FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume VI, Issue 449, 17 June 1899, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

With the exception of one day the weather has continued fine during the week, and the wind still holding to the north and east, it is extremely mild and warm for the time of the year. We may have to pay later on for this beautiful June weather, but in the meantime stock are doing well, and pastures—brightened by the removal of sheep and cattle to the turnip fields—are getting full of feed, quite a Spring-like green hue pervading most well-managed farms. This relief from being grazed during the hard winter months is of the greatest benefit to pastures, which are thus able to recoup after a heavy autumn stocking, and by getting a good close sole of grass before the spring are better able to stand hard feeding during the following spring and summer, lb is, or should be, generally known that the roots of grass plants approximate pretty closely to the size and spread of the same plants abov* ground, which explains the rapid growth observed in meadows after the hay crop has been removed, the roots in such cases being strong and well developed to carry the tall plants waving above ground, but where pastures are regularly and continuously eaten close the individual plants become weak and small, with a corresponding stunted root growth. Thus the benefit of allowing a pasture to lemain unstocked for some time is gained as much from the improved root growth as in the increased body of vegetation above groand, a fact which should never be lost sight of in handling gruss land. Good progress is being made with threshing and chaff-cutting, considerable quantities of chaff and oats being sent by rail to Auckland, where a fair and improving demand exists for all sound samples. Prices are still low, but the tendency is upward, from £2 to £2 5s per ton being obtainable for well saved chaff, oats being at la 8d to Is lid per bushel. The prospects for wheat are becoming brighter, and there seems every justification for holding back sound samples for later disposal. The American crop is reported to be seriously damaged, and prices are advancing in the English and Australian markets. Potatoes are slightly better, but the outlook is poor. Good samples are selling at from 15s to 17a 6d per ton at country stations in Canterbury, so the prospect ol much advance in our local grown lots is not too bright.

The most favourable feature of the markets is the general rise which has taken place throughont the colony in all classes of sound sheep and cattle, par* ticularly fat sheep and lambs fit for export. We reprint an extract from a recent report from the Canterbury correspondent of the N.Z. Farmer, which discloses a very satisfactory state of affairs so far as the sheep-breeder and graaier is concerned. This is, of course, due to the relatively high prices ruling for frozen mutton and lamb in the Home markets (ranging from 4d to l\d and 5d to 5Jd respectively), together with the reaction in wool values. It is, however, noteworthy than wherever there is no outlet by way of freezing for export, or that outlet is not fully developed, these prices are not so buoyant, and but for the recent important change in the control of the Auckland Freezing works, this would have been particularly marked in our local markets, and even as it is, our price* compare very unfavourably with those ruliug throughout the South. It is not surprising that Auckland farmers and stockbreeders have had hard work to make ends meet when receiving, in the aggregate, thousands of pounds less for the same class of stock than their brethren in the South were getting, and probably no company has started with a mora cordial welcome, and feeling of approval than that extended to Messrs Turnbull and Co. by their Waikato clients. The stock markets are firm particularly for fresh cattle and sheep fit to feed on turnips, and dairy cows to come in for next season's milking. Owing to the erection of several creameries and the altered (spocc of the dairy industry generally, there is quite a boom in cows, our local auctioneers having large orders in hand, and prices are certain to rule high for some months to come.

Iu produce, there is litttle to report: Butter and cheese ate firm, factory being relatively easier thin farmers lots. With the mild season anything like a big advance is now improbable, the heavy supplies from Tarauaki neutralising any temporary scarcity in local production. Pigs are in brisk demand, also bacon. In this connection, it is noteworthy that several coastal districts which have hitherto contributed largely to the Auckland dressed pig trade arc about to start bacon-factories of their own, so that our Waikato pig-brreders will meet an improved demand for all choice lots, and no other should be handled. Poultry and eggs arc firm, prices hiving advanced during the week. The following is the extract above referred to : Good freezing wethers command the nice price of 18s to 20i, extra lot* to 21s; prime heavy wether* 22s to 27s (,i consignment said to be prize takers at the last Wairarapa show, sold last Wednesday at 24s to 27°, of cour.se to butchers). The previous week 28-t was paid for a pen of " Corriedales " (half b:ed breed), bred by Mr J. Springfellow, Chertsey. Lambs have been even better than sheep, the record price for freezers of 20s being paid thi* week for a line of 61 from Mr P. Clinton, Darlield. Good to prime freezing lambs fetch Ms to 17» 7(1, and it need scarcely

be said there is no outcry this season about shipping lambs after April 30.

Work for the Bull.—To such a nicety has the dairy industry arrived at in some parts of the North Island, that on a well-appointed farm not a hundred miles from Wanganui can be seen the unusual sight of from 16 to 18 cows being milked by the aid of pitent milking machines, the power being derived from a patent American treadmil, worked, not as usual, by a horse, but in this instance by a pedigree Shorthorn bull. Polakite.—The Agricultural Department has received a trial shipment from England of a substance called polarite, which is very much used in tho old country to assist in the filtration of water. It is usually mixed with sand and gravel in the filter, and is said to be in this way a destroyer of microbes. Mr Gilruth will superintend the tests which are to be made with a view to discover whether polarite can be utilised at dairy factories for the purification of tho water used.

A Paying Game.—A settler in the bush district recently sent 24 pigs to the Woodville bacon curing establishment, and received in return a cheque for £67. In consequence of this a number of Makotuku farmers have indicated their incention of 'going in stiff' for pig rearing this year. In the same connection it is interesting to note that a Noriewood resident turned out two pigs at five months turning 2721 b when dressed for the factory, and for them received £4 10s 8d from a Wellington firm.

A Match for the " Government Pets." —It waß once confidently predicted that the stoats and weasels would soon exterminate all the native ground birds; but, although these vermin have been on the West Coast for some years past, wskas are (says the Inangahua Times) as plentiful as ever, and there is not the slightest doubt that they destroy stoats and weasels jnst as easily as they do rate. The Times recounts a fight, in which a weka is said to have killed two stoats after they had actually got their teeth into its neok.

Flying Foxes —Singleton a district in New South Wales, has lately been invaded by myriads of flying foxes—a most unutnal (and undesirable) visitation at this particular time of the year. Generally they arrive about the fruit season with a considerate idea, no doubt, of saving the orcrardists a lot of trouble in picking and packing fruit, but this time they nave only come in time for the remnants of the quince crop. By moon« light every owner of a fowling-piece is abroad, counting his nightly " bag" by the score, and the usually peaoeful midnight sounds like a battle in full blast.

Showing or Cabbage.—lt is seldom, indeed, that farmers depart from the usual beaten line laid down for years, writes a correspondent to tbe Otage Witness. I have, however, to chronicle the faot that eabbago-growing for sheep is being carried out by a farmer in the Nortk Island. I saw about twenty aores of as good drumheads as any one would wish to see growing adjacent to equal areas of mangels and Aberdeen yellow turnips. It is the owner's intention to keep strict account as t 3 the returns made by each plot, and these he has promised to give me. I shall be pleased to place these before your readers when they come to hand. A Heavy Loss.—The " Ellesmere Guardian " records a bad stroke of luck that had befallen Mr Dudley Hampton, a district farmer, who on Saturday last lost five horses, all first class young draughts, through their getting at some wheat. It appears that the wheat was stored in a room adjoining the stable. By some means the door became unfastened, and during the night, the horses, in prowling round, got their heads in the door, and gnawed a hole in a bag of wheat. After the bag had been emptied, it was dragged out by tbe animals, and they ate the contents clean up and then got to the creek and drank copiously of water. Pour of them died in a few minutes, and one subsequently. Mr Hampton reoently refused £6O for one of the animals lost, and the average value of the five was about £4B api°.ce A Model Shepherd: "He did kot use Dogs."—The following is the latest shepherd's story. It comes from Canterbury, and is said to be positively true. The manager of a station was accosted one evening by a new-chum Irishman looking for a job, who said he could help mustering during the shearing season. Asked where his dogs were, he Baid he had none as they did not use dogs for mustering where he came from. Thinking to bluff him, Mr Manager pointed out some sheep on the downs, and told him if he could yard those sheep by dinner time next day he would give him a job. The new-comer was up early in the morning, and had the sheep yarded by dinner time. Then proceeding to the office he reported to the manager that the sheep were yarded. The big ones were quite easy to yard, but he explained he had a job with three or four little ones, and these he had run down and caught. A visit of inspection by the manager showed that four hares were included with the sheep !

AGRICULTURAL PASTORAL ASSOCIATIONS and the Veterinary Profession.—At the annual meeting of the Nelson Agricultural and Pastoral Association the retiring president, Dr. Robert*, referred to the question of restricting practice to diplomaed veterinary surgeons, and expressed regret that the Canterbury Association had refused its support to the excellent measure. He felt convinced that those who had originally opposed the proposals were now wavering in its favour. Dr. Roberts spoke strongly on the subject, and said that in his experience as a medical man 25 or 30 per cent, of mothers nursed their own children, and of those very few did so for more than three months, depending thereafter on cow's milk. The majority of infants were thus reared on cow's, milk and hence it was the duty of the Association to take stringent measures to keep the health of the cows at a high standard, and thus safeguard the health of our little ones. In the case of the large uer-centagc of children who died from tuberculosis, it has been proved that the disease has been carried into the system by milk, and hence this strious source of infection should not be overlooked. Tuberculosis was a more or less chronic disease amoDg cattle, and the only easy test at present was that of ' tuberculin,' and the president urged that this test should be applied by some experienced man.. He held that the Manawatu Association had taken a step in the rijjht direction in moving to restrict veterinary practice to diplomaed men, for iu upholding the profession of veterinary surgeons the public would be protected. He hoped to see ere long a chair of Veterinary Surgery in one of the four Colleges, and he suggested that the A. and P. Associations of the colony should draw the attention of the authorities to the matter. Relative Absorption of Odours by Warm and Cold Milk.—The belief has long been current that milk does not possess the power to absorb odours from the byre or other sources, writes Protestor M'Creath, in the " Dairy," so long as it remains warmer than the surrounding air, and that under these conditions it tfives off the natural animal odour with which it is generally impregnated. The rising air currents from the warm milk prevent, it is thought, not only direct absorption of odours, but also bacteria from falling into the milk. To this popular belief is doubtless largely to be attributed the somewhat common practice of allowing all, or a large proportion of, the milk to remain in the byre uutil milking is over. In the course of some experimental work in another connection, Prof. Russell, of Wisconsin University, observed incidentally that warm milk seemed to absorb, odours more rapidly than cold. He therefore deemed it desirable to test the matter expert •

mentally, which he did in the following manner. A large box with a tight-fitting cover was taken, and in the bottom of the same were placed two jars, one rilled with warm water, and the other with ice cold water. On the surface of each receptacle was then placed a basin filled with milk. The relatively larsja body of warm and cold water maintained tho respective milk samples and temperatures above and below that of the surrounding air. In the bottom of the box were then placed samples of various substances that were to be testtd as to their odour-yielding properties. The milk samples were examined after having been exposed to the odours of the substances for an equal period, ranging from half-an-hour to three ho"rs. Altogether about 125 tests were made, with the accuracy characteristic of the Wisconsin experimenters, and they showed conclusively that odours are much more readily absorbed by warm than by cold milk. In his report on the experiments Professor Russell sayß that the odour of fresh cows' urine readily taints the milk, but stale urine does not seem to impart as marked an odour. As the volatile ammonia whioh is generally evolved from decomposing urine is not absorbed as readily in warm as in cold liquids, it was thought that this property might change the general results, but there seems to be a peculiar odour arising from urine independent of the ammonia contained, that imparts to milk an undesirable taint that is readily recognised. It is evident, therefore, that leaving the milk in the byre for any considerable length of time is contrary to good dairy practice. Such a treatment renders possible, not only the introduction of bacterial life from the germ-laden air, but the direct absorption of byre odours that will seriously impair the value of the milk for direct consumption or for dairy use If the byre is kept thoroughly cleaned, and is well ventilated, perhaps an exposure for a few minutes might not produce serious results, but, if one is attempting to produce as perfect »n article as it is within his power to create—and who is there that ought not to be included in this class ?—then such a method is fraught with danger, even from the purely physical standpoint, let alone the biological phase of the question.