RURAL JOTTINGS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9102, 30 May 1908, Page 5

RURAL JOTTINGS.

PLOUGHING, SOWING AND HARROWING. (By "Agricola.") FARMING OPERATIONS. The weather has been a good deal broken since Saturday, the bright frosty weather of last week being succeeded by a moderate quantity of rain, the temperature being considerably lower. Yesterday (Friday) the wind from the south was exceptionally keen, and accompanied by cold showers; just the weather to have a detrimental effect in cutting down soft watery grass. Farmers have been taking every advantage of the recent spell of dry frosty weather pushing forward ploughing, sowing and harrowing most energetically, and a larger breadth of grain has been put in than is usually the case in the Wairarapa; perhaps the fear of Mr Clement Wragge's prediction of another dry summer coming true may be the incentive that has urged them to more early croppings. In several instances the early sown crops are well above ground. Algerian oats are beginning to find favour in the Wairarapa for cropping, and a larger proportion of land has been sown with this variety than last season. It is also satisfactory to note that more winter feed is being grown this year than last —certainly a step to be commended, but there is still room for much further improvement tinder this head. PRICE OF STOCK. Conversing with a well-known and old residential sheep farmer on the outlook with regard to the price of stock and feed prospects, he stated that in consequence of the large area of land which had been swept by fire and ordinary bush clearing, which had been sown in grass, a large number of sheep would be required later on to stock it, and this would lend, at any rate, to put up local values. He also affirmed that there was every prospect of fat sheep realising high prices between August and shearing. Grass is plentiful, though somewhat lacking in nutriment, and there should be little or no fear of any shortness before spring. The health of sheep was, generally speaking, good, though there would probably be a rather heavy mortality among hoggets in the early spring. His opinion is shared by a number of sheep men. RISE IN WOOL VALUES.

The recent reports as to the price in wool values i 3 cheering news to those who have withheld their clips from sale, and fortunately there are many in the Dominion who have done so, and it is to be hoped that they will reap a good reward. In touching upon the withdrawal of wool from sale in London, a Wairaropa sheep farmer, / who cabled Home to his agent to hold over his not very large clip, was somewhat surprised to find that in doing so, it entailed a charge of £d per lb (or £11) in addition to the cost of the cablegram. A VALUABLE FERTILISER. What a wealth of manure gods to waste on many farms, in the bones which are scattered about the homesteads, and yet a most'simple and inexpensive procedure will convett them into a most valuable fertiliser. If a dry situation cah be obtained, ug a pit, upon the bottom of which place a of soil six or eight inces deep, upon this place a layer (f bones to the same depth, then wood ashes and so on ti.ll the pit is foil, putting on an extra depth of ashes on the top. If this is done in the summer the contents will be fit for •jss in the following eprinff, The \;.r,es will be quite soft, and thejf will readily crumble ink a powctaif with a little pressure, and this betag done the mixture is ready for use. In dealing with small quantities, cement, or any other kind of casks, will suffice, the same process being carried out as to dissolve the bones in a pit. "RUSHES" ON FARM L'ANDS. On many of the farm lands of the Wairarapa, "rushes" are a veritable curse, and settlers are often at their wits ends to eradicate them. They result, without doubt, from the land being wet, cold and heavily charged with acidity, that is, sour. The use of lime is often advocated as a cure, and is a voty potent adjunct, but alone without other measures it is far from effective —drainage and ploughing must first take place before its application if the best results are to follow. One of the best remedial measures to take after the land has been drained, and ploughed fairly deep, is to take a crop out of it and then thoroughly work it in "dry, hot weather," when any seed dormant in the ground, and roots which would again sprout, would be destroyed. On some of the worst rush producing land in this district this plan was carried out, and the outcome was most satisfactory; the rushes facing exterminated and the land kept clean for a number of years. No lime was used, though it would have been highly beneficial as adding fertility to the soil by sweetening it. GENERAL NOTES. The bidding at Messrs Abraham and Williams' stock sale last Wednesday indicated that values were nqt receding, and that there was a fair demand for sound stock. There were several really good lines of Lincolns and black face lambs, the latter bred by Mr J. Cameron, of Te Nui. It was quite evident that they had not suffered much from the effects of the drought. There were also several pens of good useful sheep from the flock of Mr S. Alpass, of Alfredton. With the exception of some cull lambs and old ewes, the stock were in fair condition—and an absence of scouring among the best class of the stock submitted for sale.