Farm Notes.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4339, 21 November 1908, Page 4

Farm Notes.

FARM -TRAINING FOR CITY lads, ; The “Public Instruction Gazette ” (New South Wales) makes, special reference to the work being done at the Pitt Town Farm. It is desired that the existence and "objects of the farm should be more widely known, especially to boys whose thoughts are likely to turn towards rural ] pursuits for a livelihood. Parents are not to expect their boys to receive any school education at the' farm; it' claims to give boys only some acquaintance with farm work' during the limited period of; training. A TWO-ACKE FARM. The “ Agricultural Gazette ” of New South Wales contains interesting particulars of a small farm of two acres. Two acres of land under review are subdivided into five small paddocks varying, in size from less than a quarter of an acre to one acre in extent. Half an acre is laid out with profitable fruit trees, the space between the rows being utilised in growing fodder crops. Each paddock is provided with an adequate water supply. The crops grown f>n the farm, with the purchased food-stuffs, Ij the extent stated below, have maintained three cows, 100 fowls, 20 ducks, returning £IOO 12s 5d as the year’s income, i.e., over £SO per acre, in addition to the produce used by the household. The satisfactory result mentioned bas been brought about by always -having abundance of green nutritious fodder crop growing for the cows, irrespective of the seasons, by means of intense cultivation, rotation of crops, and a plentiful supply of water. The crops grown in season are as follows, viz. —Maize, sorghum, barley, oats and tares, or mixed oats and barley, mangolds, sugar beet, potatoes, and vegetables In addition there are permanent plots of clover, prairie grass and English grasses. The owner believes that a combination of barley sown with oats or tares produces a heavier forage crop than anything else that can be grown for early consumption. Owing to the difference of habit of growth in point of quickness of growth and stooling properties, the barley matures more rapidly, and provides the greatest hulk of feed the earliest; the oat crop comes on later and stools out freely, not only prolonging the feeding' period but having the additional advantage of providing an appetising change in food.