THE RURAL WORLD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 486, 27 July 1912, Page 6

THE RURAL WORLD.

IS KAINIT POISONOUS? This question has recently cropped up again, and the answer is in the negative. Animals instinctively avoid food of an injurious character; they reject poisonous plants, and are unwilling to eat artificial foods which irritate their digestive organs. Experiments demonstrate that they will only take kainifc in small quantities, and refuse food too largely mixed with it. Even in cases where they have been forced to take large doses death has not been the consequence. At the same time it is advisable, when pastures have been dressed with kainifc, to allow a week or so to elapse before animals are put in them, but after a few rainy dajs they can be allowed on with perfect safety. FARMING ON A PLAN.

The farmer who works on a proper plan has a tremendous advantage compared with his neighbour who goes along in a haphazard manner. The businesslike farmer realises that he must always have varied outlets for his produce to meet the exigency of markets. These outlets are kept available per medium of live stock. When some farmers get over a bad time they think no more about it until the period of low prices for a staple commodity again comes round. Then they make a great effort to secure live stock to consume certain products. A well organised farm, adapted to the natural conditions of the district, should have its system of crop rotation and live stock service planned on a methodical basis. farm worked under such conditions must be infinitely more profitable than that on which the one staple product is produced. The man who farms for one commodity only runs the risk of losing his year's crop through climatic causes, and he has no chance of mitigating loss through fluctuations in the marets when he has no live stock on the farm as a collateral agency. BREEDING DAIRY COWS. The succesfsul breeder of high-class dairy stock has an ideal cow in his mind; and his efforts tend in thai direction. It is, of course, known to every dairyman that there are now twc types of cow—that designed for beef production, the other for milk. Nature, in its original scheme of things, probably did not vary the milk or flesh-forming powers of these animals in any market degree. They produced no more milk than was required for the calf; but man took advantage of the "all-powerful impulse of motherhood for the preservation of the young of the species," and stimulated the dairy cow with abundant food and favourable surroundngs to produce much more milk than was originally required by the calf. The dairy cow became more or less an artificial creature.

Thus breeds of cattle of the dairy type have been evolved according to environment for hjndreds of years. They have had fixed in the conformation certain characteristics which sharply define their milking powers and beef capacity. In specific localities or countries distinct breeds of dairy cattle have arisen, possessing great milking quality. These types or breeds reproduce themselves in perfcet form and feature, and as such are known as purebred. it has been found that as each of these breeds of animals became peculiarly adapted to their particular country, cross-breeding onj with another produces a cow more suited to some districts than purebreds. It is in cross-breeding, however, where so many of our dairy farmers make grievous errors. WESTERN WOLTHS RYEGRASS.

This is a new variety of Italian rye which has lately been introduced to New Zealand. Unlike Italian which is really a biennial, it is so far only an annual, at least it is so in Holland, Where it was discovered; but in the warmer climate of north New Zealand it may prove to last for two years. Experiments made in various parts of the North Island, when sown alongside Italian, have shown that it is much quicker in growth, and yields a much greater quantity of feed. One grower said it was quite ready for stocking in four weeks from sowing, as far as length of growth was concerned, but it was doubtful if it had made sufficient root grow.th was concerned, but it was doubtful if it had made sufficient root growth in that time to stand the pulling of the stock. Frost, it appears, does not check its growth, and when eaten bare to the gi'uund it comes again very quickly. It stool 9 remarkably well, and on this account a lighter seeding than with the ordinary Italian should be sufficient. As it is a new grass, I cannot say with certainty what should be sown per acre, but I think 151bs would be a fair quantity ; it would be wise, however, to. try a small area with 201bs for comparison. These quantities, of course, are when it is to be sown by itself, for sowing with a mixture instead of Italian, three or four pounds per acre would I think, be a fair amount. As regards manuring, as it is only an annual I would not be disposed to use the slow-acting and expensive bonedust in any mixture, otherwise the same manuring as for Italian.would do for the Wolths grass. But knowing the effect it has upon rye grass as on other grasses, I should be inclined to favour slag. As a substitute for turnips, Wolths should be much better than Italian, as in all cases where thev have been tried together, it has proved much the better of the two One very practical farmer who tried both together, said it put the Italian completely in the shade. It is well liked by stock. HOW TO TEST SEEDS AT HOME. The crop is oependent on the purity and germinating power of the seed, and farmers cannot be too careful to

make sure that the seed supplied to them is satisfactory in both respects. The operation of seed testing is now carried out at most agricultural institutions, but a farmer can make a simple test at home in the following manner:—■

Strips of cotton flannel, first sterilised in boiling water to destroy any fungi which might be present, should be folded twice and placed in a dinner or soup plate.- The seeds are then laid between the folds of flannel, so as not to tuuch each other, and a second plate put over the first, thus forming a moist receptacle. The strips must be kept well moistened, but not saturated —preferably with water that has been sterilised by boiling water and allowed to cool. Two or three lots of seeds may be tested at one time, but each lot should be contained in a separate slip and numbered to avoid error.

How to do it.—A definite number of seeds taken as they come from an average sample are counted cut for each germination test. For seeds in rather small lots, as garden seeds, fifty to one hundred will answer, while for cereals, grasses, clovers, and others used, in extensive cultural operations, about two hundred should be used, and the tests duplicated when any doubt exists about the results. The tests should be examined from day to day, and the sproted ones removed and counted, the number being rceorded on a sheet of paper. :,The length of time required for germination is dependent upon several factors, chief of which are moisture, temperature, vitality and varietal differences, six to ten days being sufficient for most kinds. When tests are made during the winter or early spring months, at which time it is usually most convenient, the gormination should be conducted in a moderatley warm sroom, so that the temperature will not fall below 50 deg. Fahr. at night, and remain between 70 deg. and 80 deg. Fahr. during the day. In the case of lucerne and certain other of the clover family, a smallpercentaptH of the seeds will remain apparently sound at the close of the germination test. Allowance is usually made for these, one-third being counted as viable —i.e,. capable of growth. The Puritv Test.—The careful farmer will often find it desirable to make the purity testa for seeds. For this purpose a definite quantity of seeds by weight is taken from an average sample and separated by hand into the following lots: —1. pure seed of the variety desired; 2, inert matter, including dirt, chaff, injured seeds, etc.; and 3, foreign seeds, including weed seeds. The amount of pure seed in a pound or bushel is now easily estimated, and after its germination test has been made the farmer knows its exact value By the purity test, also, the introduction of noxious weeds will be lessened, since one will not knowingly sow foul seed, and samples suspected of containing harmful weed seeds should be referred to the experimental station.

REARING CALVES. In order to secure strong, healthy calves, it is essential, says Mr W. G. A. Lee, dairy instructor, in the current number of the Victorian Agricultural Gazette, that the cow be well cared for previous to giving birth. She should be well fed during her milking period, and should have a rest of from six to eight weeks before calving. If the cow is milked too close up to the time of calving, the calf will be deprived of its full supply of nutriment, and the cow's milk will be greatly reduced. Dry cows should not be turned into poor country, but should be kept in good working condtition. If good pastures are not available dry cow should be supplied with food of a laxative character, such as bran, lucerne, green stuff or silage. Cows about to calve should be kept in close, handy paddocks; and if much milk is made previous to calving, the udder should Ibe eased, but not milked dry. Allow the calf to remain with the cow for one day after birth, so that the cow may clean and feed the calf. The first milk drawn from the cow after birth of the calf is known as "colostrum," and is of an abnormal kind, specially adapted for the nourishment of the young calf, and for cleaning the bowels of the waste and of the materials used by nature in the construction and repair of the tissues. The young calf should beefed on its mother's milk for the first week, at the rate of one gallon per day, divided ovfr three meals, and fed at a temperature of from 9u to 100 degrees Fahr. After the first week the midday meal can be dispensed with. At the end of the second week a small quantity of fresh skim milk may replace the whole milk. Gradually replace the whole milk with skim milk tiP the calf is four weeks old, when it shouldjibe fed solely on a skim milk ration at the rate of a gallon and a half per day. At this stage, a substitute should be added for the butter fat taken from the milk.

SUBTITUTES FOR BUTTER FAT IN CALF-RAISING. Crushed linseed is one of the best and most economical substitutes for th 9 extracted butter fat. Linseed is more similar in composition to the solids of milk than any other food, and the oil which it contains is easily digested. It should be fed in the form of a jelly, prepared by boiling one ~art linseed to six parts of water until it forms into a thick jelly. Cocoanut oilcake will also give satisfactory results. It is prepared by soaking or scalding and fed in the same way as linseed. The skim milk should be fed in a fresh, warm condition, and care should be taken to separate all froth from the milk before feeding, or poor results will follow. The addition of a little lime water about one per cent., is very beneficial. Avoid over feeding; feed regularly, and keep all feeding utensils scruplously clean. A good grass run for calves only, with access to a

good water supply and rock salt is very desirable. Protection from extremes of temperature should be provided. After one month the calf should be allowed some solid food such as lucerne, clover, or oaten hay; or dry grain food, or crushed maize or oats, or linseed meal and bran. During dry weather when green grass is not available, green stuffs or silage should be provided. Heifers intended for dairy purposes should be kept in a healthy, growing condition from birth upwards; and with this ofeject in view, the foods selected should be such as go to the formation of frame and sinew, and not to the production of fat and surplus tissue. , GROWTH OP LEGUMES.

Professors Lyon and Bizzell, of the Cornwell University, have prepared a summary of a recent bulletin issued detailing experiments made in growing timothy with alfalfa, timothy with clover, and oats with peas especially with regard to the effect of such companionship upon the non-legumeH. Appended is the Bummary— Timothy grown with alfalfa contained a greater percentage of protein than did timothy grown alone. The same was true of timothy grown with red clover. Oats grown with peas had a higher protein content than oats alone. The yield of the mixed oatß and peas, when cut for hav, was considerably greater than the yield of oat* alone. The increased value of a non-legume, due to its greater nitrogen content when grown with the legume, is of some economic importance. A method for increasing the protein content of certain forage crops by growing them with legumes iB thUB suggested. The increased supply of available nitrogen which these results indicate to be due to the presence of the legume, must have a very important influence on the yield of the non-legume on soils where nirogen is the limiting factor in the growth of the crop. Soil on which alfalfa had grown for five years containend more nitrates than did the soil which had grown the timothy for the same length of time. Sections of these same plots kept bare uf vegetation for the summer gave similar results. Thw rate of nitrification of ammonium sulphate was greater in alfalfa soil tnan in timothy soil, thus indicat'ng an influence of the plant on the conditions favouring nitrification.

The nitrifying power of a soil which grew alfalfa for five years and which wua then kept bare of vegetation for a Bummer was greater than that of adjacent plots on which timothy had been grown for the game length of time and which was likewise kept bare for a summer. This indicates a benefit arising from the influence of the legume on the rate oat which nitricafition goes on in the soil even after the crop has been removed. Alfalfa grown on soil in need of lime contained a higher percentage of protein when lime was added to the soil ;han when one was added. The weed, Erigeron annuus, growing with the alfalfa, possessed a higher protein content when grown on the limed soil. Ammonium sulphate, when added to the limed and and to the unlimed soil, nitrified more rapidly in the former. The greater protein content of a non-legume when grown with a legume on a soil containing sufficient lime as compared with one deficient in lime is apparently due tc the more abundant formation of nitrates under these conditions.