NOTES AND COMMENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20737, 22 February 1939, Page 13

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Sheepowners’ Federation In the business of farming, cooperation is the main essential. The sheep farmers of the Waikato have previously been without some organisation lo voice their views, hut tomorrow in the Alexandra Hall, llamillon, 'Colonel N. P. Adams, president of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Federation will address a meeting for the purpose of extending the activities of- the Federation in this district. Every sheep farmer should be keen to support the Federation and it is to be hoped that there will be a good attendance at to-morrow’s meeting.

Associate Judges At the Te Awamutu Show the judge of the Milking Shorthorns section, Mr W. McGowan, of Waiuku, had associated with him as junior judge Mr A. Bankier, of Newstead, the Waiuku authority afterwards commenting very favourably on the able assistance that the Newstead breeder had given him. It is undoubtedly an excellent idea to have junior judges associated with the senior judges at agricultural shows for this enables the younger men to obtain some very useful training and information, which otherwise they could not obtain.

Big Bacon Competition One of the features of the Waikato Winter Show this year will undoubtedly be the Dominion Bacon Competition, sponsored by the Waikato Pig Council. Over 213 entries have been received for the big competition and it promises to be one of the most comprehensive exhibitions of bacon yet seen in the southern hemisphere. No fewer than 426 sides of bacon will be exhibited. The prize money is particularly generous and there are numerous handsome trophies for the prize-winners. Low Prices For Ewes Prices for breeding ewes in the Waikato this year are the lowest for three years and old and inferior sorts are being particularly hard to quit, although good descriptions have been meeting with a good market. Some indication of the demand inferior sorts are meeting with was provided at the last Morrinsville sale when a small line of old ewes sold to the bid of 2s 6d. Cattle on the Road Some 4000 store cattle will be sold at the Morrinsville saleyards within the next four or five weeks. They will come by road to Taneatua and from there to Morrinsville they will be cither trucked or roaded. Some have already arrived at Morrinsville and at the present time there is a mob of 650 of mixed sorts on the road. These are coming from Cape Runaway and will make the journey of some 400 miles by road to Morrinsville. It is expected ihat they will traverse the 130 odd miles from the railhead to Morrinsville in two weeks, taking six weeks for tbe whole journey.

Moth as Land Pest The. view ihat the diamond-back moth was a far more serious pest in the district than the white butterfly was expressed by Mr J. \Y. Palmer, Government instructor in agriculture for Hawke’s Bay. Mr Palmer staled that the weather and the parasite combined had brought the white butterfly almost under control. Much of t.Jie damage attributed io the white butterfly, be stated, was actually caused by Hie diamond-back moth. At the present time Ihe Department of Agriculture at Hastings and representatives of Hip Cawlhron Institute were working on the liberation of parasites to attack the diamond-back moth.