NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 7

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

The provision for stock in autumn and'

spring cannot always be Prorision regulated to a nicety. The for Autumn grass goes out sconer than

a>&£pting. was expected and before the green forage provided is leady for use; the turnip crop fails in a. dry season, or is only a partial success, and the farmer is driven out of his mind to i rovide food for Tiis stock in late winter and early spring. Fortunately the position can always be improved by growing catch crops, and in selecting the kind to grow, we must be guided by the time they will fee required for use, the class of stock they are grown for, and the peculiarities of the climate of the district in ivhich we reside. But with all of them success depends on working the stubble nell and losing no time in sowing. One weed's growth just now is as good as a month's growth later on. The following selections, which may convey a useful hint to some farmers, have Leen made from the papers of some practical dairymen who took part in last winter's competitions : —

"As soon as the oats were cut I would •work up the 'and and prepare for a crop of winter oats and tares, sowing so as to have part ready for use in early winter, and part in the spring. On sheltered bush land there is a slight growth right through the winter, and grasses like foxtail give a. sweet bite as early as August." "I would sow in autumn several acres of Italian ryegrass, which, would come away early in spring, and' along with the old pasture would cirrv the cows through the summer. I would plant two or threo acres with drumhead cabbage to bo used sparingly in autumn when the grass begins to fail, and sow some Cape barley on the stubble immediately after harvest for use in early spring."

" Provided the harvest was early, I would plough up the stubble and 1 sow a mixture of oats, ryecorn, and tares, to be mown and fed green. Half of the ground to be reserved and sown three or four weeks later, to last till the ground was wanted in spring." "A patch of soft turnips should he grown for autumn use — Devon greystone, green globe, or -purple-too mammoth. These shou'd be ready at the end of March. 1 have not mentioned any other sort of feed, such as kale, ensilage, etc., because I think that in Southland there is nothing to equal the turnip, both for quality and general utility. Probably after other things havo Deer tried in Southland, dairymen will still stick to the turnip, ivhich alone makes farming possible and nroStable on a larg * percentage of our " I vould provide a few acres of a- mixture of oats, grass, and raps for feeding cloivn. Turnips may be added if milk is not for cheose-makinsr. This will be required at the fall of the season, when the grass besrins to get dry." " For October I would reserve from the previous year's crop one aero of oaten hay, ■which should be reaped when in bloom "before the straw chances colour. This, alonsr with a small paddock of younsr gra==i. •will keep the new calvers up to their milk and improve their condition. For March and April I would sow two acres of oats and tares, one acre on December 1 and one acre on January 1, for cutting green when the grass begins to fail." "I would grow some oats for crushing to be fed during August and September, or till th" grass is sood, and again sow a patch of oats in December for cutting jrreen. I would have a few acres -flwn in rvegrafs, cowgrass. and red clover for hay The scco-id cut would be grazed during March and April, to be followed by the oats cut green supplemented with stubble turnips " , "As far as sow in? rvocorn o>* C are barlcv Tor early snring fo«d. it is cut of the ouestfon pt 1500 ft altitude inland. I thin* the monpv would be better snont in topdresiina- the erra 5^ a'torna'^lv wiih farmyard and artificial manure, n hich vill forwnrd the gras* in soring. Evo or Oa»e bai'cr may" suit well ;n; n a roasfal locality hut ■not flt oier ISOnfr inlaivl except in some selected viot^ which aro few a^d far between. In distiicts wen a« thi« v have +o keep away from perishable foods our liest and most profitaMn bein" hay. whi-h. if nroperlv secured, will keep til' required

Those reference* aro not all to catci crops. b'ir tbev aro "one the le=s valuable on that acr-oii"* TW show clearly thnj farmers mu=t hf cu;ded largely by local conditions of soil and climate.

The size of the sheaf and the number placed in e?ch stook haw Barret Work: a considerable influence on Stookiner the time taken to matur a and Th»tclilng. the crop sufficiently for stacking. Two pairs of |he»ves dumptd dpwn firmly at the butts

and pressed together at the tops to form a centre, and two more pairs treated similarly, but leaning in slightly on either side of the fiist section, form a large enough stook to dry in reasonable time, and yet gives the requisite support to withstand wind and weather. When finished these stocks should point so that the sun gets a chance of drying each side equaMy and the pievailing wind blows right through the stook In a wet district, or in a very enort-strawed crop, the stook should be kept small. It would repay the farmer to be less huriied over this department of harvest work. The stooks are never set so firiily again .as immediately after cuttng; whsn they are blown over partially "wicned" and light, they cannot be .kept off the ground, and the quality of the samplj suffers.

How often do we see farmers getting their grain comparatively secure in the stack and failing to protect it from wet weather by thatching or eien by finishing off the stack with one row of straw bundles, no doubt thinking that the mill is sure to be Tound shortly, and it is not worth while expending more labour on it. Wet weather comes on, or some neighbouring farmer speaks for the use of the mill — for one reason or another the stack lies exposed to all weathers for six or eight ■weeks, and when opened up it is wet right down to the eaies, and about 20 bags of wheat are depreciated in value 50 per cent. Damage is done which would have repaid thatching three or four times over. Farmers as a rule are not supplied with rick sheets in numbers sufficient to cover the tops of their stacks, and they have this excuse, that it is not everyone who can thatch a stack decently. Many farm hands do not even take the trouble to learn. Perhaps the only man on the farm who can do the job neatly is employed' building the remaining stacks. In an open season like tlie present one, little dar^.igo is done, but the system is a careless one to get into, and might be improved upon.

The veriest ama'eur of a flockowner must lecognise the importance of The sheep-dipping : the profitable Importance prosecution of his calling ofMicep. demands it, and his very dipping. existence for any length of time as a flockowner depend? upon it. The most elementary knowledge of working sheep is deficient in the man who does not appreciate this fact. But between dipping and dipping successfully there is a wide margin, and plenty of room for the exercise of gx'eat judgment, not only in the selection of the reagent used, but also in the after management of it. The essential point to be achieved is that all parasitica' iife with which the sheep is infestad in any stage of its existence shall be killed, and any dip ivhich does not do this effecthely is worse than useless. Dipping is preferentially a summer operation, which should be got over before the water gets too cold and the shock to the sheep consequently too severe. The whole cost amounts to little more than Id per head and when applied ivith skill that expenditure it, one of the farmer's most valuable assets It gives returns in many ways — after^dipping the sheep are contented and thrive ; they are easily maintained in a healthy condition ; the =k ; n is clean and does the work Nature intended it to do, and the growing fleecp makes steady piogress Contrast this with the continual rubbiny. sometimes on barbed-wire fences, to get nd of the troublesome, biting insect life; the resilessne^s and inmuion and inability to settle down quiefy for any length of time. Is there any wonder that the health of the sheep is eventually affected, and the clip suffers? But no flockowner needs con■vincing that there is great profit in dipping. If the direction given are implicitly followed, there is no chance of the dip injuring the skin and fleece of the sheep. Dipping has been held responsible for light fleece 3. and no doubt anything that causes inflammation of the skin will affect the growth of the wool, but only the use of crude materials Mke arsenic, lime, and sulphur will haie this deleterious effect. The wc-li-balaneed arsenical sulphur dip prepared by firms with a reputation to lose does not cause light growth of wool, but, on the contrary, is a direct help to tTie production of a satisfactory fleece. -n fact, a satisfactory fleece cannot be grown unlss-. the sheep's skin has beon in a clean and healthy state all the year, and that condition cannot be secured without effective dipping.

Some cr.ses are re ported from the north this year of the ••maggot, Tlie Wasgol fl\" striking the =-heep. and Fl). if neglected lea\ing them in a pprloui state, which nesU not be described. No doubt wo shall soon hn\e our share of siinila/ 1 roubles, and as some summers aro wor=o than others for the fly, ihe shepherd will lequire to keep a sharp lockout as he attends to his flock If any animal is to be restlrss, twisting i>>" bojy. shaking its tail, or running forwaid with its head l>ent down, it should ) be 'mmodiately cnug-ht, and a close examination ii i'l nro-bablv di B t-lose a colony of maggots somewhere about the hindquarters. These are s-htkon out by the shepherd, ana the part dressed with the dip mixture, or some effective fly oil (1 part oil of turpentine to 3 part* olive oil is Mr fiilruth's prescription, which will not injure the wool), a supply of which should alw&ys be carried by the

shepherd in his pockets for emergency casps after the first appearance of the fly. The sheep are struck most numerously in close, thundery weather, and the pest makes short work of the weaklings then, if not immediately attended to. So rapidly do the maggots multiply in hot sultry days that, if unchecked, they w ill quickly kill a sheep or lamb. Dipping the flock and careful dagspng gives immunity froir attack for a time, and dressing with proper powders for the purpose arts beneficially in warding off the attack, but sometimes they bid defiance to every remedy and means of preventiontried, and then the personal manipulation of the shepherd is necessary to save the sheep. The proper dagging of sheep—particularly the ewe floek — is a matter that oughi nor to be neglected at any time, as it preients many sheep from being struck by the fly. Should the effect of the first non-poisonous dipping wear oft', a second summer dipping is perhaps the most profitable specific for the fly. There is a very close connection between sheep-dipping and the wool TTltat i« fibre itself which is not Wool. generally recognised. This will be more clearly soon if the growth of wool is considered and a definition obtained' of what wool rea'Mv is. We ah know that ivool is a variety of hair, but, instead of being a smooth, straightedged filament like human or horse hair, it has serrations on its surface formed by scales overlying each other, and projecting whereier a bend occurs in the fibre. But it is not so well known that it grows like hair and consists of a shaft and a bulb root sunk into the skin. The shaft is that part which is fully formed and projects beyond the surface. If traced to the skin it* '3 found to bo rooted in a follicle or little bag in the true skin, or cellular tissue beneath it. This follicle is bulbous at its deepest part, and its sides are lined with a layer of cells continuous with the epidermis, or outer skin. Beneath the epidermis are various cells, blood vessels, and glands, all of which play an important part in the growth and support of the skin and the wool fibre. They a1!a 1 ! hang toarethei like the mechanism of a clock. What affects one affects the other. It will therefore be seer that wool is really a development of the .skin, and anything which affects the health of the skin will also affect the growth of the wool. The importance of keeping the skin clean and in a healt.hv condition will therefore be apparent. The only wav a dip can benefit or iniure the wool is through the skin indirectly. Given pure blood and a healthy skin kept clean and free from irritation by ticks and lice, and the best condition exists for the continuous growth of the wool.

At fhe present moment trie apathy displayed by farmers in roforThe Farmers' ence to their unions mdi Union. catps that they have an

enormous amount of trust in the strength of their position as the principal producers of the Dominion, and in the treatment they are entitled on that account to recene from the (ioieinment oi the day. Before long this illusion will be ruthlessly dispelled. »So far as the Government is concerned, it is a, case of " save me from mv friends." Nothing would please them better than to see the faimers combined into one solid phalanx from one end of the Dominion to the other. And really it is high tiirc the farmers rose to the occasion. As matteis stand at present they are not making use of their tindoubted power in moulding the legislation of the land. They must assert theinsehes and be recognised 1 as a potent factor to be consulted on every noint affecting the welfare of the Dominion which will a'so affect their interest. The endeavour to pull together demands enthusiasm and a sound line of combination. The moment is opportune to take united action which would protect the faimen' interest. Good woik is being: done by a few enthusiasts in several districts, but they are nor being supported as they should ho. Efforts should be directed to enlisting the services of the strongest men in each district. The bulk of the farmers do not yet recognise that they should bo in touch with this movement, or that their interests may be closely affected and much advantage gained by supporting the unions. If the farmeis do not take action to protect themselves from the assressiveness of labour unions the country wi!l be sucked as dry as dust. A loaf should be taken out of their books, and organisation set about in a businesslike manner. We are all aware of the advnntaces which have accrued to the -various tradespeople through organisation. They have had a taste of the power which combination secures, but they do not l'now when to bold their hands. The quesrion might fairiv be asked. Has any other union ani thing like the important interests to deal with that the Farmers' TTnion bas! Surely it is the very hfp blo'xl of thp Dominion that demands sustenance We are farmer* in the first place, oolitioians afterwards. The Farmers' Union is free from party politics, and embraces supporters as ivella 11 opponents of the Goi eminent. Wo think Parliament should view all ouostions of agricultural interest from a national standpoint, because without the supplies the farmer produces all the other industries could not. exist. The industrial system could not be carried on without the " staff id life." Ther* are several points at the

present moment which require fighting for, and abundance of room to take action which would benefit the farmer. Tha country farmers' clubs consider they havo fulfilled their mission when they provicl» prizes foi a few local breeders. That is not the sort of representation that is required. What is wanted in each district is a movement with some life in 'it, organised on business lines, and carried on independently by farmers woi'king in their own interests and in the interests of all — an organisation which will mould and lead agricultural opinion and see that adequate expression is given to it in the proper quarter and fight for and insist on getting those privileges which are due to him who cultivates the soil and pays for what he gets done for him. From some points of view the Workman's Compensation Act is a very In«i»re first, good measure in that it th*« combine, projects helpless women and children from the improvident husband ; but the whole tendency of the act works in the direction of undermining all sense of responsibility and manliness jin the employee. It directly encourages carelessness, and would never have been ! pas«ecl in its present form had the emp]oveis' point of view been forcibly presented to the Government. _ This is one result of want of combination among farmers The onus of providing for the farm labourer and his family in the ca»G of arcdent is thrown on the farmer. Anyone who employs even one man only on the farm, and perhaps a boy for milking and' a girl in the kitchen, and who has failed to protect himself against the act is taking a very groat risk indeed. Many of the =o-cailed neeidents are the result of carelessness— it may be wilful carelessness— on the part of the employee, but that is a matter of indifference so far as the act is concerned: the employer has to pay all the same. Every man, woman, or child employed is a source of financial danger to him unless ho has taken the precaution to protect himself by insurance. The work of this farm may be proceeding placidly, with every hope and expectation of a ieasonablf- result for the year, when some slight mi-hap to an employee, neglected for a Time, develops into a troublesome wound, o ml results perhaps in blood-poisoninar, and costs the farmer his year's income. It cannot ne said that-such a law is equitable: but the moral is in the first place, to insure acainst such a risk, and in the next to combine and prevent the possibility of such law, operating. AGRICO LA.