FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 110, 25 September 1912, Page 7

FARM AND DAIRY.

FOLDER VALUE OF POTATO-TOPS, For some time past experiments and tests have been conducted by the Nutriment Department of the Institute for Zymo-technical industry at Berlin, with Uie object of ascertaining the nutritive value of potato-tops. The result is that dried tops of potatoes have been found to possess value as fodder equal to that of good meadow hay. The prevailing idea that potato-tops disagree wi'li animals proves, it is stated, to be prejudice, which may now be regarded as removed. Owing to the thickness of its stock, the potato-top must be dried by special procedure, but it is considered possible that the means employed to dry roots, potatoes or grain may be available in this case, too. In view of the fact, however, that some two and a-half to three million tons of potato-tops, worth from ten to twelve and a-half million pounds sterling, can bo thus utilised in Germany as fodder, it is confidently believed that the requisite new plant will soon be supplied by the agricultural machinery industry.

BRANDING OF CATTLE. The value of care in little things is demonstrated in a striking fashion liy some facts recently put before the New South Wales Minister for Agriculture by a deputation from the leather trade. The deputation wished to emphasise tin; loss to the State caused by the (iic-bruuding of hides. They estimated tlint the depreciation caused by this branding was from half-a-crown to three shillings per hide, or £IOO,OOO per annum for the whole State. One member of the deputation spoke of brands as "huge as signboards," and exhibited specimens that had been burned right through by letters 'eighteen inches long. Australian hides were declared to be the worst in the world in this respect. The representative of a Californian company said he had come to Sydney to buy hides, but after £300,000 worth had been purchased, the trade had to be discontinued, owing to the way in which the hides were damaged. Manufacturers in California gave a dollar.more for hides branded low down than for hides marked in the usual way. English tanners put the depreciation at a still higher figure, estimating that Australian bides fetch 5s to 7s Gd less on account of ■'branding. The great difficulty in the way of improvement is the big cattle-grower, who sells cattle on the hoof, and does not care whether or not the hide is spoilt. He wants to, be able to identify his animals easily and quickly, so he uses a big brand, and putsit where it will he most conspicuous. It is interesting to see that the deputation held up New Zealand hides practice as a good example to he followed, mentioning that New Zealand hides always fetched more than Australian.

THE NEEDS OF LUCERNE. Regarding the needs of lucerne, the Agricultural Gazette says, we could almost sum the matter up in four words — lime, drainage, humus and inoculation. Perhaps we have given these in the order of their relative, importance. Lime is necessary on soils not naturally of limestone formation, or filled with limestone pebbles. The importance of this is impressed on us more and more each year; in fact, wc believe to-day that there have been more failures throughout, the (United States on account of insufficient, lime in the soil than from any other cause. Then as to drainage, there is no use in planting lucerne on any soil where water may he found at a depth of less than three feet. The lucerne may gfow all right until its roots strike this water, but then it will die. Fertile soils contain enough humus. Impoverished soils may be so deficient that special preparation must be made before lucerne can possibly succeed. Where stable manure is not available on impoverished soils- we could recommend preparation for lucerne one or two years in advance, growing such crops as crimson clover, nitmmoth clover, cow peas or soya heans, and preferably turning them under or else pasturing them off, so as to give the soil the greatest benefit possible from tlem.