FARM NOTES FOR THE MONTH.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2648, 2 October 1882, Page 3

FARM NOTES FOR THE MONTH.

So far farmers have little to complain of in the weather. The seed time has been exceptionally good, and spring work is consequently well forward. Wo have not had any heavy rains to make the land too wet and cold for the progress of vegetation or for the work of sowing and covering seed*. The autumn sawn wheat presents a fine healthy appearance, and the proipeot* of a good crop were never better for the lime of the year. There i*, of course, plenty of time for a long spell of unfavorable weather to reverse the appearance of things, but all early sown crops have bad the advantage of a good stait, and will have a better chance of tiding over a trying time than has often been the case. It baa often happened that a very wet seed time has been followed by a dry and windy Summer. So that we, haring had a fairly dry seed time this year, may hope for a moist and showery season. It is to be hoped that the crops will have a chance of yielding a goed return, for, judging from pretent appearances, the price* will not be very satisfactory, it is certainly rather early in the season to form an opinion, but wa believe that a very large area of oats is being sown throughout the island, and the price of this cereal, being piincipally governed by local supply and demand, cannot bo otherwise than at a low figure if crops turn out an average yield. Wheat is not likely to be affected by the quantity we can raise, and it is very hard to say what the opening price of this crop is likely to be, but farmers should net be guided in their operation* by the present prices of any crop, as it is impossible to tell what the value of any farm crop may bo sir months hence.

Sowing grass and clovers may ba continued during October, the ground being worked vary fine, and rolled after sowing, will retain the moisture for a long while, even if no rain should fall. September is a more favorable time for these seeds, the weather often takes up pretty dry during October and November. Howevor, farmers can but do their best, and it is impossible to’ sow every crop just at the proper time. There is a great deal of land requiring rest, and those having such should give it a good tilling and a thick seeding of grass and clover, without ft crop, or if it be very foul with weeds, sorrel, &r, the better plan is to give it a summer fallow, and endeavor to get the ground cleaned in readiness for sowing down in the autumn. The grain crops being disposed of, the work of preparing land for tee turnip crop should be pushed forward. Henceforth there will be no trouble in disposing of fat sheep, the local markets being relieved by the cargoes exported to the old country. Every farmer should fatten a number cf sheep every year, more or less, according the size of the farm ; by so doing he is not altogether dependent upon the grain crop, and also benefits his land by givirg back to it a portion of what has been taken out. The farmers of South Australia have continued the beggaring out system until they ate in the awkward predicament of the man who killed the goose to get the golden egg. The sowing of mangolds, carrots, peas.&o., should ba completed this month, all of which crops ehould find o place on a well managed farm. Mangolds require thorough tillage and constant attention while growing, but the crop is well worth the trouble, and no one can pretend to keep a dairy through the winter without their aid. Field carrots may still be sown. The seed being very light is difficult to scatter evenly, and had better ba sown in drills; 3!b or 41b of seed per acre, according to width between the rows. The main crop of potatoes raay be planted during this month. The sort, the soil, and the season render variations necessary in the time of planting. It is generally considered that nothing is more injudicious than close planting, the rows should therefore be not less than 2ift or 3ft apart. The beat soil for potatoes ia a light, rich loam- A soil of a sandy nature ia better adapted for this root than a heavy strong land. The sets should ba cut from large but not overgrown potatoes ; it is not profitable to plant cither either email cuttings or small potatoes. A good sat, part of a large potato, all other things equal, will naturally produce a stronger and better plant than part cf a email potato, the crop being generally proportionate to the weight of the eets.

Gorae hedges should receive attention this month; a clipping now will destroy the first crop of seed, which, if allowed to ripen, will causa serious trouble in the future. Apart from the policy of preventing spread of seed, there is the advantage of having hedges looking trim and neat, instead of an eye-sore to »U beholden). Good farmers are generally known by the condition cf the hedges and ditches, and will not suffer o coarse, straggling hedge or a ditch full of gorse and thistles to enclose their fielas. If taken in time, the labor of trimming is not very great, and a well kept hedge is not liable to be destroyed by fire.