FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume II, Issue 125, 24 April 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

«> Tin-; Wkathki:.—Fine weather his pievailed during the present w.ok. and advantage has been geiicra'ly taken of ir. Ploughing is being actively engaged in, turning the soil up, either for green crops e>r to fallow and swim ten f..r winter and ca ly spiing sowing of grain. ■I- + + Potatoes.—The potato market is re ported in the same condition as last, week. All attempt has been made by growers in the South to raise the |i ice 5s a ton, ami they now ask U2. Mayers will not elo business at this price, however; they are holding oil' with a view of getting them at a lower price oil' the forks. 4 -1- -b Wheat. The at-eme-time-expected " boom " in wheat shows no sign as yet of coming oil'. On the contrary, the cablegrams from London are still of a decidedly disappointing character, and instead of there being ready buyers at big prices, a general decline in price and an" inanimate market is reported 111 America and on the continent a like condition is reported. .Much concern is being felt throughout America by the admitted mixing of cornll air with the wheat product, and it is said that the practice has not been confined to manufactures for Ihc home markets. It is a. deception that is a ditlicult one for consumers to discover, and ir is not therefore easy for the practice to be discouraged. This development may have an important bearing on llie future of the wheat market, and is looked upon with grave concern by growers in the State's. X x x I.i'ttki! asp Cheese.—The butter market at Home continues in a very satisfactory condition, and since the notoriously bad season of two years ago manufacturers in this colony can have had but little to complain of so far as pries g... Seldom if ever during that time has it been quoted below !M>, whilst more frequently it has been nearer 100 s and over. The Manawata Standard savs that Mr < irevillo, of Pahiattta, has received account sales for 1110 boxes of butter shipped to England. The prices ranged from !>.">s to 103 s per ewt., and a clear profit is shown of I'.'iTL During the season 437*2 toxes of butter were shipped, and a net profit of t'Boo to £IOOO is expected, cleared' advance and all expenses. —The price of cheese has also been unusually high. New Zealand is at present fetching 55s and ."ills a ewt, a price that should give those engaged in co-operative cheese-making something like -lil a gallon for their milk. -I- 1 + Oats ,\nd Chafe.— Oats still lvmain very firm in all the markets of the colony. During last week 12,000 sicks were shipped from the Bluff to Australian ports, and from the island'continent a steady demand has set ill, principally from "West Australia and Sydney. In consequence of the firmness of the market oatmeal has advanced in price. _ Chaff is in demand in Dunedin and Christehurch and the pries is advancing. In Sydney there is a'so a good demand, consequent on the dtought that has b-cn lately experienced,and all impoi tatiousarc readily cold at from Ol to CI 10s for prime samples. The price in Canterbury is given as 50s at country stations, but there is very little ollerirg. In Dunedin Co to L'3 15s ii asked. Fiom the present tone of the market oat growers in this district should obtain good prices for Loth oats and chaff. Now that Sydney provides an outlet for the latter commodity, at a good price, there is not likely to be such a heavy importation fiom the South to Auckland as was the case last year, and which affected local growers so seriously. XXX The SYSTEM ok Shxinu Cattle.— Selling cattle by live weight is rapidly growing in favour in Scotland. During The past year out of 13,5-3 S head of fat cattle wh'ca entered the Dandcei citt'c market for sale 11,41)7 were sold by weight and it is expected that the pritico w ill be generally adopted during the present year. X x x American Aitlvs in En-island. Liverpool is by far the greatest centre for distribution of Anieiican apple 3 which reach English markets. As many as 100,000 barrels have been sold in one week in that city at remunerative pries, sa great is the power of absorption. London, Clasgow and Hull also consume, on an average, 20,000 to 30,000 barrels per wee k. + + H " T A Pko.vu'T Contradiction. —The l\ew Zealanel Farmers' Cooperative Association of Canterbury, Limited, on Saturday, Apiil 10th, sent a special cable to its" London Manager, instructing him to publicly contraili.t the statement made in the House of Commons by Mr Winglie'd Digby, member fur North Dorset, to the ell' ct that frozen meat was valueless as sustenance, and its c nsumers were liable to cancer and other diseases. X X X ExfOitT of Hay to Surra Avkica. —A new industry in the shade of exportation of lucerne hay and chaff to South Africa Ims been initiate I at Newcastle. List week the Isle of Erin was despatched with the first of a scries of shipments for Capetown direct. The vessel took away lt:;i) bales of hay, 100 bales of compress?d chaff and other descriptions of produc;. The feeling is that the result of this enterprise will be the establishment of a new industry of a remunerative character. + -I- + A Mammoth Bull.—The Agricultural sensation of the tUy in Great Britian is that Mr Woolley, an enterprising farmer, recently purchased an enormous bullock, the prieo being L'J2. Since then this J jmbo of bullocks has been making hundreds of pounds for its owner. Some 300,000 people have paid to sec him up to date. The animal was bred and fed by the lata Mr Hugh Alymer, of West Dereham, Norfolk. He now stands Oft. 3in. high at chine and oft. -I'm. high at hips. He is nearly five years old, and when last weighed was 1 ton tf ewt. lie measures from noie to tail Loft. Giu.,aud is 10ft. Gin. round the giith. Damaualand Guano.—A new kind of guano has recently been discovered ou sonic islands olf Damtirjland, on the west coast of Africa. As is well known very little of the old high-class quality of git.,no has been available of late years. The new Damarah.nl guano, it is believed, will be unique, in that, il contains ammonia, phosphates, and potash, no! only in the proportions best, suited fur general use, tut also in the best and must useful form in which I hey can be givcu to plants. I'Y.im the dialysis I) im-irdaud guano ought to piovc an ideal manure for oals. barley, wheat, and grass, while for potato growing, where the great consideration is to have a manure fne 'roin acid, it is likely to be exceptionally advantageous. How to Use the Baijcock : A.\ Item Eoit Creamery Managers,.—ln conducting milk tests il has been ) roved I hat the ••ate at which tile llas'ss are whirled in Ihc tesiing machine has an impoitant influence on the results, and affects th" s 'partition of fat as well a- the colour an I character of the fat column. Alow rale' muv create a slight spoiled i liar. Dr. Bibcock contends that a i-peed of a 10*>0 revolutionsp r minute is the best to secure satisfactory te.-ts. There is in jonsequenec need for watchfulness in this matter, particularly in machines with a rather gearing, to fee that slipping it nviidcd. Surest results r.re obtained by adopting the >team turban motor Uabi-ock tester, by which a regular series of revolutions can bo maintained, and these cheeked by the speed indicator. Danish axh Austkai.i \x Isi•tteu. Mr M. .<\. O'Ualliighun, who held the position of feci-, i try (o the Irish Dairy Association his been appointed a dairy t-xpent J for New South Wales. In reply lo an in- ; tmiewtv he said : -" il i- h"P-d by must

of the people interested in Australian produce that it will vel fetch as high prices in winter as Danish, although Denmark is so much nearer and has the advantage of being able to send it fresh. Against that, however, the Australian butter is summer made, whereas the Danish is winter made and from band-fed cows, which, of course, means greater cost. It is the general opinion that pasture butter ought to be belt 'V than stall-fed. There is no form of feed better than good p isturo for cows, but all pastures are not equal. Danish summer butter is superior to Danish winter butler, with which the Australian article canes into competition. + -I- -!- Pu'iiLiNii Wheat.— The picklin-t of S'ed is iud.spensable as a c-itain preventive of smut, while it also helps as a protection against other diseases. As to the proper propoitiou of sulphite of copper (blue-stone) '.o.be us?d for a bag of wheat, opinions for a considerable time greatly varied, but now a smaller amount than wtis originally considered necessary is commonly us d. On this point a thoroughly reliable practical farmer wr i(;2.q ,■_•• The recipe of Dr Cobb, the Xew South Wales pathologist, is Mb. of blucstone in 12 gallons of water, the seed to be soaked in this solution for 12 or 11 hours and then dried. Now, I contend that for cheapness, simplicity and etlieiacy the blucstone treatment for the preve tion of smut cannot be excelled, and, in common with other fanners, have trcatel it on somewhat similarlines withgood result-. " + x + lloasK-i.KAi.txe; axd RELIGION Intoml'ATiiiLi'..—According to the Rev. d Gillespie—who was one of the speakers at the hist annual dinner of the Clydeslalc Hits: Society, nt Glasgow—dealing in horses and religion elo 'not go well together. •' Some people,'" remarked Mr. Gille-pie. •' thought that a iior.-ey man required to be looked after. He remembered a lady friend of his telling him about a little trirl acquaintance of hers who onne remarked to her mother that she did not think much of .Jacob. ' Why Fsaid her mother. ' \Vell,' she said, ' he is not the kind of man you would like to buy a horse from.' A Wigtownshire farmer of Ids acquaintance was once asked to bo an elder in the church. Ho dealt in horses and passed a good low of them through his hands. When the minister asked him to become an elder, he considered for a while, and then said, • Na ; we'll nr.e meddle wi' that.' -Why?' said the minister. ' Weel, ye said be,' ' I sometimes sell a bit beastie.'" -I- -I- + pASTEUiUSiKei Milk and Cream.—Experiments in loasteurising milk and cream are being carried on at Warrnamboo) butter factories by Mr Olscn (of the De Laval Company), in conjunction with the Government dairy experts. Recently a quantity of butter was made at the Grasinerc factory, under this system, the chief object of which is to improve the keeping quality of the article. Mr Olsen says that a large proportion of the bu'tar now exported from Denmark and Sweden is made with the pasteurising process, and experience has demonstrated to the producers of those countries that the keeping qualities were improved and better prices realised in consequence. Ten boxes of bulter mae'e in this way have been specially marked ; prcscrvitas was placed in five boxes, wild none in the other five. The two lots will bo sent to England, and special examinations made of each sample, with a view e>f ascertaining the condition of the five boxos of butter which do not contain prcservitas. xx x Why Make Lank is Weak.- This is how the depressed state of Mark Lane is (recounted for in England. Uy selling distant " futures " at ridiculously low rates the "bears" have succeeded in hammering down the price of spot wheat and near " futures." They gain so much ou their current contracts by this policy that they can afford to risk something on May, June, or duly options, while they hope to gain ou the latter also by pursuing tlm same tactics later on. At a recent meeting of one of the country farmers' clubs, tin example was given of the "hear" trick. A miller had intended to lay in a good stock of wheat at current prices, believing that grain was to be elearer later on ; but when lie SSW distant futures quoted at much lower rates than spot wheat he decided that he would only buy from hand to mouth. This case, it was considered, was representative of thousands of others, and yet it is said tint the option system does not depress the market. X X / IXEKKEPIXC AND BI.IND.NKSS. Trie writer of "Scraps" in the Live Stock Journal pnbli-hes the following letter from a correspondent: —"Blindness, as a result of dose breeding in ealtle, is seunetimes manifesetd. We have before our mind a remarkable csc. An important herd of shorthorns possessed many animals bred pretty close to one strain of blood, and many which did not partake of the blood of that strain. A bull very closely bred to the particular strain referred to was u<ed. His calves from the cows which were alien in blood to himself were robust ; indeed, some of them held a high place at important shows, and were remarkable for their development at an early age. On the other hand, his calves from the cows which were clos -ly bred to the strains from which he himself was spuing were in many instances quite blind —ngrievousdisappointmentto their owner. In other cases, where tha same relationship exists between sires and dams, the e dves produced had their perfect eyesight, but thsy were alllicted with brain disease, which soon became so marked as to affect their movement, and to render their sl-tughter necessary. Some of the blind females of valuable" pedigree were allowed to grow up, and they produced several c live s ; but these cows had not a strong constitution, and the'r offspring did little good. " Option " ITrciiasinc in Sydney. —The practice of purchasing wheat on " option " has yet to be introduced into the Australian markets. In Amotion, the United. Kingdom, and on the Continent the system thrives in rank luxuriance. There is in Sydney an Ame.ican merchant who is well up in all the details of this method of gambling—for it is little more. Some six en- nine mouths back, when there were no fears of a second drought. In: had a conversation with a city miller, and casually asked him what he thought would be the price of w heat in the following (that is last) January. "Oh, about 2s (id," said the miller, remembering past years. " llalf-a crow n," returned the Americin. " Well, I'll toil you what I'll do. I will buy from you 10,000 sacks of wheat, to be delivered that month at 2s (id per bushel, but with the op'ion of cancelling the old' r oil foifeiture of HI per cent." The mi'ler considered te while, and thought the offer vies good enough, but was a biteh uy with the "option" business. He didn't understand "options," or at anyrate was not yet fain liar with their working. An I so the bargain fell through. Had the miller accepted he would have stood to lose about I'-1000 on the transaet'oii. All that the Aim r can ce.il.l have lost was abouc '.'■>(:(>. This gives some idea, on a small scale, of the '• option " bu diicss. Till. Ali\ ANt'K "I Till CItOSSIIIII |i. — In an article on slice p-l I ee ling in Australia " liruni,' 1 in the Ail-trains, bin, in dies the following remarks on Ihc ert sd ie.l : -" The most marke d development in wool-growing in Aus'.raliu dining the last ib /.'il yens has been the increased production of crossbred wool. There was good reason for thi-, as the eies-Lii'.i sii.c]) yb Ided such a heavy fleece, which often vied with Ihc u.criro in vti'ue p.r pound, and there was besides the increased value of the animal, owing to its greater we'ght. Large areas of our finest grazing country have become so rich from many year- of stocking that (hey are untitled for raising healthy inerii.. sheep, and naturally they word .-.'.o'.'kc I with eruM'jieelo. Bui in other

localities, where tlic pasture land is eminently merino country, erossbrcels have been introduced on ;i large scale, and this, [ think, will prove to be a mistake. The production of long wool and crossbred wool has duing the last dozen years increased throughout tie world at a very much greater rate than that of merino wool. In Argentina, to judge by the reports, there is every probability that the merino will shortly disippea-. Should the production of crossbred wool in Australia increase in the future as it has done in the past there is a strong probability thattbesupply will exceed the demand. Those who have sound merino country should hold fast to the merino, and seel; to develop the higher <|iialitics of the animal by judicious breeding." TItKATMKNT OF IJoKSKs' SllDli I,I>KI!S. —lna paper upon "The general treatment of horses' shoulders," read recently by Mr.l. 15. Rcwe, of South Australia, it was pointed out that neglect was generally the cause of old sores on horses' shoulders breaking out agiin after the horses had been turned out for a spell, lie strongly advocates keeping the shoulders and collars clean, and his instruc'ions 'or the proper care of the latter aic worth attending to. lie says : "To prevent the fo ming of sores when Stirling work again, first see that the collars are clean, then take a round stick about eighteen inches long, stand the collar top downwards and heat it into shape, as nearly all of them get Hat, hard, and out of shape after being laid asMe for a time. Tnis will also tend to soften them and make them more comfortable for the horse. It h a good plan to do this once or twice a week whilst us : ng them. The shoulders of the horse must be kept clean, using brush and comb every time it is worked." To cure sore shoulders his recommendation is as follows :—" Get a pint of spirits of turpentine (not oil of turps), and a pint or two of salad or nea'sfoot oil. If the sore is inflamed or scurvy apply a little of the raw spirits lightly two or three times. Afterwards mix about equal quantities of the turpentine and oil, shake it up well, and app'y to the sores until the scurf begins to come off. Then brush the shoulders well and apply nrxture of one part turpentine and three puts oil, and as the shoulders heal add more oil to mixtaic, applying it once a day till well. If properly attended to no marks will show." Allkckd Rkmkdv rem Woolly Anus. —Another American blight experiment is submitted by a contributor to the Now South Wales " Agricultural Gazette " : "Some time ago I read that in the Island of Cyprus a vineyard pros <nted this peculiarity, that, whilst nearly the whole of it was badly suffering from phylloxera, one end was entirely free from the pest. This immunity could only be accounted for by the fact that at the/end of the vineyard there was a row of sumac trees, and that the sumac leaves, when they fell, were gathered round the vines and dug in. If I remember rightly, the virtue of thelcaves in warding off the attacks of phylloxera was attributed to the quantity of tannin they contain. I made up my mind to try what they would do against American blight, as I have a few sumac trees, of which for years I had vainly tried to get rid. I allowed the leaves to get fullyripe, so that they would contain as much tannin as possible, and having gathered a bagful, I buried tiiem rouul an apple tree which the American blight had Dearly killed. The year following the burying of the leaves no change showed in the tree, and I made sure that I had added another failure to my many previous ones. The next year, however, the American blight had disappeared. Now, this tree is one of four growing close together and nil as bad, the one as the oiliers, with the pest. 1 think there is a strong presumption that the sumac leaves have brought about the difference that theic is now between the tree round which they were buiied and the other three, which are as bad with American blight as they can be. I will carefully gather this season all the sumac leaves I cm get, and put them round the oilier trees as the quantity gathered will warrant." Maize Fodder.—ln the handling of maize for fodder it is not easy to improve upon the latest methods adopted in the great "corn" country of the world, America. In the groat corn belt of the Mississippi Valley most of the maize that is cut is made into large shocks and allowed to remain in the field until needed, without protection. Daily, or as wanted, a shock is hauled to the feed lot and scattered over the ground for the stock, whether horses c ittle or sheep. If the feeding pl.eo is high and dry, this is about the most economical plan. Cattle soon learn to husk and cat the whole cars, while sheep and horses find no 'rouble in gtttirg ro the grain. Many dairy far as era feed it in (his condition to their cows, and consider it the best and cheapest material obtainable. The blades and a part of the stalk wiU bo consumed. During muddy weather rac':s must be provided, and even then there is considerable waste, for in getting at the ears, stalks are liable fo be pulled out and dropped on the ground, If feeding can be done in barns or under sheets, the results are of course much more satisfactory, Instead of leaving in the field many store it under sheds or stack it. In the first case it can bo easily removed when wanted for feud. If is made as cimpact as possible, and it is piled so tint it. should be dry wtcn put in. In stacking, the proceeding is much as in packingsmall grains, whether the fodder is in bundles or loos?. The midilo is kept high, so that the butts of the ttalks will hang down and slud the wat*r. It is best to put up long n rrow ricks, so that successive sections cm bo removed without affecting the remiinder. Recently shredding has come into favour. The fodder is run through a machine which husks the oars, tearing stalks and blades into small bits. The shredded fodder can be baled as hay or store 3. It requires much judgment and some experience I > determine just when the fodder if dry enough for storing. To secure fodder of the very best quality, it is cut while the blades arc still quits green and put into small shook*. After the blades have cured thoroughly and the ears have become d.-y, tho corn is husked. The fodder is then put into shocks or more commonly stored in stacks or sheds. If thought desirable the stalks can be run through a cutter before being given to the farm animals. Where tlock is kept in stables this ii a very commendable plan."as, the long stalks are a nuisance when the stalls arc to be cleaned. A considerably greater pen-entago of the crop will be eaten if it be cut or shredded. In dairy localities this method is common, but where the crop is fed to stock for fattening, takiug direct from the field and feeding" unhusked is considered most satisfactory. THE DAIRY COW. Let the: milk Jlow be what it may, feed alone eannol control tne quality of the milk, said John Could recently to the studu.its of the Ohio State University. The cow has an individuality of her own. a beni milking habit, and iho greater the number of her ancestral grand-dams that have: possessed this milking trail, the greater the probabilities that, this cow will possess like qualities. Remember this, that no man ever stimulated a COW into "ood performance that did not have this born qunlity e>f development to start with ; but thousands of heifers that Were born to make the best of cows have been utterly mnrd by bad feeding, cruel treatment, and needless neglect. Success iu dairyin" implies that a dairyman should raiso his own cows as far as he can, and buy. if hemii.it, witoly. So he must I e a judge of cows, a collector of dairy form and preference, and a read* of cow character. Dettt r cow feeding and handling of cows, i i Hie average cVrjnum, woull carry with ih .'in greater success. Ail this talk about making cow • b: rely, tough, and e,ou-;Uutiona"y v>govv ' , h yoml wha,t we

feed into them br wise selection, should be eliminated as quickly as possible from our dairy wisdom. At best our cows are boarders, and profit means that for part, of tho year—the longer lh<> period the better—they shall pay us rates so high that we can in midsummer give them free entertainment for a few weeks. I do not plead for more fussing and pottering with the eow, but a litt'o more rational care, and we should sooner begin tho extra care of the milker. A really kind-hearted man may without thought actually abuse a eow by neglect. I have s.'en this last autumn, a dairy of fast freshening winter milkers staud for hours, yes, (l«iys, in (ho aggregate, in tho chilly, drenching nin, rounding their backs as the deluge of water broke across their spines, and go into camp at night, in the muddy fence corners of a long, unprotected lane ; and these cows, mothers, even if e ittle. were contributing as best they could to their owner's living. I don't think lie ever thought of the milking habit of these cows as a maternal function, artificially prolonged—the intended food fen- offspring turned by tho hand of man into the channel of commerce —and so denied them after offices of a mother. No other bent-volpncp of nature woulel thus have contributed to him. save this unfathomable benefieeuc of motherhood whose office is forever ta give, even if draining the fountains of life-sup-pjrt itself. Success must come nearest to those who recognise to the fullest extent this under-lying principle of attaining success in dairying. Whatever will best minister to the comforts of the mother Co \v —quiet, care: worinth, comfort, succulent and stimulating food, puro air, clean water and regularity of attention—will succeed, for ou these hang tho law and the profiti, so far as concerns the coiv.