FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 96, 18 September 1914, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY.

A WOOD OR IRON WASH. A correspondent asks us to publish the following for general information, the clipping having heen taken from the Sydney .Morning Herald: All materials exposed to changes of wealher are liable to speedily decay unless protected by a coating of some material impervious to air, water, or the hot rays of the sun. For outside work, a coating of the mixture given herewith applied to any modern structure has, as the result of experiment, proved less expensive, more easily applied, more durable, more generally efficacious, and a better preservative against dilapidation than oil and lead paint. The principal utensil required is a fairly large-sized iron circular-shaped vessel. The ingredients, quicklime, clean rendered fat, iind a large strong whitewash brush. The <) uanlity of lime can be estimated according to the area to be covered, the fat of an equal or about the same weight as the lime. Across the upper edge of the vessel lay two stout iron rods, or bars, sufficiently far apart to sustain a thickly perforated sheet of iron, or quar-ter-inch mesh of strong iron wire-netting, in which to lay the fat. Put the lime at the bottom of the tub and pour on it water to slake it; while slaking the heat : will melt the fat, and cause it to drip, and mingle with the lime. While the < mixture is in a semi-liquid state, about i the consistency of thick cream, throw in- • to it a few handfnls of coarse salt and a < few pieces of common glue and any col- 1 oring matter to secure the color desired. A piece or two of washing blue will in- I crease the whiteness. Any colored ochre \ or aniline dyes will impart the color de- r sired. The mixture should be. well stir- I red, while in a boiling stale, to thor- > oitghly mingle the different ingredients. a Apply it with the -brush to the surface j :

to be covered while it i s hot. The mixture can with advantage lie applied to galvanised iron roofing, iron structures, or stationary parts of machinery, gates! etc. NOTES. From both north and south reports are received of good lambing results. In IVaverley and the surrounding districts 'the percentage is likely to be very high, as quite a large number of twills are to be seen. It is stated that in the Sandon district crossbmls are averaging up to 120 per cent. In conversation with a prominent stock buver, a Wangauui Chronicle reporter was informed that fat cattle were pretty hard to get just now, and that the prices wore likely to be increased, at least temporarily. Some largo lines of beef cattle, he said, had been bought up a few ✓eeks ago. Returns that have recently been received go to show that, thanks to the higher prices ruling for meat at Home, the I'atea Freezing Company mav expect a surplus of some .01500 above what had been anticipated. The last ship- [ ment of 400 carcases netted ."id for fores and Gd for hinds. Canned meats also : brought in some 10s in excess of ruling prices.—Press. ,

Farmers are concerned about oversea freight for their produce. An early season is practically assured, and freights now in sight are not nearly sufficient to cope with the cargoes offering. The s'teimer Remuera has bad such a demand made upon its carrying capacity that the agents were compelled to shut out cargo some time back. That the farmers at least of New Zealand will not suffer financially bv the war is now generally accepted. At the meeting of the Wanganni Co-operative Dairy Co., the managing director, "Mr. 0. X. Baggctt, referring to the coming season and the present European crisis, expressed the opinion that the dairy in-

dustry could weather the storm better than any other trade. Reliable information iiad been received to the effect that good prices would likely obtain for our butter and cheese. There was not the slightest doubt that, thanks to the British Navy, the trade routes will be kept open, and though the shipping may not be so regular as in normal years, and factories may not be able to realise as promptly on their produce as they have been in the habit of doing, the financial institutions of this country could be relied upon to grant every possible assistance to dairy factories.