AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1232, 30 March 1880, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

Mr. Holmes, a member of Parliament, says that " England is the only country in which for the moat part the land is owned by one man, farmed by a second, and tilled by a third." In its issue of March 6, the Sydney Mail says :—The ship Duntrune, which arrived, in this port last Sunday,-after a passage of 91 days, brought So these shores three-fourths of what we may fairly style one of the best shipments of draught horses which ever left Great Britain. Mr. T. Yeo, whose name is so familiar to all breeders in this Colony, was the selector of these stock, and that fact is almost sufficient to guarantee the animals of which it is composed. Four horses were shipped by the Duntrune. Two of these were Lincolns, forwarded by the order of Mr. S. Hoskisson, of Windsor. The following is a description of these fine howes :—Carle ton Tom, a brown, rising five years old, stands fully 16 hands 3 inches high, on short legs with plenty of bone, said to be considered about the best topped horse in England, was bred by Mr. T. JBigby, Carleton Grange, near Blackpool, oat of a mare by Young Kirby; granddam by Grey Kirby g g by Ploughboy. Carleton Tom is by Honest Tom ; and has been awarded more prizes in England than any other horse of hi 3 age. The fellow-horse for Mr. Hoskiason wa3 the Lincoln Champion Tom, a fine two-year-old, as well bred as any colt in England ; one which, before he left, won first grisw at the Wharfedale Agricultural how, held at Otley, May, 1879; also, first prize and cup at the Doncaster Agricultural Show, June 24, 25, and 2G, 1878. The grand colt was lo3t during a gale in the Bay of Biscay, and his mates Bad a very narrow escape of meeting the same fate. Notwithstanding the fact that Champion Tom was insured, all lovers of good horses will regret that Mr. Hoskiason has been deprived of the services of this great young horse. The other pair are pure-bred Clydesdales, and come from Mr. T. Yeo. consigned for sale to Mr. George Kiss. They are undoubtedly grand horses, and wil! find many staunch admirera. One, Modern Type, was foaled in 1575. He is a bright bay, and really merits his name. His action is perfect, and his form as close to perfection as any horse need be. His sire, Topsman, was the champion horse of his day, and his dam is Nancy, one of the best mares owned by Mr. Melrose, of Dollar, Clackmannanshire. The list of his prizes is quite as long as that of the Lincolns just mentioned, and includes a first prize of Ll5O at the Weem and Athol Entire Horse Association's show. The companion of this fashionable horse is a first-class three-year-old. King of the Clyde, by Lord Lyon (489 Clydesdale Stud-book), sire of dam Diamond (229), sire Prince of Wales (680), dam Jessie, by Wellington (909). King o* Clyde took a ! prize at Birmingham Station show ; also 1 several prizes in Scotland before being sent to England. Forest and Stream mentions several rats caugiht in a few hours with a steeltrap set in a box of " corn-bran," hidden with a little of the same material, and the box covered except space enough to admit the victim. Never allow milch cows to feed about the horse stables. They are not unfrequently fond of the litter which ha 3 been thrown out of the horse stalls, and will eat it eagerly, although it is impregnated with liquid manure. The result is that the milk and batter are very disagreeably tainted. Milch cow 3 should be given only the sweetest and purest food. When an animal is suffering from the heaves, care must be taken to improve its condition in every possible way. Give ail the feed in small bulk, feeding with no rough hay, and, indeed, giving as little hay as possible. Give a five grain dose of arsenic every twenty-four houre for two weeks ; then, after stopping the arsenic for a week repeat the treatment for another two weeks. When there is only a slight attack this will often effect a permanent core." The following note, which we (the North British Agriculturist) have just _ received from; an extensive and, so long as times permitted, highly successful Scotch fanner, speaks more eloquently than anything wc have seen or heard of the reality and magnitude of farming losses in recent years : " Forty-five years ago I commenced! farming with barely L3O0 r which in the course of forty years I converted into 1.40,000; but daring the last five years 1 have lost 000, and if times and seasons do not change I will soon end as I began."