FARMING NOTES

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10716, 10 September 1912, Page 3

FARMING NOTES

(Bv "Man on th® Land.")

KAR-SUCKING CALVES

One of the mot: difficult habits .to ovorcorafi in a bunch of young calves .is that of oar-sucking. When wo feed calves milk from the pail, they oat so rapidly that they fail to relieve the mouth of saliva., which naturally mixes with tho milk while they are sucking. in order to relievo their mouths of this secretion which their organs of digestion demand, ' they will seek something to suck, which will relieve their months of the saliva which has been retained to a large extent and their favourite object is the oar cf tho calf next to them. Unless this is prevented, tho calves are likely to grow up with tho habit of Bucking themselves or' other cows in the herd. The only way to present this vicions habit is' to tie each calf by itself until its digestive organs havo developed sufficiently to enable :t to digest grain food, such, as ground oats and wheat bran. Then they will eat tho dry grain, and in that way will relieve their mouths of this saliva. After they will ca-b- dry grain feeds and nibble bits of hay, there will bo no danger of them acquiring this habit if they are turned together.— Farm Journal. LIGHT AND HEAVY LAND.

There is a great deal of difference in management between the methods of farming required for light land as against that of heavy nature. Light land, requires perpetual feeding, while heavy land will crop indefinitely if it is properly cultivated so as to "bring out'' \ the fertility that is in it. Tho weather again has much to do with success; a dry year may be fatal to light soil, while it suits stiff land—and'especially the growth of wheat and even mangolds if they have got a good start. A wet year suits a lig'ht soil, while excess of wet maker, n clay soil unworkable. Strong land preserves its fertility and productive oower much longer than light soils, and crew; may be cut and removed in tho shape of hav and straw year after year without any apparently bad results. It it is fallowed or wel tilled so as tc lighten it up and aerate it, it will develop plant life continuously out of its own staple. . Light soil, on tho other hand, need to be folded with sheep, rolled, or treading; while artificial manure may be used in any reasonable quantity. The two kinds of soils are the exact opposite of one another; and it an;\ man who has been used to ono kind only shifts on to a farm of tho otliei sort he has to learn how to farm over again, as the season or methods which suit one will not suit tho other.