FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 206, 20 August 1908, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

Ihe collection and preservation of larmyard manure should not be neglected during tins month. The solid portion ot the animals' excrement contains most "I the phosphoric acid, and (he liquid and straw used for bedding nearly ail the potash. Ihe -liquid also contains the most nitrogen, and the straw hardly any. Ileuce the necessity of getting the straw lo take up as much as possible of tile liquid manure, and the necessity also ot supplying sullieient straw, either in bal<' or yard, to ell'ect this purpose. J lie lolly of drawing away the liquid, which i.s twice the value of the rest, if, therefore apparent, and all the spouting round the byre should be attended to. It would repay farmers to give those poults their best attention.

Jleans anil peas should, be more cultivated with us than they are at present—they form an admirable food in a concentrated form for use along with chair and roots, and in the event of shortage a little goes a long way. Some larmcrs (says Hie Olago Witness) prefer'to get, nearer the spring before sowing them, but if is. quite safe to sow now. 'they ought to have.good rich soil and a sunny position; sow- three luches deep and not too thick, and till.: soil very ljinu along the bottom of the rows before sowing. This ensures a sturdy growth. This is a good time to remedy neglected and gappy fences; and attend to hedges that occupy far too much space and keep the sun oil' a considerable strip of the crop. The laying or planting of new quick hedges should also be attended to. Ditches and watercourses should Jiave been cleaned out long ago, but there

'are some conditions so deleterious to growth that they might be described as poisonous,, and allowing stagnant, water oil the land is one of these. No soil can be got into good order if the water cannot pass gradually and with comparative ease through it, and this can only be done if the water can reach tne drains, and they are kept clean enough to run it off.

A warning is given to farmers who are thinking of deserting New Zealand for Queensland. Mr. tl. Wratten, who has a farm in the King Country, recently returned to his home after spending three months in the Darling Downs district. lie. went to see if he could make satisfactory arrangements to sell his New Zealand property, and take up a Queensland farm, lie says that dear land in Now Zealand is tetter than cheap land in Queensland. Fanners engaged in dairying in Queensland have to depend principally on lucerne crops for feed for their cows. The black soil, and great, growth of grass in a good season is very alluring to the

average farmer, but he prefers to give £'2o an acre for land in the Dominion rather than go over there and take the great risks of giving £8 and £lO per acre.

Mr. W.. Froggart, the New South Wales entomologist, who has been on

a world tour of investigation of orchard pests, has gained no evidence of the reliability of parasites. He thinks orchardists had better stick to spraying and fumigating, and let the parasites help. Jlr. Froggart states that millions of mangroves are the home of the fruitlly in India, and Ceylon, the Indian species of the fly being the same as the Queensland.

The first ploughing match in the AshImrton district for fully twenty-live years was held recently in a 20-acre. paddock, under the auspices of the A. and l\ Association. The farmers of the district took the matter up very warmly, and voluntary subscriptions came in freely. Close 011 a thousand persons were present. Twenty 'teams t'ompetod. They comprised seventy-two horses. The. land ploughed was in crop last year, and the sub-soil was a little toj free, and had been too well worked for many years past to enable, the contestants to give an exhibition of the. oldtime ploughing work. Still, all the work done met with the firm approval of practical men. From eleven in the morning till four in the afternoon the big gathering of farmers, old and young, simply stood still at the headlands and watched with keen -pleasure the work which was being done. At (he Government Poultry Depot attached to the Auckland Freezing Works, Mr. T. F. I'jeihy, the grader, has quite a little museum' of extraordinary eggs which have come to the depot in the ordinary consignments from the country. The eggs range from the size of a pigeon's egg to nearly nil inch larger than the article usually served up for breakfast. The latter are, not even eggshaped, but can he laid, out llat. Then there are others with curious hieroglyphics 011 the outer shell, aud also duck eggs of various shades —from a tinted brown to a dark green. Mr. Fred Thouiason, late manager of the Westholm creamery, Wavcriey, has been appointed butter-maker at the Whenuakura dairy factory for the forthcoming season. As demonstrating the improvement that has occurred in the tone of the stock .market, it may be mentioned that a line of 250 two-tooth crossbred ewes, in lamb, was sold privately in Ashburttill recently at 24s per head. This price is a least (is per head better than ruling rates two months ago. _ Two farmers succeeded ill guessing the exact weight of the largest bullock at a fat stock show held at Wadhurst, Tunbridge Wells. The weight was 85st (lib.