Farm and Garden.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 386, 1 October 1903, Page 2

Farm and Garden.

OBI3INAL AB'IICLKS. POULTRY FARMING. SS«§HEN fowls are desired of the !|||||& greatest weight for market purjljliijjg poses, a strain should be selected which is reputed to combine large proportions with fine, tender grain and delicacy of flavour, and the white Wyandots are said to have these combined qualities in the moßt satisfactory manner. Besides those essential qualities mentioned above, this breed is noted for the scarcity o£ pinfeatherß, as well as the colonr of them, making them easy to pick, and thereby presenting a good appearance when dressed. In order to secure these advantages it is adviaable to obtain a large size hen as well as a large oxA, instead of purchasing eggs from stcck that one has never seen; and then of the eggs obtained from these selected birds, the largest should be selected, of course avoiding double yolked ones; arid also in future seasons j.icTc out the largest hens for breeders and set their largest eggs. By means of that culling process one can workiato a flock of large hens, changiag only the cock when there is fear of inbreeding. For layer?, follow methods in line with this described. Choose a laying strain; then for breeders separate the %st layers of the flock and hatch their eggs, each year separating the best layers of the season's hatch, and killing off the rest. Is this way one may in time breed into a good flock by breeding from his own largest hens for weight and from his best layers for a laying strain, but quicker and surer results are obi ained by beginning with a pure bred pair or two of known reputation. It may be well to mention that a remarkable difference has been noted between yarded chicks and those which have had a good outside run, particularly some breeds. There was no great difference in the brown Leghorns; those confined seemed to keep pace with these at large; but with the Silver Lttced Wyasdots there was & vast difference. It was noticed that yarded cockerels for a certain space of time weighed from four to four and a half pounds each, while those of the same age, which had been allowed to run at large, would turn, the scales at six and seven pounds during the same period of time of each of them.

EXPERIENCE WITH GISOLINE

ENGINES.

Formerly there was considerable prejudice against the use of the gas engine for farm purposes, like most other new introductions, and the greatest antagonism usually emanates from those who would derive the greatest benefit. In this owe alluded to, among other objections it was thought that from,the complicated nature of the machine ;J ohly skilled mechanics could operate them, and so it is only within the last few years that farmers have come to look upon them with favour. ! Eecently gas engines of a re) iAble kind are obtainable at a moderate pi i 3e. They are very economical, and do not require an engineer to use them. A lad can soon learn to use them, if necessary. Gas engines are always ready for use, and can be started to work in a few moments. More work can be done with one of them than with steam power of the same size, as it will occur that the steam gets low, while if even a gas engine is overloaded so as to nearly stop, by giving it one or two revolutions it is again running at fnll speed without waiting for the steam to work np; and there is but little danger in operating a gasoline engine. For genert.l farm work, sach as working the separator, churning, wood cutting, &0., possibly a four-horse engine would suffice for all requirements; one can saw from two to two and a half coida of .wood, and the engine will drive a sixteen irch cutter with a twenty-foot carrier and cut from five to eight loads of corn per hour, and the cost of operating the engine iB very small. Possibly the best kind is the magneto generator, which is geared direct to the engine, and is always a positive factor, unlike an igniter tube which occasionally explodes or burns out; also the machine should be bo constructed that ia case of any trouble the parts can be got at readily and be interchangeable so as to avoid trouble in case of breakage. With proper qualifications and care the gasoline engine should last for many years, ana be a source of great help to the farmer.

COBN FODDEE. In a general "way there is no doubt very great waste of. good fodder obtainable from the corn crop. Very often valuable land is occupied for the production of other crops suitable for forage purposes while acres of corn fodder are allowed to go to waste. Careful experiments show that more tban one-third of all the digestable material contained in the entire corn plant is found in the fodder, and that less than two-thirds is concantrated in the grain, therefore one is not justified in wasting one-third of the crop that they have been at the trouble and expense of growing. It has also been shown that a ton of corn fodder contcias practically the same number of pounds digestible material as a ton of timothy hay. It does not follow, however, tha£ as an exclusive ration for stock it is as valuable ton for ton, as it is not so palatble add not so completely eaten, and the stock will not eat enough of it to make profitable gain. Various experiments have been made with the object of af curtaining the best method of treating corn fodder, and the best combination with other foods in order to increase its feeding value Those experiments clearly show that yearling stetrs may be fed solely on corn fodder from whica all the ears of corn were removed without grain or other food, and that such animals, under those circumstances, neither gain nor lose in weight j also that similar cattle when fed on all the good timothy hay that they would eat, and without grain, showed a slight geii in weighb. The coarser portions of the stalkß usually amount to about forty per cent, of the whole weight of the fodder, and these cattle refuse to eat. Considering the re&ults of these experiments a larj/o saving and a large increase in the value of tho corn crop is obtained.