FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume VI, Issue 400, 18 February 1899, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

Tuberculous Pigs.—We [hear that at New Plymouth the other day the Stock Inspector (Mr Orbeli) was obliged to condemn no less than 52 tuberculous pigs out of one herd. Now that pig farming is likely to assume considerable proportions in this district, it behoves raisers to take strict precautions against the dreaded disease. The chief means of spreading the disease is through feeding with raw skim milk from the factories. To secure immunity it should be boiied, h precaution which farmers, in however small a way, should make a point of observing.—Egmout Star.

j three meals a day of whole milk, and should not be confined to two until it is able to eat grass or pick at a little dry food. If a calf is to be a credit to its owner and bo an ornament to the farm it should have at least three quarts of new milk every day during the first week ; for the next two weeks three quarts new and three quarts skim milk per day ; and from that to tho eighth week two quirts new and six quarfs skim milk per day . and from that to the twelfth week nine quarts skim milk each day, and as much grass or hay as it requires. The tkimmilk to be sweet of course, and warmed to blood heat. By this plan a calf consumes 120 quarts or 30 gallons of new milk in the first eight weeks, and at 3d per gallon the cost is only 7s 6d little enough, surely, to expend in giving the beastie a real good start in life. Another 2s 6d can be well spent in mixing linseed gruel with the skim milk, and then for 10s we have a happy, healthy, and handsome youngster. Place one reared in that way beside one of the same breed which has been blown out with nothing but skim milk, and get a possible buyer, when at three years old, to make an offer, and I think it will be found that there will be more than 10s between them in value. The Evil of Poor Cows —At the annual convention of the Wisconsin State Dairymen's Association, Professor Burchard delivered a very interesting address, and among other things, said:—Tho cow that does not yield 4009 pounds of milk in a year is not worth keeping. Somebody owns and feeds those poor, worthless—yea, worse than worthless—cows. Who is it? I can't tell you his name, but I can give you some of his symptons. He is usually more or less in debt, and seldom or never has a dollar in his pocket that ho cun rightly call his own. He works hard and so do his wife and children, rising before it is light in summer as well as in winter, and continuing his labour after dark at night; He has to do this because he gets no help from his cows. He is the man who complains about the times and the low pi ices for milk and butter and cheese, forgetful of the fact that everything except wages haß declined in price more than milk has. He is the man above nil others, who cannot afford to keep such cows. 1 wish he might bo here to-day and to-morrow and the next day to learn that there is a better way to gather inspiration and hope and with all courage to go home and dispofe of those profit destroying cows. This is the simple proposition : A man may be keeping three cows at a loss, whereas by disposing of one the other two will yield him a profit. And if they don't, let him dispose of one more, always disposing of the poorest. The same rule will apply in a good many of the larger herds. I say, in all candor, and I know whereof I Bpeak, that it is just as easy to have a herd of oars that will average more than 275 pounds of butter or 600 pounds of cheese every twelve months as it is to have one that will average less than that. If a man's cows do not bring him an average of •40 dollars each year, even at last years prices, he has only himself to blame. This is the minimum that should be tolerated, and when one reaches it is comparatively easy to go above it, It is tho first step that counts, especially if that step is in the right direction. Once on the right road the way will be found neither obscure nor difficult.

DISEASFS OF THE PIG AND THEIR PRACTICAL TREATMENT. Rot (Fluke Rot).—Pigs are sometimes the victims of attacks of fluke-roc, caused by the development of flukes in the bile ducts. Nursing and liberal feeding help the animal to withstand an attack of fluke-rot, but beyoud giving such tonics as preparations of iron, it is doubtful if any medicinal treatment is of value. Rtjjptubes (Muscular).—The muscles of the abdomen are sometimes ruptured (broken or torn) by injuries, etc., without the external skin being torn, producing the condition known as " broken Lelly." Beyondjapplyingfomfntationsand cooling lotions to the parts when the injury is recent, but little good can be doneScrofula. —Pigs are subject to an unhealthy state of the system, which although not a difinite disease in itself, predisposes the sufferer to the development in the system to certain diseases, the chief of these being tuberculosis, or consumption. This condition is known as scrofula. Diseases ok Skin.—The skin diseases which affect pigs may be divided into two classes, viz., those of a parasitic nature, such as lousiness, ringworm, mange, etc , and those of a non-parasitio naluie, such as eczema, surfeit, etc. Parasitic skin diseases are caused by the presence within, or on, the skin of living organisms, either animal or vegetable, which organisms both live on or in the skin, and obtain nourishment for their sustenance from the animal on which they livt. These con generally be cured by washing with carbolic soap, and applying a dressing composed of flour of sulphur one part (by weight), paraffin two parts, and linseed oil four parts, repeated two, three, or more times at intervals. Is on-parasitic skin diseases are best trarted by giving a few doses of Epsom salts and flour of sulphur internally with one or two applications of the above dressing, containing only one-half the quantity of paraffin. Sore Teats. —The teats of sows recently farrowed are liable to get sore, especially when the litter exceeds the number of useful teats, which causes the younsj pigs to fight and often grip the teats savagely, and, in cold, frosty weather or keen drying winds. It is a common practice with eome pig breeders to nip off the incisor teeth of young pigs, with a view of preventing this trouble. Any heated or feverish state of the system is apt to cause soreness of the teats when suckling. A simple and safe dressing for sore teats in sows is a mixture of solution of borax and glycerine. Bcczoated lard, too, is very use f ul for this purpose, and if feverishnesa is present, one or two mild doses of Epsom salts. Sprains.-Pigs, in common with other animals, are subject to spraus or strains, and these are best treated by hot formentations and cooling lotions in the early stages, followed by stimulating oils, such as " white oils "or blisters, complete rest allowed. Surfeit.—This is a condition of the skin in which there is a scurfy or material present, and there is usually a considerable amount of irritative itchiness. It is cuused by uncleanliness and bad food. Treat in the same manner as directed for destruction of parauties, which, indeed, are commonly present, as such a state of the skin favours their development.—A. IT. Archer, in London Live Stock Journal.

A Destructive Orchard Pest.— While examining the fruit cargo of tho Talune, which arrived at Wellington from Sydney last week, Mr Kirk discovered several cases of peaches to be infected with the Queensland fruit maggot fly, one of the Tery worst and most destructive of orchard pests. He at once londemned the fruit, and ordered it to be destroyed by fire. Instructions have been issued to the Agricultural Department inspectors in other parts of the colony to exercise tho most vigorous supervision of fruit exported from Australia to prevent any possibility of the insects becoming acclimatised. This is the first time on record the fruit maggot fly has been detected coming into the country.

A Minnesota Dairy Law. —ln Minnesota they have a law, the execution of which is entrusted to the State Dairy and Food Commission, which makes it a misdemeanor for patrons of a oreamery or cheesd factory to furnish milk under the following conditions: Milk in dirty cans or vessels ; sour milk ; unwholesome or tainted milk ; watered or skim milk ; railk from a sick cow ; milk from a cow fed with decayed or unwholesome food ; milk drawn from a cow fifteen days before or after calving, Persons who violate this law are fined from ten to one hundred dollars, and it is the duty of the butter and cheese makers receiving Buch milk to reject it, and to report it to the proper officials.

TnE "Ross" Ploughing Match.— One of the biggest ploughing matches _ in tho world is the annual contest which takes place in North Kent. This year's matoh took place at Dartford, and some idea of its magnitude may be gathered from the fact that it was taken part in by 170 teams, comprising 500 horses valued at £25,000. When it is stated that all these ploughs were at work in one field, nome conception may be formed of the sight presented as the competition progressed. The old-faehioned Kentieh gallow wood plough could be seen at work alongside the modern steel balance plough, and the chief intereßt appeared to centre in the ploughing in the champion balance plough class where several old hands were competing. The judges awarded the fir.it prize to Mr J. Russell's man, Richard Mitchell. An Amebioan Variety of Oats,—The cultivation of oats in Victoria, says the Australasian, leaves much room for improvement, and the introduction of a new variety from America deserves notice. Mr W. Martin, of Drouin, some tirre ago obtained seed from America of the " Surprise " variety, which produces a heavy yield of short, thick plump, white oats. Mr Martin's crop this season is turning out well, estimates ranging from 80 bushels per acre upwards, in addition to which an average of about three tons of straw per acre is also calculated upon. Specimens of the heads, which are remarkably fine, show that portion of the stalk on which the seed appears is about 13in to loin in length, and thickly covered. Occasionally as much as ISin is reached. The whole plant stands about Gft to 7ft high. Sales of the setd are being made at 10s per bushel.

The Vital Pbinoiple of Oats.—M. Ballund, ho id of the chemical department of the alimentary section of the French army, has, wo learn from the Faimers' advocate, lately completed an analysis of 1000 sumples of oats, grown in different regions and upon various soils He desired to settle the question so disputed since a score of years, To whut is the exciting, stimulating, or fiery principle in oats to be attributed ? To an alkaloid, asserted many, lodged in the pellicle sheathing kernel of the grain. M. Balland could find no such alkaloid, hut he discovered a small quantity of essential oil that could explain the stimulating property. Oats, he affirms, form a complete food, contain never less than 3 and as much as 7 per cent, of fatty matters ; the starch or Baccharine substances varied from 61 to 64 per cent., and the nitrogenous from 7to 14. One hundreds grains of oats varied in weight from 1.80 to 4.32 grammes, and there are 30 grammes in an ounce. The kernel forms from 61 to 74 per cent of the grain. The shell is very hard and diffioult to masticate—hence the advantage of bruising for rations. It is an error to judge of oats by their colour. The white oats of many countries—those of Russia, for example—are most nutritive. In France the proportion of kernel is lesß in white than in black Taitary oats, English Poultry t arms.—A correspondent of the Farmers' Advocate, a Canadian agricultural paper, gives a valuable and instructive account of a visit to several leading English poultry farms. In England, he says, special attention is given to birds of practical utility for table and eggs. Tho best, plumpest, and hardiest chickens come from a cross between Indiau game aud Dorking or Surrey and Sussex fowls. White Cochin and Brahma fowls should be avoided, as they are poor in breast, coarse in bone, and feathered in the legs. Plymouth Rocks and Wyandott9s make excellent table fowls, especially the latter, which have a fair amount of meat on legs and breast. But the Game-Dorking cpobs tskes the cake as a table fowl. To givo some idea of the extent of poultry farming in England the correspondent referred to says that in 1897 no less than 1765 tons of dead poultry were despatched from Heathfield in Sussex to London. The consignment for a single week was 52 tons, representing 29,000 birds. But the writer of the article explains the birds are not bred at Heathfield —they are only fattened there. The majority of the fowls crammed are bred in the Emerald lele. Arrived at the fattening pens, the food which is of the consistency of porridge, is pumped into tho fowls. It consists of ground oats, sour milk, and fat, mixed together. Upon one farm as many as 20,000 fowls are crammed bytbreo men in as many hours, so dexterous do the men become by long practice. Killing is practically an instantaneous process, by drawing the neck till dislocation takes place. The bird is then passed on to the picker, who can pluck 40 in an hour. Special vans have been provided by the railway companies and the poultry trade is said to bo progressing by leaps and bounds. C»LF Rearing.—ln has been said that thousands of calves are killed in the colony because they are not worth tho price of the milk they require, and so the milk goes to the factory and tho calf goes to fertiliso a fruit tree. In my opinion it were better to knock the calf on the head than to rear them in the way that a good many farmers do. If a calf is not worth roaring well by all means kill it, but if it is worth rearing givo it a chance to grow into a beast, male or female, that will pay its way and something ever for the owner. Two big doses per day of sour skim milk with perhaps, the chill off will make a pottlebellied calf that is always scoured and rough in its coat, and is of no value to anybody. A young calf should have