Farm and Garden

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 217, 16 December 1909, Page 3

Farm and Garden

i ATCH CROPS AND THEIR VALUE. In some districts crops arc said to be partial failures. In the drier ones farmers are turning their stock into the grain, and although this is not general, the oat crop is, on the whole not likely to be so good as last year. Where —by reason of an even rainfall —turnips are still grown, it is found year after year to be increasingly difficult to grow them. The fly and slugs attack them when young and blight and aphis when at a later stage, and it frequently happens that where even good crops have been grown, the feeding value is small. In early districts something may be done to assist the grass paddocks by growing each crops, and where crops have failed to grow grain they may be made to grow feed. In the drier parts of England where crops are early, some farmers plough a considerable portion of their land when the stooks are still out. By carrying the iheaves a little further, and leaving a wide headland wiothout any stooks, it is possible to pack the stooks so cloaely together that the land between the rows can be ploughed and the wide headland enables the horse to turn round without koockingany of the sheaves about. Of course, matters arc rendered easier tbeire, because most of the corn is led into the stackyard in the paddock. In this country it is often possible to get in a few turnips or green crop after harvest,or by stirring an oat paddock well immediately the grain is off, either with the discs or ordinary barrows, to'get a good deal of feed in the spring for ewes and lambs from the oats which spring up. There is no doubt that if turnips can be got in early enough after harvest they are less liable to the fly or slug, than in spring time. The season,however, may not be favourable, and the crop will not come to much. Still, the extra ploughing and cultivation would be of considerable benefit,and the work is not all thrown away, even If the crop is not of much value. A crop which is easily put in, and which benefits the land, is crimson clover. It has this advantage, it will produce even with the roughest of treatment, and clovers always help to store nitrogen in the soil. This variety is no exception, so that there is an after effect gained as well as a feeding value. Mustard, again, if got in fairly early, will give a light crop and improve the land, and it is said to drive the worms away. Those who have worms in their land to such an extent as to do damag,e might do well to fence off a piece of land just to see if the growth of mustard really has this effect. In a recent catalogue of Carter and Co., they show an illustration of worms being killed by the million on a lawn, by spreading a special patent mixture, and then watering it,butthat is another story. It may be a catch-crop, but not an edible one. Catch crops are of the utmost value in the early spring, before the grass gets a start. Ewes and lambs luxuriate in them, while the grass is growing in the paddocks. It is only by experiment that farmers can find which crops suit their soil and climate best; but they would be well advised to have one trial paddock at any rate, after each harvest. MAGNESIA AND POTATOES.

With regard to the influence of magnesia on potato growth, the chemist of the Royal Agricultural Society, England, Dr Voelker, in a report of what was being done at the Woburn Experimental Farm, called attention to the somewhat remarkable results which bad attended the use on the potato crop of magnesia as an application to the soil at the rate of about 2cwt per acre. For some years Scotch experts have been recommending the application of carbonate of magnesia to the soil for the potao crop, and the use of sulphate of magnesia has been successfully tried in experiments in Norfolk. It seems, however, rather questionable whether it is advisable to apply magnesia in a separate dressing. Farmyard manure, of which potatoes usually get a good dressing in Scotland,contains a proportion of magnesia, and in cases where farmyard manure is applied in moderate quantities it is usual to supplement the manure by a dressing of artificials including potash salt*. Kainit contains more than 20 per cent, of tbc sulphate and chloride of magnesia.

There are numerous instances where a quarter of the whole udder goes dry, and the next time the cow Is fresh produce* its normal flow again. Too much of the butter manufactured is inferior in quality when first made; its flavour can be no better than that of the cream from which it is made. While much choice butter is made in oar creameries too much of the cream arrives not in a fit condition for making a prime quality of butter; its flavour is wrong: Every flock-owner can rest assured that be has plenty of room for improvement, no matter bow well or bow long he has been directing special attention to improving his flock. Where imperfect butter is constantly marfe attention should be first given to the udders of the cow to ace that are clean, then to the garment an:i hand a of the milkers.