HOW THE COUNTRY IS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 894, 13 August 1910, Page 8

HOW THE COUNTRY IS

" ■ -/LOOKING. ; 'AND NOTES'ON MANGOLD ' ; .■•".■■:■: .;:■■■ -FEEDING, . . • , - •':' Our travelling correspondent writes: — , ' . ThoVneaier I approached Wanganui, -' / tho more bare tho, country' looked. All >■■'■'■ -.; the farmers':told mo they, had .rarely ; '■'■;:■:■., known such" a -rapid. disappearance of ! J : ; feed ;ae has- taken place during tho '.'• month of July,; and on the top ot that ;: '-.'•-the succession of constant cold southerly '■■-•.-■.'. rains- had made-the situation all tho v. Aworse. Of 'course, this state of things ! \; has been" rough on .all. animals, and ■ji: ■ many complaints wore made to me,that •'.'• :'young stock,.both sheep and cattle, had ■-<■'■■■ :. not been doing at all well lately. •-. j,'. Leaving.Wanganui on my way north, v and getting into the Westmere district, ■-. I found paddocks all looking very much ''■.■."-."' better: -- On one- farm ■ there I saw. the , ':; :.Vbest I feed\l had yet come across. On : .;-. the' other side." is "': a nice farm looking \ : . better.than anything on the other side .'■ "'■: : . 'of-Wanganui. . ■ '■'■'■ ...■ • / .-:""■' v . It is . satisfactory to see the large: •' ■■ -: ■ amount, of land in' mangolds this sea-son,. ■■'. and , the'excellent, useto which 'they are.' V,.' being.put.- There is bnething in which. '•■.', I think some'farmer-s err, and that is : '■■■'' they are feeding mangolds' to'both sheep ■ and-cattle'while fresh pulled!' This is V. donsidoredia. mistake, by many experi.s".' enoed farmers. For'one.thing, they_do- "•'.-.! not acquire the same valuable. feeding ''-.:■ .'properties as mangolds which have been ."•- -allowed'to lie, and.another.is that where ■■' - : .male; stock, .either sheep, or cattle, are- ';■■ ;fed ;with'- fresh-pulled mangolds sooner . ; ; \or later kidney trouble comes in. _ And v;-even : ; witli the ; splendid crops which I. )<] ,;.':.Bee" daily of this valuable:root, it would "■'■■'• be better, to :under-feed than to. give all .;'; ,that:the cattte will eat.- ■'-.' .'■ v : ■ : ■'•■'.'"-. I heard of a case only-the other day. ~ ■:. where'aV man .had fed mangolds to a .' ; '.oqw, and .nest, day she' .seemed very ■ -.■'■'. .muon blown'and weary. Hβ asked, a - iieighbonr what , he thought was the mat- .; 'ter, ■ and told .him he - had .given her a '•'■'■.'■. good,feed of , mangolds..'.'What weight 'did you give her?"; ."A hnndredfand ..•"..■ twenty pounds." ...Well, the cow got ■; V- V over itjvbut it wastotich and go. As: I: ; ;-.■■■■ -Itaye.frequently said, the most valuable' ::- tiling; oh; a. farm-is brains, and how to :;■'■ ■. ■ BEe them: v- Imagine any -. man allowing :: ;j;. am animal to. gorge' herself 'in. such .a ':. :■:,manner!.'. However, some, folks will only :;.- fcarn-wisdom . by■ ; ; experienco, , .; and" it ■''"'■' ■','.. often -proves,.a dear school.' ..... - :'■ ;;■:;-.' Before.: I.got id Kai-Iwil rode up the : . ; :'"'4ii]l.-to see.MT.'F. W: Smith, and.found --._■■. him ,-busy- in'the orchard, of which he . )Jias:a considerable aieajin.fact, by far y-■■"': .the , 'largest in : .the district.' He.keeps ■-.' , -; lie ground.in a constant, state,of.culti- ::./;'- The: trees' were "looking-'well, ■ •■'■ and ,i his-pears, ..of -which,;he has some ) ';'; very-large': trees,; were studded all over .;, ;';,vriththo:.promiso'of an,abundant blos-;v';'X-»ming."'-.;:. :; ~';v-■ :k.'■'■'. ..-.':'■■'■', ; '■':,