NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19902, 3 June 1936, Page 11

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Values in Gisborne. A Waikato visitor to the East Coast districts states that stock prices, particularly in the Gisborne district, have been better than those experienced in the district. Markets in the East Coast districts have been particularly buoyant during the past 12 months and the prices realised for all classes of stock have been the best for many years. Minimum Price for Eggs. Therh has been much discusion among poultry keepers recently whether eggs would be'brought under Ihe guaranteed price scheme. Mr E. G. Jnrrett, Auckland provincial instructor, in a conversation this week expressed the opinion that it was probable that it would be preferable to have a minimum price fixed rather than a guaranteed price. If a minimum price was fixed it would probably be found that there would be a more even distribution of eggs over the whole season for producers would not then he faced with such unprofitable prices during the period of over-cupplied markets. Bullocks from Waikerla. What is claimed as an illustration of the potentialities of the Shorthorn breed as a dual purpose breed is provided by tlie success that the Waikeria Institution has had with this particular breed. The institution’s dairy herd of 200 Shorthorns during the past season averaged 3001 b fat, an excellent average for so large a herd. The interesting feature lies in the fact that the institution sold 160 Shorthorn steers at an average of £l3 17s 6d. the top price for the line being £ls 17s Gd. Show President’s Exhibit. One of the finest exhibits at the Waikato Winter Show is the display of the produce of one farm, that of the Show’s president, Mr J. Ballard, who is recognised as one of the leading authorities on the growing of roots. A feature of Mr Ballard’s exhibit is a collection of potatoes, while there are also roots and many varieties *of maize. Surmounting the exhibit, is a model hay stack, properly thatched, which is shown for the purpose of emphasising the importance of protecting hay from the weather. The exhibit, has attracted great interest at the show and reflects great credit on the Show president who has done so much to raise the standard of the root section of the'show. Matamata Jersey Club. M. A. Mouldey, of Tirau, who has sold his farm and is taking his herd to another property in the Pukekohe district, was made a life member of the Matamata Jersey Club at a meeting held at Tirau. In proposing Mr Mouldey as the first life member of, the club, the president, Mr X. Lewis, said that lie had been connected with the club practically ever since Its Inception and had been instrumental in keeping the Jersey breed to the fore in the Tirau district. Club’s Bull Sale. The club’s annual sale of pedigree bulls will be held on Saptember 14 at the Matamata saleyards. Mr . A Mouldey will probably act in the capacity of judge, while the inspection committer will comprise Messrs J. F. Yosper, W. C. Mears and G. Morris. It, was reported at a recent meeting of the club that no success had yet been met with in regard to the erection of a stock pavilion at. he Matamata saleyards, while it was decided that the matter should be left in abeyance in the meantime, it was rejtnlved that the club should pursue the matter further at a future date. Warning Against Waikato. It, is rather interesting to read in an old newspaper of September of 1002 a correspondent warning farmers against taking up land in the Waikato. After saying that there was no better place for dairying in the whole of the British dominions than Taranaki, the correspondent went on to say that those who left Taranaki for the Waikato would be very disappointed for ther was no feed there in winter. Knowledge has increased considerably since then and from a district despised as a farming area Waikato is now recognised at the leading dairying district in the Dominion. Boy Labour Bcarce. A scarcity of boy labour Is reported bv the Auckland Boys’ Employment Commitleo which has been unable to fulfil the many requests it has received for boys from factory managers and farmers. This is indeed serious from the viewpoint of the farmer for if. appears that the labour problem will become even more acute during the next dairying season. At an executive meeting of the boys’ employment committee the chairman. Sir Joseph Smith, stated that from a quota of 50 boys for the first farm school at Ruakura next month only 32 had agreed to c*>me and only 19 out of 29 for the second school. This is indeed disappointing for it was thought that so many would be anxious to attend the course and thus benefit from the training they would receive in both theoretical and practical farm training. Rugging of Sheep. At the present time over 60,000 flock sheep are carrying rugs in South Australia, and they arc carrying them to the profit, of their owners, states a writer in the Sydney Mail. This development came about as a result of practical tests, and leads to the belief that within a few years hundreds of thousands of flock sheep will be rugged for certain periods of the year* throughout the Commonwealth. On a conservative basis at least 5 per cent of midwinter shorn sheep die from cold in normal seasons; when ! drought conditions prevail and sheep are low in condition, itie percentage of losses is much greater. It is only reasonablo to assume that those losses would be greatly reduced were Ihe animals provided with an artificial

=Lfit Farm Labour Problem. ‘ There is m} doubt that. the question‘ or farm labour must be thoroughly Investigntml and thv employment of (arm labour must he thoroughly or—t gantsnrl. In England It hasn’hr‘on found‘ Psnnlinl to organise ‘fnrm lnhnur and not. unlil this \\':t.\‘ (10110 was farm lnhour snlisfnt‘lm'y. 'l‘ht‘ mast un—satisfactory fontnro of the farming industry in tho past has undouhlodly hcnn the uucslinn nl‘ lnlmnr. Furmvrs must he prrhnrl‘tl to pay hixhvr “11mm fnr (‘\'\‘ll it‘ tho. quesliun “r .sruzu‘nntrl'tl prit-os hml lll‘\'(‘l‘ .‘ll‘isf‘ll- it haul In hr, t-r‘rognim‘tl that sump yrunlor :xllrm‘lion had to ‘lm nfl‘rrvtl tn induvo nmr'lont, furnmr \\nrkors to come In lhv farms. l'nt'ortunrltrly in the past tho farm \\‘nrkrr has lmm looked upnn as am unskilled lulmuror, :1 mun \\lm tm-k farm work simply hm'zulrw thorn \\’us no nlhrr \\‘nrk ntl‘rrhtg. llvnlly, llm farm lulmnror slmuhl hr :1 sltilltnl man and thoroughly ofllt‘it‘nt In all tlt‘pill‘lmt'nls or farm work for it must he rmncmhrrml that the profits of H 11: farmer sohmtilm's llf‘lll‘lltls wry suh—slnnlinlly nu thr‘. clllrlvhry at his mnplnyoo. l‘wttrr farm managcmv‘nt can nowr lm hrnuxht nhmtt unhass tlm rmplnyr‘r‘s nrf‘ skilled mun \\nrking l'ur “-3505 that are sumclonlly nttrut-tirr‘, for them to rt'mnln on thv mm farm (01‘ comparatively long tu‘rimls. ‘