FARM & DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1915, Page 11

FARM & DAIRY.

MMB IN AGRICULTURE. The following article regarding lime for agricultural purposes by Mr. James long, formerly Professor of Dairy Farming at the Royal Agricultural College, and author of several well-known books relating to British farming, should prove of interest. The excerpt is taken from Mr. Long's article, "Soil—and what it will grow," and considering that local or colonial chemists point out that Taranaki soil is deficient in lime, I trust (says a correspondent) it will receive due consideration at the 'hands of fat mere:—

Limestone, which is not often pure, may be described as carbonate of calcium, or carbonate of lime. It supplies one of the most valuable of soil constituents of soil—lime. When burnt, the carbon is driven out and its place taken by oxygen. Quicklime, as it then becomes, is scientifically known as oxide of calcium. Slaked, by the addition of water, it becomes hydrate of calcium; left exposed to the air carbon is absorbed, and it reverts to its original condition of carbonate of calcium. It is a curious fact, but to the majority of the occupiers of soil, lime in any condition is lime; in other words, they accopt it and use it for their purpose whatever that purpose may be, whether it is in its fresh, newly-burnt condition, when it is highly caustic and capable of rapidly decomposing vegetable matte.*, or in its last condition when it is little better than chalk. For all practical purposes lime is of far greater value wnen it is practically fresh, and in this condition It is mixed with soil in a very well-kjown form and distributed upon the. land. To allow it to remain exposed to ran and air, if it is required for land dressing, is to pay for it at the lime-burner's price instead of at the price charged by the owner of a chalk-pit. Lime is a food for plants. It Is present in all plant life, and vegetation is practically :'mpcssible without it. Its alkaline action is of great value on sour soils, which are iwectened in each case. Plants of the better clehw are encouraged to grow, while those that flourish in an scid medium are discouraged and die off. It hao powerful influence in attracting moisture, and may for this reason be used on dry soils with advantage. Its influence upon the organic matter ol soil is well known. By its powerful decomposing influence it liberates the ammonia, which is at once available to the growing plant. A mixture of partially decomposed short manure with quicklime will immediately have the effect of liberating ammonia, which is palpable to the person making the experiment. It is extraordinary how small the quantity of lime is in some fertile soils, where it is present to the extent "of no more than from 1 to 3 per eent. It materially assists in improving the physical composition of clays and sands, and for this reason it may always be used with advantage if it can be obtained at moderate cost. It is a strange fact that although limestone may be present 1-elow the subsoil, yet the surface soil may of itself be poor or deficient in lime. In many soils it is extremely abundant, and the same remark applies to plants which, like those of the leguminous order, are unusually rich in this mineral constituent.

As showing the need for the use of lime the following table should prove of interest, and the author of the work which I quote states: The figures given will enable anyone who desires to take the trouble to calculate for himself the actual average quantity of each important soil constituent, together with the nitrogen, which is removed in the milk of a cow or per ton of milk per annum; and if these materials are priced at their market value, an almost accurate idea can be obtained as to the money value of the fertilising matter which, has been removed from the farm:—

Wheat 141 20.S lfi.B 5.2 .3 .5 2.0 7.9 0.1 0.3 Clover ill flower ' 800 4.S 13.7 4.4 .3 4.8 1.5 1.3 A A Beans 145 40.8 31.0 1 2.9 .3 1.5 2.2 1-2.1 1.1 0.2 !Pa«ture grass 7-82 7.2 21.1 S.l .3 2.G 1.2 1.9 .7 4.1 Potatoes 750 3.4 9.5 5.8 .3 .3 .5 1.6 ,S .2 Swedes 870 2.1 7.5 3.5 .4 .!> .3 1.1 .7 .1 Oat straw : - I>3 5.8 61.G 10.3 2.0 4.3 2.3 2.S 2.0 23.3

Water Nitrogen Ash Potash Soda Lime Magnesia Plios. Acid* Sulp. Acid Siliuiea Acid

I'Jllsici'j arc often heard to remark twit oats tnkis too much out of Die firt'Ur.J, SO possibly the figures will be of mtorcbt and show that there is a necessity for soil analysis as to lime quantity "'.lea intending to use that crop; the absence of lime possibly accounts for so many scraggy e,-ops 0 f oata one occasionally sees. Another table, based upon another and lower analysis, shows - 'l'Wntity of nitrogen, phosphoric acid ar.il potash (the three most important constituents of plant food) which are removed in a ton of each kind of dairy produce:— Xitrogen. Phos. Acid. Potash lbs lbs lbs Butter .. 2 7 1.58 1 0 Cheese .. 11-2.0 17.S.*> .a' 15 ™'<\v .. 2.72 ]. W 6i87 ■ ■ 32-02 4.50 2.55 i he scientific side of fanning, which tl'e younger generation can, happily, take advantage of per medium of tlie New 'Plymouth Technical College, Us experiment, and by its instructors, must open the way to jrcreased production, intensive farming and closer settlement, and the dissemination of information as contained in the above should cause the 0 der heads, vvlio are inclined to ridicule W-e work of the agricultural chemist, to pause awhile to reconsider matters. However, the above extracts may be of use. Black leaf mould (humus) will hold nine times as much water as sand, and three and &*lialf times as much as clay loam. This shows the value of ploughing in green manure to inereue the aumm,

NEWS AND NOTES. Many important industries depend for their profit on the by-products. An experienced potato-grower believes in changing the seed every two years. The value and use of sklm-milk are .matters of great importance to the dairymaa. We require to follow more economic methods of production, and to prevent soil-robbing.

• Hemus is the substance which contains the nitrogen, the most expensive of all elements of fertility.

Care must be taken in developing the constitution of heavy milkers along with their milking qualities.

The problem is not so much how to make poor spils reproductive as to keep good soils in a fertile condition.

The use of' artificial manures has taught us to value farmyard manure more highly, and to save it mora carefully- i

Koumiss is another blend of milk and alcohol, made from mare's milk by the nomads of the South Russian Steppes.

A fairly safe rule for telling the age of a cow is to count the rings on the horns, if horned, and add two to the number.

Ou skim-milk in rearing calves depends the improvement of all dairy cattle and this means the future prosperity of dairying.

Farmers at a bacon factory in New Zealand are given the option of selling their pigs by live weight or by actual dead weight.

In America the, distaste of labor for dairying is said to be because the hired man is expected to milk before and after his day's work is done.

In Sweden there are 062 cow-testing associations, and the increase per cow in the past nine years has been 31741b of milk and 1091b of butter.

The rotation employed at the Bathurst Experimental Farm is wheat or cereal crop once in two years, and a fodder for shtep during the alternative years.

A prominent Romney Marsh breeder testa his young sheep in a large swamp. Any sheep showing signs of footrot after detention on the swamp are called out.

Kephir is an alcoholic drink made from the milk of the cow, sheep or goat. It is produced by adding kephir grains to milk, which produces what enthusiasts call "milk champagne."

Underground tank water often gets a smell and taste through want of aeration. It is a good plan to pump for five minutes night and morning, and let the water run back into the tank.

When we see the vast difference in the cost of milk production of different farmers, we are forced to admit that the greatest problem before the producer is the study of economic production, Ir, the little State of Vermont (US.A.) it is stated that 85 per cent, of the farmers have silos. If this is correct, it is a pretty good showing, such as few, if any, of the other American States can present.

In a test of Holstein-Friesiau cows, Hoard's Dairyman reports sixty-four animals, of which one-half were heifers, produced in 323 consecutive days 821,C621bs of milk, containing 25,0531bs of butterfat, thus showing an average of 3.49 per cent. fat.

The average production of each animal in the Holstein-Friesian test was 12,8281bs milk containing 4471ba butterfut, equivalent to 5221bs of commercial butter, which makes a daily average for each cow of l.ftlbs commercial butter.

A cow, to be an economical producer, must have a temperament or disposition to change her feed into milk and butter, fat. This is the basic requirement, and, if lacking, no manner of feeding is capable of producing the most economical milk flow.

When weaned, the pigs should be kept growing. In spring and summer they should have green food, rye and clover, with ground oats and maize. Wheat, either soaked with water or ground, is also good. Keep the stomach and bowels healthy and there will be no disease.

Pure sheep are bringing good prices in the Old Country, according to the latest agricultural journals, mainly owing to the opening of South American ports. ' A flock of Dorset Horns, numbering 1000 head, sold very well. Sixtooth ewes sold up to £5, four-tooth ewes to £4 10s, while lambs realised from Ai Os to £3 12s. At the Royal soles, the first prize yearling Shropshire ram made 110 guineas—the top price.

The following is a good way lo keep mice out of haystacks:—Fence the stack iu with Oft sheets of corrugated iron, about 3ft in the ground, and fasten them together either with small bolts or nails on to framework erected next to the stack. ' A coating of coal tar will give a longer life to the iron in the ground. The iron should be erected round the stack immediately on completion, or when it is about hall-built.

One hundred years ago (1815) the imports of wool into Great Britain (states the Wool Record) consisted of 40,15-6 bales. Spain was the principal source of supply; with 24,049 bales; then Portugal, with 0361; Russia, 876; Italy, Turkty, Peru, Denmark, with less than 300 bales each; Sydney, 151 bales; Van Diemen's Land, 92 bales; Cape, 11 bales; sundries, 3950 bales. The prices obtained then will seem extraordinary to modern flock-masters. Spanish wool varied considerably in price according to locality, that from Leonesa realising from 0s 3d to 7s Od per lb, while from Seville it readied from 3s fid to ss, Saxony Ist vm quoted at from 8s to 10s, 2nd from 4; Od to 5s 9d; Bohemia, Ist, 3s Od to ss, 2nd 2s 2d to 3s.

Ever since the H'ar broke out, experiments have been made in France, and doubtless in other belligerent countries, with a view to dyeing the coats of white horses, but simple as it may seem a satisfactory result has. not yet been obtivned. Numerous inventors came forward with vaunted dyes, but after the preliminary tests only one liquid appeared to resist the rain satisfactorily. A battery of twenty-four horses was consequently sent out on duty in all weathers. When they returned after a week o.- ten days, all the beasts were of a beautiful bottle green, and are erpected to retain their hut for tome time to