Notes and Gleanings.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 454, 15 March 1890, Page 4

Notes and Gleanings.

Export op English Thoroughbreds.— Probably few persons are aware how many thoroughbred horses are annually sent out of England. Tbo last volume of the Studbook, recently issued, shows that during the four years 1885-S8 nearly 2,300 race-horses were despatched to various quarters of the globe—an average of little short of 600 per annum. Of these tho greater number—some 900—went to different parts of South America, to Buenos Ayres in particular, though Monte Video, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, River Plate, and tho Argentine Republic have had aconsiderableshare. Only 118 were exported to the United States,and thesewere for themostparta very moderate lob,though a Derby winner, St B'aise, was included. Only one horse and a couple of mares were sent to Australia ; 10 horses and 46 mares to Austria and Hungary ; 67 animals to Belgium, in about tho same proportion ; 5 weli-known horses, Candlemas, * Earl Godwin, Munchausen, Savilo, and Whittington, together with 3 mares, to the Cape, where the horses have greatly disappointed their purchasers. To France 91 horses, including some very good ones, and 192 mares have been despatched. Germany has imported close upon 700; Holland, 20 horses and a dozen males ; India, 39 horses and 5 mares ; Italy, 21 horses and 18 mares ; Poland, a couple of the former and 5 of the latter ; Portugal, 5 horses and a dozen marcs ; Russia, 10 in all ; and Spain the same number. Dry Seed Wheat. —Every few years some farmer makes the discovery that old wheat is best for seed. There is no doubt that wheat seed retains its vitality under favourable conditions years, but the reason why a year’s addition to the age of wheat makes it better for seed is undoubtedly its greater dryness and hardness. This is especially true after a damp summer and harvest. If new wheat must be sown make it as dry as possible. The more moisture that can be got out of the seed without injuring vitality, the more it will swell when placed in moist soil, and tho growth will be all the more vigorous. Size of Grain Bins. —All grain bins should be made of such sizes as will hold an even number of bushels, and by having marks around the bins inside, the contents of a partly-filled bin may be known. Thus, if the floor of a bin is 50 inches long by 43 wide inside, every inch in depth equals one bushel. A bin 100 inches long by 43 wide holds two bushels in each inch of depth. Thus a bin may be made to measure itself by marking the depth in inches on the ends and sides and levelling the grain. Butter-making without a Ciiurn.— One who has been experimenting in making butter, without the use of the elbow joint, finds that if the cream is hung up in a cloth in a cool place during the night it becomes butter just as it does if buried in the ground, and for obvious reasons the new method is preferable to that of interring the cream.