FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1916, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY.

NOTES. Excluding the acreage under rotation clover, sainfoin, etc., there is in the United Kingdom an area under permanent haylands and pastures of more than 27,000,000 acres of the total area under crops and grass. The average yield over this enormous area could be 'raised at least 20 per cent, by judicious and energetic treatment. Such an increase of the national agricultural wealth is no hopeless ideal, no vain ambition, but a frigid and calculated possibility, proved by numerous experiments and by farming practice on a large scale. ° Two things prevent rain from sinking rapidly into undrained soil—first, the scarcity of pore-space, and second the air escaping upward, there being no other outlet for it. Half the surface pores must be full of escaping air, while the othw half are full of descending water. In a drained soil the air can -•'"d does escape downwards through the drains as the water presses from above, and thus all the surface pores, instead of half, are absorbing water, while they are also larger than m the undrained soil. In Britain, and particularly ?n the United States, very large quantities of cotton seed oil are used either in margarine or for culinary purposes, both as a substitute for olive oil and as a cooking fat. About three-fourths of the world's production comes from the United States, about half of this oil being refined for edible purposes. The crude oil obtained by pressing the seed is first treated with caustic soda, then with Fuller's earth, and finally made'as nearly is possible 'free from taste and odour. From the point of view of the margarine maker, cotton seed oil is too liquid to be used in any large proportion, though its relatively low cost makes it a very desirable ingredient. Some idea of the magnitude of the nut oil industry is gained from the following figures:—The world's production of cocoanut and copra oil, 1913-1914, is estimated at 377,000 tons, of which 300.000 tons were used in Europe. The total supply of hard vegetable fats (cocoanut and palm kernel oil) available for margarine is said to have been 240,000 tons in 1913, and perhaps 300,000 tons in 1914. Out of 347,000 tons of hard fat stated to be used for margarine in 1913, 204,000 tons were vegetable and the quantity of vegetable fat used in IDM may have amounted in 300,000 tons—i.e., the total visible supply. There is little wonder that there has been a great increase in the price of these oils, and flat the tropical sources of palm tree oils are being widely exploited. Nearly all tropical countries report an increase in the area under cocoanut. The effect of the war on French live stock is shown by the fact that on July 1, 1915, as compared with December 1913, horses had decreased by 31.1 per cent., mules by 20.9 per cent., cattle by 17 per cent., sheep by 1(1.8 per cent., pig's by 22.1 per cent., and goats by (!7.7 per cent. The number on the dates mentinned were as follows, those for July, 1015, being- given first in each instance: —Horses, 2,227,209 (3,230,700) mules, 152,2116 (102,570); cattle, 12,280,849 (14807,380); sheep, 13,483,189 (16,213,030); pigs, 5,490,790 (7,047,750); and goats, 400.457 (1,453.230). It will be seen that the wastage in the aggregate has been considerable, although, of course, it is purely a matter of surmise how far the losses have been directly due to the war, or the feeding of the armies. The most striking figures are those of a million horses lost in less than a year of war.

The uppermost layers of the soil, where tlie roots feed, arc incapable of storing enough water for crops even when aided by periodic rains; hut at lower depths in the soil there are large quantities of water which travel slowly upwards- and gradually reach the roots, Just in the same way as a liquid traverses a lump of loaf-sugar when one end is dipped into it, so (he subsoil water travels upwards to the surface layers of the soil. This movement of liquids upwards or sidewise through porous bodies is known as capillary action or capillarity. The water travels from particle to particle bv what is known a? surface tension, and the finer (within certain limits) the soil particles, rendered fine bv thorough and timely tillage, the greater the surface tension, owing to the fact that a fine soil has a greater area than a coarse soil.

The area sown to fall wheat for next season's harvest in Canada is estimated to be 1,100,800 acres, which is about l."> per cent, less than the area of 1.204,000 acres sown in 1014 for 1015. The decrease is principally in Ontario, and is due to the heavy rains of August, which prevented the working of the soil in time for seeding. In Alberta there is an increase from 230,000 acres in 1014 to 200,000 acres in 1015, the pins difference representing 13 per cent. In Manitooa there ! s a decrease from 10,000 to 0400 acres; in Saskatchewan there is no change from the estimated area of 4100 acres, and in British Columoia !.here is a small increase of 200 acres, making 0200 acres sown to this crop. For all Canada about 53 per cent, of the area intended for next year's crops is reported as ploughed by October 31, as compared with 71 per cent, last year, and 54 per cent, in 1013. In the North-west the percentages are as follows:—Manitoba, 30 against 02; Saskatchewan, 27 against 77; Alberta; 34 against 56. Spring wheat is the big Canadian crop.

The total produce of the potato crop in Scotland in 1015 is estimated at 972,000 tons, a decrease of 105,500 tons as compared with the crop in 1014. Both the area and the average yield per acre are smaller than in the previous year; the area is reduced by about 7000 acres, while the yield, 6 tons per acre, is one-quarter of s ton less than in 1014, but exceeds tlie average of the ten years, 1005-1914, by a similar amount. Turnips and swedes, on the other hand, are a better crop this year than last, as regards both the total and the average yield. The total produce, 7,532,800 tons, is greater than in 1014 by 1,221,000 tons notwithstanding that the area, 421,000 acres, is less by 9000 acres. The average yield per acre is nearly 18 tons, an increase of 3J tons over-the small yield of 1914, and of nearly H tons over the average of the *en years. Mangolds, i with a total produce jf about 55,700 tons, show an increase of 13.000 tons compared with last year. The area under tlie crop i s greater by 000 acres, while the yield per acre, 22 1-5 tons, surpasses ,he decennial average by 3J, tons, and i* one-third of a ton higher than Hi" yield in 1914, which was previous!, the record' for Scotland.

i-ious position is threatening in ■so industry owing to the inabil- '" the shipping companies to propace for its carriage to England, .■ I lie Auckland Weekly News. The' ;l London quotation is over 100 a per

cwt. "The Dominion should bo reaping considerable advantage from these. high prices," tlie representative of a dairying firm remarked on Friday, "but the. advantage is greatly imperilled by the inability to get the goods to market. Tt it reliably estimated' that, the shipments of cheese are over 50,000 crates in arrears, and the delay i» shipment may cost the producers many thousands of pounds. At present values this accumulation is worth about £350,000. A lettei addressed by a southern firm to an Auckland company indicates that if ships are not available the ' factories may' have to discontinue the "manufacture of cheese and turn their' attention for a time to the production of butter. As many of the cheese factories have dual plants, the ihange could be made without- serious inconveniences, but it would b'e disappointing to have to reduce the production of cheese in face of the present marketing prospects.