AGRICULTURAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 219, 11 April 1872, Page 8

AGRICULTURAL.

Trenching is an expensive process, and should be thoroughly done if at all. Two feet is the least depth advisable, licmove the surface soil of a space a yard wide and two yards long, lay this on one side ; then dig out one yard square of the subsoil to the proper depth, and lay that also on one side. In its place put the square yard of subsoil remaining, breaking it up finely. Then dig up another square yard of surface soil and place it on top of the subsoil last removed. Thus one squaro yard is finished. Then continue in this manner with this strip, and when it is finished work backwards on another to the place where the commencement was made. Thus work backward and forward until the ground has been gone over, and the earth first removed must to used to replace the last piece dug out. Manure should be mixed with the soil and subsoil as the work proceeds. Cattle and horses will eat an enormous amount of green fode'e •, if fed fresh 1o them in the stall. Serious evil sometimes comes from this practice, as the animals eat too much, and bloat, as when turned into rank clover. It saves labour to cut early, and let the corn, oats, clover, sorghum, or whatever else is used as green fodder, wilt thoroughly, and thus lose a good part of its water, before feeding it out. Milch cows can hardly eat too much regularly ; and after feeding all day in the pasture, if a cow will eat a good forkful of green corn' fodder, the result will be surely seen in the pail. Green fodder ought to be fed in racks, in the yard, and the cows yarded at night. Two-thirds of all their manure is thus saved, and the dung heaps grow aimost as fast in summer as in winter.

The best bed that can be made for a dog consists of dry, newly-made deal shavings ; a sackful of these may be had for a shilling at almost any carpenter's shop. The dog is delighted in tumbling about in them until he has made a bed to suit himself. Clean "wood shavings will clean a dog as well as water, and fleas will never infest dogs that sleep upon fresh deal shavings. The turpentine and resin in new pine soon drive them away. — " Mechanics' Magazine."

It is well known that the goldentinged " G-oshen butter " is nearly all covered with an infusion of tbe berries of annatto, but we are told by the "Moniteur Scientifique" that a colouring for bitter may be prepared from carrots. For this purpose the roots are f) be cut in slices and dried rand afterwards ground to powder raid, subjected to the action of sulphide of carbon. An extract can be obtained in this way, which, rapidly crystallized, furnishes pure carrotine, an insipid inodorous substance, resembling alizarine in appearance.

In the Leesfcon (Canterbury) district, Maori labor is largely used by the farmers. Some discontent was at first expressed at them being employed when white men were to be obtained, but the trial of the colored labor appears to have been completely successful. It is stated that for care and quietness they are not to be surpassed by any gang that visited the district. One farmer informs the "Lyttelton Times," that, after experience both at home and in the colony he never met with men so determined to do justice to his corn, so careful of fire, and oMiging about the place. John Chinaman has commenced to cultivate the tea plant in Southland, with it is said, every probability of success. Southland, it is asserted, has the same soil aud nearly the same elements as much of the fine hill-ground tea of China.

I quite concur with what is Paid by a contemporary with respect to the thatching of wheat. '• Wherever thatch is scarce, or the cost of that kind of protection renders its use inexpedient rick-sheets should be kept. Their first cost hardly exceeds that of a good thatch, whilst they can be put into use every year without another farthing of outlay, and may be further kept fit for use for a very long series of years. " The loss of one stack of wheat, at present rates, would amount to more than the value of many sheets. — "Old Colonist, " in "Auckland Weekly News."