RURAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2280, 19 February 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

RURAL NOTES.

A few years ago the opinion was common among Australian flockowners and scientific men that sheep breeding in tho tropical portion of the continent could not be carried on successfully, as the wool would deteriorate in quality as to be almost valueless for manufacturing purposes. This theory, however, has not proved a sound one, and as the northern portion of Australia becomes settled for pastoral purposes, it is found that the wool obtained from the tropical districts is by no means an inferior article. Commenting upon this question the Queenslander says :—" We have received from Mr J. C. Power, woolsorter, a number of samples of wool from sheep bred on the Manfred Downs run, in the Bourke dietrict. The samples are interesting to woolgrowers, seeing that they were grown in the centre of a district of which it was predicted by the sapient members of the Royal Geographical Society of London that any attempt at wool-growing there would result in the growth of hair instead ! The position of Manford Downe is about lat. 20deg. lomin. S. lon. 14dog. E., so that it is a long way north and west of what was formerly considered the limit of our sheep country. Two of the samples are from the stock originally taken to the station, without any admixture of fresh blood ; the others are from the progftney of station-bred ewes by rams from the Buugaree flock, South. Australia, which, as most of our readers know is the strongest type of combing merino in Australia. The staple is of good length, being from 4in. to Gin.— unstretohed—and is therefore a true Bradford wool. But what is of most interest—from a wool-grower's standpoint—is that the wool is well nouirslted, liberally supplied with yolk, fairly lustrous and soft; and if all these qualities can be kept up there is no neod to apprehend that the wool in the Gulf country will degenerate.into hair."

Tlic Victorian Minister of Agriculture has approved of a suggestion for the employment of 12 youths as apprentices at the State Nnrsery. It is intended that the lads shall serve a three years' apprenticeship, and be boarded and lodged in one of the present buildings, which can be adapted to the purpose. Regulations as to the admission, management and discipline of the apprentices are being framed. Each applicant must be at least 15 years of age, of good character, and hold a school certificate showing that he had received a fair rudimentary education. The lade will be placed under the care of an experienced officer, who will teach them gardening and forestry, and each apprentice ie to receive a small remuneration, according to the value of his labours. According to the Montreal Trade Bulletin there cun now be no question as to the shortage of the Canadian and American make of elneas this year, as compared with the past two season?. Stocks in Montreal are light to what they are usually, beiug estimated at between 50,000 and 60,000 boxes. A showing the fall in the value of merino ewes, says a Wellington paper, we may mention that 1950 were sold off one station at Hawke's Biy lust week, at Is 6d each. He remember the time when the same class of sheep were worth 25s a head. The first consignment of over 2000 feathers from New Zealand (says the European Mail, of December 17th), was lately received by the Rimataka, from the ostrich farrr of Mr John J. Matson, Springfield, Papauui, Chri*tchurch, and have been offered at the public sales this week. They were forwarded to the firm of Messrs Redfern, Alexandra and Co., of Great Winchester-street, and a better selection could not be seeing that Mr P. Vauderbyl, a member of that firm, was the first to suggest and carry into practice, some twenty years ago, the domestification of the ostrich in Cape Colony, though others have subsequently taken the credit of organising this industry, which nas now attained such a high degree of importance iir to reach in one year a sum of one million sterling in value for the feathers exported. Mr Matson has sent instructions home to hare two fans made of the choicest feather*, to be presented to Her Majesty the Queen and the Princess of Wales. Writing of the opening of the annual Napier ram fair, the News says :—" It will be described as a failure by moat settlers. There were, too many sheep brought forward, several times more than there is a demand for. About 1000 were sent up by South Island breeders, and they will have to dispose of them at what they will think a saerifie-.. The fact is Hawke's Bay is now able, or nearly so, to produce as much of this class of stock, and of good quality, as the Southern breeders, who gave them the start. They have climate ami soil in their favour, and it will not be surprising if. within a few years, Hawke's Bay threaten to glut the Southern fairs with stock. The sales to-day proceeded slowly. There were few buyers, and still fewer lines taken. The Southerners suspect the local demand has been to a large extent satisfied privately before the fair."