THE FARMERS’ COLUMN.

Temuka Leader, Issue 9419, 17 June 1882, Page 3

THE FARMERS’ COLUMN.

More than half the battle in successful farming consists of doing work seasonably and well. Breymann states as the result of experiments with forty-five horses, carried on for a period of four years, that by using crushed oats 31b a day less fodder is required than when whole cats are given. Dr George Watt says that sex may be obtained at will by breeders ; for males, by mating the female at the earliest hour she will tolerate the intended eire, and for females the reverse.

Dr J. 13. Lawes says the use of salt ns a manure has almost entirely ceased in Great Britain, the rainwater there being competent to furnish all that is required for vegetation. With a population of but 25,000,000 England annually consumes 500,000,000 lbs of cheese, while the United States, with a population of 50,000,000, consumes but 27,000,000 lbs of cheese annually. The S.A. agricultural statistics for 1881-82 when compared with those for 1880-81 show an increase of acreage amounting to 35,239 acres, but a decrease of produce to the extent of 419,478 bushels, or an average decrease per acre of 241 b. The total produce was 8,087,000 bushels. The fertility or otherwise of eggs ean be ascertained after they have been tinder the hen about four days by the aid of magnifying glass and a strong light. If the eggs are barren they will be almost clear throughout, and on being broken will appear as fresh as when laid, A specimen of the wild settle of New Zealand (urtica perox) has been sent to the Wanganui Herald office by Mr Hazelden. This nettle, which is known by the native name of engdonga, is so poisonous that Mr Hazelden lost a valuable horse a short time ago, who had been stung by it galloping through a nettle bed, and another horse was so ill from the same cause that he was not expected to recover. Samek quite recently instituted some experiments to ascertain whether dry or green fodder (grass) exerted the greater influence on the secretion of milk, and found that the quantity of milk increased with the green food, but the amount of cream diminished considerably. It was found, however, that green lucerne largely increased the yield of milk and also the percentage of cream.

Among the various remedies that are continually being promulgated for the destruction of noxious insects is one which is said to be an infallible remedy for the American blight—cotton Aphis, It is simply to grow at the foot of the apple trees the Common Nasturtium or .Indian Cress, Tropcelum majus. Whether so simple a thing will prove a remedy may be doubted, but it is at least harmless and e*sily tried. When fowls cannot get gravel in their yards, always provide it for them. Broken pebbles are excellent, because their pieces are rough. Broken bones either serve the same purpose or else they are digestible. At any rate, frosh bones are greedily eaten by fowls, and. every farmer should see that none are allowed to go to waste. The North Otago Times draws ' attention to the desirableness of farmers making a periodical change of seed in sowing. In the Oamaru district, on many faring no proper change of seed has been made for a number of years, and to prove the efficacy of such change being made it may be mentioned that a farmer who had for several years been growing a certain variety of wheat on his farm, bought some seed of the same variety in the northern part of Canterbury. The seed which was brought from Canterbury yielded, under the same conditions, one-third more than did.that which had been locally grown. In reply to an enquirer, an Australian correspondent supplies the following recipe for preventing weevil or any other vermin from destroying sheepskins. It has stood the test of years without injuring the pelt ;—To 82 gallons of water add arsenic, 861 b ; soda 281 b. Boil for three hours, or until the arsenic is thoroughly dissolved. Use one quart of mixture to four gallons of water,lay on with a whitewash brush,and spread skins flesh side face to face for twenty-four hours. Keep mixture safe from reach of animal life.

The age of horned cattle may generally be known by the rings on their horns till their tenth year ; after that time they give no indication of age further than that the animal has passed its tenth year, The first ring appears on the horns after the animal has passed two years old—soon after, as a general rule, though sometimes before that age. During the third year the ring gradually increases, and* at three years of age it is completely formed. The second ; ring appears during the fourth year, and at the fifth year it is complete. After that period an additional ring is formed each year. This rule is sufficiently plain, and even a young farmer needs little practice to enable him to read a cow’s age on her horns. A cow with three rings is six years old ; with four she is seven years old. No rings are formed after the tenth year ; the deeper rings, however