Rural Topics

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2101, 29 January 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

Rural Topics

THE DAIRYING INQUSTRYc

SUGGESTED RETAIL iSHOI’S IN ENGLAND. OPPOSED BY MB. \Y. J. BOLT. Mr. \Y. J. .Bolt, business manager of the Tivieri and Peninsula -Mill; Supply Company, who has been on a visit to London, arrived back ni Dunedin last week after an absence of nine months. In the course ol an interview with a Daily limes reporter >Mr. Bolt said the great idea of dairymen in New Zealand l was that they .should enter into retail business at Home. If was mainly with the object of gauging the probable outcome of such an undertaking by the Taiera and Peninsula Company that lie went to England, and he returns firmly convinced that any I suell course of action would be quite futile unless there was a complete union of tile export trade ol New Zealand. Fov the laetories of New Zealand, or any section of them, to enter upon a retail trade in London would be merely to court disaster, it would bo found that there were influences at work that would defeat tho end that was desired to be gained. Olio important factor that would operate against our entering into retail trade would lie the great number of shops at present 'run by certain firms. There was one firm which had no fewer than 500 retail shops in various parts of Great Britain, and there were two other linns whose retail grocery establishments numbered several hundreds. These placc.s were all retailers ol butter, as well as of general groceries, and if we went into the trade it would be necessary to open a large number of shops also, and Mr. Bolt -doubted 1 very much whether such a scheme would he acceptable, ami, ,if it were approved, whether it would pay. Butter niul cheese would be New Zealand’s sole commodities, ami to do any good at all the trade in that would have to be concent rated. In a place like London this .would be a big order, and the chances were largely against its being done. People are always willing to buy a good article that they require if t'licro arc financial inducements to do' so, but Mr. Bolt’s experience has been that they are not prepared to travel a long distance merely to save a halfpenny oil a pound of butter.

New Zealand blitter, as such,' said Mr. Bolt, was not known to the retail trade in England. Butter at the present time is sold at Home as “best butter,” irrespective of where it- is made. , Not only is this so, but Mr. Bolt is convinced that all butter is manipulated after arriving in London. At one establishment where he was -on, friendly terms with the manager Air. Bolt saw New Zealand butter being taken out- of the boxes for mixing with other butter. He endeavored to ascertain how the butter was handled, but they would not let him into that part of the secret.

The “Teinuka Leader” states that on Air. M’Cullough’s farm at Kangatira- Valley, a paddock of thirtythree acres of Dun oats threshed out ninety-two bushels to the acre. A good deal of eoekfooot seed oil the Peninsula has been threshed out. It is reported that yields are -uneven in quality and some of the seed has not matured well. A few small parcels have been sold at Aki-roa atod and upwards. The crops in the Alalvcrn district, Canterbury, are turning out remarkably well considering the dry season. -Air. G. F. Wright threshed 77 bushels per aero of C’apc barley. Air. Judd has a very nice Hold of Tuscan 'wheat in stool; which will go over 50 bushels per acre. The Southland “News” says: “The country never looked better,” was a remark made -by a Vinton farmer to a representative- of this paper, and l he added: “You can almost -sec the turnips growing, while the oats are splendid, promising prolific yield, and first-class quality.” Southland farmers could not have been hotter favored- by tho weather than they have -been this year.

The “Farmers’ Union Advocate” strongly urges every -shee-powner to encourage, whenever possible, huls to learn shearing. The machines have almost driven the learners away. A lad often went on as “Hecee-o” just to have- mu opportunity of shearing a sheep at “smoke-oh” and odd times. This is impossible with the shearing machines, for, when the shearers are not working, the machinist is oiling or otherwise attending to the- machines, and no one can work unless he.takes a stand. Shearing is very easily learnt- -nowadays; in fact, one only rapines the opportunity and he can master it in a few days. In the -interests of all concerned, the shed should have a learner in it. All over the Dominion shearers are apparently -scarce, and sheep arc-increasing, so beginners -should bo encouraged, else, when the older men leave the work there will he none to take their -place. It is just the same in regard' to slaughtermen. The work Is intermittent, but highly paid, and, unless the companies see the eginners have a chance there will be further trouble.

The Ashburton correspondent of the Lyttelton Times states that 300 acres of oats on the Lagm-hor Estate have been stacked. It is estimated thpt the crop will yield from thirtyfive t-o forty bushels per acre. The wheat- on the estate comprises 300 acres, 130 acres of which are the New Era variety, and the remainder Tuscan. Both varieties of wheat are specially adapted for a windy country, as they are not easily shaken. New Era wheat, which has been sown only for two seasons past, is gaining much popuhrity with the farmers under whose notice it has been brought. Two seasons ago Air. Buckley experimented with « variety of -wheat known as tho Bed King, which is a prolific yielder. butunfortunately is easily shaken by the wind. A quantity of New Era for so-wing purposes was sent to Air. Al’Pliorson, Totara Flat, who estimates that it will yield over sixty bushels per acre. The yield of the Laglimor wheat crop is expected to In? between -forty-five and fifty bushels per acre. Between 1500 and 1600 acres of thousand-headed kale have been sown foyfinishing off sheep and lambs, but up to the present the