FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 October 1916, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

WOXDERFUL TAKAtfAIvI. The change in the weather has had a wonderful elicit on stock, in September toe growth oF grass was at a standstill, and paddocks were not at al) forward. During October the sunshine has had a reniarka'ble effect, and paddocks in and around Stratfprd are looking iri splendid condition. One fanner informed the writer that the grass is tairly jumping along. It ivould pay, and perhaps compel, some dairymen to graze outside stock to keep down the grass and prevent it running to rank growth. But whilst feed is in abundance there appears a likelihood of a. shortage of cattle, and this is scarcely astonishing. In fact, the shortening of herds is only another phase of the war. 'Shortage of labor has curtailed enterprise in many respects, and it is becoming very notict.ible~ in the province. The position is an unfortunate one, but has to be faced. With ordinary laboi condi- 1 tions many farms could be comfortably stocked with larger herds, but the farmer liaVing loyally sent his sons to the front now finds it necessary to cut down his herd. One farmer is sanguine enough to believe that some herds will average .-£.lO a 'head should present prices continue. But a milking-slied which lias cut down a third of its numbeis will also cut down the earning power of the farmer considerably, so perhaps it is just as well that his prices are still soaring upwards.

Another farmer informed the writer that he estimated roughly that the value of beef on the hoof on a farm he visited at £3OOO, and it was then not carrying anything like its full capacity. The milking machines have eased the situation considerably; indeed, the industry would have been partially, if not wholly, crippled if herds had to be controlled by hand-milkers. Where land is constantly changing hands the newcomer is obliged to give his new quarters the closest attention to make it a success. This, with cattle going up in price, will probably prove a stumbling block to many who may have views of settling on the land. Yet the opportunities lie there] and, as remarked above, Tarana'ki is a wonderful pro-

vince. Wonderful chiefly for the importance of the cow to the province, and also for the manner in which the value—l beg pardon; I moan price—of tho_lnnd continues to go up. Prominence to the industry is given to the dairying industry when one sees fanners giving £IOO or more for pedigree cattle.

Around Ingle'wood and Tariki the continuous rainfall has rather retarded operations, but indications promise a good season for those engaged in the butter and cheese industry.

RADIO-ACTIVITY As'D TLAXI GROWTH. The following is an cxtract'*from the English Mechanic and World of .Science: —For some tiftie past Mr. Martin Sut-. ton has been making experiments on the effects of radio-active ores and residues on plant growth. A short account of tl'.e experiments was given by us in 0111 issue of October 1, 1010, and was followed b> an appreciative letter from Mr. Martin Sutton himself on October I.T, IMS. The detailed report, now to hand, issued as No. 7 from Messrs Sutton, of Heading, confirms the conclusions then drawn. The resultr showed conclusively that radium compounds have not sufficient effect, on plant growth which justify ally hopes of practical application in horticulture or agriculture. The sxperiments were made with tomatoes, potatoes, radishes, lettuces, vegetable marrows, carrots, onions and spinach "beets; some of the plants were grown in pots, and others in the open ground. Pure radium bromide was used in some experiments, and radium ores iu others. In order to eliminate the effect of substances other than radium present in the ores, a mixture of these was made and applied to some of the plants. In certain cases, small increases in growth over the unmanured plants wfre obtained, but nothing approaching the increases given by artificial fertilisers or farmyard manure. A numoer of claims are thus disposed of, including one to the effect that radium treatment caused plants to take on certain flavors that they do not naturally possess. Thus a previous investigator had claimed that vegetable marrows grown in the presence of radium compounds assume the flavor of pineapples. Mr Sutton's marrows were cooked and tasted, and were found to be indistinguishable from the others. Mr. Sutton has effectually disposed of one batch of stories told by some of those who seem as sanguine about the universal panacea radium is supposed to be, as the alchemists were afoout the Philosopher's Stone.