KINO ISLAND MELILOT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1625, 17 December 1912, Page 10

KINO ISLAND MELILOT.

REPORT BY A BOTANIST.

A good deal has been written at various times regarding King Island melilot, and the following note on the plant by Pro'"fessor". Ewart, Victorian Government Botanist, should be'of interest.. He refers to a sample sent him for report, and says, after dealing, with ;the botanical names of the. plant:— t ] ' ■ ■" ' '■ It is an annual, or occasionally a biennial, easily kept, down by cleanly cultivn,tion, but if neglected continually reappears, sine? theseed may lie dormant in the soil, for.long periods. On good pastures it.is a weed, if present in excess, 'since its aromatic principle, "Cumarin," then affects the health,'meat, and. milk of stock.' A i small' quantity . o.dds : , to the fragrance 'arid palatability of hay, and is useful in mixed fodder. The chief, and in' fact only'practical use of the plant, is to grow on near, sandy or newly-reclaimed dry soil, wEere good pasture plants will not grow and where cultivation' and manuring are out of. the question. Near theesa coast it develops less cumarin, and ..is!hencei.less strongly scented, and more usef iil ! as f oddor.' The plant is an energetic-nitrogen-fixing one, and will grow on poor soils, which it steadily enriches with humus, and ultimately renders;.them fit for fetter plants. "A" Southland farmer, Mr. W. Swale, of Limebills, discussing the length fo wool, states that on' one occasion ho secured a .fair-sized strand of wool from a "hermit" sheep on a run nearWnikaia, which was "3-iuchcs.long, and which had not a. break iil it.'- '.".'■' : ',..'. v

. The Elthani dairy factory manufactured 173, ( JG31b. of butter in the month of November, -for, which they-will pay out nt tho'rate of iljd.; tho total amounting to i£7272..''For.chefiso the company is paying at the Tate of Is. per lb., and the gross payment to suppliers for cheese will be .£41)36.- Tile complete pay-out will bo '•£11,358;"";' ■ "'■ ; .-■"■,

A visit to any of the big A. and P. .Shows is-an eye-opener to a good many farmers',- In 'by-gone days scornful unbelief, would have greeted the exhibitor's who claim Ithat their special machines or i.devices pave time, labour, and .money. far'me'rs' ' -afo more openminded, and can generally see the practical, -profitable side of a "proposition without much effort. That's why .so', many dairy'.farmers'.are going in for Milking .Machines and "Anderson" Oil Engines. ■The far-seeing man knows very well that hand-milking is far more expensive than the moderii method of machine miilkin:;. And those who have installed "Anderson" Engines give their economy,' power, dependability, simplicity; and general fulness '".unequivocal praiee. An "Anderson" Oil Engine should be ordered with your Milking Machine. Write' to Andersons, Ltd., Christchurch,. for full particulars.—Advt.

The expenditure arid receipts at the' last Palmerston show read as under:—Expenditure: Printing and advertising, iSSS 18s. flu.; labour, .£273 12s. Gd.; stock feed, XS3 Ss! Cd.; lunches, etc., ,£221 18s. 10d.; bands, .£2O; dSISGO 17s. 6d.; paddocking. JSI9 12s. Gd.; sundries, £U Bs. fid.; profit, £H1 as. ■id.; total, .£3077 25.. Sd. Receipts: Gates, stands, etc., .£1073 16s. 3d.; entry fees. .£533 4s. 10d.; side show, fees, etc., .£317 lis.; privileges, .£247 35.; donations and trophies, .£B2O Is. Gd.; catalogues, i'ss 3s. Id.; total, .£3077 2s- Bd.

A WINNER OF COMPETITIONS. The Egg-laying competitions-for 1910-11 and 1911-12 were both won by pens reared on "A. and P." Chick' Reiser. The first essential for- profitable poultry keeping. Obtainable from all Storekeepers.—Advt.