FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 131, 27 October 1914, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY.

SULPiiUH lit AGRlCCl.Tfi.ji. ITS MAN'bTJAL VALUK The \\lute rsland eruption tiin .v,-, attention to sulphur as a JmiitM-r. At tho Ruaikura State Farm qi.iie ir.;,arkable results have been obtai;:.d v,m.i -nlpliur, in turnip-growing especiaii;.. ~s •to the value of sulphur .... nii . .i : r, theru is a n>vai diversity of s.lrii.nii; ojiiiuon, st/ine authorities huiiiui" tiie .view that it lias absolutely no mnitia.at value, while others quote expir.:.,. ;!t«l data which would seu'.n to indicate qulti; the reverse. The results of cxperiinems in various parts of the world are t«;idieting, nevertheless such are being prosecuted more widely th in ever, and even in New South Wan s some rather important ones are in piogrcss with a liquid form of sulphur, it may be that -tlio value of sulphur is childly as a soil disinfectant.

Tins week's mail from America brim's further support for tlie advocates ol' sulphur. That sulphur is of far imore importance as a fertiliser, ou sane soils at least, than has been supposed heretofore, is embodied in a 'report, by Professor F. V. lieinier, of Hid Southern t'regon Kxperiinent Jjtaliwi. He V-ales tnat experimental plots were es/.a-'blis-hed 011 a lucerne Ik-Id that 'had been g-ving unsatisfactory yields for several years. Two plots were fertilised with iiower of sulphur; one 'plot with iron iphospha'its; one p'ot with superphosphate; two plots with ground phosphate rock; and elieek plots receiving Ho fertiliser were left alongside the fertilised plots. The pi'ctfc receiving the ground phosphate roclc give no increase in yield over the uiumiliscd plots. The .piois rccei.ing hower of sulphur, iron suipnaa , and sii'pc;pHo3phate Had double the yieid of tho unfertilised plots, and the lucerne had a better and more thrifty sLand. Tlie fact that the plot treated with phosphate rock gave mo increased yieid, and Llial the yield of those treated with flower of sulphur, containing only the element-sulphur, equalled those treated with iron sulphate and superphosphate, containing sulphur and other elements, indicates to Professor lleiiner that the sulphur was the clement responsible for Hid increased yield in each case. Tlieso experiments grew out of Ow fact that they had found 011 some types of soil the yield of lucerne was increased from 25 to 500 per cent, by the use of either gypsum or superphosphate. They also found that these same soils seemed to show no increase in yield with the uso of potash, nitrogen, lime, or rock phosphate. As the two fertilisers producing increases contained sulphur, it was concluded that sulphur had been maligned, and the tests above recounted were then decided on. Professor Keimrr is of the opinion that sulphur will prow; cf less vaiiie on the most fertile soils,

i>nd states that tho most economical form in which to 'purchase sulphur is the crude powdered sulphur. Ronse cxpciimeutei's ITave held that sufficient sulphur was already in the soil, or was obtained in sufficient quantity from rain and the air to meet all the weds of the growing plant. Another investigator asserts that more recent and accurate methods of analysis show greater quantities of sulphur in plants and soils than most of the analyses formerly reported .

THE IiUTTEIt BUSINESS. POSITION IN AUSTIUUA. There are ccnaiiily (says the Sydney Morning Herald) some (pii-asing indications tl:at nuuh-noi'dcd steps will be taken to improve t>he butter business and the dairy industry generally. The sicp-i agreed upon by the late interstate conference of Ministers of Agriculture showed a determination to get to the main ro'c-t of the trouble, and by cwpulsory legislation to bring the incapable , dishonest or careless factory manager and the ignorant, dirty supplier, up to the mark. Until that is dune, of course, any change of general improvement is out of the vquestion. And it is an inescapable feature of the liuU.-r business and for that nia.ter any fund industry tli.it lists upon lilj export trade, tli.it the whole suffers for the fan ts of a part. It is necessary that, a gooi universal standard should In' maintained if a good reputation is j to be 'held. A comparand ly small per--1 (village cf infi riu? butter thirefore will I damage the good name of the Australian product in the markets abroad, i While the attitude of the (l iferent State 'Ministers is satisfactory, it is ob--1 vious also that a change has come over the leaders of the co-opcraiive niove--1 mint. Although apparently still op- ! posed to the compulsory grading of butter, they appear ready to accept compulI sory grading of cream and a general . supervision, the suggestion of which was ! (fiil'iicie.nt to raise a storm of protest in

j the past. Since .Mr Osborne, 'Uie coI'operative leader in Victoria, visited ' •/ in at Britain, and. Mib.-sequently r? j 'ported iqon the needs of the Imitev , business, there lias been a noticeable de- ' I'.artnre from the o'd "stand pjit* attitude. We. don't hear .so much now — 1 in fact, hear nothing of the, old c.ry against any inioi Terence, and' the claim that it should be left to the co-operative force, which had built up the indusLry, to guide its destiny and work out its improvement. TiiO truth, is that the margarine menace is a fac.Lor that has radically allernl tho position. It lias become obvious to responsible men in the industry that we must improve the general quality of our butter if we are to hold our own against margarine. At ipresent, whatever the future may hold, goo.l butter has riot much' to fear from this product, but the inferior article is simply wiped out. It iiwy be, as far as the markets oversea are concerned, that the. best of butter will be affected by the competition of the highest c'ass margarine. But at present our need is clear; the. general improvement of the industry. For that reason we have for years advocated compulsory giraaing of butter, because under that system the industry throughout la brought under supervision, and the many troubles and handicaps, on the farm, in the factory and in the, trade, are eradicated or replaced by better methods, Such reprehensible and damaging 'practices as "dipping the test" would speedily disappear. All the time, however, the reactionary section of tile co-operative force has vigorously opposed and condemned our attitude. Despite tlio evidence to the contrary, we were told even, that little, if any, "clipping the test" went on. In fact, it would almost have Appeared, at one time, that there was nothing wrong with t'iic industry, and the better position secured by the dairy farmers in Xew Zealand was simply a result of climatic conditions. I't is refreshing, as indicating ft broader and moro correct view, to read in the oflicial organ of the co-operative movement relutire to th# last conference:—

"TJib diawussioM on -the uplifting of (jiiajlity was a little one-sided because thfl question was looked at almost entirely from the factories' point of view, and! accusing to that meaily all the blame

1 r?sl« with the dairymen. It was asj'sumed limit, given frequent delivery and ; uasouably clean conditions on the farms, ; every factory Would turn out liist grade j butter. We are not sure that the as--1 sumption is justified by the fads. No ! doubt there is much to lie (lone in Ihe way of bringniig some dairymen irp to (he murk, but 'there are faults 111 factories as welt as on farms, and it is as necessary to remedy one as the other. As fur as the farms are concerned the factories can do a gnat deal to bring about belter conditions. They have quite Ruilk-ient power if tliey care to exercise it to compel dairymen to do the right tiling. A great dial rests wuh tho manager, aaid many of them arc strong enough to get tilings dune as tliey want Lliein. lint some Managers have not their boards with them. In some cases we knuw directors themselves are the biggest offenders, and it is more than the posi'tikai of tho manager is worth to grade their cream should it be anything below first, it is not the question of losing a supplier, hut of losing one's billet, and most, men prefer to keep (their billet. This phase of the question was not discussed at the conference, but it careless and unclean dairymen are to lie penalised factories must be consistent and Include their own offending directors in whatever penalties are inflicted. If this were done we 'should soon see a marked improvement in the output of certain factories." We endorse these remarks. The fame tiling lias been repeatedly stated in these columns, and has aroused adverse comment, even on the part of the above authority. It is a good thing to find ' facts being now openly faced, and we may yet, hope that facts will compel recognition of the need for a, compulsory 'system that will not only meet the case of the "careless and 1 unclean dairymen," the factory manager who is afraid to grade his cream rightly and 'the directors (responsible for 'such dishonesty, but those who handle the butter after it loaves the factory. That is what' the compulsory grading system does in New Zealand, and what it would do here. Fortunately, reform., is in sight, and should support come from the great cooperative section of the industry, and there are signs and portents in thai direction, there can be no question as to the beneficial result. Th ■ rr.sti't will be beneficial no the industry in aiiv case, but the- path will be easier and' the jou.nev quicker in the co-ouc rat'ira of ■ the co-operatives is sccarid.—Exchange.

According to Mr Duncan Scot I. ii Ka--I'imi, who lias just reUmied from a t>ri|p 1o Australia, Oee'ong Harbor Board has reclaimed from the forcsliwc two or throe thousand acres of land, which it has graded, irrigated and bioupht u-.;der ft perfect sta«e of cuJUvation. ''the land is stocked wiblil a tine dairy herd of about 2W) cows, including; a picked herd of Ayrshire's. The labor-saving appliances are ail ! of tho most up-to-date I pattern, and the general methods of • operating the farm are of the mmst advanced type. -It is a perfect revelation to Joule at the nuu-him-rv. Tha milk i* J t ooled down to freezing point i.ii'inedii ately it Hows from tha cows' udders, and you see under your eyes the lumps of ice forming. The milking sheds and rln ir appointments are a marvel to the ordinary farmer—cleanl'ness, economy, | -'peed, elimination of waste, and the production of a perfoct article—it is all there with a completeness 'beyond' conception. The whole thing is an ed;icaI ion in dairying; buif tiair means money. The Hull's oil the favin and all of the very best strain; there is a rijjid and r-ystanatic application of the "testing process an<l every cow must prove 'lior righ'C to be there or she goes. The horses also are of the best stamp, and also it must ibe said, the accommodation piovklc-d for the men on the farm is everything that could he desired. The milk goes bv train no Melbourne every morning, 54 miles, the return bcim"? e( pial 2a Cd per lb buttc-r fat, or something over one shilling per gallon. fal '. #'» Mr Scott could learn the en'tcrprise was a decided success -finaiieiI ollv, hut 'he considers thai' it i* as yet | rather premature to pronounce decisively | on it in that respect.—'Witness.