AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 55, 5 March 1904, Page 12

AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

A paddock of Tuscan wheat ihreUicd at Tiuwald (South Canterbury) yielded biAly-two btwheis lo the acie. Although sheep show a considerable decrease in Bruce, Otago, this year, larmers (says tlio Bruco Herald) are showing leiuctanuu to buy at pie.sciit, owing to the prices, there being a. difference of from os to 4s between buyers and rollers. A well-known set tier on the Canterbury Peninsula has hold his crop of cocksfoot at 4Jd pur lb for 131b &eed. All the early seed has been hui vested, und although tho weather of late has not been favourable for harvesting the late eiopu, no damage has been done, operations only boinq; delayed. Thero in expected io bo good competition for the largo block of 60,000 acres to be thrown open for selection under tho lease in perpetuity tenure in tho Taranaki district by the Government next month. Tho block comprises firbt and second-olosK heavy bush land. Tho harvest in Ilawltes Bay this season h highly satisfactory. In some parts of the province the crops havo been phenomenal. Owing to various causes fat sheep are very scarce, and are commanding good prices. Visitors passing through by rail note with pleasure the splendid crops on the Hatuma sottloment, which is now being farmed by many small holders. Formerly it only carried sheep. This year the yield of plums in local orchards has been enormous (says the Bruce Herald), and is undoubtedly the record for the Tokomariro district. Those who soil fruit aro now spnding away plums to the Dunedin cunning factories by tho sack ; but as Id per lb i.s about all that is paid for such fruit there is little profit, in the transaction. Apples isliow r a falling-oil' as compared with last year. There was a sign of the times at tho meeting of the executive of the Farmers' Union at Christchurch on Monday (remarks tho Lyttcllon Times), when the secretory was instructed to obtain information as to how far the new means of power supplied by motors could be u.sed in connection with tho farm. A member of lho executive expressed an opinion that farmers would .soon he using motors exlenaivoly, and that the fullest available information on the subject should be supplied as soon as possible. Tho advantage of concentrating dairy piodttco for oxport at ouo port for grading and shipment was seen in the caso of tho shipment from Lyttelton of upwards of 5000 boxes of butter and a quantity of cheese by the Corinthio for London '{remarks the Lyttelton Times). Instead of tho produce having to bo sent to Wellington uy coastal steamer for transhipment to tho Home liner, as ia the practice with wmall parcels, the quantity was sufficiently important for the Corinthic to come to Lyttelton for it. It is a pity (observes the Cromwell Argus) thftt the Canterbury members who visited, this district last year could not come round now aud see the crops produced in the despised back blocks of Central Otago. Mr. James Ritchie, senr. , has just lead in a crop of oats going between fifty and sixty bushola to the ncre, and equally good crops have been gathered in from oilier farms near Cromwell. The wheat crops at Hawoa aro splendid, and have called forth the encomiums of nil who havo seen them. A Cromwell resident tells us that an apricot tree- in his garden produced, as near as he could- gue««s a ton of fruit. Yet the Hy-by-night Commissioners wanted to know what the Ota-go" Central would have to carry when it was completed. Give us the railway and we will soon solve that problem. A writer in tho Nekon Mail draws attention to an anomaly iv the provisions for dealing with tho small birds nuisance. Blackbirds are included in tho list of birds which are to bo destroyed, but thrushes are protected. The writer in question points out that " blackbirds " arc a sptoies of " thrush," so how any one is going to destroy blackbirds but not thrushes is a muxle. It is furthor pointed out that in Nelson, at any rate, the songthrush is a most mischievous little rascal, and does more damage than almost any other of the feathered pests. The " blackbird " proper docs not appear to bo at all numcious, or else he is either not so destructive, or else more cunning, for where a dozen " thrushes " are caught but one or two "blackbirds," aro "bagged." Tho rabbit pest is making great strides in many parts of —ow South Wales, aud btockowners aro afraid to poison for fear of bush fires. In tho Carcoar district the lodents aro particularly bad, eating out wholo areas of grass. It i» reported that negotiations are being entered into with a Melbourne firm for tho erection of canning works in the Germanton district, as it is felt that means of that kind, as well as poisoning, must be resorted to to bring about a decrease among the rabbits. Accoiding to tho Pa&toralists' Review : "Tlie season everywhere in New South Wales continues Rood ; grass is plentiful and water supply abundant. In many districts various kinds of herbage, which wero either rare or unknown beforo tlie drought, havo made their appearance. Recent years havo emphasised the value of drought-resisting troes and scrubs, and tho planting of these is being in every way encouwiged. ,The wholesale ringbarking of certain tracts of country has resulted in tho destruction of such trees and shrubs as would have kept thousands of sheep alive during the drought — apple, river oak, white box, and drooping gum. These trees will doubtless now be held at a. higher value." From the point of view of the pastoralist the outlook in South Australia (sajs the Pastoralists' Review) was seldom brighter than it is at tho piesont time. Not only from one, but from many auartors comes the assurance that at last le drought has "broken up." A gentleman has just returned from a trip ou the Murray and Darling, and reports that the rivor comitry presents a wonderful sight. Ho saw miles of waving grass — far more grass than stock to eat it. North-west, of Port Augusta there are thousands of acres of Sturt peas in full bloom, " a picture of marvellous beauty," so a pastoral lessee from that part recently told mo. The pity of it all is that theio ar6 so few sheep and catlle ia the Stato to take advantage of the abundant supplies of feed and water. The work of restocking is being vigorously pu&ked forward, but at be»t stocking by natural increase is a slow process, and in face of the market prices it is impossible to buy store stock in any quantity. Tho prico of hind in the Transvaal (writes A.W.P. in the Pastorulists' Review) ks very high, the majority of it being pretty pgor for want of moisture. Good hind, however, can bo found in pockets, and this when found is generally very rich land. It is hard to get; it is mostly held by the Dutch, who thus far rofuse to part with it. Irrigation is badly wanted, and almost anything will grow if water is available. Citrus fiuits well, and there is a bright lookout for this iudiibtrv. There aro law couMrie* where the climatic conditions aro so fay* ourablo ; rain cornea to help the growing fruit just when needed, and an almost rainlef>H season pievails at tho time of harvesting, which materially helps its keeping qualities As regards tho soil, it would be hard to beat. Fawners in Illinois, U.S.A., aro experimenting with a machine which is intemUnl to cut and shuck corn in one operation. The machine, which is drawn by three hot scs, get* all tho coin in the field. It will cut. corn any hetphl, carry tho cok<t to other machinery, which shucks (hem and delivers the coin into a wagon. When this implement i* perfected it is eMiimvted that it will «hu«k from e»glit to twelve acres a day.