FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume IV, Issue 261, 19 March 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

The Weather and The Farm.—The further rainfall which has taken place this week has had a beneficial effect upon the district. The country now presents a pleasing contrast to what it did a fortnight or three weeks back, and the farmers are in a much happier state of mind than they have been for months past. The good price offering for wheat, the prospect of fair prices for oats and chaff, and the splendid appearance of the turnip crops, which, wherever there has been a good " take," look magnificent, must recompense them to some extent for the anxiety and loss the drought has caused them. It is but •cldom that the swedes look so well as they do this season. They hare been comparatively free from the attacks of the fly and the moth, and are making surprising growth. Last year, it will be remembered, the turnip-planting season was a very moist one, and the re-sowing of turnip fields, owing to the activity of the fly, was rather the rule than the exception. This year the season has been phenomenally dry, but the instances where it has been necessary to drill a second time have been but few. It would thus appear that, although a little moisture is, of course, necessary to germinate the seed, too much tends only to encourage the ravages of the insect enemies of the young plant. It may be remarked as somewhat analogous that the codlin moth has been much less destructive this year than usual. This fiut, taken in conjunction with the small loss caused by insects pests on the turnip crops this year, would lead to the supposition that in a season of drought these formidable foes of vegetation do not propagate so rapidly as in a season characterised by a moist, muggy heat. The improved outlook since the break up of the dry weather has already had an effect upon the stock market, and prices at the last Ohaupo sale were markedly better than those ruling of late. The rain has come too late to benefit dairymen to any extent, but even if the dovr of milk is not appreciably affected, the cows will be able to put on a little condition before the winter sets in. Stubble land is being broken up in preparation for grass or the early sowing of graiu, and the digging of potutoes is being proceeded with. The potato crop this year will be a terribly poor one, and nowhere is there likely to be a good return from the earlier-planted fields. The rain will no doubt benefit the late crop, and fair returns (as the price promises to be a good one) may be expected from these. xxx Wheat.—The farmers of this district are not disposed to do business at the price at present offering, viz., 4s Cd delivered at Auckland. The Canterbury market is hardeuing, and growers will not accept less than 4s at country stations. Buyers are offering from 4s to 4s 2d f.o.b. at Lyttelton, for export, but they will, we hope, have to go beyoud this price before they do much business. Shipments of wheat from New South, Wales and Victoria continue to be made, and a steamer is also to load wheat at Sydney for South Africa. xxx Oats.—Oats are not offering very freely in the Southern markets, and to secure supplies as much 2s Id to 2s 3d per bushel at country stations has been paid in Canterbury. + ' + + Butter.—The English butter market is in a satisfactory condition, up to 105 s being obtainable for good colonial. + + + Best Beekd of Cattle.—Having cure fully determined which is the best breed of cattle for you, and wh : ch will best suit your surroundings and best pay for their keep, then get the very best specimens of that that you can possibly procure. xxx Holding Their Milk Back.—This is a nasty habit, although, as in the case of most tad habits of animals, they arc allowed to learn it by the : r human masters —companions, shall I say ! If a slow, dribbling, or irregular milker gets hold of a caw with this tendency, the chances are it will I c confirmed into a hibit under such tuition. Even gossip ing during milking shou'd be prohibited —not that thecowa wil leirn that hibit, but when one milker stops to hear what the other saya, and that oth r stops to say it agaiu, and so o'>, the regular flow of milk is interrupted, the cows become impatient and hold back, and so the evil grows. S)me cows will only give the rrilk whilst eating, and this habit once learnt cannot well be broken, but must be indu'ged in order to Eecure the best results. + x + A ftEw Dairying District : Hawke's Bay.—At last Hawke's bay appears to be waking up to the importance of the dairy industry. A ions:, detailed, and most interesting description of the dairy industry as carried on in Tjr*naki appeared in tbe Napier Herald the other day, and as a result a meeting has been held at Meanec, at which it was decided to start a dairy factory on the now admittedly successful co-operative system. The land between Napier and Hastings is of the richest quality, and as most of tbo holdings, especially round Mearee and Taradale, are small, the settlers ought to find dairying a great assistance. There are dairy factories in the Seventy-mile Bush doing well, but on the plains near Napier a faetory has long been wanted. A good number of cows has been guaranteed, and there is ever/ probability of the enterprise proving successful. + (--»• Wool and Mutton.—The Sleaford Agricultural Society, Lincolnshire, having aided a class for sheep in the wool (which, by tha way, created a great deal of interest, as sheep aro always shown at Home minus their fleeces), Mr Alex. Bruce, Chief Inspector of Stock, New South Wales, wrote to Messrs Wm. Cooper and Nephews, Berkbamsted, saying he was glad that Lincoln breeders wore now paying more attention to the wool ani to colonial requirements and added :—" I would, however, be very sorry to think that the change in this respect was confined entirely to the longwool breeds ; and I write chiefly to ask you, whose Shropshire sheep takoa prominent position at the leading shows, whether you cannot put more wool, and wool of higher quality, on your sheep, as our bivedera require to use the Shropshire or Southdown to make really first-class frozen mutton For lamb getting for export the fleece is not a matter of so much moment, but in the cane of the Shropshire got fat cross wethor from which we take a fleece, a shortage of perhaps 31b of wool compared with what a wether got by a Lincoln ram would have clipped makes a considerable difference ; and if, therefore, a heavier flecco could bo put on tbe Shropshire ram that breed would be still more sought after for crossing purposes. Tbo Shropshire cross stands well now as to weight, early maturity, and good shapes." + + + Scientific Cow-kekding.—We are yet along wag from the "cow in the parlour " stage of feeding cattle in this Colony, but feeding is certainly receiving more attention than it did when the industry began to extend itself in response to the opening of British markets. The American state institutions are endeavouring to bring feediug on scientific lines into prominence, and some of the recommendations adopted as a result of experiments at the Maine station arc worth studying. Several rations for milch cows are given as follows :—No. 1, flint corn silage containing glazed ears 301 b., timothy hay 101 b., and 71b, of mixture of 2001 b. corn meal and 3001 b. gluten meal; No. 2, the same, except that the 71b. of grain are from a mixture of 2001 b. of corn meal, 100 of cottonseed meal, and 125 of gluten meal; No. 3, southern corn silage with no cars 351 b. mixed hay

101 b., and Sib. of a mixture of 1001 b. each of corn meal, cottonseed meal, and gluten feed ; No. 4, timothy hay 101 b., corn stover 10!b., and !o!b.. of a mixture of 200;b. each of corn mc>l and wheat bran, and 100!b. each of cocte.sccd meil and gluten meal ; INo. 5, Hungarian hiy 101 b., swe-.'t i orn fodder 101 b., and 91b. of the grain m xture just mentioned ; No. 6, clover luy 20b., and 101 b. of a m«xturo of lOOib. of corn meal and 200 of whi at bran. The c rations are' to be given daily to each cow we : ghing 10 01b , and to I e increased or diminished as tho cow is heavier or lighter. + x + Manuring a Poor Soil.—Mr G. H. Green, a farmer at Woy Woy, near Godsfjrd, sent as.ec'mn of his soil some t me ago to the Agr c lltural Department for opinion. The soil wa< so unpromising that the experts advised Mr Green not to wa'tc money in manuring it, becauso it woul 1 not piy. Mr Given subsequently sought the advice of Mr George Shi'ley, managing partner of George Shirley and On., who advised the application of the Company's manures. On Tiu-sdiy last we saw some very practical results of the advice given by Mr Shirley. At Irs cilice wore maize, pumpkins, an l -! other products raised by Mr Green by the use of superphosphates. A sample of the soil was on view, and there is certainly nothing surprising in the fact that the departmental experts reported against it, f ir a r*ore hopeless looking specimen of unfruitful s.indy stuff it would be ha-d to discover. Mr Green in his report to Mr Shirley status that_ the specimens of products were not specially selected. The maiz2 grown with nrinure yielded 80 bush sis to the acre, that which was unmanured and grown lOfr. away was utterly useless and cut for cattle The 80-bushel crop gave a profit of £lO per acre. Eleven cases of tomatoes were taken off a 25ft plot manured, and they were fine specimens. Two and a half acres under vegetables and manured produced 30owt. of good pumpkins, 20cwt. lemons, scwt. sunflower seed, 40cwt. sorghum, lOjwt of marrows. Mr Green is convinced th it the special manures will make cropping any soil pay in a fair climate. + + + The English Winter.—The Times of January 28th says :—At this date last year the land over the whole of Great Britain was either snow-c ivered or icebound, and ihi severest frost with wh'ch tbe otherwise mild winter of 1896-97 Wjs associated hold sw.y throughout the country. How gr*at is the contrast between n«w and then may be gathered from the circumstance that in various localities last week's temperatures included the highest that had been recorded in the month of January for fully half a century. There was not much sunshine and there wai but little rain, and the winds though occasionally boisterous blow from warm quarters. At the middle of the week outdoor temperature of OOdeg. were registered as far north as Sutherland Caithness. The untimely appearance of tho blossoms of both wild and garden plants is becoming a common story m many widely-separated localities, and the swelling of the buds of fruit trees and other early shrubs is well calculated to cause alarm. There is something unnatural about the present luxuriant appearance of tbe wheats and tho autumn sown forage crops. The one good thing tho mild weather has done is to force on the growth of the weed* of arable land. An unduly large proportion of weed-seeds have germinated, and even if frost should not intervene the weeds themselves are bound to fall victims to acts of cultivation which are due to be performed long beforo these young weeds can blossom aud ripen their seeds. In early districts oat-sowing was in rrogress last week. A change for the better continues to manifest itself in the early limbingpens, where dry lair is now obtainable with very littlo trouble. The demand for trough-food is small compared with what - it was in the latter part of last January. Nevertheless, at this period, shepherds would prefer a rango of lower temperatures. x x +. Selecting Butter Cows.—A good dairy herd cannot be got together by any rule of thumb methods yet invented. Appearances are very deceptive, and even breeding is not by any means reliable. Indeed, if " the like-begots-like" theory could be applied tho task of the dairyman seeking to buy good butter cows would be greatly simplified. There is but one guide in fact, and that is the use of practical experience among dairy stock. If a buyer does not know a cow that ought to make a good dairy cow when ho sees her, then the best thing he can do is to employ someone who does. For some time past there has been a great demand for dairy stock in this colony, and breeders have had no difficulty in disposing of tho whole of their young stock. In the reported sales the purchase of young dairy heifers is often rfoted, and one is tempted to wonder what will be tho yields from herds got together by the purchase of young stock. Of course it is possible to detect signs that indicate tho coming dairy cow in a young heifer, but the signs aro not to be depended on by any means. ' Many experts profess to be able to select milkers from immature stock, and doubtless there is a larger percentage of good butter-yielders amonir these selected females than in the ordinary run. But the wise man who is laying out his own money in making up a herd will select his cows at maturity. We have all seen beautiful heifers that have turned out handsome frauds when the milk pail has been put under them, and most men have known " ugly ducklings" among young females turn out the best cows on the farm. Sometimes a heifer will even be very disappointing at her first calving, and afterwards prove a treasure. The dairy type should be adhered to in selecting matured cows all the same, because tbe largest percsntago of yielders and breeders are of that type. Disposition should be considered. The mild-faced, placid, easy-going cow is generally a good feeder, a quiet milkor, and always a better jielder than a " fizzer." THE FARMERS AND CO-OPERA-TION. Upon co-operative effort the tiller of the soil must depend for his best results, and that fact cannot too often, or with too much persistence, be submitted for his consideration. The splendid organisation built up in connection with the dairying industry should be a strong incentive towards a further extension of the co-operative principle, and even in connection with it there is ample scope for additional expansion. So far, the suppliers are working on the right lines, obtaining progress payments from the milk, and eventually a full participation in the profits from the manufactured article ; but it is a waste of power for so completely constructed an organisation to stop at that. The co-operative system should go on until every depart rnent has been fully covered, including the marketing of the manufactured products to the best advantage, aud also to the purchasing at first prices of every item in the varied requirements. The same applies to every other section of productive enterprise. A fruit cannery in a fruit-growing district means cooperation ; also the establishment of a pulping house, Bacon factories should be run on the co-operative basis in the provincial centres by the raisers of the stock in combination with the local business men ; and there is a large and profitable field for co-operative effort in connection with flour milling. A successful example of what can be done by working together has been shown by the Victorian farmers in there initiation of defensive measures against the wheat bears, and in connection with that movement a feature has been forced into prominence to prove how naturally cooperative flour milling 1 nds itself to treatment by the producers of the wheat. The action taken by the -wheat growers

has sufficiently disclosed how much they are at the mercy of milling and other combinations with respect to the price of their wheat, but it is further seen that tho same organisations equally prey upon the consumer. How the profits are ordered is thus described : We extract from a copy of the private business table used by the Victorian milling trade, which is so constructed that, given the price of wheat and bran, a special column opposite each of these items shows what should be tho selling price of flour, including co«t of manufacture and contigencies at 20. s per ton, together with 10s per ton extra for clear profit. Just now the market prices of wheat and bran are 4s 3d aud lo|d per bushel respectively, and opposite those rates the millers themselves have put tho selling price of Hour down at £9 14s per ton. Yet v> e find the present market price of flour " fixed " at £l2, which is the rate found in their own table opposite the column ,')s 3d per bushel for wheat and lOid per bushel for bran. As the abovementioned £9 14s per ton for flour includes 10s per ton clear profit, in addition to the 20s per ton for manufacturing according to millers' own admission, the fact is patent that at present prices they are putting the difference as between £9 lis and £l2 per ton for flour, viz., au additional £2 Os per ton, into their pockets at the expense of the wheat producers on the one hand aud the consumers of bread on the other! The millers have been iu"the habit of " fixing" the price at which they choose to purchase wheat from the farmer on the one hand and also on the other "fixing" the price that the consumers have to pay them for flour and bran, the trouble now is that the farmers are audaciously claiming to have a say in the value of the commodity they have to sell. In the foregoing it is unmistakably shown that at present prices for flour the farmer is being robbed of at least Is a bushel in the fair value of his wheat, and he has determined he will no longer put up with it. It is now for the consumers to see about their position, which, bluntly put, is that in the £2 6s per ton charge for flour over and above the fair 10s clear profit they are being mulcted to the extent of almost five additional profits. Now that the wheat growers have taken the first step in a movement that in the future will attain much larger dimensions with respect to securing a fair price for their produce, it is certain that the other feature in the system must also receive attention. Millers' combinations must not be allowed to " fix " the price of flour, any more than speculators the price of wheat, and the way in which these objects are to be obtained is by co-operation. —Melbourne paper.