Farm and Garden.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 230, 5 February 1876, Page 21

Farm and Garden.

It is stated in the French Circular Letter that " cocotte, the Erench name for the foot-and-mouth disease, is making terrible progress; the malady is more inconvenient and annoying thaD fatal. Although only known since 1840, Gasparin described the disease perfectly analogous which attacked sheep in 1817, and the remedies then employed were exactly those now patronised. As in the case of every epizootic malady, those animals badly fed or cared are the earliest to be affected. In this country, and indeed on the Continent generally, the plan of having the cattle-sheds low, in order to enable a barn to exist overhead, is highly objectionable, and favors the spread of distemper. When an animal is attacked with cocotte it is at once separated, and covered with some sacking, and depx-ived of food for two days. The two principal points to be kept in view are to calm external in-itation by means of nitre and tannin solutions, and to fight the fever by purging the blood of the poison introduced therein. Towards the afternoon of the second clay the animal is administered, by means of a horn or a bottle, a linseed or meal drink, and next day some slices of beet and the leaves of that plant. In the case of milch cows the udder should be fermented evexy hour with the tannic acid lotion, bathing the teats to draw off the milk, and thus prevent inflammation. The milk for eight days afterwards ought to be thrown away, as if given to pigs it would prove contagious." A high veterinax-y authority suggests the following treatment for canker, which is simply thrush in an aggi-avated form, and consists in a degenerate or depx-aved condition of that portion of the sensitive foot which secretes the horny frog and sole, which, instead of forming healthy horn, forms a fungus growth of soft spongy substance, covered with fetid, acrid, bloody serum. This perverted secretion soon pervades the whole sole, and ultimately extends to the entire secreting surface of the whole foot. Carefully remove the diseased horn and thoroughly clean out the excavation with a drachm of cax'bolic acid, to which must be added one ounce of watex-. After this the following remedy may be used : —Calomel, four drachms ; glycex-ine, two ounces. This mixture must be pixt on a pledget of oakum and inserted into the cleft of the frog. Outside this a bandage with some wood ta\- will do good service ; keep the foot scrupxxlously clean. Our American cousins are determined not to be behind us in the way of sensational clips, if the following account of a x-ecent clip given by the Broiunsville Clipper is to be relied on. It sa y S : —" The wool of the celebrated and extensive flocks of Genex-al John S. Goe, near Brownsville, Pennsylvania, has long been famed for its immense yield, its fineness of fibre, the delicacy of its texture, and its general superiority over almost any other known to the markets of the world. The following result of the clip of a portion of his flock, a fair specimen of the whole, has been sent us, as a report of his shearing, certified to by C. McDougal, of Merrittstown: —

We also received samples of some of the heavier fleeces, which for beauty and length, fineness and ewe crimp, cleanness and whiteness, are as remarkable as are the weights. Here is a grand showing for years of labor and intelligent srtudy of the business in all its aspects. Indeed we do not hesitate to say that not only our own country, but the State at large —and it is not too much to say the whole country—owe Genex-al Goe something more than a debt of gratitude for the fame and reputation he has brought to them for the raising of wool which in enormous yields and unsurpassed fineness and general excellence holds more than level the best specimens of wool in this country or ixx Europe, as proved to some extent at least by contrasting Goe's wool with an exhibit before us of specimens from Spain, Ex-ance, aixd other Eastern countries, where the producer's have been aided, countenanced, and encouraged from pride of country by crowned heads axid titled nobility, with abundance of gold, prizes, medals, diplomas, and the like, while our own modest and unassuming fellowcitizen of Eayette County, unaided by ought save his own individual efforts, has in the matter of fine wool and big fleeces distanced the whole bundle of them—stars, garters, crowned heads, and all. A correspondent of the Queenslander contributes the following hints on the preservation of honeycomb. He says :—" Having noticed several enquiries as to the best method of keeping bee comb in good condition, I thought my experience during the past season would be of interest to some of the readers of the Queenslander. I lost several stocks last year, the hives filled with comb, and I determined to preserve them if possible until the swarming, and fill them again with bees. I placed them on a board in the cellar, about eighteen inches from the floor. Inverted the box hives, but left the frame hives right end up. Covex-ed the box hives with the boards on which they had

stood, and stopped up all the entrances with paper, to keep out millers and dampness. I put eleven swarms in hives filled with these combs. Not a single swarm left its hive, oxshowed any signs of disatisfaction. Every hive had some honey when the bees were put in. I recently examined a hive that was ixot used and had been forgotten. It was in good condition, without moth or mould. By the use of these combs I think I had one-third more increase than I otherwise would have had. I increased one stock in a box hive to six in the following manner :—lt swarmed naturally three times. Ten days after first swarm came out I took two frames well filled with brood and honey from it, and put them and about a quart of bees in a hive that had empty comb in the rest of the frames. It is now a strong stock. In four weeks from the time they were hived I divided this same first swax-m into two equal parts, giving them extx-a comb. They were ready to cast a natural swarm, having four capped queen cells. I gave the queenless part two of the cells. Both are now good stocks. Thus yoix see I have five good young swarms from one old stock, and I give the empty comb credit for two of them. Hereafter I shall not consider it a dead loss to lose a stock of bees in winter." M. Bobierre, says the French Circidar Letter, has drawn attention to the important disinfecting properties of the refuse of hemp factories, which completely absorb the most noxious gases. Strange, chopped hay and straw possess also deodox-izing powers, which may explain why hay strewn over the floor of a room which has been freshly painted removes the disagreable smell. All these substances derive their efficacy from their porosity. At Angers gardexxers employ this refuse hemp for bedding purposes. We take the following particulars of a "boiling-down" meeting from the Timaru Herald :—" At a large and influential meeting of sheep farmers, held at the Boyal Hotel on Saturday, it was unanimoxxsly agreed to accept the terms of the ISTew Zealand Meat Preserving Company for opening their establishment at the Washdyke in March next. The company require a guarantee of not less than 30,000 sheep to jxistify them iix engaging hands and machinery and making all the necessary arrangements for commencing work, but there is no doubt they will easily obtain this number, as over 21,000 were at once booked by persons attending the meetixxg, and when the matter becomes more public we should not be surprised to see more than double the necessary number coming forward. Owing to the very fine weather experienced at lambing time, the increase in the district is exceptionally large this season ; and if arrangements to open the boiling-down works had fallen throxxgh, the prices for surplus stock would have been at the very lowest possible figure." With regard to the shipment of meat from Australia, under the freezing process, the honox-ary secretaries report a daily increasing interest in this undertaking. The squatters and others in New South Wales are rapidly seixding in their names as contx-ibutors, axxd there is no doubt now felt as to the requix-ed sum being raised within the time proposed. In Queensland the matter has been warmly taken up, and the leading stockholders there are evincing great interest. The difficulty of communicating with the "Victorian and South Australian squatters is no doubt the cause that their names are still absent from the list_ of contributors. Circulars are, howevex-, being issued to everyone whose address can be obtained. The more the subject is ventilated, the more does every stockholder in the colonies see that his interest is closely identified with the successful establishment of a frozen meat trade. Advices have been sent to England to prepare the xxiblic mind there, and to create an interest among the future consixmers of what must ultimately be a lax-ge export from these colonies. OPERATIONS EOB THE MONTH. FLOWER GARDEN. The operations of the garden this month are very light, being chiefly in eradicating weeds, collecting the flower seeds that have now ripened, cutting away withered stems, and staking the dahlias and chrysanthemums. With the latter the annual reign of Flora nearly terminates, and the only garden flowers which last beyond autumn are such annuals as have been sown very late. Lavender gather ; continue to pipe and lay picotees, carnations, &c. ; continue to water those flowers that are now in bloom ; transplant seedling auriculas and polyanthus. Dahlias : loosen the soil around them, and see they are secure from being broken off by high winds. Plant cuttings of pansies and geraniums, keep them well watered if the weather is dry. Be-pot auriculas, taking offsets, dead leaves, and decayed roots from them, water and place in the shade ; in re-potting put the offsets in small pots, if to be obtained, as it is bettei than placing several in a large pot. Ranunculus i-oots look over to prevent mould. Auricula seeds sow. FRUITS. Gooseberry and currant trees: Thin off superfluous wood, leaving only sufficient for xxext year's bearing. Strawberries : Make new beds. Einish the summer training of wall trees and cut out all improper or foreright shoots, and fasten the others in their places. Budding should now be carried on quickly. Eigs, peaches, and plums may be expected to ripen about the middle of the month, and ripe gooseberries are still on the trees in shady situations. VEGETABLES. Hoe potatoes. Early sorts that are ripe lift and expose to the sun until they ax-e slightly green. Transplant celex-y. Lettuce, if transplanted at this season, is almost sure to run to seed before the plants are fit for use. It is better to sow out in drills, and thin out to the proper distance. Cabbage and Cauliflowers, if sown in the same way, and moulded up as they advance in growth, will come into use nearly a month earlier than those that are transplanted. The only chance of obtaining anything _ like a good cabbage—about Wellington especially—-

appears to be in the application of a high planting out the cabbage tribe it is well, at this time of the year, to puddle them, mixing a little soot with the puddle to prevent grubs, and slightly covering the puddle with dry earth. As peas are doxxe with clear off the haulm, and fill up the ground with crops for winter use. Celery plant out ; give plenty of water aixd shade for three or four drys, to assist in their rooting ; earth up any that may be sufficiently advanced say at least eight inches high. Endive sow ; also lettuce for late use ; earth up all advancing crops, and stick all crops requii-ing it. Sow spinach, a small lot of turnips ; onions, bend down the thick necked ones; radishes sow; dwarf Erench beans sow for late use ; tomatoes, remove all leaves that shade the plants, that they may ripen. Gather Erench beans as soon as they ax-e fit, as it injures their px-oductive-ness if suffex-ed to hang too long. Should the weather continue dry, surface stirrixxg is ixecessary, and growing cx-ops should be we'l watered or mulched. REMOVAL OK LARGE TREES, PLANTING QUICKS, ETC. The latter part of May, or beginning of June, is the time for removing trees of a largergrowth than usual; but the time for preparingthem is during the present month. Bare the lateral roots to about two and a half feet from the stem and cut them off ; this will cause new rootlets to break nearer the stem, axxd will enable the tree, after removal, to draw its sustenance much sooner than if the roots are taken ixp whole. In May or June, when replanted, let stakes be driven into the ground, say three, to steady the tree until it is set, then place some fine earth oxx the roots and well water it (whether it is wet weather or not), as that will cause the mould to settle round the fine rootlets ; close and then cover with the remainder of the earth. Also where it is intended to plant quicks, let the trench be thrown out a full spit deep, as early as circumstances will permit, and then break up the sub-soil as deep as you can, so as to allow the earth to receive the influence of the sun and atmosphere, to soften and ameliorate the condition of the. By so doing it will facilitate the growth in the two years to an extent equal to three years' growth in two years ; and when planted do not, as is generally the case, merely stick them in and say they will grow, but carefully cut off broken roots, and shorten the plants to three or four eyes. Place the first plant at an angle of forty-five degrees to the surface of the ground, aixd with the hand separate the small fibrous roots and spread them out and cover with earth sufficient to let the next plant ".ie at the same degree at six inches apart ; thus the top shoot of the second plant will cover the surface over the roots of the first one, and so on till the s row is finished. At midsummer next following, head each shot down to three or four eyes, and by this treatment the hedge will be so close at the bottom that it will not let a cat go through ; but should it so chance that any one plant should fail, then take the bottom side shoots of the plants nearest to them and insert the tops of them into the ground farther down, with a peg similer to one used in layering carixations : these will take root and sxipply the place of the missing plant. By acting thus, your autumn growth will be equal to the whole yeai-'s growth in the ordinary way of planting. The second spring head the shoots again to four or five eyes ; this will give a stout stem, a very dense hedge, and by clipping the tops again at midsummer, your fence will thicken, and then should be three feet high, and so close that scarcely a wren should be enabled to go into it. The third year you may suit your taste as to clipping or letting it grow as it list, knowing you have a bottom feuce that will resist apple stealers and those pests of gardens, dogs and cats. STACK BUILDING. In any season, but more especially in one like the present, the most careful attention should be given to the work of stack building. By slovenliness in some cases, in others thorough ignorance, vei-y considerable loss ensues as the result of damage by the weather to badly constructed stacks. Even although it is intended to thrash at once, we would counsel careful building. The thrashing machixxe may not come as early as thought for ; the stack may require to stand longer than anticipated ; and in any case it takes no longer to do the work well than ill ; and there is the additional advantage, that while bxxilt to keep out rain, the stack at the same time looks most workmanlike. With refei-ence to the quantity of ground that should be marked out for a stack, ten yards long by five wide is estimated as a good workable size for ten acres of crop expected to yield about twenty bushels per acre. The bouxxds should be formed by pegging down saplings, and saplings or straw may be used for placing on the bottom. Of course a perfectly dry site should be selected from which the water will run off. The builder begins by forming a stook of sheaves similar to those in the field, about half way along, iix the centre of the foundation. This in a rick of the size mentioned would make a stook five yards in length. Around this stook the builder continues to place the sheaves in the same position, but with a gradually lowering angle as the outside is approached. The corners should be made round, as they stand better than the square, and are easier done. When the out side of the foundation has been nearly reached all round, the builder proceeds to lay his first outside course of sheaves, keeping the long end of the butts away from him. This finished the second course is laid in the same way, but about eighteen inches further inward ; or the Ion" - end of the butts of the secoxxd course is laid in the same way, but about eighteen inches further inward ; or the long end of the butts of the second course about covering the bands of the second. In this way, taking care to keep the heart well filled up so that the butts of the sheaves always slope gently towards the outside, the building goes systematically on. The following directions, given in a paper read some time ago before the Barnawartha Farmers Club by one of its members, Mr. J. Withers,

are so practically put that we cannot do better than quote them here :—" When you have made your rick, say three feet from the ground, lay the long side of your sheaf upwards ; this will get your rick out enough, and when about three feet from the eaves turn the long side of the butt of your sheaf downwards, it will bring your rick in and give what is called ' a belly' to it. Lay your inside sheaves high as you o-et up near the roof, and get the middle well filled ; tread it well that it will be solid for the roof. A good way to tread is for three or four men to take hold of hands and walk steadily round several times. To lay the eaves, lay one sheaf with the long side downwards, and over enough to clear the bulge of the rick ; lay another on the top ; keep it in to form the roof when you have laid once round. Go in the middle, and lay a row of sheaves along the middle ; then stand your sheaves tip, the same as in the field, and keep standing them up till you come to the outside. It is well to have a shingle cut so that you can hold it in your hand at one end, and beat your outside sheaves sloping. At the butt lay two sheaves and one in centre, the same as shingles. When you have done at the outside, go in the middle of your rick and set up again. About three times will do it. Standing the sheaves up in this way a rick will throw the rain off for months, and as well as if it were thatched." Thatching should, however, be done at once. It is false economy to have hay or grain wasted for want of timely thatching. While the work of building goes on it will be found profitable to also have a rick-cloth at hand to save the exposed stack from sudden rains. The money spent in a rick-cloth will be found a profitable investment. Oiled calico is cheap, and is found to answer very well.— Melbourne Leader. CORRECT PLANTING. There are two classes of men who fail to properly understand the true meaning of this term. The one crowds his trees and shrubs to make au immediate effect, with the idea that in future, as they become too thick, a portion can be removed ; the other sets his trees as if patterning after a "city of magnificent distances," in mortal fear that in some time to come, " far on in summers that we shall not see," they may by some possibility touch. There is, however, a happy medium between these extremes, in which the trees and shrubs may be made to produce an immediate effect, and yet not crowd sufficiently to look out of place. The most beautiful examples of true landscape art will embrace groups and masses so intertwined that we lose sight of the crowded appearance of the foliage in admiring the commingling of colors and forms. In fact, a properly constructed mass is one of the •difficult tasks for a landscape artist to arrange; he may not carelessly choose his trees, nor should he set them regardless of the effect that their peculiarities in the future will produce. On the other hand, he who unthinkingly sets his trees regardless of the future, looking only at the present, makes even a worse mistake, if that be possible. In the future, when the trees are grown, after the fearful crowding they have received, it is worse than useless to thin out judiciously, and indeed, during the planter's life, this is but rarely done. The attachment that has grown with and for his trees generally proves a barrier that it seems impossible to break down. And so they live on, year by year increasing in size, as they assuredly decrease in beauty, until they are past help. All this is truthful illustration of two classes of planters who follow out each season the extremes of a system that has for its basis the ultimate beauty of a model lawn. It is a difficult task to find a newlyplanted place to-day where the owner has so evidently said to himself this maple will extend over an area of 30 feet, or this spruce ■will require at least a circle of 40 feet diameter, that this red bud will only need 20 feet, and so on ? Such eases are far from rare ; and yet the other extreme, of sufficient trees for a large lawn crowded into a little yard is of still more frequent occurrence ; and it behoves every faithful writer who loves trees truly to guard the inexperienced against just such mistakes.— New Yorlc Tribune.

1 Ram, 32 lbs i. 8 ozs. 1 Ewe, 25 lbs. 14 ozs. do. 29 0 do. 22 2 do. 29 0 do. 21 8 do. 27 0 do. 21 0 do. 23 11 do. 20 14 1 Ewe, 20 1 do. 20 3 do. 20 0 do. 18 3 do. 19 15 do. 18 3 do. 19 12 do. 18 0 do. 19 8 do. 17 14 do. 19 6 do. 17 11 do. 19 4 do. 17 9 do. 19 3 do. 17 9 do. 19 3 do. 17 9 do. 19 2 do. 17 7 do. 19 2 do. 17 4 do. IS 15 do. 17 1 do. 18 14 do. 17 0 do. 18 9 do. 16 12 do. 18 9 : do. 16 10 do. 18 0 1 do. 16 9 do. 18 4 I do. 16 6