THE FARM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 157, 24 June 1908, Page 4

THE FARM.

A Canadian correspondent says the federal and jiroviiicial authorities are giving both separate and joint attention to the matter of forest preservation. The limber resource* of the country are among the km-i valuable of our national assets, aml the ever-increasing consumption has suggested a time, mil far distant when scarcity will become aclile. During the past month a scries of conventions has been held, with tho object ul ascertaining exact condition*, and also agreeing on measures of maintenance. This continent was once practically covered by forests. Settlement, ha.* denuded many thousands of sipiare miles, but to-day'lhe dread of the lumberman is lire. The primary purpose of the various forestry associations is to take satisfactory steps for Ihe.prcvention of these conllagralioiis. A system of patrol, has been inaugurated, but i'. is obvious that au army of men would be reipiired lo watch the immense areas over which the danger extends. At the moment, however, nothing better than this system has been devised. For the last few years black wool (says a Home writer)'has Itoen made a great ileal more use of than was formerly done, anil where at one time it was more uf a hindrance and nuisance than a blessing,' thai is not so to-dav. Black wool hns'conic lo stay, and those breeder.* who have a leu black sheep in their llut-k may regard lliem mure as a special blessing than otherwise. Tl ft repeated axiom Iha I I here arc "black sheep in every lluck " ha* lo*i lo sumr extent il* horrid signilicauce. though the *ueak and impo.-tor thai attempts lo cheat under the guis purity anil truth is certainly deserving of the strongest words of condemnation, and fast'out of sutiety a, a blackguard. Ileal black sheep in the animal world can oulv he regarded to-day a* "a boon and a blessing to men."

tine striking instance of (he elVccl of combination was given by Professor Perkins, of the Uoscworthy College of Agriculture, South Australia, in his evidence before the Wheal Commission. Jl:'

stated that four years ago he received lid per bushel more for wheat grown at lioscwoiihy from a miller than the price offered by wheat merchants. The merchants and millers had now combined to maintain certain prices, and hj« had to sell at tho same price a, others. What may lie regarded as a record weight for a bushel of oats comes from (he'farm of Sir. iiulicii .Smith, F.ulah Creek. Xew South Wales. The variely is Hobs, and the bushel turned the scale at ollb*. at the Invcrell show recently, easily lieating 14 competitors.

The lilonhcim branch of .Messrs. ]>algctv &• Co. have sold two portions of Weld's Hill and I'plon Downs Estates. Awatere Valley. Marlborough, to Sir. John T. Dalton, of Canvasiown. The sale* comprised Silo acres of agricultural land at til as per acre and 4120 acres of mixed agricultural and pastoral land at Ci 7s Ud nor acre.

A cheap remedy for mite*, and one nio-t farmers have at hand, is vinegar. Put it on with a sprayer. Two quarts in a ten-quart pailful of water will help a lot in ridding tin' premises ul ihese pests. " J/'ghonis are really prnlitalile when considered from the si midpoint of egg production. They have been called

•• natural lnyi-rs."' an.! it is :m a]ii leim, for they arc very profitable for the production "I an abundance of ejifjs. Tlu- >.iit.-i-i-.-- of tin- poultry industry .locs not dopi-nd on tin- lew: it- future is in the hands of tin- multitude of producers. Ivcp tlli' fowl- active and bii-y. One tlii'in to scratch at if there is no natural seiaU'liiii". {.'round in their Village settler- have ample opportunities to siieeeed ill poultry-kecpinc: the profitable varieties should lie kept. lloii't overfeed poultrv unless yon want to fallen for tin. 'tal.le. l-'ai is iml in keeping with eirn. production.

tin every farm there are the main item- of industry—the horses, cattle, sheep, dairy, root crops, nraiu crops and so forth, which claim, and rijihtly -o. the attention of th" fanner: lint ill addition to these there lire certain by-products which may lie sourceof [iriilit. or would lie if they received attention in common with the more important branches on the faun. Fur instance, then- is the fruit—the product of the farm orchard. In favourable districts the orchard pays as well as any part of the farm, vet it is the most noejected, and the only explanation one can «ive U that fruit'is treated as a byproduct lather than a crop. With hi- wonderful appetite and dipowo-.- i| is the of foils' to keep the pie on ,-hoii ration-. To command -., «„„d price the drauejn horses must move well, and iuii-1 have vood leiiMth and of -Iriile.

The inechanieal action of lime on heavy clay lands is an important aid to fertility, eausiu- the soil to become friable and therebv divine; free a.cc-s to air and water.

Anything i- a true fertiliser whieh causes n |,|- U it in , n ;ike more vigorous jirowlli and yield a better crop: and lime does (his in a twofold mumier---cheinically and mechanically. Ilur.se manure contain* less waler Ilia" cattle ni.iniire. It ferments easile. and hence is called a ipiick inanure. ]!ccau-e of ils rapid fermentation it ea-il.v becomes dry and lires. T„ ,„,.. vent this, hor-e inanure, when in piles, should be kept very compact and muist. -Mixinj.' lior.se manure with cow manure will aid in preserving j t and contrihuti' to the value of both for iienoral purposes.

It may lie of interest to farmers in the district to know that the propcrtv on the Darling Downs, Queensland, known as St. Helen's, which, it was re- \ ported by cable, had been purchased hv the lion. .1. 1). Orniond. of Hawke's Hay, is situated six miles from Pittswoith and thirty miles from Toownomba. It contains eighteen thousand acres, and is -üb-divided into twentv paddocks, with homestead. wool-l,e,|. and drafting yards, eic. The stock comprises twentvfoiir thousand sheep, four hundred cattle and fifty horses, and it is said thai M.tlcr can lie obtained at shallow depths on any part of the estate. It is worthv of mention that the station brand o'l in oval-has topped lblirisbaiie wool market fur (be past seven years. The pric paid f,„- ,]„. ].„ l K!ts Uiiil.iiiin. with -lock at valuation. It h ireely rumoured that another large llawke's |!ay squatter, well known in racing circles, who accompanied the lion. ■I. )). Drnuiiid t,. Queensland, has purchased a lariie date.