FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 October 1919, Page 7

FARM AND DAIRY.

INGLEWOOD BACON CO. The report of tho Inglewood Co-operative Bacon Curing Company i» as follows : The number of piss received by the company has again decreased. The directors are, however, of opinion that farmers are realising Hint In ceasing to rear pigs they have been neglecting a very profitable branch of She dairying Industry, and indications are not wanting of «n increased production during the current season. The price paid by tho company during the past year has again been a record one, and the directors are quite satisfied that even this can be exceeded, provided more pigs are handled by the company. During the year the company has paid to the shareholders the sum of £15,802 10s 2d, and further payments absorbing £1,295 5s 5d have been authorised to be paid, making the total amount paid equal to S%d per lb. on all bacon pigs received during the year. In addition, a dividend of £5 per cent, on share capital lias also been authorised.

BOOT CROPS. TREATMENT OF GROUND AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT. Farmers aro preparing for their next crops of Held roots, and the report of Messrs H. King and T. Luxton, who judged the acreage competitions m connection with the last Winter Show of the Taranakl Agricultural Society, will therefore be read with more than ordinary interest juat now. At the outset of their report it was pointed out that the crops or mangels and carrots were not so good as usual, whilst swedes were variable. The increasing prevalence of club .root Is no doubt one of tho causes of Inferior swede crops. This disease Is becoming a serious menace to tho cultivation of turnips, rape, and kindred plants. A few years ago we raroly saw it, and now wo And It more or lesa on manv farms, not only on the older farms, but also on newly-stumped bush land. Tho practice of growing swedes or any of the brasslci family of plants on the snmo land two years In succession, or on land that was cropped with any of them several years before, was always a risky practice, but now that we have club root to contend with It is doubly so, especially where there was any of the disease in the previous crop. We have come across several fields of considerable jirca where swedes were grown this year on land that bore soft turnips or swedes last year, and the results have been disastrous, prae-! Mcallytho whole crops arc destroyed cither by club root or club roof, and rot combined, and that in n season where swedes are exceptionally sound and free from rot. ! Wc have had reported to us n case which seems to point to tho possibility of growing kale on club root Infested land. A field was sown with mangels and only a patchy take obtained; the drill was again put over It with swede arm a little tale seed The swedes succumbed to club root, but. the plants of kale scattered through the crop have grown well, although the disease is present on the roots to some extent. Wo do not recommend growing it on such lnn'd, as we believe there is considerable risk In doing so, but consider It Is a case for Government experts to look Into

CULTURAL TREATMENT GIVEN THE LEADING CROPS.

Mr. W. S. Knuckey took first prize with a fine crop, weighing 52.7 tons, of Gartou's superlative—large, shapely roots, sound and of fine quality. They were growing on rich, high, virgin land, ploughed seven inches deep out of grass in October, rolled on the furrow twice disced, nnd left till the first week of December, when It was time and chain harrowed and sown with lib of seed and 4cwt of Borthwlck's turnip manure per acre. The crop was very flee from weeds

Mr. G. H. Herbert took second prize with a good crop, weighing tons, of Webb's Superlative, growing on rich, low, valley land ploughed six inches deep out of grass in September, nnd sown with car-ots, which failed.' It was then worked up and sown on December 2H with l',ilb. of seed and 3%cwt. of Eclipse -No 2 manure per acre. A poor take was obtained, and the field was again sown on January 20 with lib seed and of same manure as the first, sowing. We found the turnips rrom the flr3t sowing large clean roots vtry sound, and of fine quality, but from the second sowing, although making rank growth with some neck, they had not bulbed well; they had filled up all vacancies lu the crop with a rank leaf growth and kept It free from weeds. Probably no great Increase in the weight of crop resulted from tho second sowing, as a certain number of plants of the first, one would be destroyed In re-seedlng nnd the competition of the second would to a' certain extent prevent plants of the first growing as large ns they would otherwise have done Mr. H. I'nrdle took third prize with a good crop of Gartou's Superlotive, weighing \& 2 tons, of largo, sound, perfectly shaped roots growing on high land of good quality, which was ploughed about 3% inches deep out. of grass In March, and sown with oats, which were fed off in the spring. It was ploughed five or six inches deep In October, and In about a month was three times disced, afterwards tine harrowed, and sown with lib of seed .-iiid 3cwt of Borlhwick's turnip manure ner acre about December 10.

Messrs. Rundle and Laird wore placed fourth with a thiu crop of Garten's Superlative weighing 39.2 tons, of large roots of good quality, growing on good valley land, ploughed six Inches deep out of grass earlv In November, twice disced, and arterwards tine and chain harrowed, and sown on December IS with lib of seed and of Borthwlck's turnip monure per acre. A poor take was obtained, and on January 18 the land was again sown with lib of seed and 2%cwt ot tb,e same manure as in the first sowing in this crop the roots of tho second sowing are so small as to be of little value. In mangels, Mr. P. Loveridge took first prize with a good crop of Jersey Queen nnd Prizewinner, weighing 52.G tons, growing on rich, high land, ploughed six Inches deep the first week in October, four times disced, and four times tine harrowed, rolled, and sown c/i November 8, witli nibs of seed and 4cwt. of manure, composed of two parts bone, oj'e of super, and one of Eclipse per acre.. The'cron was twice flat hoed. ' top

Mr. B. S. Longslaff took spcontl prize for mangels with an even crop of smftll roots of several varieties, weighing 43.a tons per acre crowing on good, high land, ploughed In August six inches deep out of trass, three times disced and kept well worked, and sown ou November 20 with 51b of seed rind 2cwt each of bone and super. The crop was hoed once with a flat hoe, and once with the cultivator. „

The third prize went to Mr. G. I, Tate with a thin crop of very vigorous roots of mixed varieties which had not come to maturity, weighing 42.5 tons. The first sowing was taken by birds, and a second one made on December 1 with of seed and 4cwt o: manure, composed of bone, super, and guano The crop was growing on rich, low, fallow land, which had grown turnips Inst yearit was ploughed seven inches deep and the mangel crop well hoed, and was very clean and free from weed!

In carrots, Mr. S. Styles won first prize with a nice oven crop of Barriball's, weighing 39 "i tons, vory clean and free from weeds They were growing on übjh. bad tf g0O( j Qu^ny