FARMERS’ COLUMN.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 292, 6 August 1908, Page 6

FARMERS’ COLUMN.

The lambing season is now in full swing in the Amberley and Leithfield districts, and the percentage is expected to be good. Feed is abundant.

A rare incident is reported by the Eltham “Argus” to have happened on Mr MacVean s farm at Te Roti the other day. A cow gave birth to three calves. About August last year the same cow had two calves, so that she has had five calves inside of twelve months. <

Diarrhoea in horses, brought on by over-feeding or exposure to inclement 'weather, is a common trouble, and should be checked at once. Parched flour, rice, meal, gruel and boiled milk are all excellent correctives for this ailment.

The cannon bone, hide, hair, and eye are among the advertisers of quality in a horse. Trueness of action increases power. The eye is the tell-tale of energy ; the ear, nostrils, and lips the indicators of courage and disposition.

In Ceylon and neighbouring countries on the mainland of Asia there is a race of diminutive oxen which never grow to more than two and a half feet in height. Nevertheless, they are strong, swift, and very enduring.

According to the “ North Otago Times,” past experience has shown on many occasions that sheep may live as long as three weeks under snow’.

It is interesting to know that Canterbury produces more wheat than any other province (remarks “ Rouseabout ” in the Timaru “Post,”) with the Otago second. In oats the positions are reversed, and in each case the leading province beats the other by over two million bushels.

A bumper apple harvest is expected in Devon and Somerset, savs the “Weekly Scotsman.” There is every possibility of 11>OS proving the greatest apple year known in those two Western counties. The trees arc literally smothered in big blossoms, and these big petals mean big fruit, while it is expected that the fruit will bo finer than usual.

In Germany the fertilising value of sulphate of ammonia is greatly appreciated. As a rule it is mixed in varying proportions with superphosphate, and offered with corresponding guarantees of analysis, as ammoniated superphosphate. “There is,” a departmental report announces, “ an enormous demand for such a combination with a guarantee of 90 per cent ammonia and 9 per cent phosphoric acid. Such an association of sulphate of ammonia [and superphosphate, mixed some time before use, undergoes chemical action, which increases the efficiency of the two ingredients. Part of the phosphoric acid combines with the ammonia, as phosphate of ammonia. The mixture is found to produce very favourable results on potatoes, mangels, beet root, and is also employed for top-dressing cereals, although in this latter respect it cannot be said to take the place of the more quickly acting nitrate of soda.”

Reports from the back country beyond Naseby (Otago) confirm the worst anticipations regarding the mortality among sheep, but until the snow is away it will be impossible to say to what extent. Some musterers on snow shoes, who were after cattle on Mount Ida range, report having passed large droves of sheep huddled together in a very pitiable and weak condition, and, as many had bare backs, it' was evident that w'ool-eating had begun. Numbers of sheep were also seen either dead or dying. Another settler reports having seen a mob of 300 completely smothered by an avalanche. J'e was unable to render any a-distance. fn connection with the decision c the Ashburton Agricultural and I ; storal Association to import ] ) white owds for the destruction o! small birds, a suggestion has be mi made that a better bird to

import would be the “ butcher bird ” of Tasmania, if it could be ] rocured. This bird lives entirely, •cu small birds, and observers say Pi.nt in parts of Tasmania where i lives the sparrows have been kept down for many years. It h .'s a long bill, and in towns it uses this weapon for inserting ini . cages and devouring such birds hs canaries. For this reason .- nail bird cages are made in Tasr.ania with fine -wire - netting aiound the sides, and care has to be taken not to leave the cages out at night. It is stated that the effect of the importation of owls will probably not be felt for a number of years, if it is felt at all.

It is a very long time since the country in North Canterbury has looked so well' at this season of ihe year (says the “Lyttelton Times.”) The frosts have been few and not severe enough to check the growth to any appreciable extent, and the early crops are. looking green and healthy. On the plains and slopes lying to the sun, the grass is already assuming a spring-time appearance. All seasonable farm work is well forward and after the rain the land is turning up well for the spring sowing.

Mr Kirk, Government Biologist, informed the Farmers’ Union Conference at Wellington, that a weak kerosene emulsion, applied with a sprayer, is the best remedy for the variety of blight known as “foma,” which in the form of a fungus attacks turnips in New Zealand. He said there were four varieties of blight affecting turnips in this country last season. The department’s observations showed that swede turnips are not so liable to attack as the ordinary white varieties. This statement elicited from Messrs. Evans, Kaiapoi, and Middleton, Waimahaka, Southland, the information that by personal experience they had proved “green globes,” a variety of white turnip, to be an excellent blight resister.