FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 372, 26 November 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

Thk weather has shown a marked improvement during the week, being: much warmer, and ihis, with the dry, clear days, has enabled farmers to get on with their field work ; it also makes good progress possible with shearing. Teams are now busy carting the wool to the various country stations for transmission to Auckland. General oomplaints are made respect injrthe absence of yolk in the fleece, especially in wool taken offa week or so ago, the hut few warm days having caused a preceptible improvement in this respect. Good progress is being made with the turnip land a few lots having already been sown for early feediug, but no larire area will be drilled beforo the middle of December.

Potatoes are showing a phemonenal growth, the reason being eminently suitable, and some good crops arc expected. The change from showery to fine weather is just the thing for grain, as being likely to cheek the excessive growth of straw witnessed of lute. Seldom have grain crops been so healthy looking, and advanced at this date in the season, and the indications arn all in the direction of a bumper crop throughout Waikato, towards which end line weather for a few weeks, would be a decided help.

With the phenomenal growth of grass dairy cows are in more request and tho*e milking are yicldiug large quantities of milk, but as may, be supposed the percentage of butter fat contained therein has not inoreised in the sune ratio, consequently, some grumbling about percentages is heard, but, probably, if suppliers compared the quantities of milk now being dilivered to the creameries with that sent in—at this datelast year, they would find that the nett money return per cow was considerably iu favour of farmers of this season. The apparent oollapse of the scheme for carrying on the dairy industry in Waikato under a co-operative system is causing a good deal of discussion and comment just now, the general opinion being that such a want of cohesion |and loyalty—among those whose interests are identical as that lately exhibited, is a most regrettable circumstance, and is certainly, not calculated to improve the position of the milk suppliers in future. New arrivals in the district cannot understand tbo objection of Waikato dairymen to cooperate in business, for their mutual benefit, but tbere can be no question that it is largely owing to the unfortunate result of a previous attempt at co-opera-tion, that such reluctance is now shown by our settlers to make further experiments in the same direction. The markets have Bhown some changes during the week, fat and forward stook are in good demand late sales being very favourable for vendors.

Produce has shown signs of weakness owing to increased supplies. Butter and eggs are about the same : Fruit is selling well; and with the opening of the Auckland Exhibition all produce, including poultry, and fruit, is expected to improve in price.

A " Coee " fob Blight.—Some genius says the New Zealand Times, has bten going about among the country settlers persuading them to allow him to adopt heroic measures suggested by himself for eradicating scale blight and fungi from their fruit trees. His modus operandi was to concoct some awful compound in a bucket, then dip a fork into it. and stab the trunk of the tree, This he explained to the bucolics, would have the tendency of impregnating tho rising sap with his mixture, and disseminate it to the very tips of the leaves. The result would be, he declared, that the insect would let go quick and disappear for good. The result was that a great deal of damage was inflicted on the trees, many of which exuded all their sap and died, but not before the heroic person (who said he came from Yorkshire, where his method was in vogue) had skipped to fresh vineyards and orchards new with a large amount of money obtained on promise of a permanent cure. t X t

. Mangels Versus Wheat.—The cash value of a ton of mangels consumed upon the farm may be estimated at 7s 6d, although, if kept till spring, they may readily be worth 10s. Thirty tons of mangel at 7s 6d per ton is £ll ss, and sqrs of wheat at 30s is £7 10a. In the case of the mangel there is a manurial residue, piobably woith at least 2s 6d per ton, or £3 15s per acre, making a total value, feeding and manurial, of £ls per acre. In the case of wheat we have exactly half of this value, with the straw ia addition, which would not be assessed at more than 12s or los for home consumption. The principal advantage in the wheat is that it is quickly reliable, while the mangel crop will need months before it can be turned into /cash. If mangel wurzel is stored in October and eaten in May by ewe lambs intended for stock it may be years before it is cash, and thus to those who need ready money it is less apparently profitable than corn. Nevertheless, a good crop of mangels is more valuable than a good crop of wheat in the long run.—Professor Wrightson. t X t

Light Harness Horses.—ln a paper read before the Wisconsin Earmers Institute, Prof. John A. Craig discussed light horses as follows : —The chief characteristics of the roadsters are speed and stamina. The ability to trot fast is a leading characteristic of the roadster, and the ability to maintain a rapid gait is clearly essential in a horse of anyjkind.in addition to being able to stand steady road work. The typical roadster may be said to be about lai hands high and about 10001 bin weight; the formation is narrow in front, deep chested, wide at the loin, and very muscular in the quarters. Every feature about the horse, appears clear cut, giving a hard finish which indicates durability. The lineaments of the facs and the outlines of the neck, and especially the distinctness with which the tendons stand away from the leg, are very characteristic features. The type lacks the , fullness and symmetry that are characteristic] in the carriage or coach horse. To do effective and satisfactory road work is the sphere of the roadster, and a type that has been evolved is an illustration of the evolution of a form for a speofiio purpose. t X t

Tangled and Laid Crops.—A oorrespendent, 'writing to a eouthern contemporary a few days ago, said that owing to the excessive growth this season, he was afraid the crops would get badly laid later on, and that he had resolved to try the experiment of running the reaper over a portion of it to see what the effect would be. There appeared to be a difference of opinion upon the probable effect of cutting, but it would appear that this may be done with safety. About three yoirs ago Mr \V. Sutherland tried the experiment in this district and was rewarded with success. The facts aro shortly these—Mr Sutherland, like our southern friend, thought the crop he had would not stand the first blow, as it was 60 heavy, and that early in the season; so he decided to cut it down, or at least a portion of it, to a height of about five inches, and for this purpose he removed the platform of a binder, and lowered the fans, the cuttings were thus evenly distributed over the paddock, and iu a few days were nowhere to be seen. About half the paddock was so treated, and at harvest time the part whioh he had operated on carried a crop of wheat that was a treat to look at. The straw was about four feet high, all st&ndinj strong and erect, well headed, and as level as a. table, The other picture presented to view was a heavy tangled crop, which was only out with the greatest difficulty, and perhaps through a portion of it not being saved, or through getting beaten out, yielded six bushels per acre less than that whioh had been run over early in the season with the machine. Of course, anyone who thought of treating a orop so should

satisfy himself that it wns not too far ad viinced, or the result would be disastrous —Ash barton Mail.

Thkßussivn* Thistle.—Look out foi tbo Russian thistle. It. is in the United States, and it his conic to stay, s>tys Farm New-. L'ist your the writer sw a good many sneniraetm nosfc of l.'io Mississippi suine "f them along the railroad-t of Ohio. Lnwt fail a good many thistles went to seed and the winter winds blew them hither and thither al across the country. This spring there arj a pood many places where Russian thistles are springing up miles away from the place where the seed ripened last fall. This is especially true of the prairie sections of Illinois, and it is safe to pro diet that the battle with this pest is on. Every man must use his bet.t efforts to destroy every specimen on his land, if he would havo any peace handling bis cropi of grain We have been watchimr specimens «row along one of the great railroads, and it is surprising how rnpidly they shoot up and how thickly .'die land has become seeded with them in some places. If one of these plants gets a start., it soon throws out side branches and the shade kills any other plants near the thistle, and if the thistles are thick enough every other kind of vegetation disappears. A single plant where it grows alone will often cover a circular spot three feet in diameter before the season is over. It is the worst weed pest we have ever been called upon to fight, and it should be kept in subjection from the first.

Hand-kearing Foals.—The foaling season is on, and should any farmer be so unfortunate as to lose a mare, it may be useful to know how to rear the motherless foal to the" best advantage, as it is •not often that it can be palmed off upon another mare as a foster-mother. If such can be procured it is, of course, the easier and better plan of getting tho foal reared, for a good deal of trouble and attention is required in deal ins with a young foal by means of hand feeding. Failing mare's milk, the best substitute is that of the cow, as the same constituents are found in the milk or more and c«w. The following figures show tho composition of both ;— ■ Cow's Milk. Mare's Milk. Water 87.0 BS.C Fat 4.6 1.0 Casein 4.0 1.6 Su«ar 3.8 8.9 Salt O.C 0.0 As there is a larger percentage of fat and casein in cow's milk, it is necessary to dilute it with water and to add sugar, as the mare's milk is much sweeter than that of the cow. A young foal should have a pint of water mixed with two pints of cow's milk, and as it gets older the proportion of wator may be reduced. The milk should be given warm, aid in small doses ; foals, and lambs, like to drink " little and often," and of conrse tho nearer the temperature of the cow's milk can be made to that at which the foal would get it from its dam the better. Tho natural temperaturo of mares' milk is lOOdeg Fahr., and it is important to see that the temperature of the milk given to the foal is as near as possible to that figure. If a foal is worth rearing at all, it is worth a good deal of trouble, and neglect will only produce iv very miserablelooking animal. Some people say that it is necessary to give the foal the milk from one cow only, and that a mixture of the milk of several cows is very injurious ; but I have reared foals by hand very successfully without finding it necessary to be so careful as all that.— Agricola t t t

Crossing for Milkers.—A great many dairy farmers (writes "Sylvan," in the Sydney Mail) have caught on to the idea that the steers and culled heifers iu their herds might be made more valuable. In many cases the young cattle from dairy stock do not make up into anything profitable for fattening and sale to the butcher, and there is a tendency to go in for the bigger breeds and thus obtain a better carcase, and so increase the returns from the farms. I believe that a great deal will be done towards this pnd by judicious crossing, and the special breeds will be mada to play a very much more important part than they have done in the past. Probably the shorthorn-Ayr-shire crosses and grades provide the best all-round milking cattle, beoause it is always possible to make something of the steers. But there seems to be no reason why all the special breeds should not be crossed on to the stoutest of the grade cows kept on the farms. Probably the Jersey will be used extensively in grading before long. As I have frequently mentioned, the Americans use the Jersey and Guerneys extensively in this way, and there is hardly a breed that is not brought largely into requisition in providing a general purpose animal that will milk well and produce steers of fair weights. Of course it would be a mietake to let the fattening qualities of our cattle predominate over the capacity for milk and butter production. Either the one or the other must take precedence, and if dairying is to be profitably carried on it is the milking value of the animals that must be kopt in the front. It should not be forgotten that a calf, like any other youngster, should be trained up in the way it should go. However robust the progenitors may be calves brought up on the ancient charity school plan cannot prove profitable to the breeder. If it is intended to sell the steers as promising yearlings, forward two-year olds, or keep them for fattening, some constitution must be put into them when they are being reared, and that can only be done by giving some whole milk and good fooi to start with. It is still an open question whether it pays to turn out vealers from the dairy herd, and there may be something in it on farms where plenty of food is available and a market handy. t t t

How to Tell a Horse's Age.—To distinguish merely between the young horse and the old, it is only necessary to remember a few salient facts says a writer in the Globe, The first is that the- milk teeth are present in the horse's mouth untill he is between four and five years old. The second fact is that the "mark," or dark central depression on the surface of the incisors, becomes generally worn out and in a horse over eight years old has nearly always disappeared from the teeth of the lower jaw. The third fact is that the shape of the tooth alters as the animal grows older. At first the surface of the tooth is much wider from side to side than it is from the front to the back. As the horsebecoraes older the surface becomes progressively narrower from side to side, thus instead of always remaining oblong, it becorues'triangular, and then in very old animals flattened from side to side. In young horses, then we judge the age by observing which of the milk teeth are present and which have been replaced by permanont ones. To distinguish between the milk teeth and the permanent, romo:nber they are smaller whiter, and have a distinct neck. UdUI a colt, is over two years old his teeth are all milk teeth, and tho age is estimated from the amount of wear shown on tho crowns of tho teeth. Between two and three the first of the permanent teeth make their appearance, and push out tho middlo two teeth in both upper and lower jaws. A horsa is said to be three years old -when these central incisors are fully in wear. During the next summer the second pair of permanent teeth appear, and when they are fully grown and in wear, the horse is four years old. Between four and five the last pair make their appearance, and now the horse has what is called a full mouth. So far both mares and horses are alike, but at or near five years old the* canines or "tushes" appear in the male sex only. Up to the end of this period the determination of the age is a comparatively easy matter, and anyone who is at all observant can readily give the age of horses by looking at their teeth. After a full mouth is attained it is a more difficult matter, and

the difficulty of accurately tolling the age of old horses is greater in proportion to their age. So much is thi- the that it is popularly supposed that it, is impossible to tell the iig« of horns after they are eight years old. This may bo truo to a great extent amnnir tho untrained anil inexperienced, hut to an expert it is not difficult to tell tho age up to fifteen years which a fair degree of accuracy, and after that ago to approximate it within a couple of years. To do this successfully requires much experience and a careful inspection of all indications of age. To roly upon one only, such us the mark, is to court defeat. All should be observed —the mark, the shape of the teeth, their length, and the angle at which they meet thovSe of the other jnvr.