MISCELLANEOUS.

Southland Times, Issue 1693, 24 January 1873, Page 1 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Ohio Farmer asserts that ninetenths of the foot and ankle ailments of the horse are traceable to standing on dry plank floors. Arab Houses in India. — Nothing is more disappointing to the European, on first arriving in India, than the Arab horses. In vain he looks for the lirge eye, the pointed ear, the perfect shape. What he does see are long rows,of horses ranged in the various dealers' yards in half open sheds ; small, shaggy animals, fourteen hands.and a little over in height ; misshapen, rough-coated Arabs, Persian horses, or Gulf A rabs ; many of these probably covered with sores, but destined, nevertheless, notwithstanding their misshapen appearance and small stature, to carry a weight impossible to the English horse, and to bear the hot suns of India in a way equalled by no other horse of their stature. For sneb you give not less than £50.—" Other Countries," by Major W. Mori son Bell. Lowg-woolled Sheep. — It is becoming every day more evident that longwoolled sheep will by and-bye displace the merinos in a considerable portion of this and the neighboring province of Otago, and several men entitled to be heard on such a subject are of opinion that ultimately New Zealand will have a distinct breed of its own, combining the -qualities of all the most distinctive I varieties Whether this should be the case or not, it is clear that long-wools are rapidly gainiDg in the estimation of *tock-owners and farmers, and that increased attention is paid to breeding. Large sums are paid for selected rams and ewes of the best strains, and if the same spirit of judicious enterprise continues, Canterbury wil. soon possess flocks of this class unsurpassed in any part of the Southern hemisphere. An important sale of rams takes place at Havelock, near Napier, Hawke's Bay, in February next, when 1000 rams will be offered for public competition. They will consist nf Li o coins and Leicesters from flocks which are already well-known in the colony, and it is to be hoped that Canterbury will secure a large share of such valuable blood. — Lyttelton Times. Sheep Breeding. — As an instance of • .-^what c»n be done in the way oi Bheep and wool growing under favorable conditions, we commend the following iteu> communicated to us by a reliable | person. On a -mall farm at Waiwetu, the increase' has been something like 200 per cent. The sheep are of the Eomney Marsh breed, and their fleeces last year averaged fifteen pounds, while some of the wethers weighed as much as 1601bs after being dressed. This uncommon result is, we are told, entirely attributable to the farm being understocked and the aheep thoroughly fed. — Taranaki News. Aghicflture in Tasmania. — They are a primitive and old-fashioned people in the rural districtsofTasmania. We noticed the report of a ploughing match the other day. There was considerable excitement, as might be naturally expected, over so stirring an event. One man won, of course, but the splendor of his victory is slightly dimmed by the local journal, which records that the other competitors had only wooden ploughs. The conqueror boasts the only iron implement of that kind in the district. But even that does not carry us back so nearly to the dark ag§S JMLiftiJi i.sjre|ifirte4.to.hav.e been seen on a German farm in South Australia, the wife yoked to th« plough and the husband between the stilts. Price of Sheep nr England. — Sheep sales and fairs have been numerous of late in England, and the prices realised at the more important ones will perhaps be interesting. At the Lincolnshire ram sale the celebrated Biscathorpe flock was brought to the hammer for the first time. The lock has existed for above 100 years, and is very highly esteemed. Sixty eight of the shearlings realised 1,772 guineas, giving an average of over £27 each. Sixteen 2 shear sheep, £23 8s tid each ; and among other lots, 120 sheep were knocked down for £3,06812* 6d, giving a general average of £25 lls 6d. At Oxford stock ew.es brought 60s to 75s each; lambs, 40s to 60s, and fat ewes, 70s to 80s. Cotswolds realised as much as 31 guineas each. Two specimens of the Auckin Cotswold brought 41 guineas each. At Illsley sheep fair, one of the largest in the kingdom, about 50,000 sheep were passed, the: best bringing

from 67s to 71s each, prime better realising 52s to 71a per head. Kemedt foe Slugs. — The following remedy for slugs, eo disastrous in cottage gardens, is given as the result of experience by Mr E. W. Q-otch, of Papakura : — •' The mode I adopt is to get some liyht dry brushwood, spread it over the beds, and set fire to it previous to sowing seed. This dettroys all slugs that may be upon the immediate site of the beds, and to prevent the slugs from going to the beds afterwards lay some strips of wet or damp blanket, woollen stuff, or old bags around the borders of the beds on the paths about sunset, and let them remain all night. This harbors the slugs, who congregate underneath, and may be removed in the morning by lifting the strips and taking them off. There are other remedies of course which I suppose most gardeners and farmers are acquainted with, namely, placing boundaries of either lime, soot, salt, or sawdust around the beds ; but I have found that the b trips of old blanket, &c, are more effectual."