On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 2 October 1913, Page 59

On the Land

GENERAL.

Onions are being imported into Timaru at the present time from Japan. v Black aphis is said to be very prevalent in peaches in the Manawatu district. Generally speaking, the fruit crop prospects there are very promising this" . season. A line of 174 extra heavy prime fat ewes, which were offered at the Sol way sale in Masterton, on behalf of the Ngakonui Estate, without reserve, realised * 30s per head. This is said to be a record for the Wairarapa.. There were medium yardings of cattle and sheep at. Burnside last week. For the former prices were on Va par with previous sales, whilst for fat sheep the . rates were somewhat firmer. The fat cattle forward totalled 175 head. Prime bullocks sold at from £l3 to £l4 15s; extra, 1 to £l7 15s; medium, £ll 10s to £l2 10s; light, from £lO to £11; prime heifers, £ll 10s to £l2 7s 6d; extra, to £l3 ss; medium, £9 to £lO 10s. Fat sheep: 1600 were penned, comprising for the most part good quality wethers. On account of the small yarding prices were from Is to Is 6d firmer than „those ruling last week. Prime wethers sold at from 25s 6d to 27s 6d; extra, to 30s 9d; medium, 22s to 23s 6d; light and inferior, 19s 6d to 21s 6d; good ewes, from 22s 9d to 245; medium, 20s to 21s 6d. Lambs: There were 26 lambs penned, the best of which realised up to 27s 9d. The entry of pigs was not large, and all forward were disposed of .at satisfactory prices. At Addington last week,.the yardings of stock showed a further reduction, especially in the fat sheep ; and fat cattle sections. The scarcity of fat cattle caused a further rise in prices, the values reaching up to 40s per 1001 b. Store hoggets were somewhat easier on account of the continued dry weather, but wethers and ewes and lambs showed no change. Fat lambs sold at improved prices. Sheep opened at advanced - -rates, but eased off towards the end of the sale. There was an entry of 51 fat lambs, well grown and of good quality, and the prices were firmer than the week before. Best lambs made 20s 6d to 255, others 15s to 20s. Fat sheep: Extra prime wethers made to 355; prime 25s to 30s, others 20s 9d to 24s 6d; shorn wethers, 19s 6d to 21s 7d; prime ewes, 22s to 28s; hoggets, 18s 6d to 245; merino wethers, 21s 9d to 22s lOd. Fat cattle: Steers made £8 15s to £l2, extra £27; heifers, £7 10s to £lO, extra to £l9 10s; cows, £6 15s to £lO 15s, extra to £l7 10s. Fat pigs: Choppers made £3 10s to £5 3s; heavy baconers, £3 15s to £4 2s 6d, lighter £2 16s to £3 10s, equivalent to s|d to 6£d per lb; heavy porkers, £2 7s 6d to £2 14s, lighter £2 to £2 ss, equal to 6Jd to 6|d per lb. p WHEN AN ANIMAL CHOKES. v Few emergencies which arise on the farm are more easily dealt with than choking (says Farm and Fireside). In cases of this kind we have never known the white of an egg, when poured down the sufferer's throat, to fail to give relief. To administer the egg _ quickly and surely it should be. broken into a widemouthed bottle. When such a bottle is not quickly available, however, any ordinary bottle may be used by using a funnel to get the egg into it, and when a funnel is not at hand, one can be made by rolling ~ a piece of paper into the desired shape. When everything is ready the animal's head should be raised as high as possible, the bottle thrust far back in the /•-'. throat and the contents emptied. The egg will imme- '■*?] diately pass down and make the throat passage and the offending obstacle so smooth that it will pass on into the stomach. DRIED POTATOES FOR CATTLE. Germany is evolving an ever-increasing number of potato products, and thus rapidly solving the problem

of disposing of the once enormous surplus of this crop. A number of establishments in that country are now turning out quantities of dried potatoes,, in f various forms, for use in feeding cattle. According to a recent consular report, dried potatoes do not cause the form of sickness that results from "diet of raw potatoes. Moreover, raw potatoes can be preserved for only a limited time, while to boil the potatoes would impose upon the stock-raiser more expense than the circumstances justify. Official tests have proved that the onethird of strengthening food generally < given to horses in the form of grain could be replaced by dried potatoes, and such animals would be kept in excellent condition. WHERE CO-OPERATION SUCCEEDS. - : : Addressing a gathering of Wairarapa dairymen recently, Mr. Primrose McConnell, manager of the Ruakura Farm of Instruction, .made the following remarks with reference to the commercial aspect of farming:—'Every dairy-farmer/ he said, ■' should be & member of that association which represents the dairy interests of his country. In New Zealand there is a*, tendency to imagine we are leading in the matter of co-operation, but we are far behind some other countries where the system has been in vogue for a considerable period. A few years have sufficed for cooperative dairy-farming to bring the country of Denmark out of a state of penury into a condition of comparative affluence. It has been truly said that it is by individual effort that true advancement is made, but the efforts of individuals are infinitely more effective when working in combination, which need not in any way ; destroy individuality. ; Not only should you co-operate in the ~ manufacture and sale of your dairy produce, but it should be your aim to co"-operate in dealing with everything you buy and sell. In Britain, co-operative societies in the towns have been in a most flourishing state for a number of years, the turnover now exceeding £100,000,000 per annum, and agricultural co-operation, although only comparatively new, i 3 increasing at an enormous rate. Twenty years ago there was not a single central agricultural association in the three kingdoms. • In Ireland alone there are now 340 creameries, 240 credit societies, 160 agricultural societies, 52 industrial societies, 25 poultry societies, 10 flax societies, 20 beekeepers' societies, 8 bacon-curing societies, 4 federations, and about 20 miscellaneous societies. Last year the sales effected through the agricultural societies of Britain amounted to one and a-half million pounds.' - ~; THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY. " The dairying industry of the v Dominion continues to expand at a gratifying rate (says the Secretary of Agriculture in his annual report), the increased output for the official year representing nearly half a million pounds sterling. Cheese was responsible for the greater portion of this increase, the manufacture of this product being stimulated by the better market prospects it has presented compared with butter. A feature of . the market position for the past year was the splendid development which has taken place in the trade with Canada, the amount of butter exported to that market during the season being 57,360 cwt, an increase of 137 per cent, over the previous year's rshipment. It is pleasing to know that New Zealand butter is very highly thought of in West Canadian markets. Some development has taken place during the year in the manufacture of casein, the production of which has now been placed on a commercial scale. The output is expanding and the quality of the article produced is of a gratifying standard. ' '. '** ' "\ rV '