GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1185, 21 July 1911, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

. Speaking in Now Plymouth, Mr. Wilkes (head of the Live Stock and Meat Division of Hie Department of Agriculture) congratulated Tnrannki people on the Croat improvement in providing iviliter feed for cows. A few years ago very few farmers did this; now the ninjoritjdid so, and the cows were bettor in conseritieuce. There was n belter appreciation of the advantages of winter feeding. Referring to feeding on mangolds and the reported losses of stock from this, cause, he emphasised that mangolds should ho pitted for Iwo or three.months. In that time .the root became more digestible, more suitable as a food for stock, and mora nuitritiou?. The Kaupokonui Dairy Company is reported to he paying suppliers Is." 2d. for butter-fat at present. During the season just closed Victoria has exported agricultural products to the value of ■£3,759,894, against .£2,622,752, the value of the exports in the prevjous season. Following are the main increases, this season's figures being given first:— Butter, ,£2,453,565-.£1,G13,024. ' Cheese, X13,(>01—X2U33. Pig products, .£IG,7GO- - Mutton and lamb. .£811,960—,£687,882. Beef, -J831.817—«£3»,365. Fruit, ,£152,615—.£78,505. - ' ■ ■ The biologist of the New Zealand Department of Agriculture has received a complete collection of type samples of agricultural seeds and seed impurities from the Zurich Seed Control Station, Switzerland. These (says the Departmental Journal) will greatly aid I he seedinvestigation work of the 'biological section of tho Department. At a meeting of the General Committee of the Pahiatua-Akitio A. nhd P. Association regarding a site it was resolved that a sub-committee- should interview the .turners.of certain land with a view to endeavouring to obtain an option for tho purchase of 12 acres. At a meeting of directors of the Tawaha Dairy Company, Martinborough, arrangements for next season were made with Mr. A. M. A: Wright to manufacture tho company's cheese (reports tho "Wairarapa Standard"). ' Tho following analysis of a sample.of New Zealand-grown timothy recently offered for sale and examined by the biologist gives. a good indication of how noxious weedsmay bo spread through the use of impure seed, says the "Journal of the Department of Agriculture." The sample contained by numbers 5.7 per cent, of seeds other than tiinothy. , They consisted of: (I), Ragwort (Senecio Jacobnea); (2) mouse-eared ehickweed (Cerastium viscosum); (3) Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus); (J) smooth-stalked meadow-grass (Poa pratensis); (5) curled dock (Kumex crispus)'j (6) saw-thistle fSonchus nsper); (7) Californian thistle (Cnicus arvensis). If the sample were a true index of the bulk, lib. of the latter would contain the following impurities bv number: liagwort, 41,374 se?tls: Yorkshire fog,- 9,513 seeds; chiekweed, 9060 seeds; Poa pratensis, 2416 seeds; dock, 453 seeds; sow-thistle, 453 seeds; Californian thistle, 151 seeds; total, 00,430 seeds.