FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 327, 13 August 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

A VERY ivelcuiiie change in the weather has taken p!aco during the past lew days, a warm sua and absence of cold wind.' and rain being of great benefit to stock generally, which have suffered severely during the late stormy spell. Dairy eows, especially, appear to have felt, its ill effects most keenly, and we hear of a good many losses'. This is in cases where the cows have hern turned out at the close the milkint: season' on rough runs or bare paddocks and permitted to run down in condition as they near calving, the usual end in such cases being the swamps and soft places, out of which the poor animals are unable to struggle in their weak state. The few line days just experienced have had a marked effect in drying up the ploughed land ; harrowing and drilling being again in full swing, and a continuance of fine weather for a fortnight wouid be a boon to our grain-growers. Now that seed time is on, glowers might bear in mind that thin sowing is fast taking the place of the heavy" seedings that has hitherto obtained, the former resulting in large yields and of better quality grain, while the evils of laid crops are, to a meat extent, avoided. Careful experiments, carried out recently in Australia, have demonstrated in a remarkable manner that even so light a seeding as half a bushel of wheat per acre, sown in with the drill, gave better results than a larger quantity, so that it would seem as if sowing more than a bushel of wheat per acre were not only a waste of seed—no unimportant matter just now —but also a positive injury to the crop. We hear of several local growers who are now drilling rather less than a bushel of seed wheat to the acre, and we shall watch the result with interest. The approach of spring is very manifest it: the bursting buds of early plum and peach trees, which, -with a week or two of mild -weather, will be in full bloom. The willows, also, are again tinted with their customary green hue, after having been, for what seems but a short time, bare of foliage. Everything indicates an early spring, which it is to be hoped, will prove mild and conducive to vigorous growth, the past two seasons being none too good in that respect, causing many old settlers to deplore the absenca of the fine, growthy. spring experienced in Waikato in former years, and express the opinion that the seasons were changing, and not for tho better. The markets are strong, and the late advance in the price of fat sheep and cattle, will give confidence to graziers, and help tho markets for store stock generally. "Pkime Canterbury."—The following ingenuous letter, signed "Otago Mutton," appears in tho Otago Daily Times :—" There can be no donbt that tbe value of this title is almost solely due to tho fact of English customers carelessly taking it for granted that the Canterbury alluded to is tho one at their doors, and not a remote settlement 16,000 miles away. Had Otago been called after, say, Lincolnshire, she would no doubt have been able to sell her meat to equal advantage and under equally false pretences. Although we cannot change the name of the province to attain this end, 1 would suggest that we change the designation of our meat, and instead of calling it New Zealand mutton call it, say, "Prime Liucolu-menno," which, of course, would ba a true description of it, while the word "Lincoln" would no doubt give it a value in the eyes of English customers which it at present docs not seem able to attain, notwithstanding its excellence as grass fed meat." t ' X t A CnEAi* Water Tank.—The storage of water during the late dry seasons has been an important matter to many settlers in different parts of the colony, and a simple means adopted by several Cheviot settlers of providing cheap tanks is worthy of imitation. It is merely to dig out a tank in stiff clay ground and, after smoothing the sides and bottom, to put on a coat of cement plaster about half an inch, thick, using half cement and half sand. This plan can be adopted either for an underground tank for storing water for household purposes or for providing water in larger quantities fur stock. It is necessary to keep the sun until the tank is tilled with water; otherwise it is apt to crack through the clay behind it becomiug dry. This form of tank can be constructed in any ordinary stiff clay, and will probably be found very useful on much of the down land in different parts of the colony, especially that which is now being cut up into small holdings and where there is no natural water supply. t X t ■ The Dangers of Anthrax. The malignant nature of anthrax was forcibly exemplified in the case of a man named Henry Balman, whose death was the subject of inquiry before the city coroner at Guy's Hospital. Balman, who was 41 years of age, was employed by the firm of skin dealers in ]sermondsey, and it was part of his duty to carry in his vain quantities of biles imported from abroad. On going home one night Balman complained to his wife of an irritation on his neck, which he thought was caused by a boil. As it got worse, he went to Guy's Hospital, where the house surgeon at once saw that it was a case of anthrax. Nothing could save the man's life, and he gradually succumbed to the venomous disease. Mr Redgrave, who represented the Home Office, said the Home Oflice had made very exhaustive iuquires into the question of anthrax, but they had been not able to discover anything that would kill it without injuring the skins and makiug them useless. At Bristol the men were compelled to wear a tippet, which fitted to closely round tha neck that the men could not scratch themselves. The jury returned a verdict of " Death through anthrax poisoning.' t X t Proof That Excitement Does Not Pay.—A dairyman writes as follows to an American paper.—" About ten years ago I invested in a Babcock test, and ever since have carefully used it in my own dairy and for othors who might wish to know what their cows cows are doing. I had heard and wad a good deal about excitement injuring the quality of the milk, and 1 made up my mind one day that I would test the matter for mysolf. So I said to tho hired man one evening, bofore milking. ' \ r ou may let tho dog into the yard with the cows. Then wo will each take a stick. Wo won't strike the cows, but we will do a good deal of hollerin, and see what will of como of it. Well, wo did this. Tho dog barked, and we shouted and drove the cows around for a few minutes, until they wore pretty well stirred up. Then we put, them in and milked them. We found that we lost pome quantity, but that was nothing compared with what we sacrificed in quality. I tested that night's milk and found that two-fifths of the butter fat has disappeared from it. After that experience, I told tho hired man that I never wanted to hear him speak to a cow in a louder tone of voica than he would speak to me ; and if he felt as if he must strike some one, to strike me ; chat I couldu't afford to have good money lost in abusing the cows." t I t A Co-oveiutive Shearing Sued,Just a year ago Mr H. Y. Fergusson, in a paper read before tho Geraldine Farmers' Club, advocated the establishment of co-operative shearing sheds, where farmers could have their sheep shorn and their wool classed by a competent clhbsoi'. Mi I'ei'gusson also went a step further and recommended tho "pooling" of ths wool after classing

with a view of getting better prices for the larger lots than could be offered to the foreign buyer, payment to be made to each farmer after sale on the basis of what each class of wool realised, lesexpenses of shearing, brokerage, &c. This recommendation is perhaps not quite a practical one ; but there is no doubt the erfction of ("hearing .sheds in districts where u btrge number o: small farmerare settled is a step in tho right direction. This plan is about to be adopted by the West Melton Saleyards Company. The company recently paid a dividend of 7h per cent on trie year's business done in connection with tho yards ; and have decided to issue 100 £1 shares with 5s premium for the purpose of enabling them to erect a shearing shed, which will be equipped with .-hearing- machines, and the ncce.s-ary motive power. At a recent meeting of the company it was ascertained that the share-holders present would have among them about 15,000 sheep to shear at the shed during tho coming season. A sub committee was appoiuted to take the necessary steps to havo the buildiug erected, and to ascertain particulars regarding the plant required. t I t A Case of Staggers.—" J. 5.," Greymouth, writes to the Weekly Press :—I have an aged, extra heavy,draught mare, and on three or four occasions lately when I went into the loose-box to clean her, as soon as I touched her head she staggered and fell, first on one side and then the other, seeming to lose all control to herself, and nearly knocking her brains out against the sides of the box. After about two minutes she seems to be all right, and starts feeding again as if nothing had happened. I might mention that she lias not done much work for tbe last four weeks, and that she is in first rate condition. Also that when I purchased her about three months ago she was very poor and put on flesh wonderfully. She is a good feeder and seems quite healthy only for this sudden attack of dizziness. After she had three of these attacks I took about three quarts of bloood from her ; she seemed better for a few days, but I have noticed her statrger once since, although the did not fall. Mr J. R. Charleston advis'-s the following treatment iu the eases similar to the above adminstration of a 6dr dose of aloes, followed by strychnine in form of nux vomica, ldr twice daily, given in ball, or mixed with famugree, 4dr, and given in the animal's food. t t t Bad Flavours in Milk.—Under the auspices of the Stowartry Dairy Association, and under the special approval of Mr J. R, Campb?ll, the bacteriological expert engaged by that Association, Mr Kirk, Craigraploch, delivered a notable lecture on the above subject recently. The main argument of tho lecture was that bad flavours in cheese were the inevitable results of dirt which had been introduced into the milk either directly through a want of sufficient cleanliness in handling the milk, of indirectly through the cows drinking dirty water or eating contaminated food. Dirty buildings, dirty udder, dirty milkers, dirty dishes, dirty dish-cloths, and dirty water supplies, argued Mr Kirk, were the causes which produced a proline crop of bad flavour in cheese. Flavours, in milk, whether good or bad, were living flavours, as thoy were duo to bacterial organisms. Filth of any sort was the one and only breeding ground of the malign bacteria producing had flavours in milk or cheese ; and as theso bacteria, when once they had got an entrance into a medium so favourable for their development as milk, multiplied with inconceivable rapidity, it follows that tho slightest speck of filth introduced into milk will inevitably moan the introduction of a rapidly increasing colony of infective noxious germs These certainly arc important facts which nobody can deny. Tbey are the first points set forth in every primer on dairy science aud practice ; they are the first principles set forth by every dairy instructor, and thoy are well known to and appreciated by every intelligent dairy worker. The fact, therefore, that in opening a course ' of instruction on cheese-making iu the presenco of a largo number of highly successful cheese-makers, the lecturer—himself a thoroughly practical and highly successful cheese-maker—should have devoted his lecture to au exhaustive aud forcible restatement of theso axioms in dairying is certainly significant. Incidentally, Mr Kirk mentioned that he had found saltpetre a specific for neutralising tho characteristic flavour in milk drawn from cows fed on raw turnips. In view of tho fact that the Stowartry Association is just now carrying on an exhaustive investigation as to tho relative advantages of using pure cultures as against home-made starters, it may be well to note in this connection an experiment recently carried out at the Wisconsin Experimental Station. In this experiment it was found that, by pasteurising the cream and adding a home-made starter of sour cream from milk that had not been produced by turnip-fed cows, the taste of the turnips was entirely eliminated from the buti.n-. The use of pure culture iu cheeso-making is undoubtedly advantageous in cases where the milk has been tainted by any of the means described by Mr Kirk, or by the characteristic flavour of turnips. No doubt the Association, in the course of investigations, will take steps to ascertain whether the home-made star-tor will prove equally efficacious in neutralising the taste of turnips in milk. Mr Campbell, in his Glasgow lecture last December, expressed the opinion that, wbero the milk was free from taints, as it should be, tho home-made starter was as good as any pure culture could be ; but where tho milk was tainted or badly flavoured, the pure culturo was the thing to use. But Mr Kirk, who speaks from wide practical experience as a ohsese-maker, says most emphatically, that, if the milk is tainted or badly flavoured, the first duty of the cheese-maker is to remove the cause of that taint by preventing the introduction into tho milk of tho filthy matter which gives rise to the bad flavour. That certainly, is a logical conclusion. THE POULTRY YARD. iMi'iiovEMßxr in the Poultry Yard— All that a farmer has to do to inaugurate a systom of improvement in his poultry is to kill off every scrub cock and replace them with purebreds ; next season they will be half-breds, a long step ahead. Profit in Poultry.—Make a flock of fifty hens return a profit before undertaking to keep two or threa hundrod. In no c.'ise id it advisable to undertake tho keeping of any considerable number, unless timo cm be spared and there is a willingness to give them proper care, EciG-EATINK and its Cure.-—'i'ko objectionable practice of egg-eating contracted by fowls kept in confined runs, arises iu most cases from the accidental breaking of an egg, ov from soft cg>g« laid from the roost at night, A good remedy is to leave a few rotten eggs in tho nest, or to buy a penuyworfch of bitter aloes, dissolve in a little water, mix with a small quantity of Hour into a thin paste, pour into an eggshell, and place iu tho nest. It is also a good plan to make the nest iu such a way that the eggs will disappear as soon as they are laid. Virtues qv Eggs.—Eggs have long enjoyed the reputation of containing, in a small volume, a larger quantity of nutritive material liisp any other aitiole of food. Tho egg of an ordinary hen is, by reason of it-i delicacy and easy digestibility, the most esteemed of all. Next to fowls, pheasants' eggs are considered the best, The Romans thought a groat deal of tho peahen's eggs, which wero sold in Komo at about Id each. They are certainly very dolicato, as arc also plover's eggs. The turkey and guinea fowl's eggs are also very delicate, and arc regarded by many as but little inferior to that of thy hen. Goose aud duck eggs lack the delicacy so much admired in the foregoing. They are strong and indigestible, but the larger voliunu of yolk which t!iey

contain makes them more extensively soujiht after by confectioners. Gooo Euu-layino Crosses.—lu keoping liens for ejrgs production siaht should not be lost of the general pv j-idioa which exists in favour of hrown--helled eggs. Another point to be aimed at :• the production of aim* in winter. To secure both these object.-, the hr.-0.l most in favour are Alinorca-Langshan and Leghorn- Laugshan crosses. The WyandotteLangshan cross has also many admirers, by reason o' the fa< t that in addition to beim; reliable lay. rs, birds of this description also rank highly as table birds. Will Fowls Pay ?—The question as to whether fowls will pay when the right kinds are kept has, wo think, been solved by one of our subscribers in the suburb?, udio, for tho year ended Juue 30th, has received 580 dozen eggs from fifty hens chiefly white Leghorns. The cash value of the eggs was £32, to which may be added £2 5a from fowls sold, making a total of £34 ss, less the valuo of food. £ls ys, thus, yielding a profit, of £l9 for the year. Tbe largest number of eggs laid in one month (October) was eightyeijcht dozen, and the smallest (June) nine dozen. Tho largest number laid in one day was forty-two, aud the smallest two. Eggs wero laid every day during the year. Upwards of two and a-balf tons of food were consumed, and the total weight of the year was a little over 9001 b. The fowls were all reared by an incubator and fostermothers supplied by My Roberts, of Abbotsford, and arc said to bo stronger arrd heavier than those reared by natural mothers. A machine is used for grinding tip shells, broken glass, and crocks, which is daily supolied to the hens. Mr Bull, of George street, will give further particulars to any person interested. ENSILAGE. Science is just beginning to throw light on the reasons why ensilage gives better results in feeding, says tho Rural New Yorker, than the same kind of fodder when dried. A German scientist has shown that the nutritive effect of fodder is modified by tbe "ease of digestion." If a large amount of dry, tough, woody material is present in the food, the labour of digestion is increased ; tho energy u«ed in working over this ballast, while in the digestive tract, is just so much taken from the "productive" energies of the animal. The ensilage is easily reduced to a flue condition with little labour, while much hard work is needed to bring the same amount of dry food material into an avaiable form. A correspondent writes, to the Wyndh'iin Farmer : —Last year, I may say, I tried by 'prentice hand on a small stack of grass", but as I did not treat it properly, tho experiment was a failure. However, profiting by that lesson, as well as from advice received from other eources, I resolved to have another try this season. I set to work on a stack of about 50 tons of green oats and peas (grown mixed), and am pleased to say that it Ims turned out a complete success, far beyond my most sanguine anticipations. My cows have eaten it greedily from the first ; they clean it up, leaving no waste—as would be the case with oaten hay, when a good deal of the sheaf-but's would be left over. For the information of your readers I beg to detail shortly how to make ensilage without, the aid of a proper press : - Cut the stuff in a green state, and load at once, whether the weather is wet or dry j build a section of the stack Gfthigh ; putan iron pipe of 1-Mn diameter into middle of stack, to allow insertion of thermometer to ascertain temperature ; when temperature is up to llOdeg build on another 6ft, changing tho pipe into tho new section ; continue thus until stack is finished ; then cover with weights equal to 901 bto each superficial foot on top ; finish off stack with head of any sort, to keep dry ; put greatest weight on outer edges, to keep air out and minimise waste by moisture. I used bags of gravel round the outside, filling tho centre with loose stones. Care must be taken to keep the temperature under loOdeg. and near 135 deg as possible —this can be douo during building by adding weight faster, should tho temperature rise too high. Be sure and not make the base of tho staak too large, as Gft of newly-built stuff will, when pressed, sink down to Ift, and a 20 x 20 base will hold over 100 tons. lam convinced that ensilage thus prepared is far ahead of turnips, for winter feed for dairy cattle. Ensilage can be secured in summer when the ground is dry, thereby saving a lot of the "slushing" in the mud entailed in turnip-feediug ; also it tends to a richjr and fuller milk flow, and, most important of all, leaves no taint in either milk or butter, which is mora than can be said of turnips.