Feed is very short throughout the Lilydale district, and unless there are good rains at an early date the outlook for autumn feed is not promising. In a number of places great inconvenience has been caused by shortage of water. One creek has stopped running, this being only the second occasion it has done so in the last 45 years.
Owing to the difference of nearly 100 per cent, between the price of dairy butter and butter-fat many dairymen are making their own butter instead of sending the cream to the butter factories. The big margin between the two prices is difficult to understand. Fruitgrowers are working at full pressure picking, packing, and carting fruit. Owing to the dry season and the very hot weather much of the fruit is maturing earlier than usual. Many of the orchardists are complaining that their space allotments on oversea boats have been reduced by an unreasonable amount.
Mr. W. H. Davey, of Launceston, has erected a packing shed on his orchard property at Lilydale. It is in use, and is one of the most up-to-date in the district.
Rabbits are increasing in most centres, and where the farms adjoin rough land covered with second growth it is a difficult matter to deal with them. A good deal of interest is being taken in the poisoning campaign, which will be undertaken by the council during the coming week. A number of landholders who were strongly opposed to strychnine poisoning are now in favour of the scheme, and have asked for the assistance of the inspector in preparing the poison. At Landfall, East Tamar, Mr G. E. Archer wages a continuous war against the rabbits, and the other evening he laid poison and picked up 700 rabbits the following morning.
WEATHER AND CROPS LILYDALE. (1934, March 13). The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved February 6, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24918135