FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 139, 3 June 1908, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

The second greatest source of waste of manure is the loss incurred by leach- . iiig. If manure is piled against the side of the stable where the water from the roof can drip on it. or if it is pilcf on the hillside or other exposed place the rain water is leaching through the manure washes out of it, much nitrogen and potash, which arc seen in the dark blown liquid oozing from the base ot the'pile. A fanner of long-standing in the Y,'a kanui district states that he has d-cideu this year to sow hi* grain without lir't treating it to the blue-stoning process, for many years he has never failed to first hluestone his grain before sowing I says the Ashhnrton (iuardian). but he has' hud doubts as to the ellitacy of the process in preventing smut. "It is my ! idea," he said, "that smut and other discase,; that reduce the yield of wheat are ■ due to the seeil sown having been grown year after year on the same class of ' soil. A few years ago I procured some ■ seed wheat from the Oaiuarn district, and the result at harvest time amply • repaid me for the experiment." It i ri reported that the crops of pontiles in the Waimatuku liush this .ic-ir 1 are exceptionally heavy, the average li yield being about 15 tons, says the e Southland Times.

A farmer in the Oainaru district (says the .North Otago Times) planted a dry lagoon of large size with potatoes thi.i season, from which he dug 17 tmis I" the acre. These he sold at CI per ton, or at the rate of CHS per acre. According to the Tiinaru Herald, clover threshing is now being carried on in the Teinuka and Winchester districts. A crop of white clover, of about 7 acres, yielded 23 lacks of seed, but | this will be reduced by at least onoI third when fully cleaned. lAnolhcr ,1 crop of red clover yielded a sack to the

acre. About 7000 sacks of South African oats are on their way to Auckland. South Africa is a. new source of supply for New Zealand, remarks the Xorth < Otago Times. Our Hummer and winter eliows (says a. southern writer) foster a spirit of competition among breeders which goes a long way towards maintaining the quality of the exhibits and securing the adoption of a high standard to work np to. The encouragement afforded by the shows has done much for the improvement of all classes of stock, and this has been achieved without any objectionable extraneous aid. Public interest has been stimulated by the production annually of superior stock, and the rings of stock have, not only done much to teach exhibitors themselves, but they have educated public opinion to the true appreciation of first-class stock. Our shows also do much to provide a- market for anything good, and the keen competition among breeders causes them to launch out into expenditure which would never be tolerated were it not for the desire to compete successfully with, and beat, their neighbor's product. The wool production of Victoria foor the last m'iisoii was the greatest in the hi-torv of the State, li:i.os-2;illli.s. valued at' .-t:i,Slll>.olM). The weather in Southland has been ' very favorable, and good progress is being made with ploughing, except on , farms where there is a shortage of labor. Speaking of labor (says a corn**- [ pondent) few fanners can get competent men, or even incompetent, to settle down for any length of time to work teams. The result, is that there i rt not as much land being ploughed as there shouid he. The sheep docks of Auckland are be- .' iiig gradually added to. and this \c,ir another inllux lias commenced. The s.s. Wanaka brougli lillO from liisbonie. and a further very large consignment \ from Poverty liay is expected about the * end of this week. Auckland, of course draws the slice]] it needs principally r from 'Poverty Hay district, and. there- '- fore, the want of'the U'aikato-tiishorne " district is being keenly telt. After tin* experience of last seasob. if i* un- "% likely that many snerp will he brought »'( overland by the long route through Taupo. It is understood that coiisiclr I crable numbers are to lie brought from 11 liisbonie district for North Auckland I this year. li A well-known New South Wales pas- - tor.ilist states that he .has found the f rape plant of highest value in feeding . sheep. No pasture can be found that e will 'fatten so quicklv. It will also lut- ,, ten cattle, lull they (read much ~F it I. down while grazing. Rape, in common i- with other plants having brum: leaves, t obtains large quantities of carbon from the atmosphere, which, when large residues are ploughed under, a K is prolil- , ably practical with this crop, adds much f to the humus, of the soil. r Australian apples are fetching good r prices in London. The last shipment by the .steamer Ueelong realised: t'leo- ; patras 7s tid to lbs, .lonalhoiis !).-, to lis, and Vicar [hmis lis (id to ISs (Id. At the Maryborough (Victoria) -at' ; yards ku-l week a number ot ewes and 1 iambs were given away, owing to the

I scarcity «>f fit-il. Tliin slinking of pastures helps In inlarge bone, anil if tin; easy grazing 1»helped liy tin- introduction of tdrongboned sires, the under-pinning will lie strengthened. To encourage fanners to combine sheep-raising with wheat-growing, the West Australian ilinister of Agriculture has imported 14,000 ewes, which are sold to farmers on easy terms, extending over two years. Voting matured wares arc the best producers. The bulk of the heavy horses produced in America are the offspring of mares that perform farm work in the field as well as the function of raising a foal. The mare more than 1 pay H her maitenance in farm-work, and . her foal is all prolit. In New Zealand too raiinv of the best brood mares are not stifle iently worked, but are kept on th« best of pastures all the year round. The result is that many a breeder who has first-grade marcs is disappointed with the progeny. i>o long as a mare is not strained during the period of gestation, light farm work will do her ■ I good, and she will breed better foals. It is a mistaken policy to feed pigs on an undue proportion of fat-forming foods in the early stages of their growth. Build up hone ami frame fust by feeding mostly flesh-forming foods, and when tins is accomplished put on the finishing touch. I'igs fed on nil fattening foods cannot, convert the *a into lean-giving meat, such as buyerof the best pork want, nor can they gel the proper development of frame and form from a diet of fat-formers onlv. liock salt should alwavs be within the rea.h of a sick as well' as a henllhy horse, and plenty of pure fresh water should be constantly supplied. It is a. mistake to neglect the ventilation because the weather i s cold. Fresh air does no harm. It is exposure to draughts which causes mischief. There is great activity in (iermany in the direction of organising the poultry industry. Although Germany appears as an exporter of cgL r „ Ihe fae! is i hat she requires eggs ami poultry Id {he amount of three million-. -Icrlin:; , every year, and Hie imporl- aie incrca, ing.' The Department of Agri.-ull nrc and Hie Ccrinait poultry organisation, arc very active, and much good is lie ing done. The utility of clipping, hni\-c-. like many other questions pertaining to the farm (says a writer in the Otago Witness), depend mainly on what are the conditions under which the horses are kept. Tor light horses doing fast work it is now considered necessary to clip

<-ai-lv in tin- winter. Tlic-ri- may In- put fonvaiil several objections; to so iluinjr: out. when we I'nul a-lnt<- moil, such as Hi,- majority of -tal'l'-kni-pi'i's arc. n-j.'i.liii-ly clipping tlii-ir stud, wo iimv at l-i-pt i- as ii maxim that it is; prnlit'nhli-. Tl.<- objection rawed is that after clippott:' Inu-.-i-.- an- not fit to fair nmedi, .-..L1 weather as those with a full eoat. There is n.,1 hill- J,, t| l( . ar-iiment. As a malt.-r of lint, the horse with a hoavv eoat 1- more liable to take cold if left exposed after heiii- heated l.y a. sharp rim than the liaro-skinncd hoioi", as Ihe -weal is moil- profuse. To my iuea tin- chief arfmiiient in favor of horsedipping is tin- savin- of labor, even should the labor lie procurable.