NOTES FOR THE MONTH.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2158, 25 January 1881, Page 4

NOTES FOR THE MONTH.

[Written expressly for the Wimirir Panea.]

Wo are now fairly launohad into another year, and, though the punt one haa been-fairly satisfactory with regard to the pastoral intereate, the name cannot be Baid in reference to matters agricultural. The good harvest of last year was very little benefit to farmers on account of the extremely low prices received for all grain and root crops, and the prices for tho ooming year promise to be very little better, while the crops are, in many districts, much lighter. But, in spite of all these drawbaoks, the country is recovering from the effects of the panio of '7B and '79, and, if the price of wool is maintained at the figure obtained for the last clip, times will not be so very bad for those farmers who combine sheep farming with grain growing. With all tho labour-saving machines and appliax>c?B of the present time, and the price of labour at a reasonably low rate, farmers'can make a living oat of crops that would mean ruination a few years ago. In* fact, crops on comparatively level land can be harvested at a rate per acre almost equal to that of the prairie farmers of America, who boast that they can grow wheat at an average eost of 40s per acre. With regard to the time at which grain should be reaped there is a great diversity of opinion among; farmers j but there is na doubt that it is very bad policy to allow any grain -to be dead ripe before it ia out down, as every hour increase* the risk of loss by heavy winds, and in reaping and binding a very ripe crop much grain in lost by shedding. The hot nor' west winds are, without doubt, the cause of the greatest amount of 101 l and anxiety to our farmers, but this may be id a great extent .obviated, by proper management. Wheat may b* Out down, without injury to the sample, at a state of greenness which would resist the power of a strong wind to shake the grain from the stalk, so that a farmer who begins Taaping as, soon as the gram has arrived at a fit state, and haa sufficient strength in horses and machinery to out everything down as fast as it comes in, has not very much to fear from the dreaded nor* westers. The above remarks are more applicable to wheat than oats and barley. Owing to the greater length of an ear of oats tho ripening is very irregular. The upper portion of the head; as it comes np first and gets the full power of the sun, is always ripe some time before the lower part of the head, whioh is later in coming out and being lower down is somewhat in the shade, and also receives sop from the stalk longer than the top ef the ear. This being the case, there ore a good many grains at the top of the oat ears which aro ripe enough to be shaken out by tho wind long before the crop ia fit for reaping ; there are usually also a number of short etalka in a crop of oats whioh are very late in running up, and tend to keep the lower portion of the sheaf very green and heavy after the bulk of the crop is ripe. With barley the risk of loss by wind is much greater than with oats or wheat, for the grains are not merely shaken out, but the entire head is twisted off the stalk. Yet it should not be reaped until quite ripe, as it dries very imperfeotly in the sheaf and is very liable to heat in the staok, whioh reduces the value of the grain very materially, for the -undue action of the heat destroys the spear or germination of the grain, gives it a bad colour, and renders the sample unfit for malting purposes. In harvesting barley more care is required than with any other white crops, even in the bast of seasons, and in bad years it is almost impossible to save it in good order.

A large amount of good grain ia annually spoiled by being improperly stacked, but any loss from this cause is only due to the most inexcusable carelessness or ignorance, or both. A farmer who cannot build a staok himself, or does not know how it should be done, had better let grain-growing alone. There are many men who profess to be able to stack grain safely, but their stocks, unless thatched at once, will be found to be in a queer state after a heavy rain. Corn has to run a great many unavoidable risks before it reaches the •tack, and when once properly staoked it is ■safe from damage from everything but fire. When the season is vory dry the _ stubble ia -very apt to carry fire rapidly, and it is a wise precaution to plough a few furrows around eaoh dump of stacks. The roof of a staok is ■enabled to shoot rain off muoh more readily if the flag and short straws are raked out of the butt ends of the roofing sheaves.

Hay-staoks should be carefully thatched before harvest commences. There appears to be ■very little hay made this year, and good hay ■will probably fetoh good prices next winter. Boot crops require to be looked after during this month to keep the weeds under. Turnips •own broadcast, if too thick, should have the harrows drawn through them once or twice to thin them out a little. It is not too late to ■ow turnips again where the first sowing has tailed. But at this season of the year the risk of their being taken off by the " fly" is muoh greater than during the months of •Spring.