NOTES AND COMMENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21197, 21 August 1940, Page 11

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Meat Board Committee The results of the postal ballot, which was conducted for the purpose of electing delegates to represent the various districts on the electoral committee, which meets in Wellington on August 29 and 30 to consider the eighteenth annual report and statement of accounts ol the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board and to elect two producers’ representatives on the board, have been announced. For the Auckland district, Mr F. C. Johnstone, of Waitetuna, Mr A. B. Moore, of Whangarei, and Mr H. W. Upton, of Ngaruawaliia, have been elected. Dominion's Wheat Crop The Dominion’s wheat yield fell to an average of 29.9 bushels an acre for the 1938-39 season, owing largely to excessive winter wet, states the annual report of the Wheat Research Institute. In many areas spring-sown wheat did better than winter-grown. From Taiere southwards the yield over 8000 acres averaged 45 bushels an acre. The quality of the 1940 crops was on the whole very good, better than that of 1939 and as good as that of 1938, which was regarded as one of the best years on record. Women Judges at Shows Associate judges at the Hawke’s Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society’s show are likely to be few in number because of the demands of military service on young men who usually act in that capacity. A suggestion was made at a meeting of the executive of the society that a call be made on the services of young women. It was stated that there were many young women who were keeniy interested in the shows, and no doubt they would be prepared to be of assistance. It was decided to leave it to the stewards to arrange for young women assistants where desired. Smaller Harvests Most European countries are experiencing conditions which will result in smaller harvests, even apart from the ravages of war. Yugoslavia is expecting a reduction of 1,500,000 quarters on last year’s total of 13,000,000 quarters garnered, this country, with Hungary, having suffered heavy floods. In fact, in all the Danubian countries conditions are reported to be the worst for some years. Spain is also expected to have a serious deficiency, and the bread ration has already been halved. The next month or two will be critical ones for the crops in Europe, and conditions from now on will have to be exceptional for any marked recovery to take place. Whale Wool The Kanegafuchi Spinning Company of Japan plans the production of artificial wool from milk casein, imported from foreign countries. The total output will be disposed of in overseas markets. It is also reported that Dr. Yoshio Ishida, of the Japanese Physical and Chemical Research Institute, has succeeded in obtaining from whale fats a fibre superior to staple fibre in strength, felting capacity, and other points. He is also reported to have succeeded in semiindustrialising the manufacture of a “whale fabric” with greater elasticity than silk, quite durable in water, and. comparable to natural wool. Sharks and porpoises will also supply a source of this type of fibre. About two tons of fibre can be obtained from an average whale, from which 1000 suits of clothes can be made. Fertiliser Deliveries At various meetings of Waikato farmers the hope has been expressed that something will be done to speed up fertiliser deliveries in the future. Now that increased production is so ! urgent, it is considered that definite : steps will have to be taken to eliminate undue delays. Farmers can help to avoid delays to a certain extent by ordering early and thus avoiding the rush period. When the difficulty of obtaining railway trucks during the rush period was mentioned at a meeting of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, last week, one supplier, Mr W. J. Lusty, suggested that perhaps the difficulty could be overcome by erecting special depots along the railway lines. Smaller Attendances

Dairy company meetings in the Waikato during the past few weeks have been marked by smaller attend-

ances than usual, this fact being also noticeable at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, last week. This has been taken as an indication that the task of increasing production is so fully occupying the minds of primary producers that they are content to leave the management of their dairy companies in the hands of their capable directorates. As the chairman of directors of the New Zealand company, Mr W. Marshall, said, farmers were evidently bent on shelving smaller issues in favour of the big task that was ahead of them. Factory Supervision Commenting on the motion passed by the Australian Dairy Produce Board on butter standards, the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Hogan) said that practical steps for co-operation between the Commonwealth and the States regarding the supervision of butter factories had already taken Flace in Victoria. Special legislation for this purpose was passed by the Victorian Parliament last May, and row the State could accept Commonwealth figures regarding factory output. Since that collaboration had been brought about, the State had taken definite action against factories not producing the minimum requirement of choicest butter —65 per cent. Several factories had already been prosecuted and convicted. Animals in Air Raids British farmers are making plans to deal with cattle gassed or injured in air raids, states a British exchange. It is stated that in the Netherlands the cattle were found to hold up their milk when bombs were dropped in their immediate