-fat production, representing a large increase of the wealth of the country, have followed .the careful testing of herds. The testing of herds involves conscientious attention to the work early and late, and i§ all weathers. Of those responsible for this important work, Mr SinIgleton reports: "Their devotion to duty and their straightforward oonI duct have assisted In a marked degree towards the success attained."

Prices for beef at the Westfield (Auckland) sales on Wednesday had a tendency towards being firmer than last week's rates. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company report beef in slightly more than average numbers, and although quotations are the same the market shown a firmer tone. Choice oxen sold up to £2 16s per 1001b, prime from £2 lis to £2 15s, and rough and inferior £2 5s to £2 10s. Cow and heifer beef sold at from £2 4s to £2 lis per 100 lb. Steers ranged in price from £lO 17s 6d to £2l 15s. oCws and heifers made from £8 to £ls ss.