FARMING NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume VII, Issue 468, 1 August 1899, Page 4

FARMING NOTES.

Extreme cold haa been the chief feature of the past week, rain and frost alternating with surprising regularity. No doubt the "weather is seasonable, July being the hardest month iD the year, but the public generally, and stock-owners in particular, will be glad to see a little more warmth in the sun and less of the keen southerly winds that almost cut the flesh off any farm animals exposed to it. Dairy cows especially have felt the ill effects of the late cold spell and are not in such good condition as a few weeks ago. Once into August the days become longer and the sun will have more power, but no great improvement can be expected in pastures for some weeks yet, and those who have provided ample supplies of fodder for their stock will now reap the benefit of having done so. Sheep, though better protected than most animals against the cold, have felt the effects of the rain and wet lying, particularly ewes at lambing, and wherever possible they should have sheltered .paddocks to graze in. ioung lambs are now to be seen about, and if treated well these early arrivals will be the most profitable of the season, as they can bo got off early at good prices and the ewes fattened before mutton getß to bedrock value again. Farm work, except on the dryest lands, has been greatly retarded of late, the drenohing rains thoroughly soaking the land, so that several fine days have had to pass over before teams could be put on to disc or harrow. When a considerable scope has to be dealt with it is a Rood plan to keep the plough going in the wet weather, and upon the ploughed land becoming dry enough to harrow *vnd drill, leave the plough and finish off what has been turned over. By thi3 means every fine spell is fully taken advantage of and the plough kept going in showery or unsettled weather. Up to the present the sowing has been chiefly in oats, Dun and Black Tarters being the favourite varieties for early sowing. With the advent of August ■ ,wheat will be moro freely drilled, white Tuscan being very suitable for sowing in Waikato land, and is also a favourite . with millers, who will give 2d or 3d per bushel more for white Tuscan than for the reds or Pearl aorta. It is a matter of some remark that much of the seed wheat and oats on the market, including some Sc uthern samples, is not up to the standard of a few years ago. Much of the seed grain offered contains foreign seeds, audi as barley, various kinds of oats, and occasionally some grass seeds for a variety. It should be borne in mind that only clean, well-dressed, plump seed can bo expected to produce a full crop, and with the markets in their present demoralised state (sellers being more numerous than buyers), only firstclass clean grain will bring even full current rates. Where the produce of any grain crop is intended for use or sale as seed, it is a good idea to go over the crop when about a foot high and pull out any foreign plants. A little labour in this way will clean a fair-sized field, and the superior quality of the seed will amply repay the troubje. Some of our Waikato growers do this, and as a result they send out a class of seed equal to any and superior to much of the higherpriced Southern article. The markets have been fairly active during the week, but prices generally arc far from encouraging. If farmers were not blessed with a hopeful ami patient nature, they would indeed be almost disheartened at the state of the markets during the present season. Everything has gone down—wheat, wool, beef and mutton, fruit, potatoes, chaff ; in fact, almost every agricultural product, save the humble lines of bacon, butter and cugs, has reached lower levels than for ' some years past, and it haa all come in one season. It says much for the brave heart of the Waikato farmer that in spite of these disappointments and losses he is out in the fields bright as ever, planning and preparing for next years crops, in the lull belief that the drop is but temporary, and he will be ready for the rise when it comes. Bacon has eased aomewhat owing to heavy consignments from the South, combined with full local supplies. Butter is in bri.sk demand at ' last week's rates ; eggs still scarce