FARMERS' COLUMN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2114, 24 June 1907, Page 4

FARMERS ' COLUMN.

The enterprise of somo of the settlers in our newiy ; ppenod 'inland blocks is well shown in*the case or nf them who has taken up land in the Knurarapaoa Blook, west of the Wanganui river, near Atone. Last season he got 1000 acres of bush down, and is now putting a road a mile and three-quarters in length, and costing some £lsou, through Ins block. Last year he spent over. LSOU ini gotting this road extended from •Oho Brunswick end up to lus boundary, ami hq has now 20 mon working on tlie now formation. If ho finds that sufficient water is nvauablo' tor developing electrical power ho intends to instnl electrically drivon slioepshearing machinery. A threo-year-old imported Guornioy cow; Itclien--Daisy 111., 10,930, has mado a most creditable record in \morion. As a two-year-old this hoifor; produeod 995831 bof milk and 553311) of butter-fat. As a tlirce-vonr-old this cow calved Soptombor 8, 1905, and commenced her largest ro’ord on Soptombor 13, under tho sunorvision of tho New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Prom that time until Soptombor 12, 1906, si c produced 13,6361 b of milk and 7141 b of buttor-fat. Tho test of butter-fat, -,s socured- by tho Babcock tester, was 5.24.

IN PRAISE OF SHORTHORNS. One of the most interesting articles in tho March number of the \\ or id s Work is by Mr. G. H. Parsons, on tho riso of British Shorthorn cattle. Mr. Parsons, who is an authority on tho subject, and the author oi .Notable Modern Shorthorns, says:— “In no trade with other nations does Great Britain occupy a higher place than among the cattle-breeders; and among all the varieties of pedigree cat-tlo for which this country is famous, no stock can boast of such world-wide reputation and assured success as the Shorthorn. Even in the uncivilised corners of tlio earth where tho ranchman is pioneer, these orimnls are known and have often maldo t'hoir way across the wilds. Their hardiness and adaptability to any climate ma'ko it easy for tho cat-tle-raiser to avail himself of their unrivalled cross-breeding qualities and the suitability of their progeny for the butcher "or the dairy “It. is doubtful if tho breed , was evor in a more prosperous position than it is to-day, and there seems every prospect of a continued demand for the best specimens, not only from the Argentine, but other countries, which are fast realising the value or the ‘red, white, and roan. BORDEAUX MIXTURE. Bordeaux mixture (says tho Country Gentleman) is unquestionably the best all-round spraying liquid for fruit trees 'When insecticides are added, as may easilv be done, either arsenate of lead or Paris green, tho mixture comes about as near universal applicability as anything can. Ot course, it does not cure any disease, but it will prevent nearly all those possible of prevention. In order to do this, however, tho mixture must bo made properly and must bo thoroughly applied. The best way to make Borcfeaux mixture is to dissolve the lime and copper sulphate separately ; dilute each one with halt the quantity of water to be used, and then to pour the. two together. It is considered bad practice to pour the lime solution into the blue vitriol. The making of Bordeaux mixture, at. the very best, is a tedious, messy, and disagreeable process. Everything should he done, therefore, to mitigate these difficulties. The experience ot various fruit-growers has shown that the practical requirements are mot to the host advantage when the various barrels or other vessels to be used can bo arranged on a staging, so as to have the work done by gravitj. the staging is made in two storeys. On the upper story are placed two barrels for stock solutions and two mixing tubs. On the ioxvor storey is placed one large mixing barrel, in which the complete Bordeaux is made. From this last barrel it is drawn off into the spraying tank as required. . . The stock solutions are made as follows: Fresh stone lime is carefully slaked with the smallest amount ot water which can be used. It is then diluted to such a strength that each gallon of the solution is made up, so that one galloii will contain lib of lime. In the same wav the copper sulphate solution is made up so that one gallon will contain lib of copper sulphate. These two stock solutions are kept in tho barrels oil t-lio upjior platform. . ... Suppose that it is required to make up the ordinary formula for Bordeaux mixture —41b of lime, 41b of coppei sulphate, 4uz of Paris green, and 40 gallons of water. With a. gallon measure one clips out four gallons of the lime solution into one of the mixing tubes on tho upper platform. He then dips out four gallons of the blue vitriol solution into the other one of the mixing tubs. These are then di luted to 20 gallons each by water from a hose. It is convenient- to have the mixing tubs marked with a strip of paint; or in some other way, showing. just how full they must he made to reach 20 gallons. When these diluted solutions are ready they are allowed to run together through a trough into- the mixing barrel on the platform below. They are thus thoroughly mixed as they go in. Hoxyever, it is a wise jH-ecaution to stir tho mixture thoroughly after it goes into this mixing barrel. At this time the 4oz of Paris green is also added. The mixture is -ready for immediate use, and requires only to be run through a strainer as it is drawn off into the barrel or spraying tank, in which it is hauled to the orchard. In order to secure anything like reasonably good from the use of Bordeaux mixture, it is necessary that tho solution be distributed over the trees in a very fine, misty spray. To secure this sort- of spray two things are practically necessary—first a. suitable liozle, secon da sufficient p7tssure As regards pressure, it has been sliowil that nothing less than 601 b to the square inch is at all effective. Indeed, most nozzles require~a greater pressure in order to jiroduce the desirable mist. With practically all nozzles a pressure of 1001 b to the square inch is better than any less, and pressures as high as 1201 b or 1601 b often give excellent results where they can be seemed. With an ordinary hand pump it is difficult to maintain a pressure above 801 b, even at tlie best. The pressure will fluctuate greatly, sometimes going as high as 901 b "to 1001 b, but very often running down to 351 bor less. Tlie great, advantage of good power sprayers lies in the fact that they maintain a. high and comparatively uniform pressure. The gas .sp>rayers and compressed air sprayers on the market seem to liavo the advantage of giving this sort of high pressure, which is demanded in order to secure the best form of spray. MANUAL EXPERIMENTS. Under the auspices of the Staffordshire County Council, a series of experiments have been carried out in the County of Stafford with the object of testing mahurial mixtures for grasses, likewise mangels, swedes, and potatoes. The grass experiments were conducted at five different centres. and to a large extent oil loam soils, varying from clay loams to medium loams. The most successful ’manures almost in each ease contained nitrate of soda. A very successful dressing was lewt nitrate of seda, scwt kainit, and 3cwt- basic slag. Others that (lid about best ill two cases were 1 l-7th cwt of nitrate of soda, and J cwt of sulphate of potash. In the fifth case a single application of 23cwt of superphosphate may be said to have tied with lewt of ground lime. The experiments run by the Har-pei-Adauis College of Shropshire were of a very varied description. Those actually to test manures dealt with meadow land, mangels, etc. On meadow land the best results on clay soil on red sandstone were obtained with 23cwt of superphosphate and Jcwt ol sulphate of potash. This gave the lvost profitable increase, although it did not give quite the largest return. Tin latter was secured by the use, of course, of farmyard manure, but that was too oostly. Dung alone did not give such good results in quality or quantity of lierbago as either superphosphate or superphosphate and sulphate of potash. Nitrate of soda here produced little effect, and the small increase did not- compensate the outlay In the manuring of mangels attention Is drawn particularly to the effect of salt and potash. This was observable in the course of growth, and the final results sustained the evidence thus early; manifested. The best result was achieved with a dressing of 15. tons of dung, 33cwt of dissolved bones, lewt sulphate of aranidiia, lewt of nitrate of soda, 4cwt salt, and -Jcwt sulphate of potash The axerage cost of this manure per ton of roots for four years has been 4s 3d. Salt jointly iritli sulphate of potash has given better results than eithersalt- iteelf or kainit itself. Trials were anado'witli the new. manure lime nitrogen, Jcnpxvn as calcium cyanalride. It is estimated that the pride when this manure is put on the snarke-. will he about 15 per cent, beloxr the average of the price which nitrogen costs at present in nitrate of aoda and sulphate of ammonia. This year a mixture in which calcium cynainide appeared has given the heaviest yield, but it is early to draw conclusion of a .definite character.