Farm and Garden.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 169, 1 July 1909, Page 4

Farm and Garden.

Salt For Sho-jp

There exists in n. ::ners' minds • dimly conceived ide: .'.-.at sail is good fur sheep, and so at irregular intervals tbey supply it to them in varying quantities; but probably few of them really understand the effect this condiment has upon the digestion nor toe actual need that exists for it. It is not an accidental craving that causes sheep to so eagerly devour salt, but rather is it a real physical want that demands satisfaction. Hydrochloric acid is one of the chief constituents of the gastric juices of the stomach that play so active a part in digestion, and it is to help supply the chlorine of this acid that salt is necessary. It will be noticed that when sheep have not had salt for a long time, they eat it in simply enormous quantities. This is because the supply of chlorine has become depleted, and re-

quires replenishing. So it i« not simply to lend variety or improve the flavour of food that salt should be given, but rather to supply chlorine for the gastric juices.

Another reason why salt is useful to sheep is because it increases their thirst, and causes them to drink water in sufficient quantities to carry on the normal functions of the body. If foods are eaten and only a small amount of water drunk, impaction often occurs in the digestive tract, and trouble or loss ensues. Moreover, when the water supply is small, the assimilated food is not so readily carried to different parts

of the body and distributed to the tissues.

Particularly when sheep are on grass and crops do they need salt, because these crops contain potassium salts. Potassium has a greater affinity for chlorine than hydrogen. Hence, unless plenty of chlorine is supplied to the body the potassium takes a portion of that which otherwise would combine to form hydrochloric acid. Either coarse ground or rock sa't may be used for feeding, as preferred. There is probably more waste in connection with the ground salt, but licking the rock salt sometimes makes the sheeps' mouths and tongues sore. If coarse salt is used, a tight trough, covered with a little roof as a protection from the rain,sbould be provided.

The average ewe requires from three to five pounds of salt a year, the variation depending largely upon the amount of natural salts contained in the feed given. This would mean that she should have from two to three pounds during the summer. It would be well to weigh out the amount that the whole Hock should have during the summer on this basis, then there would be no danger of giving too little. It is a mistake to give sheep salt only occasionally,and in large quantities, for under these conditions their appetites are so sharpened for it that they eat too much. If it is kept constantly before them when they can eat it at will, they will eat what is necessary for the carrying on of bodily functions, and will not take too much at once.

Making Tarpaulins. A rainproof tarpaulin may be made in the following simple manner: — When your canvas is put together take two parts of Stockholm —not coal —tar, and one part of neatsfoot oil. Do not use linseed oil,or you will barden the canvas. Heat the oil by itself to boiling point, then add the tar, and stir well. Apply with a wad of oakum or soft rag.- A brush is not so good. Rub the mixture well in. It will take some time to dry. but the tarpaulin will be soft, limp, and rain proof.

Fertilisers For Lettuce. o

In many frames for winter lettuce, says an American gardener, I am applying pulverised sheep manure, covering the surface about an inch deep,and working this well in with the soil. The plants are set and as they start to grow I add a mixture of nine parts acid phosphate, six parts cottonseed meal, one part nitrate soda and four parts muriate of potash at the rate of 1000 pounds per acre worked in between the pants. If this was applied to the soil before setting plants the caustic nature of the potash might harm the roots but applied aa a top dressing after the plants get started, it will do no barm. I have found that in lettuce growing we need the organic matter in manure and the quick acting fertiliser both for the best results.

Spraying Fruit Trees.

- - FOR CODLIN MOTH AND APPLE AND PEAJR SCAB.

The New Zealand Department of Agriculture recommends the use in the early part of the season of a first and second spray, combining an insecticide and fungicide, and constating of: One and a half pounds Swift's Arsenate of lead; four pounds Sulphate of copper; five pounds fresh rock lime; fifty gallons water.

The results from the use of Swift's Arsenate of lend as a remedy for cod-

lin moth are reported by leading New Zealand fruitgrowers as having exceedei their meat sanguine expectations. In a very badly affected orchard in the North Island, where Swift's arsenate of lead was used last season only one per cent, of apples was found to be wormy.

Soil For Apple Orchards. Clay soil is considered the best for apple orchards, but it must be made porus and permeable by the air and rain. This will make it permeable by the roots. When roots do not go into clay soil, it is commonly supposed that they are not able to penetrate the soil, but this is not the case, says a writer in the "Western New York Apple." A root has great power of penetration, and can make its way into any kind of soill where it finds plant food, porosity, air and moisture. In the case of clay soil it is necessary to drain it wel and frequently work into it lime and humus to give it the physical properties needed.

When the foil is sandy it frequently needs to be limed and supplied with fertiliser and humus to make it good orchard soil. As a general thing sandy soil lacks mineral food and because clay goil is so rich in mineral plant food is the reason why orchard trees frequently do well on it. But sandy soil has the advantage of being naturally easys to drain, and for this reason it pays to supply it with elements of plant food it needs, especially potash and phosphorus. The subsoil counts for a great deal in orcharding. No orchard should be planted on a soil that has not under it a porus subsoil. The roots of the trees should be encouraged to go down deep, that the trees may stand drought well. We have seen sandy soils that were underlaid at about two feet with a conglomerate of stones and lime, that had been washed out of the surface soil. This layer prevented the downward movement of water, in the case of heavy rains, and at other times prevented the upward movement of capillary water. No such location is sutiable- for orcharding, and because men have not looked below the surface in such cases, the 4 orchards on many locations have proved partial failures.

Preventing Sore Shoulders. The heavy work season of the farm nearly always occasions sore shoulders of work horses. Here is a simple and cheap way to prevent it. Take an ordinary sweat pad and cover the surface next to the shoulder with soft white oil cloth. Be very careful to have it put on very smooth, without any wrinkles or lumps on its surface. The cover is put on by neatly sewing it with strong thread, so that it will not become displaced. The trouble with the horse's shoulders in this reipect is caused by sweating, and as oilcloth presents a cool, dry surface and does not hold the dampness as leather or cloth does it prevents the shoulders from becoming sore in almost every instance. Care should be taken to renew the lining as soon as there is evidence of wear or the remedy may be worse than the original trouble.

The Choice Of A Ram. o Where the ewes have become very small and fine, the breeder will do well to select a low-set, well fleshed sire, of one of the medium sized breeds, as better results will be obtained where the mating is not too violent. The ram 'should have masculinity'— that bold, vigorous outlook that marks the good sire. He should have plenty of bone, and be well fleshed, particularly over the shoulders, ribs, and loin, and possess a good full leg of mutton. In a good carcase the leg of mutton cuts out as high as 34 per cent, of the whole. He should possess high heart girth, and a wide body on short legs, which gives that low-set, stocky appearance that marks the thrifty doer. The last, but by no means the least important, is a good even covering of wool over the whole body, ani particularly on the under parts, where ordinary grade ewes are so bare. It is well to examine the fleece closely. The best wool is found just back of the front legs on the side. The nearer the rest of the fleece comes to this standard the better. Be particular to examine the thighs—most lowgrade sheep have in this region what looks more like hair than wool. Reject a sheep whose wool is full of dead fibres or of hairs. They reproduce like themselves. However, well bred sheep are very unlikely to have the latter. Before mating, both the rams and ewes should be conditioned, It pays to give them extra food, not only because of the number of twins, but also because they will produce larger.stronger and thriftier lambs. Poor, miserable animals of any kind, should not be bred if strong healthy offspring are desired. Another harmful custom is to allow the ram to run with the sheep during the whole twenty four hours if the flock is large. He should be shut up and well fed during the day, with green fodder and a ration of oats and bran, and Jet out with the ewes only during the night. One service is better than ten ; it weakens the ram to let bim needlessly waste his substance.

Clean Food For Pigs. o The pig possesses certain habits which are apt to create the impression that he is a lover of filth, and while it istrue that he possesses a few cleanly habits, yet after all in this matter other farm animals are more circumspect in their mode of living. The pig's short neck makes it almost compulsory for him to partly climb into his trough at feeding time, and if attention is not paid to keeping the feeding ground clean there will be considerable filth devoured. While a pig will devour more dirt than any other farm animal, yet his system is by no means designed to handle these economically, and successful breeders generally taka great pains to feed pure food.

One common mistake in feeding pig, is to use refuse from the kitchen that is not only worthless, as a food, but decidedly injurious to the digestive organs. We have observed cases where all forms of dishwater were carefully reserved for the porkers, and in this semi-liquid, semi-solid. conglomeration there is;generally considerable soapsuds.

Now soap is an excellen thing in its proper place, but as an aid to digestion it is a decided failure. Indeed, it is decidedly injurious, and we have known many instances where pigs were thrown out of condition and stunted in their growth by its use. Next in the list of injurious substances to soapy water or swill,as it is generally called, is that of supplying muddy drinking water. We fully appreciate the fact that where running water is not available, one of the most difficult tasks before the stockman is that of supplying his pigs with fresh, clean water during the summer. Their nature is such that they simply will persist in taking possession of their drinking fountain with their dirty bodies, or if there is not room for the whole body, they will be there with all fours. We have found that a good drinking fountain with a surface just large enough to get their noses in, is about the best piece of apparatus that can be used. If these are attached to barrels or tanks and a supply of cinders or gravel placed round it, so as to prevent a mudhole from forming one may have reasonable success in supplying pigs with clean water.

Where the old-fashoined V-shaped trough is used, the top should be well latticed.so that the pigs cannot wallow in it; and even then the lattice work should be constructed so as to be easily removed, in order to facilitate a thorough cleansing at least once a week. Filth in the water trough will, in our opinion, weaken the digestive system of the animal, and render him a prey to disease quicker than any other one thing.

Although it has been stated that the fruit fly will not th'rive in New Zealand the officers of the Auckland branch of the Biological Division of the Department of Agriculture continue to breed the dread pest from condemned fruit with almost startling rapidity and success. At the present time in the insectary at the Auckland Department of Agriculture, no less than between 80 and 100 healthy specimens of the fruit fly have been raered from four infected Tongan guavas. Included amongst these are two or three distinct varieties, which have already been successfully reared from Sydney fruit.