FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 42, 30 May 1910, Page 7

FARM AND DAIRY

TURNIP BLIGHT. In the course of the discussion at the Farmers' Union meeting at Eltham last week on turnip blight, Mr. Virgin (Tarata) said 'he had found the Champion variety turn out the test crop this season, and Mr. Mackie mentioned that a crop he had sown on 25th January turned out well, the roots being sound as a rule and unaffected by blight, but unfortunately he could not recall the name of the seed, though he had it at home. Another delegate said he found t&at some turnips manured with superphosphate had all rotted, while some to which bonedust 'had ibeen applied were very good. Mr. Burgess said he sowed Champion seed in the middle nf December, drilled in with 2cwt. bo;,. ..us« and y 2 cwt. basic slag. It looked a very good crop until the spell of hot weather set in. A great deal depended this season upon the wme the seed was sown, and what was a suitable time this season might not prove suitable another year. The rotten turnips were generally found' where bonedust and basic slag were used; whern basic slag or lime was used there was less tendency to blight. He believed in the assistance to be obtained from the Government experts. Mr. Lambie said there was something in the choice of the right manure «s well as the seeu. He had got turnips which were not rotten through using Ijasic slag. Mr. Marfcll believed th.it if a greater amount of lime were used it would correct the trouble to a great extent. He referred to an instance in which early ■sowing resulted in a good crop. Another delegate believed that the blight was caused by a parasite, and it was increasing every year. The rcascri, in his opinion, was that the winters -were too mild. What Taranaki wants, he added, is a good, severe winter. (Laughter). Mr. Hunter remarked that in making experiments farmers should see that the land occupied by the different plots was /similar. Paddocks were often harder near the fences than in the middle, ovvdng to traffic, and were also richer in animal manure. In the matter of experiments and tracing diseases »e thought the Government was doing good work. The Department was always willing to investigate these matters, and the Union might help very much by collecting through the branches all the data available.

At the conclusion of the discussion, which the delegates considered very instructive and interesting, Mr. Virgin, who had brought the matter up, said it had been brought out that the use oi superphosphate tended to produce rotten crops and that the use of basic slag appeared to be preferable.—Argus.

The dairy factory figures for the month of April show a marked falling off when compared with, previous months. For April, Ha.wera will pay out £3274. The amount of butter-fat received was 78,583Lb5. Normanby suppliers took to their factory 29,4341bs ol butter-fat and they will receive among them £1220. Molls factory received 21,9091bs of butter-fat and the milk cheque will total £912. All the payments will be at the rate of lOd per lb.

A change from sheep farming' to dairy farming is taking place in some parts of Canterbury. Mr. Donald McLean, a big runholder at Methven, is one of the latest recruits and it is reported that he has found it more economical to bring 400 cows all the way from Taranaki to Canterbury than to buy locallv. 'The prices of cows in Canterbury range from £9 to. £lO per head. During the course of his speech at the Farmers' Union 'banquet at Marton, the j Hon. T. Mackenzie said with regard to Moumahak farm he was almost afraid to mention that name. He had instructed Mr. Gillanders to reduce the expenditure to not more than £IOOO over receipts. That had not been done, and Mr. Gillanders had left. Then lately they had a man employed there, writing under twenty names to fifty newspapers, I and saying that the place was going to the dogs'. The Minister sakl he certainly had stopped experiments in fruit-grow-ing, costing' £SOO to produce fruit worth £3O. What they wanted on the experimental farms, wa's better value for their money. It seemed almost impossible to get good government under present conditions. Every step for reform was met with outpourings of letters and protests, which seemed almost irresistible. Mr. Mackenzie asked them to trust the Ministers a little, or, if they were not to be trusted, to turn them out, but not to protest about every separate step.