FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 2 December 1907, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

j While shearing at Leelield lust week, | a flock of 1001 merino wethers cut 12,J7!11bs of wool, which eclipses all previous records for that station; in fact a record for the province in hill country sheep. This speaks well for the ow'ners in the improvement of their lloek. The digestive system of tho sheep is complete, and when food is once on its way to supplying nourishment for the body, it is practically decomposed before it is cast out. Therefore, any weedseed consumed by sheep is effectually destroyed.

A soil tli.it is continually cropped in a proper manner seldom gets so foul as to require a fallow, but this does not go to waste of money, but, on the other hand, when a field has got so foul thut its product is mainly weeds, then it. is most essential—aye, imperative—to fallow to get it back to the desired condition. Horses seldom suffer from decayed teeth, but because of the upper teeth closing on the lower ones a little on the outside, points sometimes are formed which lacerate the cheek or penetrate the gums, creating a tenderness that prevents proper mastication of food, annoying the horse so that he falls away very rapidly. Honey is especially recommended as likely to lie beneficial in cases of dyspepsia, -rheumatism, asthma, hoarseness, shortness of breath, and all affections of the chest. Consumptive people are known to have derived great benefit from its continued use, and it is said to have been recently often used as a substitute for cod live roil with very satisfactory results. Green food is of as much value to poultry as vegetables are to ourselves. Swede turnips or mangolds split in half form an excellent sulietitutc for the cabbage tribe at this season of the year. Animal food the fowl is accustomed to, so that, whilst in confined runs, such should be provided, crushed green bones being one of the best means by which it can be administered to them. Lucerne makes excellent pasture for pigs, provided it will not injure the pasture to have the lucerne grazed by the swine. For best results the pasture should be sufficiently large so that the lucerne is not cropped too closely, and then it should be cut regularly, the same as if the field were cut for hay, so as to prevent the lucerne going to seed, which would probably result in its dying out. The sire in the herd is very important. If you have a good one, hold him as valuable, and keep him as long as you can. If he is really valuable, he is so. not only for the reason that he had a good mother, but that he had a large number of good mothers. Rut do not go sire crazy, and liegin to roar about your "head of'herd" to a visitor before he gets to the gate. If your visitor's opinion or judgment is worth anything, show him your dams, sires, and young things, and allow him to draw iiis own conclusions. He will do that anvwav. The blind faluilv of a flock of sheep in following Ih.'ir liell-wether revived a painfully fantastic illustration among Hi,. ,|iiicksiiiil- of Mont Michel. France. A shepherd had a (lock of nliont 15ft sheep at grass, and somehow, while he wa> not in a position to head them off. the dock made straight for the sands, in single file. The shepherd saw the danger, buF could not avert it. The leading wether plunged into the sands, and sank at once to his cars. Instead of those behind taking alarm, they followed, until 17 had gone. The shepherd was able to save the rest.