FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume III, Issue 221, 11 December 1897, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

The Weather.—Farmers are still looking longingly for rain, which seems to-day (Thursday) to be approaching. The pastures are beginning to show the effects of the dry spell, and another week or two without rain would tell seriously on the milk supply. Haymaking has com menced, and the weather, for this particular operation, could scarcely be more favourable ; another instance of the fact that there is always a counterbalancing good for every evil. In the South the same state of things reported last week continues, the effects of the drought being intensified by the hot nor'-west winds. The North Otago Times says the drought has become a matter of very serious moment; to the farmers of that district, and the crop prospects are daily dwindling. In most places tho crops are thin and strawy, and even with favourable weather now at the most hopeful estimate they would run 10 or 15 bushels to the acre less than last year, whilst if the drought continues that estimate will be considerably increased. The hot trying winds prevalent lately are the very worst form of weather that could prevail. In Hawke's Bay and Wellington the same droughty weather prevails. + x +

A New Waikato Early Potato The PHOENIX.— As so many of the old favourite varieties of potato show unmistakeable signs of running out, the propagation of new sorts to take their places becomes a necessity. Mr W. Bunting, of Hamilton East, has made the raising of new varieties from potato apples a special hobby, and he expects shortly to introduc* several novelties to the attention of growers. He has at present in cultivation something like fifty different sorts, from which he intends to select the choicest. One of these latter, a whiteskinned kidney potato, and which he has christened " The Phcenix," appears to be of exceptional merit, being an extra early variety, a good cropper, and of splendid quality. Mr Bunting planted the tubers in somewhat heavy land in an exposed situation on September 20th ; they grew strongly, and were fit for digging on December Ist, 70 days, or just 10 weeks, from the time of planting. From two stalks dug on that date twelve large potatoes, between four and five inches long, and a number of smaller ones were obtained. The Phcenix, we venture to predict, will become a favourite potato with growers who desire a good early sort.

Hooiey as a Fakmer. —Mr E. T. Hooley's chief hobby is farming, and he is as successful at it as he io at making money. He is said to bo the largest sheeD-breeder in England, and declares that'nothing gives him more pleasureeven excepting the making of a cool couple of millions—than a walk round his farms. To learn some time ago that a Shropshire ewe had presented lvm with a couple of lambs gave him, ho said, more Eleasuro than the biggest deal ho ever ad.

The Tamworth no.—The forest pi«s that Gurth, the swineherd, fed for Cedric the Saxon, famous in fiction, are now claimed as the ancestors of tho Tamworth breed. These red rovers when ultimately enclosed in the sty by the farmers always longed to roam under tho greenwood treo, mid they broke gaol regularly. Then tho farmers crossed them with the laziest of all lazy swino, the Neapolitan, nnd the posterity became the " golden" Tamworth, which still resembles the forest pig in shape and colour.

The Profits ok Dairying.—A dairy factory was opened at. Awahuri rjcently, and Mr V. C. Ransome, chairman of the Rongotea Dairy Company, speaking of the great benefit a dairy factory had proved to district, mentioned that in two years and a half settlers living within a iadius of two miles and a half or three miles from Rongotea had received no Irs* a sum than £21,000 in cash. Somoofthe farmers are making as much £1 per cow per month in the season; and a neighbour of bis had made £0 6s per cow per annum from a herd of 17 cows.

The Bradford Wool Market.—Our Bmdfotd correspondent, writing on October 8, siys that Australian wool matttw rise predominant all along tho line on that side of the world. This is due mainly to the light stocks held and the anticipated decrease in the Australian clip. In America there was almost a wool boom; the much-talked-of two years' supply of raw wool before the Dingley tariff came into operation had melted like mist before a summer's nun, and American merchants were buyers eargerly in the London market. America can no longer take Cape and South American or scoured wool. Nothing but tho finest shrinkage wool can go into the country, and her competition for this will be very kern. The dark side to the picture is"tho fact that the lively demand for Australian wools is not induced by an in crease of manufactures, and therefore the future in uncertain. xx x Condensed Milk : Good Trices to Suppliers. The hew Zealand Dairyman says :—The condensed milk factory at Wallacotown (Southland) is gom* ahead. Mr Murray (of Messrs W. T. Murray and C 0.,) recently met tho suppliers from the Clifton, Seaward Bush, Seaward Moss and surrounliug districts and made the following offer to them:—For milk placed on board the train at Clifton or at any other station within fifteen miles of Wallacetown Crossing, the price paid would bo 3d p?r gallon of lOjlbs from October to April : 4d. per gallon in May and September ; and 5d per galbn during June, July and August, which gives the average pi ice of 3Jd. all the year round. A bonus of JI. per gallon over prices was offered for milk which camo up to the standard requirements and was also properly cooled and rerated over a Lawrence cooler Payment will be made on the 21st. of each month. Last saason " Murray's condensed milk " figured largely in Southland's exports to Australia, and to cope with the present season's requirements considerable additions have been made, the proprietors being now in a position to receive 2000 gallons d»ily. + + + A Little Faioi "Well Tilled. —" A little farm well tilled" is what every young man who aspiies to bo a farmer should strive for. How much more independent is tho man who actually owns ten, twenty, forty or oighty acres than he who holds hundreds, and pays a high ront on them in the form of interest on a moitgage. " Better bo the owner of five acres than the renter of a thousand," said an old farmer who began with nothing, and now owns 320 acres of as fino land as tho bun ►hint's on. " Buy ten acres as a nucleus, and add to it as you can, always paying cash for what you buy," he continued. " Don't spend your money for tools and implements you don't need. Buy good ones when you buy, and tako tho right sort of care of them, and they will last as long as you do. I have a waggon 1 bought thirty years ago and it will carry a ton of coals from town now. I havo several tools and inplements I bought fift- en and twenty years ago that are almost as good now as when new. Many a farmer has bankrupted himsolf buying implements to replace thosj gone to rack and ruin through simple lack of caro."

Core for Potato-scab.—Prom maoy experiments which have been made during the present season at different experimental stations in the United States, on the question of the prevention of potat-scab, which so seriously interfers with the saleable condition of the tubers, it appears tb.it a real preveutioe has now bfen discovered, providing the land upon which the potatoes are set has not previously been contaminated with the disease : and even when (hut is the case, the disaase has been considerably lessened. The fallowing is the formula to be followed:—Make a solution of corrosive sub'imate (which can bo obtained at the chemist s), one part, to a thousand parts of water—that is to »ay. loz of the sublimate to 62Alb of water. Immeise the tubers in the solution for two h'turs, shortly previous to planting ; tiko out and allow them to dry, when they may ho cut if r-qurcd. "it is adrisiblti to cLooho sets that ara not themselves affected with the scab. + + + French Canadian Cows. —Some Canadian dairymen are very enthusiastic as to the merit* of a breed known as the " French-Cauadian," and, r.ither nioru inaccurately, as the " Quebec-Jerseyi"." The breed was brought from France by the early French settlers in the Dominion, and has been kept pure ever since. It is small, haidy, and frugal, but a good milker, and as rich in butter fat as the Jersey. Under good ciro the French Canadian cow will j.ivo from 30tb to 401 b of milk per day, and a pound of butter for every 20lb of milk. She milks from calf to calf, which is pretty well as long as a cow can milk, and rather more than should be asked of her. Last year te«ts were made of some < f theso cows, and the yield for four varied from 28lb to 31! b of milk, with from 8"2 to 9'6 per cent, of fat a* gauged bv the B*bcock. On ordinary pasture, and a little straw and bran as extra feeding, a herd of 24 of these cattle averaged 4G971b of milk per annum—n thing very extraordinary, but with tho hardships of a Canidian winter to bo considered, it shows tho breed to have much of the merit claimed for it. — Mxchange. ++ + ■

The South African* Dkman'd for Meat.—Writing- on tho subject of trade with Johannesburg, the Age says that owing to the enormous stock loses throngh the rinderpest it is now admitted thnt tho m3Bt supplies required for Johannesburg and the surrounding mining districts cannot be met from local sources. According to stuteinenta made ty those on the spot, Johannesburg could take a minimum monthly supply of 10,000 cm-crises of mutton and 1000 carcases of berf, if the delivery in sound condition could be assured. Cold storos we now uudirstaud, are being erected at Durban, and if this information U correct one of the greatest difficulties in connection with the meat trade would bo re moved. There aro however, other articles of colonial produce which should find a ready market. The important question, however, seem to boas to whom shipments should bo consigned. What is wanted is more accurate information as to tho uctual cost which the shipper on this side would incur to placo his goods in Johannesburg. If tho present movement results in proving that South Africa from its geographical position, is offering a market for cur produce nearer home than Europe, a very substantial benefit will bo secured to the colony.

Feeding While Milking.—Whether it is better to feed the cows in tho field or in the shed while the milking is being done, is a subject that has engaged tho attention of English and American dairy farmers. The arguments in favour of the latter course of procedure are weighty and con • vincing, as it is easy to understand that a cow, with a supply of appii'sing fodder before her which she is consuming, in a pleased frame of mind, and will, therefore let down her milk quickly and easily. It is well known that the milking function h intimately connected with the nervous state of the animal, cows that are natu; rally irritable being liable to have their milk-yield suddenly decrease, and that, every thing considered, a calm-tempered cow is best for the dairy. Prof«s<or Primrose McConnol, who hits given this subject a deal of consideration, sums it up in theso words : joyments the lower animils are cipaable of appreciating ia that of consuming tasty food, as we know that with the human kind a good dinner i* tho surest means of pu'ting into a genial mood, it is likely to be so in a greater dogroo with our cows. Very naturally, therefore, our American friends have como t> tho conclusion, both from theory and cxpoiirm nt and regular practical experience, that the feeding and milking should go on simultaneously. A good quiet cow will do her best, and a kicker or nervous animal will unconsciously become quieter and let down her milk when her attention is taken up with tho contents of her manger.