UNKNOWN

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 608, 4 October 1913, Page 3

UNKNOWN

live fertilising value of different feP tilisers does Hot always stand out clearly, as the results obtained may be rendered indistinct by the character of the soil and the season's weather; but the benefit of potash and phosDhate for a clover crop is n fact that has been demonstrated over and over again irrespective of soils and seasons, and an abundant clover crop is an advantage which is felt through the rotation—"were all the merits of red clover emblazoned in letters of gold on a large canvas it would fail to convey to the mind its true value." That potash is the. dominant requirement of the clover plant is shown by the fact that a crop ol: fourtona of clover hay contains ISOlb of potash and not more then 621b of phosphoric acid. The influence of potash on clover is strikingly shown hy an inspection of the the Town Belt, Dunedin, where the grass cut by the corporation employees was gathered and burned. Where formerly there was rank growth of plantains and other weeds, gorae. and a little coarse grass, there has sprung up a nice growth of clover.

KAINIT VERSUS THISTLES

For many years past, writes the manager of a big estate in Chodan, I observed that when I gave the meadows a dressing of kainit the thistles, which were a great nuisance in some parts of the fields, showed symptoms of failing vigour, and on one occasion, when applying the manure, a big lot of kainit fell on a thistle growing on the edge of a meadow. Two days later, when I visited the spot, the thistle, vigorous before, was half dead, which could be attributed to nothing ehe than the effect of the potash salt. From noticing this fact, I was induced to try the effect of applying a good pinch of kainit to the other thistles in the field, with a result that was quite surprising, because in a weeks time not only the leaves of the weeds, but also the roots, were decaying. The question then was, would the effect be permanent? So the field was carefully watched the following seasons. No more thistles appeared, but in their place there was thick grass. After this thistles of all kinds were strewn with kainit, and twenty four hours after the application began to wfther, and in a week's time were quite destroyed. The destruction of thistles in this way seems so simple and effective that it is worth trying. The time for the operation is when the weeda begin to grow in the spring, and, . after the firßt cutting of the grass, the kainit should be applied to the cent*e of the leaves. A broadcast application is not so effective, although when broadcasted over the meadow in the autumn it improves the herbage; but to be effective against thistles it must be applied, as above-mentioned, in the spring on each plant, or after the first cutting, when the weeds begin to grow again. THE DISAPPEARING HACKNEY. A leading Scottish agricultural paper draws attention to the decided slump that has taken place in the entries of hackneys at the leading district shows in the country. A few of the very large shows, such as the Royal, have not so far been seriously affected, but at most other centres the constantly recurring cry now ia how scarce entries of this class are becoming, and how difficult it is to obtain them. Even in Yorkshire, hackneys are rapidly diminishing in numbers. At the South Durham and North Yorkshire Show held the other day at Darlington, not a single hackney was on the ground, for the simple reason that there were no classes for them on the schedule. The committee, it can easily be understood, did not take the step of cutting out hackneys lightly, for these horses used to be one of the features of the show. The committee even went the length of writing: personlly to the leading exhibitors in their efforts to obtain a fair measure of support. But it was all to no purpose; exhibitors, either through lack of interest, or discouraged by the cloud of depression which has lately come over the trade, could not be induced to come forward in sufficient numbers to make the retention of the classes worth while, and there wa* practically nothing left for them to do but to withdraw the section altogether. It waß pretty much the same at several of the district Yorkshire shows earlier in the season. Only one or two brood mares and foals were being shown where formerly anything up to twenty would be exhibited in eash class. There is no doubt that the motor car is the primary cause of the rapid disappearance of the hackney frum the district show yards. So many people have taken to motoring that it has seriously cot into the demand, and left many owners who formerly supported the hackney breeding without a. big outlet. At the recent Royal Show at Bristol it was statpd _ that provision had been made for the "stabling" ot i i;ij fewer than seven hundred motor ; cars which in ilseM: v/r.s nn iudicai lion of the altered state of matter 3 '■ as regards rapid means of transport |on the road-. Breeders are advised, : however, "ot to take too despondent ; a view or the situation, as there is • stiil a fairly ;;ood demand fur the best \ class of harness horses. If breeders \ rouicl devote their attention to produci inj> stipes ior horses of that class, it I migl'.t in any ca?e tide over matters I until there wss a return in the de- | snand for the riding and general purj [lo3a sorts. This advice may sound ! good, but the outlook at present h ! lather in favour of increased compej tition against the hackney by the ! rapidly growing use and cheapening I of mechanics"' means of transport on ] the roads.