FARMING NOTES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 61, 26 July 1915, Page 4

FARMING NOTES.

Sugar Beet. Farmers Urged to Grow. In the course of a paper on "Sugar Beet—lts Cultivation and Financial Aspects," which he read at a meeting of the Farmer*' Club in London recently, Mr K. N. Dowling, organiser of agricultural education for Lindsey, Lincolnshire, afforded much useful information in regard to this matter, which is to an increasing extent engaging the attention of agriculturist*. A point of considerable interest, Mr Dowlirg said, was that whereas a fatmer who jvas growiog ten acres of ordinary roots might sink fom £SO to over £IOO in his cleaning operatior.s, and eo forth, and would, as a rule, have to wait until the late spring before he got bis money back, the sugar beet grower, on the uthsr hand, would have something like £l2O or more returned to bim in October or November from the same area. Sugar beet culture, Mr Dowling insisted, would help to raisa the standard of farming wherever it was grown extensively f\*r a factory, t-'uch had undoubtedly been the result in the great sugar beet arena in Germany and other countries, higher yields of ether crops, more head of stock per acr?, increased value of land, and the general prosperity of the whole country side having followed in the wake of the Eujjtir beet.

STATUS I ICS. Quoting some figures giveo liim by the director of oie of the imperial farms in Austria, Mr Dowling said that since the introduction there of sugar beet onethird of the area of a 100 acre farm had been devoted to this crop, and thus was not available for cereals. It produced, bowevir, an equal aggregate yield of straw crop and grain to that obtained when a much larger area was devoted lo straw crops; and whereas forty cows were kept there before the erection of a susiar beet tactoiv on the cstat?, 200 were now kept on the same area. Farmers who had cultivated sugar beet tor a few seasons in England fourd it inadu a splendid preparation crop for wheat and potatoes.

Sugar bait, Mr Dowling stated, whs the best cleaning fallow crop in existence, and in Germany and France large tracts of waste sandy land had, through the beneficial effect of sugar beet cultivation, been converted into prulitable farms. After giving some information about the establishmet.t of factories, Mr Dowliog insisted that the sugar industry shnuld help not only landlords' and farmers but should assist many trades, and enormously develop railway traffic. There never had been and probahly never would be, Mr Dowling added, such a grand opportunity as at present for getting the industry started on a sound basis.

STATE FACTOR*. The Hon. E. G. Strutt, who moved a vote of thanks to Mr Dowling, said that he was growing fifty acres of sugar beet for the factory tbis year. He was in favour of the Government putting up a factory, and even though at this moment money was difficult to get, he still hoped tiat factories would bo put up in suitable places and the farmers around invited to guarantee a certain acreage. He believed that if tbe agricultural community had been unanimous and pressed the point the Government would have done something. There were large areas of poor grars land on whicb, combined with wheat, sugar beet could be cultivated at a great profit. One difficulty lay in the uncertainty as to whether the factory would continue; and a cooperative factory, or a factory worked by tbe Governnisnt would give farmers confidence. A great opportunity was now presented for introducing a new industry. Sugar beet was a feeding crop; it would bring the farmer cash; and it would pay its WHy.

The Poultry-Yard

(From the "Juurnal of Agricul turc.")

If the breeding-birds have not been already chosen, no time uhould be lost in mating up the parents of next season's stock. The month of July is an admirable tima id which to hatch the heavier breeds, and, be it always remembered the early chicken is mvaribly the most profitable, fur it is bred at a time when it has to b3 protected from harsh weather, and passes through its most critical stage of development before the advent of the hot and trying summer months. It should be unnecessary to emphasise again the vital importance of choosing a sire of urdoubted constitutional vigour, and, where eggs are the objective, he should be descended from a strain of heavy layers. The sire is more than half the Hock. While the beoß for the breeding-pen sfcould be as good as possible, no care is too great in selecting the male bird. His constittuion should be exceptional if his daughters are to develop strongly without check, if they are to escape diseas', and if they are to lay well right to the end of the season. I have seen birds built like layers but which bad proved unprofitable, and when I saw the

father of them 1 did not wonder at it. Feminine characters ihould only be looked for in a female. The sire should be practically the other extreme, though coareenees is not necetsarily an indication of stamina. He abuuld proclaim constitution in every part of bim, aud, while havi.ig the necessary weight, should possess a certain degree of refinement, of which a tine texture and good tlatbone are fairly accurate signs. He should, too, be active and of Btrikmg carriage. The other points in bis make-up—Buch as bold eye, clean face, broad saddle, legs well apart, and tight feathering—should be well enough understood; indeed, given the essential first described, tha minor points will necessarily follow. It is taken for granted that only purebred birds are used in the breeding pen. Even under the most favoured circumstances it is not always possible to secure the desired stock oi birds of a tpye which might be naturally expected from a particular breedicg pen, but the disappointments are multiplied when cress-breeding is resorted to. 1 cdmit a first cross is often productive of very aatitifictory laying-stock, but if these grades are bred from, disappointment is buund to be experienced. Of course, having the stock pure is not everything. A case came under my notice the other day where soma rather inferior stock had come from some good hens mated with a moet attractive male bird. On inquiry l found that the latter- was the one good result of some rather indiffreent parents. This experience is common. I would always prefer a rather indifferent stock-bird from high-grade parents than a tine bird from poor parents. The former will probably impart to its progeny his good family qualities, while the latter will moßt likely beget throwbacks to bia weak ancestors

The management ol the breeding pens is a matter which demands much greater care than is usually given to it. His a mistake to put too many hsns with the rooster, just as it is a mistake to put too few. In closely confined quarters not more than eight bens of the tfavier breeds should.be put with the male bird, and ten hens of lighter breeds. On free range, which is most desirable for breeding stock, tht se proportions of hens may be doubled. A common mistake is to place the rooster with the hens just before the eggs are required for incubation. The birds should be well settled down before the incubation period. The diet is a most important item in breeding operations. While the biids should not be fed a forcing ration, they should have an ample supply of nourisbfng food, which should not lack in variety. Only the best c>f grain should be used, and green ntulf and grit should be plentifully supplied. The object to aim at is to keep the birds in the very best condition active and vigorous and the breeders' own judgment should enable bim to do this. Much of the ill success met with in incubation, brooding, and rearing may be traced to mistakes made in the management of the breeding pen. For instance, the dead-in-the-shell trouble is invariably due to a weak germ which has not the strength to successully make tbe final effort, and tbe weak germ is, of course, decided in the breeding pen.