Farm and Garden.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 165, 17 June 1909, Page 3

Farm and Garden.

Nutritive Foods. The largest eaters in the world, measured by the nutritive foods absorbed, are the machinists and others who endure great physical strains. This is the verdict of Professor Atwater, of the United States, who has given much time to the examination of the subject A singular fact about Professor Atwater's investigations is the overturning of the theory that certain foods heretofore regarded as most nutritious are of the lowest value in that direction. As an illustration, the Professor has found that salt fat pork is more than twice as rich in nutriment and fuel value as sirloin steak. There is also a misapprehension about eggs, which be declares to be one of the least nutritive of all foods. Dried white beans are more than eight times as nutritious. Oysters and fish are almost valueless as muscle producers. That fish is brain food he declares to be a mistake. There are a score of food products more valuable. While salt pork is in reality a most valuable food, no meat or fish compares with beans, rice or potatoes. Sugar i j very valuable, and the Professor has gained the everlasting gratitude of children by commending candy as one of the most nutritive of all foods. While cereals outrank other foods in nutritive and fuel values; oatmeal ranks far below wheat flour, and the most valuable of all is maize-meal. Ten cents, the

Professor says for the purpose of argument, will buy half a pound of sirloin steak, while the same ten cents will buy two and a half pounds of the neck of an ox, that will contain more than double the quantity of nourishment. In a similar manner ten cents will buy half a pound of veal chops, while the same amount will purchase two pounds of shoulder of mutton with three timps the nutritive value. Something seems to be always cropping up to overturn previously conceived ideas, but if salt fat pork is more than twice as rich in nutriment and fuel value as grilled steak, then it is up to pigbreeders to make the most of the information.

Sheep are good weed exterminators. A thin sod is made by over-pasturing. The bee was first imported into New Zealand in 1839 by a missionary. Weeds are an advantage in that they compel the farmer to cultivate his crops. Weeds are easier to kill when they are small than after they have grown to full size. Scours among pigs may often be avoided by keeping the trough and swill barrel clean. Keeping books is one of the essentials of dairying; not exclusively with individual patrons, but an exact account of outgo and intake, with proper allowance for capital invested, and labour expended. Know exactly what you are doing. The wife of a horse owner, in explaining to a visitor why her husband did not sell his horse as he intended, said that after they entered the animal in the sale and read what was written about him in the catalogue, they realised for the first time what a wonderfully perfect horse he was, and decided to keep him until he died. As regards the length of time that a cow will maintain her maximum production, this depends largely upon her constitutional strength and the care with which she is fed and managed. A good average cow, properly managed should remain at her best productive'standard almost unimpaired until after she is ten years old.

Uruguay is said to be increasing her output of wheat in consequence of the development of her railway system. In 1906 the exports, including flour, were less thean 3000 tons, and in 1907 no more than 21,000; but the estimated surplus of last year was 190,000 tons.

Colts suffer from teething at times, and to subsist wholly upon hard, dry food, may work injury. Steamed, crushed oats or barley, thickened with bran, will prove appetising and very nourishing in such cases Roots may be cooked, and the mass extended with ground grain and bran. All the poultry house appliances and fixtures should be movable, and then the house will be easy to keep clean and free from filth and vermin.

The cow with a fleshy bag should where practicable be given a trial before she is rejected, for there are some good cows with fleshy udders, as well as there are some unprofitable ones amongst those cows with les3 fleshy udders.

Crops raised on land that has been grazed for any length of time are almost invariably clean, which is more than can be said of the average crop raised on stubble land.

The intelligent feeder watches the pigs closely each day, and increases the food only as it is required, alwaj's giving enough to get all possible growth, yet never too much.

Weaned pigs should be divided into groups of uniform size and age. If large and small are put together the small pigs are placed at a disadvantage and will not get their share of the food.

An experienced farmer says that the following is an excellent remedy for rheumatism in horses: — Dissolve 2 drams carbonate of potash in a pint of water and mix it with feed two or three times a day until the animal gets well. Apply equal parts 'alcohol and water to affected joints twice a day.

The cost of the nitrogen used in the world for fertilising purposes is estimated to be about £25,000,000 annually, and yet over every acre of the world's surface there is as much nitrogen in the air as would replace the quantity used, assuming its utilisation by the rotation system of green manuring by means of leguminous crops.

Counting the wrinkles on a cow's horns is one way to tell how old she is, but if she is a poley it does'nt work. So it'is a good plan to keep a birthday book for the stock. Have a name for each. Give the name of the father and motehr, and the date of birth. In a little while you will have a very interesting herd book of your own.

Never set an incubator near the window, where the sun may shine on it. Begin each hatch with a new wick. Never add eggs to the machine after the hatch is started.

Test the eggs at the end of the first week, and then again at the end of the second week; this prevents the rotten eggs from making a foul smell in the egg chamber.

Clean your la-»d before it's dirty; Feed your land before it's hungry;

Rest your land before it's weary. As the Jerseys have been bred for economical butter production, so the Holsteins have been bred for a much longer" period for milk production, and they will make a quart of milk,regardless of its fat contents, for less than any other cow. On a ranch in the south of Argentina a flock of from 12,000 to 14,000 well bred Lincoln ewes is maintained for milking purposes. They are driven in every afternoon, the lambs being separated from them, and about a quart of milk is taken from each in the morning, after which the lambs are allowed to rejoin them. The milk is used to make cheese, which sells readily in Buenos Ayres and other parts of the country.