FARMERS’ COLUMN.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 321, 15 October 1908, Page 6

FARMERS’ COLUMN.

STOCK SALE DATES. Hastings—Tuesday, October 20th. Waipukurau—Tuesday, October 27th Kaikora North—Thursday, October 29th. A Morven (Canterbury) farmer has seven ewes with triplets and one with four lambs, and all are living. A farmer in South Canterbury is said to have obtained 1/5 lambs from 100 ewes this season. A strange accident happened to a dairy cow, belonging to Mr Turner, of Woodville, says the “ Examiner.” Three weeks ago Mr Turner noticed something wrong with the cow’s udder. This got so bad that the cow could not be milked, and on Sunday morning the udder dropped right off.

During the period of the last fifty years great progress has been made in the rational cultivation of crops, but, according to the opinion of the secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, farming is yet in its infancy, and the present production of farms is merely a forerunner of the marvellous results which will be obtained in the future.

The Otago and Southland Sheep-owners’ Association discussed the prices of shearing for the ensuing season. The majority of owners opposed any increase in the shearing rates on account of the low prices of wool and other causes. It was decided to make no recommendation, which means that 16s 8d per hundred with rations for hand or machine will be paid, as under the existing award.

Reports in regard to the existence of Californian thistle on Banks Peninsula are very disquieting. The 11 Akaroa Mail ’ states that if the weed spreads the far-famed Peninsula cocksfoot industry will be doomed, as no outsider will buy the seed with the Californian thistle in It adds that there is little of the pest on the Peninsula as yet, but it urges that prevention is better than cure.

'The “ Lancet ” recorded a case in which two young girls died of tubercular meningitis, death -taking place in a comparatively shor! time after the first symptoms were

Now that the snow has almost disappeared from the Upper Waitaki district, it is found that the losses of the sheep have not been nearly as great as was at feared, according to the Oamaru “ Mail. The sheep on at least three of the large runs have come through their trying ordeal, and are now looking remarkably well.

In his recently published book, “Practical Dairy Bacteriology, Prof. Conn says the most striking fact about the bacteria found in milk is their extreme minuteness. “ When we hear of 100,000,000 in a single drop of milk,” he says, “we are apt to be incredulous, feeling that there could be no room for them, quite failing to appreciate their minuteness. There can easily be 100,000,000 in a drop, and still be room for more. The space the size of a pin-head may hold 8,000,000 and 100,000,000 will have plenty of room in a drop of milk. The extreme minuteness must always be kept in mind in attempts to understand them.”