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Agricultural Notes.
Daring the past week the weather has
been very unsettled, and very different to
what we usually experience at this season of
the - year. Heavy showers have fallen at
intervals, extending throughout the country
and moBt localities have again been supplied
with Burfaoe moistare. The rainfall, how-
ever, thongh very beneficial for the present
wants of crops and pastures, has not been
sufficiently heavy to penetrate the subsoil
which is still deficient in the moisture re.
quired to keep up growth during the next
few hot months. Pastures are now all that
oonld be desired, but there are many com
plaints as to the scarcity of water in the
dams In some localities. Harvest operation
are now in fall awlna in the early wheat dig.
triotn, and upon the whole the accounts tobaod
respecting the yield of the crops are en.
oouraging. As a matter of course, Borne of
them vary considerably, and in several
places Whore the rain came down too late to
enable crops to recover froffi '-he effects of
previous dry weather, the returns wili bs
but poor. These are, however, bat a few
localities out of an extensive wheat-growiog
area, and from the majority of the reports
to hand we have good reason for believing
that the average yield wili be from 30 to 40
per debt; above that of lust yrar. Bamonre
of rust have bseft he fir d of from several
localities, but no material damage appears t«
have been done so far.
From South Australia we obtain the fol
lowing notes concerning farmiDg prospects,
oitrsuced frem the Observer j— - " Tbe weather
experienced during tfio past week has bsen
altogether unprecedented. On MOoday on#
of the most terrific storms that has been
known in the colony was experienced
A'l over the Country. No little damage to
houses and trees was doue by the force of
the Wind) wljleh blew a perfect hurricane at
times, and several indents in the eonntfy
escaped narrowly with tbeif livesj Tbe
extremely heavy torrents of rain which fell
have fortunately done but little damage evefi
among the most forward crops. In od6 or
two districts wher? the erops were ready Is r
reaping they havs been 'Ifiysd by the rafas,
and the harvesting will consr qtiefitly hate
to be postponed for a f<w daye. The faiS
has also hindered farmers from gathering itf
1 heir hay, but this we believe is the extent
o£ the daffifige done' ia the fielcs. StBoe
Monday the weather ftSfl h'sfn threatening
and showery. Although, as fegsrds the
early crops, the weather is uc seasonable, tlw
rains will have a good effect. In bricgiog od
the late-sown wheat. The reports that
reach us from All pait3 of toe oonntry dis
tricts in regard to the Apprcaohing harve»t
are favourable iu the extreme. The erops
pre in splendid condition, and have as ysfi
manifested no signs of disease, in one or
two localities red fast has shown itself, bat
not in such a form as to endanger the health
of the wheat, and there is now every restd®
to believe that the prospects of the fanEst1
are brilliant. Tbe weather still oontinues
unoertAln, but there is little likelihood of
any disease attacking the crops at this late
period to any extent. The rains hava doas
much good in freshening up vegetation an
ia replenishing the dwindling stocks 01
water in the northern districts.
Respecting agricultural and Ps./Us
affairs in New South Wales, the Mail 01 the
22ad says:— "The weather cf the P«
week has been along the coast remarkably
variable, and at times was more wintry than
springlike. Showers fell in tbe city on
Tuesday, and the night of Wednesday
brought a very heavy fall, which lasted
some hours, but did no damage of
moment. The rainfall Inland has not he
heavy, bat nearly all districts have
moistened, and sufficiently to keep the so
in good condition. Heavy rains would n
be calamitous, for the wheat has just reac
that critical stage where rust is ao lite y
appear. As yet all is well, and the agri 1
tnral reports must be regarded as 1
tory. The shearing progresses 0
that in the west some shearers of the 1
order are giving station-holders ®
trouble. The condition of the "® . ,
pink,' and so plentiful is the Pa8 "r, de.
despite the low markets there ia , . »
mandfer store stock, especially in Rlv®r, J
The move made by the National a ,
West Bourke Agricultural Societies to
a snltable buildiog for the sale of da ry p
duce and a corn exchange in Melbour »
step in the right direction, and we tr
the objeotB will be speedily attained.
the way in whioh the deputation .
oeived by the civlo authorities, there a g
grounds for believing that the Me tbe
Corporation will endeavour to »
. wants of the producers in a ea- .
manner. A market for the disposal
produce 1b a want that has long bee er
farmers, who have hitherto labcur
great disadvantages in beirg C01CP flen|8
ell their batter and cheese throng
0pr midd).emeq. pander this sjBteoJ, 0
- : 4 . - .

- — .1 ' "
a forge peroentage of the value of thekrtiol&
goes into the pookets of the agents, to the
Ion of the producers. When prices were
high and the demand for produce brink, the
deduction from the profits was not felt ho-
roach, bat in these altered times f armers -
require to make the most of their coftimo
dities. 87 bringing the producers and Con-
earners together, there is no doubt this object
will be best effected. When a market is
established, each producer can make his
bargains dlreot with the retail dealers, in the
eame way as market gardeners, to their
mutual advantage.
From what haa transpired lately, It is evi.
dent that the Stock Department is in a very
aosatlsfaotory condition, and it behovefc the
Government to adopt prompt measures for
bringing about a better state of things. The
department is very costly, having a large
gfcaff of highly -paid offioials, who, in return
for their liberal salaries, do but a small
amount of work, and even that is of a doubt-
value. As matters are managed now, the
department has neither the confidence of the
stooko wners nor the Government, and, as
Mr. Berry trnly remarked in Parliament last
week, appears to be quite demoralised. Mr.
Berry is also of opinion that the department
oaght to be swept clean away and thoroughly
re-organised. We think thereare a great
many people who are of the same opinion,
and the sooner it is done the better. As at
present constituted, the department is cum-
bersome, enormously expensive, and com
paratively useless. A great saving might be
effected when the department is re-organised
by oombiniug it with that of Agriculture, and
working both with one staff of officials. Both
departments have to deal With questions
affectiog the agrionltural community, and
jre are of opinion that they wonld be ad
ministered more effeotively, and with greater
economy, under one head than two.
Ab regards the judging of horses, a cor
respondent of the London Live Stock Journal
gives the following practical hintB : — " One
of the best judges I know once said to me
that a hunter should be judged, with a car-
tain slowly raised, from his feet upwards.
That is impossible. Bat suppose & horse
perfeot of his olass standing still, then there
1b the most important p-rint of all —
action — 'hunter action,' ' harness actioD,'
and hack action' — In which the walk is so
important. Then there are style and quality
in a par& hack or phaeton pair. Bat besides
pleating yourself, yon mast plea&8 the public
by your ' business,' as actors call it, How
ever bad a horse is, don't tnrn him oat until
he has walked, trotted, and galloped. After
that preliminary process, begin to weed, and
do it slowly. If the reserved lot are 'riding
horses,' take off their saddles and examine
their shoulders. Exhibitors like this.
When reduced to four or five, if riding
horses, be Bare to ride them all. Never
award either first, second, or third prize
without riding a hunter or a hack.
There are each impostors amongst show
horses, and exhibiting 1b a trade. Yon have
nothing to do with soundness, unless a horse
is Berionsly lame, blind, or queer in the
wind ; then throw aii the responsibility on
the veterinary surgeon. Same as to height.
Most important for your comfort is. after
deoiding, never to give reasons or offer ex
planations. I have always treated any
remonstrance or fault-finding with the judges
as a gross impertinence on the part of an
exhibitor."
An American agrionltural journal makes
ihe following remarks npon the choice of
pigs for making baoon : — "The English
people seem to be oat of conceit with their
own pigB for bacon. They complain that
they are so thick and fat as to be nnsuited
for making into this favourite form of meat.
The same is true of the American hogs which
have been bred to make thick sides and
meaty carcases. Such pigs will fatten young,
and are easy keepers, and nearly all breeding
has tended this way. The Berkshires,
formerly the most desirable pigs for hams
and bacon, have been shortened up by cross
ing on the chunky Neapolitan or Essex, an til
the old oh raateristics of lean and fat mixed
have been pretty well bred out of them,
while the Suffolks and Yorkshires are en
tirely nnsuited to the bacon trade — the
former being essentially all fat, and the
latter all fat aod no lean. So thick
and fat haB pork beoome, that not half
R8 much is now eaten, even among farmers in
this country, as formerly, A streak of fat
and a streak of lean' is the kind of meat
English consumers demand, and the same
sort of pig sideB is wanted for paokers at
home, A correspondent writing from Wilt
shire, the great English market for packing
bacon, says : — ' Unless a new breed of hogs
is produced better adapted to bacon, the
business must be given np, as the fat hogs
now bred will not sell for this purpose.' We
have in this country an old breed of hogs
exactly suited for b&con. Tbey are descended
from the old-fashioned Red Berkshires, and
still retain the characteristics of Berkshires
before they were made so fine with the short
nose and dished face. These pigs, which
are called the Durocs, or Red Berkshires,
re very long in the body, with deep sides,
ard are from their forms especially adapted
for making bacon. They are the longest-
bodied hogs I know of, and fcave the Berk-
shire peculiarity of 'a streak of fat and a
streak of lean.' At six and seven months of
age they are jast light to make the best of
bacon. As these Durocs are prolific breeders,
a bow will furnish two litters a year, whiob
be turned off at th's age, and afford
niore profit to the breeder than any other
breed. They will cross well on other breeds,
and so strong and marked are their qnaiities
that the cross -bred pigs are well suited for
the samejpurpose. The meat has a fine grain,
and is firm and sweet. If allowed to grow
to maturity they make large hogs, bat the
tooat profitable age to slaughter is un
doubtedly when jast old enough for bacon."
The experiment of sending meat to the
London market by means of the dry air re
kigerating process says the Sydney Daily
Telegraph) is to have a fair trial on board
tu? ®'rathlever, which sails on the 29 th of
this month. Some of the oaroases have
already been shipped, and judging from their
present condition, there is every reason to
hope for the best result9. They are per-
footly rigid, as hard as stone, and on being
struck, the flesh rings like metal. Nothing
but the breakdown of tike freezing apparatus

2! p!®ve'lfc the mfeat ieachlrig England in
TrS 1 to whist It fcjSfo-sJS
Captain Pearson favoured
r u bloh he had put ihto one
ol the freezing chambers for an boun The
1m on? <ld h«Mly
th » knife, and the only way of
dividing an apple was to saw It iff two. The
oold was intense. After the fruit had been
an hour and a half in the air, it was dipped
formed at of ioe »t once
formed. In the hot weather fruit treated in
this manner would be particularly grateful,
and would, if it were available, secure a
; freezing process is
j known as Bell and Coleman's, and in
order to test its efficacy a number of
gentlemen interested in the export of meat
have subscribed liberally to cover the cost of I
the trial. The agents for the Strathleven, I
Messrs Lamb and Co. , have the greatest con
fidence In the success of the experiment.

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