ON THE LAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3130, 28 January 1911, Page 2

ON THE LAND.

British Live Stock. An important stop for the purpose of advertising abroad the more useful British breeds of live stock is about to be undertaken by the 1 Government in connection with this year’s international exhibition at Turin. It has been proposed to send typical cattle, sheep, horses, pigs, and poultry with the idea of creating a greater demand on the Continent for British stock. The enterprise is tlie result of the successful display of photographs of British live stock in the Agricultural exhibit at the Brussels Exhibition last year. The photographs aroused great interest among the crowds of Continental farmers. It was early apparent to the director of the agricultural exhibit that a mistake was made, in not showing some living animals, as every day farmers from various countries declared that they -were ready to do business if they couldl see live specimens of the stock pictured. Repression of Tuberculosis. Professor. Stewart, of Sydney, at the Science Congress, read a paper on the repression of tuberculosis in dairy herds. He said momentary exposure of milk to a temperature of 1(10 degrees Fah. was not pasteurisation, but merely a commercial practice to keep milk sound for a longer time. Exposure at 160 degrees for fifteen minutes was necessary to destroy tubercle bacilli. Untreated, separated, and mixed milk received from public creameries was one of the most profilic sources of the dissemination of tuberculosis. It was very unwise to feed' pigs and calves on such milk, as they might thereby widely spread the disease. He urged the necessity of proper pasteurisation of separated milk.

Dealing with methods of keeping lujrds from contamination, he declared that veterinarians were inclined to regard infected pasturage as an important source of dissemination. Ho advocated the occasional ploughing of grazing lands for sanitary reasons. Argentine as a Market. A New Zealadi sheepbreeder said, when conversing with a “Dominion” representative that be would not like to hold out much prospect of New Zealand doing a payable business in sheep and cattle with the Argentine for some time to come. Speaking of the stock condition of the big rebiiplic, lie said that the Lincoln was at present the chief wool breed of sheep, and the Shropshire the fat sheep. Continuing on tlie subject of a trade in pedigree stock between here and the Argentine, ho said that the position was one which it would be . well to thoroughly understand, and it was therefore a subject upon which lie would like to hear the views of men who had information of value to give. He had some practical knowledge of agricultural conditions abroad, and alter studying the latter for a good while lately had formed a definite opinion regarding it. •‘Do you think,” lie went on. “the Argentine breeders will send to New Zealand for what they can get from England, when they know that New Zealand has to go to England for sheep? J am not decrying New Zealand, hut stating a fact—the fact that we import sheep continuously from England, and we are in need of still greater importations. It is only reasonable that the Argentine men will go to England for their sheep. In the future they may want ours, hut we cannot force the time upon them.

The Farmers’ Union and Land Valuations.

The question of land valuation has always been a burning <me : with the Farmers’ Union, and the resolutions which have been arrived at by branches, executives and 1 conferences indicate that little unanimity can be expected from the men affected as to the ideal method of procedure. At the last meeting of the Taranaki executive it was statea that, according to a communication received from the. Dominion executive the advisory committee considered the replies of branches on the question indicated that tlie union was in favor of tlie present system of valuation provided that a more equitable method of arriving at the unimproved value be adopted: (1) By the appointment of representatives of the farmer in each district to assess the valuations along with the Government valuer ; (2) by a more liberal allowance for improvements, adding, say 20 per cent, to visible improvements, and deducting from capital value. The Bush Sickness.

About half a million acres of land on which bush sickness occurs exist on the plateau in the Rotorua district, according to a statement made at a meeting of the Auckland Land Board. The matter was brought under the notice of the Board by a deputation, and one of the suggestions thrown out to combat the disease was the introduction of a system whereby when “sickland” was opened up or land which was questionable, a certain proportion of healthy (open) land should also be made available to the settlers as change pasturage for tlieir affected stock. As showing the serious proportions which the disease had l assumed, it was urged that in some parts of the country even the wild cattle which had got it had died off; otherwise, it was said, the bush to-day would be full of cattle. The country affected was, it was mentioned, excellent grass country —not much better could bo found even in Taranaki. Reference was also made to the success of an experiment made on the Sclwyn estate' in connection with the prevention of the pestilence. In giving a sympathetic reply, tlie Crown Lands Commissioner stated that the duty df the Board was to thoroughly ascertain the real position before taking any decisive step. He had, for example, heard it urged that, contrary to wliat had been advanced that day, the cattle so affected in this district ought to be moved far away, say to Tauranga. Another theory dictated a short removal, say, just to the lake, as a thoroughly effective method of combating the difficulty.