FARM WORK FOR THE MONTH.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1946, 20 May 1880, Page 4

FARM WORK FOR THE MONTH.

[WBITTBN BXPBBSSLY *OB THE " WEEKIY PBBBS."] We have now reached the middle of May, and co far the weather has been all tbat can be desired for autumn work, such as threshing, sowing, thatching, &e. Fine weather generally prevails during the month of May, and every effort should be made in taking advantage of it, in getting as muoh as possible done in ploughing and sowing. All kinds of winter wheat ought to be in the ground before the end of the month, unless the ground be of a dry and warm nature, in which case the crop, if sown in June or July, may probably be as forward at harvest time as that sown muoh earlier in stiff or badly drained land. Downs and undulating land is by nature well provided for as to drainage, but on the plains it will be found neeesßary to draw furrows to let off the surfaoe water that collects in every depression in the ground. If this is not attended to a great portion of the crop is destroyed and the ground monopolised by weeds and docks. As a large area of the plain land is so very level and the water courses so far apart, it is very difficult sometimes to find sufficient fall for carrying off the water. A very wet low-lying situation, where winter wheat is not likely to thrive, it will be better to leave until after the winter, when spring wheat may be sown with more advantageous results. In nine cases out of ten, where winter wheat cannot be Bown in proper season, it will be found more profitable to let the land stand over for a spring crop. A good manager will sow whatever kind of cereal that he knows his land is most suitable for. It is a great mistake to sow wheat in land that is not in a fit condition for that crop just because wheat happens to be a better prioe than oats or barley. It is of very little use trying to anticipate the price of any cereal or other crop a year hence, for most probably the present plethora of oats in the country will be the cause of an improvement taking place in the demand before next season, simply because nobody will bow oats if they can possibly sow anything else. The fact is, it is very difficult to decide on the most profitable use the land can be put to in the face of the prevailing stagnation in every description of t'arm produce. If the late rise in the wool market is maintained for any length of time, it will have a very marked effect on the prosperity of the country. A considerable quantity of oats will, no doubt, be converted into wool during the coming winter. A bushel of oats can be more readily disposed of in the form of a pound of wool, and at much less expense. Some people advocate cutting oat sheaves into chaff, and giving to the sheep in troughs, whioh no doubt would be the better plan in feeding a small flock. A large number of sheep can be profitably helped through the coldest months

of the winter by scattering the oat sheaves about on the grass, and it will be found that the sheep will piok up every head of the grain, and if pushed very hard, will eat a great deal of the straw also. The sowing of autumn barley should be proceeded with during this month. That autumn sown barley has many advantages as compared with spring sown, there is no question. Under favorable ciroumstanoes, spring barley will often produoe heavy yields both of grain and straw ; but the sample, as a rule, is not to b 8 compared to autumn barley for malting purposes. It is said that the reason of this is, that as the crop is in the ground several months longer than the later sown variety, it draws more strength from the land, and has the advantage of a longer period wherein to mature the grain and extract the necessary weight-making and malting qualities. When sown before winter the land should be worked moderately fine, but left a little rough on the surface, so that when the roller is applied in the spring the soil will be compressed about the roots. With regard to the preparation of lea ground for a crop, it must be borne in mind the success of the crop depends in a very great measure on the manner in which the ploughing is performed. S ingle ploughs are more to be recommended for this description of work than double ploughs, as they out abetter edge to the farrow for harrowing down, and also pack the furrows more closely together, but without laving them too flat. If lea land is only ploughed onoe for wheat or barley, it requires to be thoroughly harrowed and solidified before sowing, otherwise the ground will not retain sufficient moisture to keep the crop healthy during the summer. For seeding lea ground the drill is generally used, chiefly because it effects a saving of seed by burying it all at a uniform depth and at regular distances. All through the poßfc season there has been abundance of feed for all kinds of stook, and many sheep farmers have been enabled to koep more sheep per acre during the past summer than for many years past. As there is some prospaot of the next season's wool selling at a remunerative price, owners of stook will be greatly tempted to carry more sheep through the winter than is consistent with good management. If a man finds that he has more sheep on his place than he can keep in good healthy condition through the winter months, it is ,by far the best polioy to dispose of his surplus stock in good time, that is before feed begins to get short, or else the benefit to the remainder is greatly reduoed. Paddook fed sheep will lire almost entirely upon good oaten or barley straw when grass is scarce, but the presenoe of straw and chaff in the wool is a serious drawbaok when the sheep are allowed to help themselves from the straw stacks. The most profitable mode of utilising straw as sheep feed is by outting into chaff and mixing with pulped turnips ; but as we have not reached to that degree of high farming we must be content with a less effective and rapid way of returning the straw to the land.