Farm Topics

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 June 1910, Page 4

Farm Topics

An Oa.ntam resident who recently visited the Ash burton county informs the North Otago Times thalt the devastations 'of the gruib approaeh in: intensity the worst of the plagues that set tied down on Egypt. In one veld a fanner olbftiained no return for tJhree years. Tt is said that if fires were lighted at night when the grub has developed into the moith stage their number would be greatly reduced, the math being •attracted to the Hum®. The Germans follow a plan sumo.wfoait similar to this witlh good results.

An exchange states that the time has quite gono by when the farmer could be regarded as loess intelligent than the city man; it is possible, in some things, he is not as smart as the mam aiboifit 'town, but it is an open question if in ordinarily ifaiir competition and given a chance, ho would not hold his own in amiy contest, of wits. The man on the laud to-day has to know many things the city nimn has no need to and docs noit knew. He must, .in view of the complicated machinery be employs in his work, be something of an engineer; he must ho a Carpenter, a smith, a farrier, at least something of a veterinary he should be, and .in main - oases is alble to use the 'theodolite to take levels, and make dams and tanks in places where the water will run into thorn

and stay there when it is in; he musk know more of general 'business than any specialist in the city, foi he is a dealer in all kinds of live and dead goods; lie is usually a wide amid critical reader, a close .student of politics, and generally well-in-formed all round.

R occult experiments in France show that the fertilising value of nitrolim is about equivalent to that of other well-known nitrogenous fertilisers. Tn some oases its effect lias been inferior and in others better. This may he denundent on the character of the soil. On this point more experiments are necessarf to enfl/ble experts to .form a definite conclusion ; but so fair, according to the report, nitroliim is appropriate for good clay n>nd loam soils, hut docs not appear to act well on soils of a light, sandy, or peaty nature. Professor M. Whitney recently said : - From historical evidence it appears that on old soils of tile old countries which have been under cultivation for a thousand years the yields within the last century have actually increased, as shown, noit only by general statistics of individual farms which have been eonltinually under the management, and in possession of the same families. This shows that, so far from wearing out, these soils have been steadily increasing in productiveness within the period of which we have statistical records. This increase is due to be/tter methods of cultvntion, more systematic rotation of crops, more care in the selection of seed, inct'oare of live stock, and, in Intel years, to the introduction of commercial fertilisers.