THE FARMER.

Patea Mail, 22 July 1880, Page 3

THE FARMER.

TOO MUCH WINTER FEED It is not often in this Colony that the production of winter feed is overdone, but instances of that calamitous nature have actually occurred this year. We have heard of cases in.which'turnip growers have had rccourcc to the extreme measure borrowing their neighbours’ sheep to assist in clearing °if the superflux of feed when the land has been required for cropping. Stock owners, or at any rate- a pretty large proportion, are better provided against severe weather than they ever have been, so far as we can call to mind, during any past winter. Let the supply of grass, turnips and hay run ever so short before the first cheering signs of early spring make their appearance, the great quantiy of oats remaining in stock is a guarantee against starvation on the part of stock. Perhaps however, the apparently encouraging news lately rccievcd with regard to the shipment of oats to the English markets may have the effect of causing growers to be more chary of returning them to the, fields from which they were reaped. Bearing upon the question of sending oats Home, it may be remarked that if the English purchasers are found to be within our reach at a price which will leave some" thing to the producers, this will be a rod let’ ter year in the annals of New Zealand farm ing. Freight and other expenses incidental to shipment preclude all likelihood of anything approaching a high net price being obtained, but judging from the advices lately to hand it is quite possible that the result may satisfy farmers. —Canterbury Touch.

A cow that is milked three times a day will give more milk and yield more cream than one that is milked at intervals for twelve hours. When the udder is filled, a process of absorption goes on, and part of the milk is lost. It will pay to take the milk from copious milkers at intervals of eight hours, as nearly as possible. ■ A cow that is milked at 5 o’clock it the morning, 1 o’clock in thcafternoou, and five o’clock at night, will yield from 10 to 20 per cent, more milk and more cream that if milked twice a day. —American Agriculturist. Ringbone is one of (he old fashonablc diseases of horses and cattle, and probably will always trouble the live stock breeder more or less. The modern practice is to paint with tincture of iodine. Some use a solution of corrosive sublimate —40 grains to one pint of water.