FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 284, 24 April 1911, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY

NEWS AND NOTES. Whatever a man soweth that should ' he well harrow in before the birds get the seed. This is especially true of wild oats. When necessary the hair about the udders and tails of the cows should be clipped, in order that they may more easily be kept clean. The man who leaves his machinery lying about the place whe,n it is not in use is one of the profit-makers for the machine-builders. The natural place for a horse is in the open air, anil if he is confined in a stable it should be well ventilated and have plenty of light.. '' t If the marc's and the stallion's predecessors have produced good 'CQltsc. and fillies they are all the more valuable for breeding purposes. One mistake many dairymen make is that of allowing their cows to get started down grade before they begin feeding supplemental food. Too much has been said about the ability of goats as weed-destroyers. It . is true they will clean up a pasture, of coarse weeds, and so will sheep. It is simply wasting money to put a worn-out, aged marc to a good horse. There is not the vitality in the dam to do.the sire justice in the result. ; Variety in food and plenty, of exercise are essential to. the, profitable breeding of pigs for sale. - .• " ! ■ Treat the calf as a baby, as it is really nothing else. The more of a pet the better the animal. Rape crops and. pasture, lands appear to have a partiality for bone manures, where they are applied. A healthy growing condition of the system of the sheep is shown by a bright oily 'condition of the.'fleece. To teach a steady, fast walking gait is one of the most important points in the training of a work horse. A profitable flow of milk once allowed to go down by default cannot be regained until the cow again freshens. Good farmers are agreed that after a journey of ten miles with a load horses should be given a rest and a feed. The boar should never be closely related to the sow. His body should be shorter and much more compact. The farmer who is not going anywhere is mostly always the man who is in the biggest hurry to get there. The purebred boar on good-bred sows will within three years produce fine animals if careful selections are made. One of the most important branches of the business of the dairy farmer is in the raising of his heifer calves; that is where his future profits arc. It is waste of time and temper to persevere with a cow which is a poor doer at the pail; usually she is not good anywhere but at the feed trough. In buying a ram, if you do not know a good' one. when you see it, put your faith in the judgment of someone who does, but who has none to sell.

When selecting a well-bred mare, observe that the hair of the mane and tailis fine and perfectly straight. Wavy or coarse hair denotes bad blood. It appears from observation and experiment that cows with the most high-ly-strung nerves are, as a rule, the best milkers. Much impracticable experimental work must often be done before the practicable can be disassociated from the impracticable. When buying an expensive sow look over her to see fhat she has the full dozen teats, all well-formed and not too small or obscure. The farmer who has taken note of the seasons and their products on his land knows pretty well what the ground is short of. » The bull should be of a thoroughly robust constitution. This has always been a rule to which no exception can be allowed, and in these days of the tuberculin test it is more 'imperative than ever. . An undeveloped property, such as that of secreting milk, may lie trained-and expanded until in each suceeding generation it becomes stronger and stronger as a tendency in the direction of heredity. The giving of rich milk, and a fair quantity of it, or in doing badly in one or both, is for the most part a matter of each cow's own individual capacity. It is an endowment of nature that 'is susceptible of development under favorable conditions. The American farmers are said to be projecting a great pig-breeding campaign for this year, the great maize crop supplying the food. The making of good butter begins with the care of the cows, and is followed »P until the butter is placed on the market. How many mistakes in matin" have already come to light, it is bound to crop out. always show up where correctness is not noticed. We should take note of our ma tings that produce the best and profit by past experience in making our next mating!. In potato culture, manures setting up an alkaline reaction should be avoided, since they facilitate the attack of the fungus causing potato scab. A dirty pig is n reproach to its owner, •"id a dirty pig-pen is a standing iuvita<'on. to all manner of diseases to enter and spread themselves all over the farm. luiealyptus is sai.l to be ait excellent cure for influenza in horses. The method ot application is to saturate a strip of soft cloth with the oil and lie it around the bit. Where it is possible to arrange for it, the cattle on the farm should'have access to the water at all times. There is then less risk of their drinking too much when thirsty. Breed something "classy." Nondescripts are nearly always at a discount. Ft is the top-notcher, excelling in a certain class, or for a certain purpose, that lines the breeder's pocket. The sum of £2OO for a Clydesdale

mare i.s said to have been refused the other day by Mr. Win. Waddell, of, "Roughcraig Farm." Waikaka Valley,' the oiler having been made by an Australian bnver. '