FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume VII, Issue 527, 16 December 1899, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM & GARDEN NOTES.

The mild and ample tan which fell in the early part of the week came just at the right juncture, and was of urett vulue to the (licitiiut generally. Owing to the continuance of westerly winds the land had become dry and hard, t uo giving a oh'ck to growth, ond toicii-g grain crops into ear much quicker than was beneficial, fV\ ith th> hit*: change however, the soil has r< oe ved a thorough soaking, and th success ut hotn grain and potato crops is now practically assured. Any hind intended for sowing with early tuiuips, should he dulled without delay, as with the ample moisture now in the soil a quick start to the plant wh'ch is veiy important in turnip growing is almost certain to be obtained. Wi f h the advance in the in-nilh haymaking will be in hand and a few weeks' fine wether will be welcome. For h y it is better to cut grass and clover well on the gret)H side, that is. before the flower heads,of th-i plants show Mens (f withering i" the hot wo ".titer, otheiwis" though a heavi-r ne'ght of hay maybe obtained, the quality is inferior, indigestible, woody fibre taking the place of succulent, flesh-forming.-übstancts. Tne important question of silage has not yet been taken seriously in Waikato, pt.si-ibly, owing to the ease wi'h which heavy crops of turnips can be grown ; but if it were not so, and the practice of turning surplus grass and other vegitaticn into fodder for vvinter feeding wa3 more general, what a splendid opportunity would.bo afforded in a season like the present. On many farms grass and clover together with fern and thistles may be seen growing in great luxuriance, but being unfit for hay the stuff will be allowed to grow on and dry up in the summer to the detriment of the pasture and great loss of stock feed, which, with a little labour a- d no risk could have been safely stored for future use. While referring to weeds, we may remind cur farming friends, and also public bodies that the season has arrived when sweet briars, blackbirry and other troublesome weeds can be most effectually dealt with. Such plants being now in flower are readily exterminated if grubbed up and left to wither in the sun ; whereas the same work carried out at other neaßons only serves to spread the pest. In such a fine grazing season, stock of all kinds are almost certain to do well, and lay on condition. This, however, does always follow in the case of lambs, which are none the better for too much grass, particularly if the land on which they are running is of a heavy and marshy nature, in which the slight cough among them is not unusual. This indicates the beginning of lungworm trouble, and should be promptly dealt with, while the lambs are strong and healthy, by giving a moderate dose of Sonjet, after, say, twelve hour's fasting; and if the dose is repeated in a week or ten days, all signs of the cough should be gone. The improvement of the health and thriftivess of lambs after being Hrfnched—if ticks ore plentiful, also dipped—is very marked, and far more than repays the cost of the labour and •naterial. With the increasing demand for iat lambs for local consumption and freezing, nothing »hould be left undone to secure a large output, and towards this end, especially in a big grass season like the present, drenching is a most important factor. The markets have been steady during the week, with few alterations in values. In live stock the most noteworthy feature is the keen enquiry already mani« fe'sted for usefel breeding ewes; for which sorts 8s to 10a per head is now freely offered. Produce is in fair demand at late values, save potatoes, which are in heavy supply at nominal demand. The high prices ruling for early potatoes during the past season have greatly stimulated production; not only about Auckland, but throughout the North, and also in those coastal district such as Nelson, where the comparative freedom from frost enables early potatoes to be grown, and the result is a glut which must entail considerable loss on growers. Butter is un'hanged, but eggs and poultry have made a sharp advance, the former fetching 3d to lOd per dozen at auction.

A New Disease.—Numurkah farmers are, according to the Australasian, complaining of a disease having made its reappearance in that district which attacked their horses some throe years since. It is a sort of dry scab, which, strangely enough, only grows on the portions of the animal which are covered with white hair. Veterinary surgeons were sent up there to investigate it on the previous occasion, but the disease appeared to be unknown to them, Applications of phenyle seem to do away with the trouble. Noi;descripts Babeed.— A law has recently been passed in Colorado under which all sires must come up to a certain standard before they are allowed to bo used. Scrubs—the American name for crossbred, nondescript animals—are completely barred. This law provides that no inferior or mustang stallion, no Texas, Mexican, Cherokee, or other inferior bull, and no scrub ram, shall be allowed to be kept without paying a license fee. All dairy farmers must furnish one highgrade bull for every 25 cows. Violations of this law are punishable as misdemeanours. Moreover, anyone is authorised to castrate scrub Bires that are found at large. An Arritrabt Law.—Striking proof of the arbitrary nature of the Rabbit Act was given at the Gore Court recently during the hearing of a case against a settler charged with failing to keep down rabbits on his property. Defendant pleaded not guilty, and the Magistrate inquired if he purposed bringing evidence in mitigation of a penalty which he was bound to inflict if, ' in the opinion oi: the inspector,' he had not done sufficient to keep down tho pest. His Worship pointed out that he could not avoid inflicting a fine; ho did not make the Act, and he was bound to convict if, in the opinion of the inspector, insufficient work was done, no matter what defendant had to say.—Ensign. A Wonderful Farm.—The Gem tells of one of the most wonderful farms in the world, which is situated in Canada. Its peculiarity lies in tho fact that everything is worked by electricity. Two waterfalls within the bounds of the farm, some 60ft and 180 ft. high, furnish the motive power, a central powor-house being erected near, and the current ii transmitted by wires to every available place on the farm. The churns and other necessary implements have electrio motor attachments. A motor of 10-horeo power works a mowing-machine, and another works a log saw, while the house, barns, and grounds of tho farm are illuminated by the electric light. The owner declares that he saves some £SOO in labour annually. An Ingenious MethodJof Branding. —A method of branding cattle that will be distinctly visible and easily recognised in winter when the animals have long coats is muoh wanted, and many attempts have been made to discover a mode of distinguishing cattle that will meet all requirements. All kinds of earmarks have been used, and cutting the dew-lap (the ugliest of all marks has been tried, but the perfect brand has not yet been discovered. A correspondent of the American Agriculturist has hit upon a most ingenious way of marking his cattle, by means of which he can toll them at once, no matter how thick and long their winter coat may be. His plan is to take a skin-graft from between the horns, where the hair grows very long, and insert in such places as the cheek or between the eyos, or, indeed, any place where the skin-graft will stand out in bold relief from tho surrounding skin at all times of tho year. In cattle troatei thus tho long tuft of hair appears so much out of place that it makes the most conspicuous mark possible.

Polled Herefords. The polled Herefords, writes the Texas ' took and Farm Journal, are yet few in number, and their origin is so recent that tho type may not yet be perm<'nen'ly established, though with scientific breeding they may and probably will, become a distinct breed. Their oruin is attributed to a hornle.-s hull calf dtopped on the farm of General W. W. iMithrio, near Atcheson, Kansas, in 1889. Cenvral Guthrie kept the animal, and bred to him, reserving the offsprings that were hornless, and now ho has a herd of about 4A head. They are described as having darkrtd bodies, white faces, broad backs, and squt.re, bloe.ky build. • They arc easily kept, mature early, and it is said that some of them are good milkers. Lmpurk Milk —Mr Crawford Anderson, a candidate for the Clutha seat, in addressing a moefiug at Waitahuua, gave utterance to the following sensational remarks!—" Impure milk—that is, milk taken from diseased cattle—is a bigger curse than you have any conception of. I saw the other day, at Kaitangata, a little girl who was coveted with and in conveisation with the local doctor lift-Hold mo it was caused by drinking milk supplied by cows sufforinjr from tubeiculosis. The sijrht that little girl presented horrified and grieved me, and I shall continue as I have olways done, to insist, bottle in public and private life, oiuthe enforcement of every existing law for the prevention of disease among cattle." PitF.RErtViso Egg-.—The Lytteltou Times says:— It seems anomalous to speak of "fresh" eggs twelve months old. yet a resident of Lytteltou has invented a preservative which, it has been proved, will keep esrgs in the condition commonly known as "fresh" f r even longer than twelve months The inventor is Mr J. T. Norton, baker and confectionor, and the invention is known an the " Premier Egg Preservative," 't is a liquid, odourless and nearly colourless and for use is mixed with four times its bulk of cold water. Eggs preserved in this solution, it i» claimed are eatable after an immersion of eighteen months: they are free from the unpleasant taste found in eggs kept in lime, and, as Mr Norton points out, " there is no messing with greasp. A good egg kept in this manner comes out absolutely sweet and odourless, while a bad one, should it be put in by chance ; becomes black in colour without, however, contaminating the eggi around it. Mr Norton's preparation, which he sells in tins holding half a gallon apiece has stood tho tent of five years' experience, and very satisfactorily answered its inventor's expectations. Last year Mr Norton preserved no less a quantity of eggs than 2000 dozen by its means. Fleecing the Farmer.—Mr Jellicoe, one of the candidates for Wellington City, writes the Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times, in the course of his speech at the Opera House, vehemently denounced the alleged rings formed for the purpose of depressing the prices of sheep. He said the shares of the two freezing companies were now quoted at 100 per cent premium. He wont on to say : " A case reeently came under my notice of a farmer who had 800 fat sheep running on the Melrose Estate, and had offered them to one of these companies, and, after its buyer had inspected them, the farmer was offered the munificient price of 5s a head. Their value, in the farmer's opinion, was at least 8s He then offered the sheep to the other freezing company. Their buyer went out and looked at them, and refused to make a bid. Tho farmer then sent them to the Johnsonville saleyards. There he found the buyers of each of the companies, and on that occasion neither of them would offer a bid for the sheep. To most men this might mean ruin, but this farmer was a business man, and, rather than sacrifice his sheep at as, he shipped them through Messrs Murray, Roberts and Co. to Lyttelton, and I hold in my band to-night the aocount sales, showing that tho sheep for whioh the farmer was offertd 5s a. head realised at auction in Christchurch lis 4d." He urged that the State should step in and break up the monopoly. Agricultural Syndicates. The success which has been achieved in Franco by combinations of producers established under the name of " Syndioats Agri'oles " furnishes an object lesson for Australian farmers. They were first started in 1884, their main object being to impose a cheok upon the operations of the dishonest vendors of manures, agricultural seeds feeding stuffs, implements, maohinery, etc. They began by buying all these farm requisites at the lowest wholesale prices and supplying them to members without profit, and accompanied by guarantees obtained from vendors as to quality. Another duty which they undertook was the analysis of samples. Manufacturers and merchants were invited to send in tenders for the supply of the commodities required, accompanied in the case of manures, feedstuff's, etc, by statements of what these comprised, and these statements were published as a standard of purity. Later on selling produee for their members, as well as buying farm requisites, was added to the sphere of operations, and so much benefit to farmers resulted that the " syndicate; " are now powerful organisations, which have practically revolutisnised buying and selling in French rural districts. Many of them have grappled successfully with the| promotion of agricultural instruction, the carrying out of experiments, the destruction of noxious insects, and various other matters that tend to the well-being and commercial prosperity of their members, while in numerous other instances insurance and benefit societies have been established, and funds conserved for the relief of exceptional cases of distress. Previous to their existence French farmers were victimised in a wholesale manner bv vendors of adulterated goods, and charged exorbitant prices by manufacturers of maohinery, etc., but now members are so well secured against fraud that the cost of what they have to buy has been reduced by from 15 to 30 per cent. Two Useful Stadlk Hints. -After a hard day's work, want of caro in feeding and watering horses is a prolific cause of diseases of the alimentary tract. When the animal comes in tired, and perhaps prostrate, he will be greatly benefited and refreshed by having his face, eyes, nostrils, and mouth sponged with cold water. In his tired and fatigued condition, neither a big drink of cold water nor his usual meal is to be placedbofore him. It is a good practice first to prepare his stomach for its u ual allowance of food and water by giving him about a gallon of good warm oatmeal gruel. Put a pound of meal into a gallon of cold water, and stir over the fire till water boils. By allowing the gruel to simmer for au hour or so over a slow fire, it will thicken and greatly improve. When the horet has had his gruel he may be rubbed with a whisp of straw, and after being well dried and groomed, his legs are to bo swathed in flannels bandages, and his rug put on. Iu tho caso of big cart horses, the bandages may be supplied by hay bands. A little long hay may be put into the rack while this is being done. After the horso has been thoroughly groomed and made comfortable, his usual allowance of food and water is to be given, care being taken to offer the water before the food. If he shows a disinclination to feed, a warm bran mash or a little steamed oats, together with a pint of warm ale, may stimulate his appetite. The practice of stopping horses' hoofs with dung and clay is not wholly uuecessary, but decidedly pernicious. Tho hoof is made up of horn-tubes glued together with a cement-like substance Now, when cow-dung is aoplied to the feet tho salts contained in the manure destroy this cementing material and, by also causing undue evaporation, bring about a condition of brittle-hoof. When the hoofs appear to be getting somewhat brittle, a dressing made by melting equal parts of Stockholm tar and mutton suet should be applied daily.—A. Hodder, iu Stable »ud Keuuel,