FARMERS’ COLUMN.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 280, 9 July 1908, Page 6

FARMERS’ COLUMN.

Nobody else |has so many natural advantages as the dairyman for raising good heifers, and nobody else has the dairyman’s interest in it or is likely to succoed so well at it.

A good quanity of good] inch milk for ten months in the year is wuat every dairyman wants from ovary cow in the herd, and a cow that will not do this is not woith keeping.

It may come as a surprise to many to know that even lucerne will set up impaction when the stems are in the tough, -wiry stage. This has been proved by several experienced eattlemen.

Cows are not born with fullgrown udders. The possibility for development is Nature’s own, but the actual realisation is duetto the feeder.

Don’t allow cattle to get at straw stacks when then there is a scarcity of other food, because they may gorge themselves and upset the digestion.

Many people who would be shocked to find an ungroomed horse in their siable would think nothing of allowing their cows to go ungroomed year after year.

All cows should be dried off at least 15 days before calving, not only for the sake of the animal, but also on recount of the pool’ quality of such milk at that time.

The cow improved by feeding is better than the grade which has not been systematically feed. The best way is to com! ine the two methods, letting breeding and feeding each have its influence.

There probably never has been a more open season for the planting of wheat crops in June than has been experienced this year (writes the Kaiapoi correspondent of the Christchurch “ Press.”) It is probable the crop planted will be wider in area than last season. The ploughing, harrowing, and drilling have been conducted without interruption, and some of the seed has commenced to sprout. The general idea that there may be another dry season has caused the farmers to hasten the sowing, in order that the crop may got the benefit of whatever rain falls in July and Auu’ust.

With regard to the question of inspection of l\ew Zealand-grown potatoes, the “Otago Daily Tinies ”

says the intention of the Government now is that if a line of potatoes is found to be badly infected with disease, either in transit or in auction rooms or shops, the whole is to be seized by the Government inspector. There is. however, it is definitely announce!!, no intention on the part of the Government to make a systematic inspection of New Zealand-grown potatoes, either at the port of shipment or at the port of arrival. Of course, whenever disease is prevalent or suspected to exist in the Dominion, the department will exercise a judicious hand in the. direction _of safeguarding the public interest.

“ What to do with our boys ” is a question that agitates the mind of the farmer as well as the city dweller, and Mr J. R. Rutherford, at a meeting of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association, made a strong point. He said that if a lad was a failure at any city profession, he was packed off to a farm. The conditions of farm life sometimes gave those boys the drilling they required, and a lad who was dull at first might be developed, with careful training, into a good and useful man. But the process was a long and slow one, and sometimes the boys were not worth their food for many months. Now, according to the conditions sought to be imposed on farmers by the Conciliation Board in the Canterbury farm labourers’ dispute, a farmer would require to pay the boys 15s each a week at starting, and give them their apprentice training and board and lodging for nothing. Farmers simply wouldn’t do it, and in town the number of apprentices in any trade was strictly limited, so that the boys would bo hard pressed to find work .of any description.

Tire heavy rains of the last fortnight have had the effect of improving the demand for lines of stock hitherto neglected, and, have rather hardened prices (says the “ Qamaru Mail.”) At Tuesday’s sales sheep showed a better tone, two and three-tooth quarterbred ewes in lamb reaching 20s 3d. Pat stock maintained their values, lambs selling at 14s Gd to 16s and light-weight wethers up to 17s 4d.

According to- the “Ashburton Guardian ” the destructive glass grub has not macle "its-'-presence known to any extent in the Ashburton County. There is evidence, however, of the grub having attacked the cereal 'crops and grass paddocks, but the season is not sufficiently advanced to state definitely whether the grubs are present in the ground in large numbeis. In years past the grubs have been most destructive in the country, and farmers have had to re-sow large areas that came up well and nourished splendidly until the crop was attacked by this dreadful pest. The best, if not the only preventive measure, appears to be early rolling with a heavy iron roller.

A good deal of straw was burnt in the autumn, remarks the Timaru “ Post,” wheat straw principally, but if the present demand for good, clean straw keeps up there will be less wasted than was formerly the case. Landowners find, also, that they must utilise everything the farm produces if they are to make things pay. One constantly hears that land is at an absurd figure and must come down, but unless the difficulties of finance, which have arisen of late, become very acute, there is not much danger of that eventuating, wit cereals, lamb, mutton, and dairy produce at present prices. The winter is getting on, and we are managing splendidly, in spite of the threatened shortage of. feed. Paddocks are quite green yet, and stock are doing well. Ploughing is being done under first-class conditions, and autumn crops never went in better. Given an average rainfall in the spring and summer, the yields should establish a record.

“ The farm labour difficulty has led to a number of farmers giving up growing crops in Auckland,' declared Mi J. Massey, president of the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association. “ I have given up cropping for that reason.” Mr Westhey said that up till a year or so ago he had been growing wheat, but owing to the scarcity of farm labour and the outrageous wages demands made at harvest time, ho had given it up. It was a matter for very great regret that Auckland did not grow enough grain for its own use. Hundreds of tons of flour were being imported. He could remember the time when Auckland grew about three times the required supply of its own breadstuff. Probably there was something in the fact that it paid to graze stock for meat, but it was largely owing to the present labour difficulties and laws that wheat-growing had fallen off.

The oat market remains in a condition of deadly dullness (says the “ Otago Daily Times,”) and values show a further decline, for .despite the fact that many merchants decline to quote, the feeling of financial stricture which is exerting a perceptible influence upon market movements in the Dominion is inducing speculators to unload. And as buyers are few and cautious, these unloading operations have depressed the market ’The fact that the Australian demand is almost exclusively of Garton makes Sparrowbills somewhat of a drug, and sales of B, grades Sparrowbills . have been made during the week at down to 2s 3d and 2s 3|d f.o.b. s.i.; while for B grade Gartons 2s 4Jd to 2s 5d f.o.b. s.i. is obtainable. The future of the market depends upon the Australian demand. There is no doubt that Commonwealth buyers will have to come to New Zealand for their oat supplies between now and the end of the year, but naturally they are holding off in the expectation of seeing prices recede. In the meantime the absence of demand is having a prejudicial effect upon the market here, and each sale reported at

lower prices tends to weaken other holders. For local orders the current quotation is from 2s 2d to 2s 3d ex store for good feed oats..

THE PRICE OF WOOL.

A recent article in the Sydney .“Wool and Stock Journal,” dealing with the wool market, says: “Confirmation of the fact that the cheapness of wool is likely for a while, at anyrate, to curtail use of substitutes, is found in a letter to hand by the last mail from a correspondent, who says, referring to the May series: 1 The Home trade especially was strongly represented, several Yorkshire firms being there for the first time. One could not help noticing some half dozen waste dealers present, prepared to “do sum mat ”if low crossbreds came at their price, and undoubtedly they have contributed something to the welcome change which has come over the situation in regard to this class of produce.’ This clearly shows that the movement has already begun, and the point is an important one, because a. very large proportion of the wools held in London are low grade crossbreds from New Zealand, carelessly prepared and most unappetising to the general trade, but which will appeal to the ‘cheap’ manufacturer. If they can be absorbed in this manner, so much the better for the general trade outlook, for both here and in London it is the accumulation of faulty wools, and the fact that the nearer the new clip comes the worse will these wools show up in comparison, that has put fear into the heart of the trade. To hold such wools in the hope of a prospective rise in values is a risky proceeding, as the demand referred to will immediately fade away once prices get beyond a certain level, and things would become unsettled again.

ST. HELENA.

—s? —— THE FLAXMILLING INDUSTRY. After an absence of fifteen months Mr C. J. Fulton, New Zealand’s chief fibre expert, returned to Wellington on Thursday by the Maheno. In. the course of a short talk with a “ Post ” representative, Mr Fulton expressed the belief that whilst the introduction of New’ Zealand flax in St. Helena would help the islanders to make ends meet it would not solve the problem, In fact, just before he left St. Helena nearly a hundred of the younger men had gone awav to work at the gold mines on the Y est Co’ast of Africa, their engagement being for a term 'of four vears.

“I paid two visits to the island,” said Mr Fulton, “ staying a month there on the first occasion, and on ray return from London, whither I went to purchase machinery for the mill, I put in four months on this historic and primitive spot. A more hospitable people than the ‘ Yamstalks ’ —the nickname of the islanders—it would be impossible to find. I used to be very proud of New Zealanders, but they arc not in the hunt with the genial inhabitants of Jamestown.”

Mi Fulton explained that the flaxmill is at Longwood, about five hundred yards from the house where Napoleon lived and died. The house in which the great Emperor fretted out his few remaining years, whilst dictating his memoirs to the devoted Las Lasas, is in good preservation, and continues to attract visitors from all parts of the world. Steamers call at the island from London alid the Cape on alternate months, and usually stop four or five hours to allow visitors to make the journey to Longwood.

“.It is a pity that Sf. Helena is not used more as a health resort.” commented New Zealand’s flax expert. “Itis an ideal place for a rest cure.” Reverting to flax, Mr Fulton said that at present thirty people were directly employed, but four or five years must elapse before the plantations were available, y. Before leaving he ran the mill; for a month, and turned out a few tons of fibre and tow. The former realised top prices on the London market, whilst the tow made £3 a ton more than New Zealand, and this result, Mr Fulton pointed out, was gained without any guarantee or certificate being given.