FARMING NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 336, 3 September 1898, Page 4

FARMING NOTES.

Some useful showers have fallen within the last few clays, which have softened the land somewhat, and helped on growth, though the weather has been none too mild for the purpose, a very bleak wind blowing at times. Land under plough is turning up in a very dry condition, indicating an absence of moisture in the subsoil, which may be seriously felt before the summer is over. With the view of conserving the moisture in the soil as far as possible, it is advisable to plough laud intended for turnips early and deeply, letfiug it lie in the rough furrow for a few months before working up. Such land, when harrowed and drilled in December or January, will be found to contain far more moisture than if ploughed only a few weeks or days before sowing ; and it is needless to add, if the season is dry the turnips will be a more certain and heavier crop. On most sheep farms the lambs will be in by the end of August, and should be cut and tailed without delay, as the older they are the more serious the effects of the operation. If performed with care, and before the lambs get too big, say between a fortnight and five weeks after birth, the mortality resultiug therefrom should be practically nil ; but itmust be remembered that the danger arising from cutting and tailing lambs is almost wholly due to the presence of dirt in the fresh wound, having got into it before the congealed blood formed an impervious coating over it, so that the operation should always be carried out in a clean place, and the lamb when finished put carefully down on its legs, not dropped roughly to the ground, as is too often witnessed. With the improvement in the weather and feed, hoggets will be putting on more wool, and once fairly into September a little yolk should be seen. The Spring hogget sales are already announced, and as the prices depend a good deal on the condition of the sheep, it is to be hoped that duriug the next few weeks the weather will be a little warmer than it has been of late. Dairy cows are now coming in freely, milk suppliers endeavouring, as far as possible, to have their herd come to profit early in September, but in many cases the cows are not in such good condition as usual, and as the ,vinter has been fairly mild, this must be attributed to the scarcity of feed and their consequent low condition at the end of lasl autumn. It is noteworthy that similar conditions appear to have prevailed throughout the North Island, a 3 from almost every district reports of heavy mortality among dairy cows and hoggets come to hand. All this points unmistakably to thenecessity for providing ample supplies of winter feed for every animal on the farm, as, after putting aside the actual money loss resulting from the death of valuable dairy cows and other farm stock through exposure and lack of feed, there is the continual worry and anxiety inseparable from having a lot of weak animals about the place, and which is worse than the loss. The markets show little alteration during the week. Seed grain continues in good demand, particularly _ oats, which, for good samples, are going off freely at from 3s od'to 4s per bushel. The full prices still being received in the Auckland market for butter are not indicative of an early spring, and it is probable that prices may remain at fair rates throughout the coming season.