FARMERS’ COLUMN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 904, 15 August 1879, Page 3

FARMERS’ COLUMN.

HINTS TO SMALL FARMERS. —o IMPROVEMENT OF FARMERS’ CATTLE. In a recent number of the Live Stock Journal an article appearsupnn the improvement of farmers’ cattle, from which we make the following extracts, that are equally applicable to the state of affairs in Australia as Great Britain. The writer of the article in question asserts that in ninenine cases out of a hundred farmers fail to improve their stock by going the wrong w r ay to work. They become possessed of a pure hull which is coupled to ordinary cows, and the result is a decided improvement if the sire has been selected as the most suitable for crossing with stock on the farm. And so long as this sire remains serviceable a great improvement will probably result. But at this juncture the mischief generally begins. A nice-looking bull-calf is probably bred on the farm from the pure sire, and is selected for future use. This is the first step backwards. That one cross in the small herd is expected to last for all time, whereas any benefit is soon wiped out by the mongrels succeeding. This is an accurate picture of the attempts made in hundreds of instances to improve the common herds of Australia. In very many instances a half or three-quarter bred animal is selected to effect the improvement, purchased at a price in some cases even in excess of that for which a pure animal might have been procured. Pure-bred bulls—not fashionably bred show animals are now to be had at prices within the reach of all whose herds are worth improv ing ; and it none but pure sires are used, and provided the cows are of fair quality, progeny of the third and fourth generations will practically be pure-bred. When once a herd has been brought up to this state of purity, the work of improvement by selection will go forward rapidly.

SALE OF A NOTED CLYDESDALE COLT. Mr Johnstone, of Lochburnie, has disposed of his noted stallion ‘Roderick Dim,’ at a large price, for exportation to the colonics. The horse will not we understand commence to travel this season in the Glasgow district, for which ho was selected at the recent stallion show at Glasgow, the purchaser electing to pay to the Glasgow Agricultural Society the penalty for nou-ful-filment. The horse has had an almost unprecedent d career in the show-ring, winning first prizes as a yearling and two-year-old at the Highland and Agricultural Society’s shows, and finishing np with the high honor of firstprize three-year-old this spring. He was bred by Mr Drew', Merryton, and was sired by the famous horse ‘ Prince of Wales.’ TO UTILISE BONES WITHOUT A MILL. Where there is no mill to grind them, can be only made useful as a fertiliser by burning ; the burned hone containsjall the valuable portions except the nitrogen, and as that can not lie saved, the loss must be borne as unavoidable. In many places it might pay a miller to have a bone mill. MATERIALS FOR COMPOST. Marsh sod, lime, and wood’s earth’ either by themselves, or mixed with barn-yard manure, will irake an excellent compost; sawdust added would make it ton dry. The best use of the saw-dust would be to make litter or au absorbent of liquid manure of it. It might then be used in the compost to better advantage.