FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 342, 17 September 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

The weather continues fine and favourable for growth, fome nice showers falling during the week, though the nights are somewhat cold lor grass, particularly when the dry westerly winds prevail. Such weather is eminently suited for farm work, and seldom have settlers at this time of year, been so advanced with other crops. The young wheat is now shooting through, the condition of the land being just the thing for' stimulating a quick growth in the plant. Ciops are still being sown, but no time is to be lost in getting the seed in, as, should next month be dry—and the indications are rather that way —the late sown grain is placed greatly at a disadvantage, and can not make a full crop. Potatoes for main crop should now be planted, and as tlie crop is a gross feeder, abundance of manure, either farm-yard, or artificial, is necessary if heavy returns are looked for. Some difference of opinio-) exists as to whether the sets for seed should be cut with two eyes or more, and also as to the size of the potato to be used for the purpose, but practical experience has proved pretty conclusively in this district that to ensure a full crop and avoid the annoyance of misses in the rows, whole potatoes of medium size should be used, and the manure sown broadcast over the land after they are ploughed in. In a dry season like the present cut seed may do very well, particularly if planted directly after cuttiug and _ in land already once ploughed, but with anything like a heavy rainfall more loss than saving is occasioned by cutting seed potatoes. Carrots and parsnips may be sown in well worked land at any time after the middle ot the month. The former grow freely in. Waikato, even in poor land, with a moderate application of fertilizers, and are usually a payable crop, a good demand existing for them during the winter months. For heavycroppingthe White Belgian variety is generally sown. Towards the end of the month sugar-beet may be sawn in land welt worked and free from weeds. In this connection it may be mentioned that tho Agricultural Department are offering, through the lo'jal Stock Inspector, a small quantity of sugar beet seed to settlers free of charge. This is for the purpose of testing the growth of the roots in various parts of the district, and if the settlers are really desirous of seeing the sugar-beet grown, or a big thing in Waikato, they will take advantage of the present opportunity and, at all events, grow a few rows each. The markets are fairly strong for the season. Potatoes are fluctuating, with a downward tendency ; a few weeks more will see new potatoes selling freely. Eggs, owing to heavy supplies, have fallen to within a point or two of bedrock prices, but butter is still scarce, and with the bulk of the dairy produce taken for export, supplies for local consumption should remain at fair values during the ensuing season. The marked contrast shown by the nrice of butter during the past winter, when ordinary keg lines were selling freely at from lOd to Is Id per lb, pastry from 7d to lOd per lb, yet only a few months previous, best dairy butter was hard to quit at from 5d to 7d per lb, is indicative of a want of management and business control among our private dairymen that is not creditable in these advanced times. It is clear, and the experience of the past three seasons bear it out, that 5d to 7d per lb is not the full value of good dairy butter, even during the summer, as with cool storage, such goods would advance at least 50 per cent, in value by holding from three to five mouths, and the loss incurred by having to force their supplies upon a glutted market, falls upon our small settlers, who, as a body, are the least able to bear it. Lime, for Wheat.—An application of lime on Edendale Estate, one of the finest of the New Zealand and Australian Land Co.'s properties, has, for the last live or six years, given an excellent result as to grass and turnips. A trial ot wheat on this limed land, it is reported, has resulted in a crop of over GO bushels per acre. For years previously, prior to the lime application, great difficulty was experienced in obtaining a wheat crop on the best parts of the estate. t t + Parsnips.—An enthusiast in parsnips states that as a food resource, both for the table and stock, the parsnip has few superiors. Upon fairly good soil they will give a yield of from 600 to 1000 bushels to the acre ; they winter in the ground where grown, and if undisturbed grow the second year. As a stock fool they surpass the turnip and carrot. Butter from cows fed on parsnips surpasses in flavour that made from any other food; especially is this true in winter. On rich sanely land they will grow 15ft long, but accommodate themselves to thin soils. The range of possibilities with this plant is broad. t t t Dehorning Dairy Cows.—The Southland Daily News of a recent date says—- " During the part week or so the dehorning bails erected at Mr Thomas Ayson's, Meadow Bank, have witnessed 500 cows in turn enter the yoke with their honrs on, and emerge immediately afterwards, through the agency of the scalpel, minus these appendages. On Monday last no less than 821 cows were dehorned. So far as we can learn, not a single instance of serious after-effects from the operations can be traced among the 500 head. So completely has this new idea in dairying economy been taken hold of in the Seaward Downs and Mataura Island districts that the Wyndham Farmer is assured only one herd now remains at Mataura Island with the horns still intact." t I • t Castration.-—" Lana," writes in tho Sydney Mail :—" While at Narrandera, en route to Deniliquin, I met some old time cattlebreeder.s and woolgrowers. Amongst the facts and fancies of howstock management should be carried on two of the audience gave it as a decided and unalterable opinion that castration must never be done in the dark of the moon—five or six days before the wane of tho old moon, or three days before the dawn of the new moon—otberwise the mortality from castration will bo heavy. The same applied to the ringbarking of a

tree, periods, and then its death will be certain. This belief is one hold by a large number of people engaged in pastoral pursuits, and numerous illustrations of its truth have been given. I should like to have a scientific explanation if there is anything in the above." t X t Driving Dairy Cows.— 'Speaking of driving tho cows up from pasture with dogs," writes a correspondent in Hoard's Dairyman, " reminds mc that this is a common practice with some. They brag about having a dog that can bn sent after the cows, but you never see one that will bring them up at a walk, at least, I never saw such a dog. It is bark, and nip, and run at full speed, chasing and worrying them every foot of the way to the barnyard. How anyone possessed with the least grain of common sense can permit such a performance passes understanding. Cows should never be driven faster than a walk, most certainly nut when the udders are distended with milk. There maybe dogs that can be trusted to drive the cows up from pasture, but they aro as rare as Kohinoors, and the average small boy is not much better. Tho boy and the dog toircther— well they make a combination that is a terror to cows—to »ay the least." t t t Spayed Cows and TraEKCrLosis. Some remarkable facts have bsen brougl t under the notice of the Queensland Secretary of Agriculture by the Government veterinary surgeon at' Brisbane. Out of 332 spayed cows passed through one of the meat works, GO head, or 18 per cent were condemned as being effected with tuberculosis. The facts are deserving of notice. The surgeon states that when seen in the pens the animals were apparently in good health and fair butchering condition ; but on post mortem examinations being made the pathological appearance was remarkable, inasmuch as the lesions were almost wholly confined to the abdominal cavity, ani the disease in the early stages of development was immediately around the wound made when the beasts were spayed. Tho absence of tubercular lesions ou the ovacic cavity, together with the condemnation of only one tongue, determined that the spayers worked with contaminated knife and hands, thus beinj; undoubtedly responsible for the distribution of tuberculosis in these animals. t t t A Chicago Fxpkrt on Kaising Bacon Pi OS. —Mr Armour's superintendent has, savs the Ohio Farmer, given his opinion on the bacon pisr, and tho breeds he lvcommends for producing them. These breads are the Yorkshire, Berkshire, Taraworth, and Chester White. It is not necessary to depend on scrub hogs to produce the best bacon, The improved breeds, which will grow a pound of meat fully 25 per cent, cheaper than the scrub, can be utilised, The difference is simply one of conditions under which the animal is grown. Take the Berkshiroa or Chester Whites, give them a good range, grow thsm on clover pasture, skim milk, middlings, ground oats, or corn meal, never feeding enoutrh grain to make them lazy, and you can have good bacon pigs. It requires activity to grow muscle, just as it does in the case of the athlete, and muscle is lean meat. If the hogs are confined the food goes to make fat, and con* sequently more pounds of meat can be grown from the same food under confinement than if the animals are allowed their liberty. There is a littlo loss through friction But the active hog turns the fat into muscle at the expense of a part of the food it consumes, just as the athlete develops muscle at tho expense of hia food, while not increasing his weight. Hence the bacon hog increases slowly in weight as compared with tho lard hog fed in confinement and on a diet largely of corn. Lean meat costs more to produce than fat, hence farmers should have at least 25 per cent, more for hogs growing that kind of meat than for ordinary heavy corn-fed animals. That is where the farmer and bacon'curer pulls apart. t X t The Dairy Form,—lt has been the contention of Hoard's Dairyman for many years that there must be, in the economy of nature, an intimate correspondence between form and function. There must be, then, a marked difference in form between the animal best adapted for dairy purpose and the animal best adapted for beef purposes. These functions are too diverse to be economically served by similar forms. In the case of milk, there must be the udder and its appendages, and a suitable place for them, and with that a general conformation indicative of a temperament more disposed to turn feed into milk than to beef—a placj to store the milk temporarily and the rmehinery for elaborating it. On the contrary, the beef animal must have a build or form where the successive daily accumulations of flesh, for weeks and months, and years, can be stored. The udder, and all that pertains to it, must bo reduced to the lowest terms. Top and bottom lines must be straight and parallel; the thigh come down straight, forming a right angle with the buck ; tho shoulders broad and low. In short, the general conformation must show, even more plainly than words can describo, that the business of this animal is to waste little or no energy or feed in producing milk. This is all theoretical reasoning, but it cannot bo r3futed, except by observation and experience, and in these, not by here and there an exceptional animal. Wo must be guided by the rule, and not by the exceptions. If we take a herd of ten cows, or one hundreds cows, or more, and submit them to accurate and prolonged tests, we find that, with only rare exceptions, the largest producers and especially tho most economical producers, no matter what breed they may belong to or bo descended from, have a close general correspondence in form. Some points are nevur absent, such as the incurving thigh, the arching flank and tho deep middle piece. We may see various defects in udder formation ; these may be a surplus or deficiency in teats ; one or more quarters of a previously well formed udder may have been ruined, but where there is a will (form) there will bo found a way. t I t Tirii Danger ov Infection from TUBERCULOSIS. —It is frequently argued that the danger of contracting tuberculosis is not nearly so great as is sought to be proved, and that those whs aro anxious to see the utmost precautions taken to prevent the spread of the disease are guilty of exaggerating. For instance it is held that so long as the milk from a cow diseased in the udder is not used or the diseased paits of an animal slaughtered for consumption aro carefully cut away there is not any real danger of infection. With regard to the latter point wo have several times shown that wholesome meat may be contaminated with the germs of disease b}' a slaughterman handling diseased parts, and particularly may the danger lie in the use of a knife which has come into contact with centres of tho disease. This view has just received a singular and emphatic confirmation, and the mattor is of such importance that note should be takon of it. Dr. Quinnell, a veterinary inspector under the Queensland Live Stock and Meat Act has reported to his Government that, while a large mob of spayed cows was being put through one of tho meat-curing establishments, it was noticed that about 2G per cent, of them was affected with tuberculosis in tho abdominal cavity. This is rather an unusual occurrence, as tubercularjlesions aro most frequently found in the cavity of tho chest or in the respiratory organs. On close examination tho tubercles were found to bo seated in tho spay wound, or its immediate vioiuity, " It is evident, therefore," remarks the Queenslander, " that the occurrence can only bo attributed to the absence of care and cleanliness on the part of tho person who spayed tho cows, and that tubercle bacilli have been conveyed from one auimal to auothor by tho hand of the operator." Those who advocato that instead of destroying the carcase of a tuborculous animal slaughtered for tho

diseased parts should be lemoved will probably seo from the foregoing how easily the germs of the disease may be conveyed by means of the knif". • t x Separated Milk fok ''alvks. -Many dairy farmers pinna little. -v no v.lue on separati dor skim mill; f ■<■ '-urn calves mi, U-I -ring th t whin ''>■• cream is extracted the fluid is almosv. worthless as feeding material. Those holding this view, as a rule, make no attempt at rearing calves even in sufficier.t number to maintain their herds, their pract ee being to knoclc all and sundry on the head us soon as they arrive. But there is no doubt that fresh separated milk is a most valuable food for calves, and when used in conjunction with linseed or flour meat will afford nourishment almost equal to whole milk. Indeed, 1 (Sydney Mail's special commissioner) have often seen splendid calves reared on separated milk alone, when they ni" provided with a patch of nice clean pasture. Tho chemist tells, us that a gallon of separated milk contains on an average lib of digestible solid food, which is composed approximately a* fol lows :—Lactose or milk sugar casein or albumen, ofoz; phosphate of lime and ether minerals contained in the ash, lk>z; and butter fat, Joz. With thu addition of linseed or flour meal tho mixture is actually a richer and more economical food for calves than the whole cow's milk. It is essential, however, to remember that separated milk requires to bo fed in as fresh a condition as possible. When it is allowed to stand for 12 or 14 hours, or becomes sour to any degree, it appears to lose much of its virtue. Calves do not relish sour or stale milk, and are apt to contract bowel disorders from its constant use. When it is impossible to supply it in a frssh condition, it is better to feed it to the pigs than to the calves. In no case, whether fed alone or mixed with meale, should separated milk be fed cold. Before being served out it should alway* be heated up to the same degree as milk freshly drawn from the cow. t X t Milk Shedding,—One of the occasional treubles of tho owners of cows, writes Win. Honsman, the English stock authority, of the deep-milking breeds is tho habit cf milk-shedding. It ariseH from one or another of various causes, and in some instances is curable by dealing with the cause. If, however, there is abnormal laxity, to any v<ry i;reat extent the cure, if possible, is not generally known to practical dairy farmers. Any hints from those who have treated it successfully would be serviceable to a large number of cowkeopers who have failed to stop it otherwise than by drying the cow, fattening her, and disposing of her to the butcher. It is, of course, comparatively rare in the cases in which they suckle their calves, especially when the calres either run with the cows or have frequent access to them. Where, on the contrary, the cowsaro all hand milked and the calves supplied from the pail, and especially where the cows give great quantities of milk ; tho cow that sheds her milk is sometimes troublesome. Milking such a cow three times daily during the period of the great flush of milk affords in some instances the necessary relief, but it is not always convenient. Still, a little trouble and time may be profitably expended for the perservation of a good cow. But cmses which are overlooked aro often discoverable by a little thought and attention. What has the cow to Ho upon when Loused? Is the udder carefully protected by bedding? If not, pressure upon the hard floor of her stall, perhaps paving-stones, will fully account for her so-called fault. Is she always milked clean, to the last drop '! This is best assured by stripping, each cow in turn, when the general milking, morning and evening, is finished. Some cows hold a portion of their milk when the bulk is taken, but yield it shortly afterwards, with or without coaxing, by gentle manipulation. t t t An Interesting Experiment.—The annual report of the experimental station in connection with the lowa Agricultural College, U.S.A., a series of experiments to test the difference between the milk of cows recently calved and of those that have ,been in milk for a greater length of time. The fresh cows tested were four in number, and had been in milk a couple of months, while the others, seven in number called " strippers,''had been in milk for six and a-half months. Both lot of cows were fed exactly the same ration—viz., sheaf oats, 81b; clover hay, Gib ; corn, Gib; barley meal, 31b; and sugar butts, 51b. The total amount of milk from tho fresh cows separated was 9721 b, and from the strippers 88Glb. The experiment was conducted in January, the coldest month of the year, necessitating tho cattle being closely housed and artificially fed. The cream was ripened at a temperature from 70deg to 75deg. The percentage of fat in the cream did not vary very much. The churning was done at a, temperature of 4Sdeg to oGdeg, which is very low, and the time varied from 29 to 75 minutes. To hasten the ripening process a 7 per cent, starter of sour skim milk was added to the cream after separation. The report of the expert who examined the product was to the effect that tho flavour, colour, and texture of the butter approximated so closely as to indicate that the period of lactation has no direct influence on the quality of the product. The report goes on to say that frequent complaints reached tho college of the difficulty experienced in churning when the cows hare been a considerable time in milk; but tho true case is the quality of the food supplied in winter, which is too often deficient in material to form butter fat. Improper ripeuiug of the cream is another cause that must not be overlooked. In very cold weather artificial heat is required, and the addition of a little sour skim milk as a starter ought certainly to be tried. Unless the cream is kept at a sufficient temperature to admit of tho development of the lactic aoid germs, instead of ripening a putrefactive fermentation is set up, and that is what loaves the bitter taste in the butter. By means of proper feeding and care of tho cream all the difficulties of butter-making disappear. In order to ensure tho cream churning readily the cows must bo fod on something better than turnips and straw, which is about the poorest food milking csws eould have. For store cattle such feed might do to take them over tho winter months, but for milking cows it will not do at all. The quantity of turnips should be very small, and the balance mado up of either oaten hay or good grass hay. A little oat cake may also bo used to advantage.