FARM AND DAIRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 326, 13 June 1911, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY

Perfect cleanliness is the keynote to success,

I Overcrowding retards growth as much ) as unintelligent feeding. Remember that chickens will not thrive | if infested with parasites. i Keep up the supply of green food; it | is invaluable at this season. I Chickens raised on dry food must have wiitcr by them constantly. Ninety-nine out of every hundred horses that turn out vicious become so ; through vicious training rather than from inheritance. Phosphorus, potash, nitrogen, and other I fertilising elements must exist in the soil in the right proportion to produce normal yields. Rotation of crops not only benefits the soil, but greatly contributes to the destruction of ravenous insects which prey upon the crops. Not a few farmers in Rhodesia go in for pigs, which are found to do very well, and are marvellous gleaners after the maize crop is harvested. A man needs much more skill and in telligeiiee properly to manage the horses and cows of the farm than Hie engineer docs to run a locomotive. Mr. J. Horrell, of Tc Tua (Southland) expects to lift a crop of 300 tons of potatoes this season. Mr. Horrell is the largest potato-grower out west, Mr, James Patrick, of Outram, intends to test the Victorian market in Junfi with some high-priced Clydesdales. The shipment will comprise from 15 to 20 colts, and the same number of mares and fillies.

Careful management of the dairy cow is always rewarded. This may be disputed. It M-ill.be endorsed by those who understand the cow.

Directly one of the cows shows any signs of being out of order separate her from the rest of the herd. It may be nothing, and it may be a serious trouble. It is little particles of cow-dung whicli find their .way into the milk that do more harm than all the dust. Care should be exercised to keep these out of the Bucket.

Fresh water should be kept in a shaded position. Hot water means bowel trouble to poultry. Chicks require food that is really nourishing. hi warm weather the roosting houses should be thrown open so as to give plenty of ventilation.

Don't think there is a fortune in poultry, but remember there is a good source of income from the poultry yard. Chickens will scratch for' food in litter as readily as the adult stock, and will reap more benefit from the exercise thus provided.

Every agricultural crop removes a certain percentage of plant food elements from the soils, which must be restored with natural fertilisers if normal crop yields are to be maintained. It is estimated that of butter consumed in the 'United Kingdom about 53 per cent, is imported, and of cheese about m per cent., while 55 per cent, of the eggs consumed are also imported. The destruction of weeds is but a secondary object of cultivation. The greater benefits are in the improvement of the physical condition of the soil and the retention of moisture. Do not attempt to feed and rest the horse at noon .with his harness on. A man might as well think to enjoy his dinner by sitting down to it with his overcoat, hat, and gloves on. The experiment of buying Irish horses for the Belgian army has proved a success, and the .-Belgian Minister for War has appointed a fresh officers' committee to purchase another 200 horses in Ireland.

hen a horse's neck or hack becomes sore do not be content with rubbing on a salve, but look for tlie cause of°the trouble in wrongly-adjusted harness. Remove the cause, and this will help greatly to prevent the result.

Next year's harvest will depend somewhat on how this year's harvest was taken off. The farmer who selected his seed grain will benefit thereby. Cows must, be kept clean and healthy and have "pure air to breathe and then they will return a volume of rich, nutritious milk in paying quantities. Finlay Dun ("Veterinary Medicines") in dealing- with the general actions of salt, says: So essential are the regular and frequent use of salt for the maintenance nf health that animals, especially vegetable, fepders, in a state of nature instinctively travel 'marly miles to saline springs, the sea shore, or incrustations or beds of salt.

The English paper Dairv savs: Danish agricultural circles and butter export firms are greatly exercised about the Icomplaints, unpleasantly frequent, of English buyers'concerning the gradual lowering in the quality of Danish export butter. At first the Danish dairies were inclined to disregard the complaints, but since there is rotten in the state- df" :Dani'sh dairy production, a commission lias been appointed of producers and 'exporters for the purpose of testing the complaints'and to advise improvements.

In order to 1 produce our own horses, it is necessary to 'acquire a knowledge of the horse, the class desired, and°how to breed it, also the principles of feeding. Stock : farming' broadens business and social contacts, confers leadership on its followers, and anchors them to the laud. It produces the highest grade of rural' citizenship. 'No other type of agriculture equals it in opportunities and distinguished responsibility. The dairy bull should be strong in chest, shoulder and limbs, showing vigor and .prepotency, good depth of body, strong back, high flank, in-curving thigh, no beefsteak; high pelvic arch and age will both sway a bull's back. In selecting a bull -from pedigree the performance and not the names of the ancestors is what equnts, and performing ancestors should not be too remote." The time has come when.fairly good bulls can be bought with, good pedigrees. If the sire is onu.half, the, herd, as wc so often hear, why, Hum, ,is he.not worth in money the value of the other half? An English paper says:—The enhanced value of stock, in consequence of the world's consumption having outgrown the supply, is focussing attention on the necessity of increasing the number of our herds and Hocks. For this purpose, a richer and more plentiful hay crop is an important factor, and thus we find that not only in this country, but on the

Continent of Europe and in America, f farmers are taking more interest in the improvement of their hay land and pastures, while agricultural stations are I allowing by cxpei intents the effect of the / j judicious employment of fertilisers. A i ero;) well grown and manured should I yield at least two tons of hay to the I acre, whereas the average yield of the permanent hay lands in England is about 23cwt. ami in America 21c\vt. in Germany the average is a little higher than in this country, and in France tin* average i.s somewhat lower. If the hay crop throughout the world could be doubled, what enormously increased agricultural wealth it would mean, and yet it .would not be difficult to accomplish. Vn the United Kingdom there are about 0,000,000 acres of permanent hay lands mid about 21,000,000 acres of permanent pasture land, in addition to about 0,000,000 acres devoted to rotation grasses. Every individual farmer should make an effort to increase the produce of the land under his control, as there is every inducement, because good grass lands are the foundation of a farmer's prosperity, enabling him to keep more stock and avoid heavy expense on artificial foods, while the extra supply of farmyard manure will enrich the fields devoted to cereals and root crops. _ r