Farm and Garden.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 139, 15 March 1909, Page 3

Farm and Garden.

Rapid milking is an advantage if it is done without hurting or irritating the cow, and she is milked clean. Cows should be able to drink whenever they wish, as a constant supply of water increases the milk yield. The draught stallion should have good size, and he must have energy and fine action- The big, sluggish draught horse is not wanted in the market, and should not be bred to reproduce that type. Where possible ail the implements should be kept under cover when not in use. as an implemenc exposed to the rain and sun will get out of order quicker than when in actual use. Daily feed for a 10001b cow. Forty pounds of silage, seven pounds clover hay, and eight pounds ofgrain. The milking shorthorn i 3 -not to be cast into outer darkness just becaue of the prejudice of a few wise men. Too heavy salting destroys the flavour of good butter. If you want the flow of milk to keep up, always milk clean. As the pigs learn to eat their feed mny be increased, Skim milk should be used liberally, using rather large quantities at first. The quality of the hoof in horses is a matter which is largely determined by breeding. The character of the feed and the soil exert an influence. When on free range the chickens pick up insects and worms. These are most abundant during the spring and summer, and it is at this time that the chickens thrive. When they cannot get these abundantly animal feed must be furnished in some other form. Fodder crops produced in lime-rich soils contain better nourishing qualities than crops grown in lime-poor soils. It is a matter of fairly common observation that size of bone is difficult to obtain on overstocked or stale pastures.

Under the influence of lime plants develop more powerful growth, more solid structure, and greater capacity to withstand disease. Soils that, in consaquence of sourness, are unable to grow satisfactory crops, are soon changed by the action r»f lime into a healthy condition. Pruning the Peach. This variety of tree demands considerably more cutting out of wrod than its companion in the adjoining sections. Its tendency to make dense growth at the top is one than must be continually guarded against otherwise the light twigs in the centre of the tree fail to mature. No compunction should be felt in removing large branches, no matter how well covered with fruiting wood, should they be likely to exclude the sun and air from the remaining branches. The difficulty the inexperienced pruner lias to contend against is to know when wood has completed its usefulness, and what twigs are desirable, the fact that the peach bears its crop upon the young wood made during the previous year is too often overlooked by the amateur, and sometimes even by the small orchardist. To en-sure good crops this growth mu t be cultivated, and well distributed about the branches of an open tree. The peach, however, makes such a variety of different growths that it is not always an easy matter to decide what sholud be dispensed with and what retained, frequently these slender twigs are of little value as fruit producers, for a large portion of their surface contains undeveloped buds, with fruit buds towards the tips. Such wood is only valuable to refurnish the tree with new wood, during the following eeason, and should be cut back to its base. The most desirable twigs are those which show well defined, plump fruit buds, along their entire length. These will carry a large percentage of the coming crop. The practice of experienced growers is to shorten such twigs to three or four buds, so that when they have born their crop they may be used to continue the formation of new wood. Of course all buds that are left are not expected to mature, but provision is male by leaving sufficient to set a good yield, so that those buds which fail to hold do not materially affect fruitage. What is aimed at by growers is to secure well balanced, open trees, and, once these are obtained, no fears are felt that the light fruiting wood will fail to mature.

The Persian-Merino Cross.

An interesting experiment made by the husbandmen of the United States is the crossing of the Persian and Merino sheep. In giving his experience of this cross, in the American Sheepbreeder, a farmer of Los Angeles states that the Persian ram is rather leggy, weighs 24'Ub. with wool long and light, having a reddish tinge at the base, standing to whits towards the tip. He cuts a fleece weighing 131b. for eight months growth, his ears are long an drooping, and he has a distinct Roman nose. This ram was put to inbreed merino ewes of good Bize that cut 141b. of wool for twelve monhts growth, and from 80 ewes 126 lambs were dropped. The lambs are at first all red-bodied, with white faces and tails, and unusually large and strong at birth. The photos cf the lambs are given, which are all on the leg, but with robust bodies and long drooping ears. When the photos were taken they were four months old, the ram weighed 1031b. and the two ewes weighed 96 and 911b. respectively—excellent weights considering that they had received no grain or special care. The farmer states that these sheep have whiter flesh than any other the flavour is more delicate, the shrinkage from live v.eieh to dressed carcase is less than any other sheep, and that for hardy growing hu.-.bs that will weigh 701b. at yo day:; <-,>• they are hard to beat. Thi:= re;\very promising, but I do no*. k that Australian sheep farrr.er.- are iikeiy to be led away from the s:-c." a;ready employed for raising lan.U - crosses that have hitherto much satisfaction whenever the food conditions have been as they should be.