SHEARERS’ ACCOMMODATION.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 298, 20 August 1908, Page 6

SHEARERS’ ACCOMMODATION.

At a meeting of the Manawatu Agricultural and Pastoral Association, Mr W. F. Jacobs, referring to the Shearers’ Accommodation Bill, stated it was of a most drastic nature. He moved, “ That the association strongly protests against the bil, which is quite uncalled for, and if cauied will inflict a grave hardship and quite unnecessary expense on sheepowners, especially owners of small flocks, in having to provide buildings which areffmly needed; for a few days in the year; and that this association also respectfully protests against bills of this -character, which seriously affect the agricultural and pastoral industries, being referred to the Labour Bills Committee to take evidence and report thereon.” The motion was carried unanimously.

The weather conditions this week have been very favourable to lambing, and a great many have made their appearance in this district.

The Otago Acclimatisation Society ordered a hundred little brown owls and has been advised by the High Commissioner that 65 were shipped by the Aotea, due at Port Chalmers on Saturday. The balance will follow in a week or two.

The agricultural officials in Queensland have discovered instances of contagious inflammation of the udder having been transmitted-by milking machines. Owners are warned to milk cows by hand if they show any signs of udder trouble, and to take care to disinfect the machines. Maize is going to be used more largely in the Manawatu. district this season than formerly. It is being planted principally with the object of providing green feed for dairy stock in the dry, summer months. Of course, if the nature of the season does not demand its use, it will be allowed to mature. The horse-tooth is the variety principally favoured in the district. The Blenheim correspondent of the “Lyttelton Times” writes: — An unusually late season is being experienced here, and farmers and o-ardeners are complaining of want of rain and lack’ of growth. A protracted series of frosts is keeping springing crops and vegetables back, and the grass is not coming on. as it should If rain should full soon, however, the prospect is that the seasoir will be a successful [one both for agriculturists and pastoralists.

The collection and preservation of farmyard manure should not be neglected during this month. The solid portion of the animals, excrement contains most of the phosphoric acid, and the liquid and straw used for bedding nearly all the potash. The liquid also contains the most nitrogen, and the straw hardly any. Hence the necessity of getting the straw to take up as much as possible of the liquid manure, and the necessity also of supplying sufficient straw, either in a bail or yard, to effect this purpose. The folly of drawing away the liquid, which is twice the value of the rest, is therefore apparent, and all the spouting round the byre should be attended to. It would repay farmers to give these points their best attention.

An illustration of the usefulness of native insectivorous birds is noted at Fulham this week (writes the “South Australian Register”), which goes to prove the wisdom of protecting them. The local blacksmith was faking' an old dray to pieces for the purpose of renovating it, when it was found to be alive with poultry tick that had crawled into the crevices of the wood while the vehicle had been left standing for some years where fovds had been roosting. The smith started killing the insects, and it was not long before . a couple of shepherd’s companions, otherwise known as Willie Wagtails, came to his help.' It was surprising to see with what rapidity the little birds devoured the ticks as they crawled out. These birds have, also been known'to kill the codlin moth and its.larvae, ard other injurious ins.ects in the garden. 1 -

Recently a cow, owned by a Goulburn (New South Wales) resident, was noticed to be suffering much discomfort. As there were indications on the fore part of the body that the cause of the trouble might be there, hot water was applied, and a slight incision made in the skin. Next morning a small piece of wire was found projecting from the cut. By degrees the wire was withdrawn, and was found to be a portion of an umbrella rib. It was about loin. long. It is supposed that the cow’ swallowed a piece of cover to which the rib was attached.

For some years “boned beef” has been an item of export from this district (remarks the “Hawera Star”), and it is reckoned this trade has had a very excellent effect on the stock of the district. The class of stock required for boning is not the best; in fact animals that would be refused in other channels are accepted. This has rid the country of a number of poor-grade bulls, the effect of which alone can be well appreciated. In addition it has afforded an excellent outlet for such animals as would only fatten with difficulty, and which, even if some condition were put on, would scarcely be palatable to lovers of tender meat. Without doubt the meat, commands a ready sale in certain parts of the world, and to prevent its exportation, as was suggested some time back, would prejudicially affect the quality standard of stock in the district.

Chatting to an Eltham “ Argus ” reporter, Mr LonsdaleBerry, a representative of a large London dairy firm, said the prospects for butter on the English market this season were very good. He thought New Zealand factories were taking a step in the right direction in attempting to concentrate New Zealand butter in the hands of one or two largo London houses. The outstanding merit-of co-operative marketing was that it enabled the factories to concentrate their shipments on one market instead of scattering them all over Great Britain. Before coming to New Zealand Mr Lons-dale-Berry visited Canada and found the output of butter from that country promised to be a good deal larger than last year, when a number of butter factories were converted into cheese concerns. They had retained the dual plant and could make butter or cheese as the market suited. Especially in the Quebec province more butter would be turned out this year As a result of the training’ given in the dairy schools the staffs of the factories were trained in both butter-making and cheese-making, and could turn their hand from one to the other.