FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 175, 28 August 1909, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY.

ORGANISING A FARM. To some men a farm is merely a rude, rough abiding-spot for them and their family fur a lew year# till they cai move to ;iuother oi like character, or till they uie. There is no other idea in their mind, and there is no other out* come of their hands. To others, a farm i» a centre around winch group large possibilities. It is a place for the buildlug of a hume irom winch radiates light and warmth for all the better elements j oi worthy character. It is a place forthe exerc-ise oi a noble all'ection lor wife, children, animals;, orchard, lields, and' ah. Children uuru in such a home earn with them ail tlieir lives the fondest ol recollections ana the impulse of a tine, manhood. If we look over such a farm, and there are thousands of them, we 1 will liud in every instance that hero lives a man who has the power to or« gautse lurees to their best expression. | Such a man lives a rich life, even though I it may not bring him public acclaim and recognition. Ills children, his buildings, iliis ani'iuais, even his crops, "rise up 10 call hiin blessed," and he is blessed. There is uu sense of the favor of heaven and the icspeet of men that can com-, {•are with u. There is uo spot on earth] wncic so much can be done that will | bring lading oatislaetiou to the souls; ui men lor fi o little expense as oa a ! lanu. CATTLE IX ITALY. j ' Accepting oliieial estimates a s correct, the va.ue oi the cattle existing in Italy is approximtcly £88,000,000, including only the bovine races, and with regard to that large amount of national capital it is computed that about one-fourih is comprised in Southern Italy. Diseas* prevails to a regrettable extent among cattle in that country; tuberculosis js irequent, foot-and-mouth disease is a serious trouble, and anthrax far too common. Not loug ago, for example, there was a severe outbreak of the foot-and-mouth pest, • alTecting Lombardy more particularly, when the loss in that province alone was calculated at A' 200,000. Taking one year with another, the average loss to Italy caused by disease of cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, and domestic animals generally amounts to about £BOO,OOO. This figure is said to be about a quarter of the annual !ose fiom the same cause in Germany, and less than half that suffered yearly in France. J J

SUNFLOWER-GROWING.

Tn spite of the fact that the sunflower 1 (ilehanthus annus) grows almost to pertection with little trouble in this couw' try, the economic advantagC6 of its cultivation do not sec Ulto have received proper consideration. One of the most valuable constituents of the plant is the oil, which exists in lavgc quantities in the seed, 'ihis oil is formed by direct synthesis in the process of growth, and docs not extract, to any material extent, he fertilising constituents of the soil. Russia is one of the principal growers of the sunflower for commercial purposes ?™> a nlmn ally « !?P 01 '. 16 to England alone 1,1)00,0001b of the oil extracted from th» seeds. I n America, and also in Spain and other countries of Europe, the seeds sue mostly used for poultry-feedimr. they are eaten with avidity by all kinds of poultry, and arc admirably suited for tat toning birds for the table. The seeds are also used for their condimental and medicinal properties. The oil is palatable without any refining, and is suitable aad acceptable for salad-dress-ing purposes. Chemical analysis has ""own that oil cakeg prepared from the iesiduum of the seeds after crushing have a lugh nutritive value, quite equal if not superior to that of flax and of cotton-seed cakes, such as more commonly used for cattle food.

THE SPECIAL COW.

The special-purpose cowdoee not necessarily mean a purebred cow, but she must be a descendant uf a purebred -.ire W the special-purpose type. Dairyman highly-graded cows which are descendeau hope for just as good success with ants from sires whose dams were specutv purpose cows. No up-to-date dairyman will be found guilty of maintaining a graded sire in his herd. If the small dairyman cannot afford to own a purebred sire by all means let him co-oper-ate with his neighbors and secure the very best animal possible—not necessarily a show animal or one that may possess fasluouable coloring, but an animal that claims for a dam a heavy-pro-ducing cow, and this character 'trace I'hrough the ancestral line as far back as possible.

Save the best sows for breeders, but no not use them too young. . A little soot spread over the soil heroic onion seed is sown will prove benelicial.

No one need fear that his mental or physical activity will suffer on a farm. It will give a horse great comfort and rest if the harness is removed at noon while he is feeding. _ It is natural for jiigs to root, and it is profitable to let them do so under certain proper conditions. The whole essence of tile successful Keeping of a held of dairy cows is the question of weighing and watching the milk records. ltccords and accounts pertaining to farm management are just as necessary to profitable up-to-date fanning method's as bookkeeping is in any other kind of business. Attention to the feet of young liovses is one of the points in earing for them which is frequently pajd very little attention to. Cracks in the hoof arcjioc uncommon, especially in horses that have hoofs of coarse texture, and a few minutes' work with pincers before lameness is caused will prevent the animal trom being laid aside for some time. v . v > Wairarapa's big apiarist, will haye 110 less than between twelve and thirteen hundred hives going this season. (Jut of one group of three hives ust season, he informed a Wairavapa ro l ,ort^l ' ; he took about aUUIb of lioni\v, 0110 ui Lhu hives containnig 3001b. .Several seasons ago he took from a yard of luo hive, an average of from each hive, or a loial of i'A lons. but it is not. he concluded, Jill profit by any manner of means. It is not too much, the New Zealand Uairyman thinks, to say lliat never before has this Dominion entered 011 a i.airying season under .more favorable I li'euiiistauces. The season just passed lias in many instances beeii a record in many respects, but the more importL int fact is that it was followed bv the most favorable winter known to tiie proverbial ''old col mist." Figuratively speaking, it may* be said lliat there has I'i'cn practically no winter weather, and tile result is that the cows will he com■»i! into profit in good condition and lit! lor a record season's work. So far ' lliei. as 111,, prospects al the farmer's •■ml o| the business are concerned, thev! ..re of the rosiest, u-ul I In- outlook in i i.'gard to the market is at any rate well normal. 1

Last year Auckland exported a record quality of butter, a total <if 42113 tons valued „t £408.11.11), which, compare,' with the total of !>IO tons for 1111)0, was more than satisfactory, but the season now commencing promises lo see that iceord put in the shade. After an ex-t.-aordiaarily mild winter, duriii"- which dairying operations i„ the province never really ceased (says the Auckland Meiald) the spring is opening with abundance of forage throughout the country, and 111 consequence dairy factories are already getting l msv . Th( , b in . j «f next .month will the industry t : lull swing again; indeed, had there "'.'en due attention paid to the value of " 'hee-fccding. dairying would have j ' ■vied on snlliciently to supply'al l ! ' . :ets during the winter without recourse to storage. Cows arc coiniii" ia al'cady. and several of the Imlter factories will be in full operation befow tile end of tins mouth. The private oiler of £SOOO towards the purchase of laud for eslahlishi'i" an experimental farm in Wairarapa and an ailditioii.il £loim for a milking herd IS lo lie 'he subject of a deputation' trom the \\ a i rain pa T. and A. Society I to the Hon. T. .Mackenzie (Minister oi l Agriculture) next week. The general rural prospect in Ails- I j tralia is declared to have never been ' more favorable. Wool-sorting classes are Wins started this week at Pa tea and \Vnvevb-v. Classes will probablv be also established at llawera and Kltliain. 'I he Xireaha Cheese Company will pay out Is 01/jil for the past «ea=on's butterfat. The average tes-t was 3.81. The Hongokokako cheese factory will also pay Is O'/.d f„t fat siipolied duriii" last season. The factory will reopen in the first week of next month. ' The prices paid for the pa.-t season's but tor-fat. liv hvn of the loading butter ; companies in Victoria was 11.02 d ail! 1 ll'/ail. i

Fannoi-i in tl" 1 I-V.Ttliorston district a oorro<no!'(! ( . u t of thp Cartorto-.i nail.T Ncus. arc going j n f or extensive Lroc-pla ntni'jj.