FARMERS’ COLUMN.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 306, 10 September 1908, Page 6

FARMERS’ COLUMN.

STOCK SALE OATES. Onga Onga—Thursday, September 10th. Waipukurau — Tuesday, September 15th. Hastings—Tuesday, September 22nd. Kaikora North—Thursday, September 24th. The Russian Agricultural Departmentjhas appointed a committee to deal with the question of the diminished wool exports from that country. In 1891 the exports were 90,000,0001b5, but they fell away to 26,000,0001bs in 1907. The committee is to find out the best way to restore the trade to its former condition. There is great development in the dairying industry in the Cambridge district. The Cambridge Co-operative Dairy Company has opened its new brick factory and modern plant. The output is now four hundred tons. On the Horahora estate dairying is being gone in for, and large numbers of -new settlers have been attracted to the district. A notice in our advertisement columns announces that the Clydesdale stallion Earßof Bothwell, will stand this season at Mr E. Manning’s farm, Argyll, and will travel the Onga Onga, Takapau, Waipukurau, and Kaikora districts. Earl of Bothwell is a bay horse of over 17 hands, and is eight years old. He was bred by Mr T. Newall, of Southland, and is by the well-known sire Bothwell, from a Sir Robert mare. Market reports from Home, and the price on offer locally, foretell a prosperous dairying season (says the “Hawera Star ”). So far not many sales have been recorded, but directors are in. the happy position of being able to command higher prices than those ruling at this date last year. Suitable weather continues to prevail, and the grass is showing a robust spring. Herds, generally, are reported to be doing well. A correspondent writes to an exchange : —Some time ago I saw a sketch of a bird.scarer, whichj I decided to copy, as the sparrows were very bad here ; in fact they had nearly all my young plants eaten. I was at a loss to know what to do to keep them away, and resolved to give the bird- | scarer a trial, and it has proved a great success. It consists of a kerosene tin fitted up like a windmill, and a few’ stones placed inside. The least bit of wind makes the tin revolve, and the stones inside will make a row' that will scare sparrows a mile away. The Ashburton ‘‘Guardian” says the most noticeable feature of the stock that is yarded for sale from time to time at the weekly markets held at Ashburton is the healthy appearance of the wool, the staple of which is strong and unbroken. This fact is no doubt due to the existence of green feed throughout the -winter, as a result of the comparative mildness of the season. Stock has not been wintered in the Ashburton County under such favourable circumstances for many years past. The Canterbury Frozen Meat and Dairy Produce Export Company, Limited, have issued a circular in which they strongly urge stock owners when docking the lambs intended for the freezing trade to dock the tail short. The advantages of doing so are that the short tail looks better on the carcase' than a longer one, and causes a better distribution of fat on the leg and rump, and also is obviously less liable to get broken off in handling when it is brittle from being frozen. Such breakages ±fot only rob the lambs of what many people consider a titbit, but render the carcase unsightly, and so reduce its value. CLEAN MILKING. At the congress of the Royal Sanitary Institute held at Cardiff recently, Dr Howard Jones, Newport, contributed a paper on the necessity for a standard of cleanliness in all milking competitions at agricultural Having

described what he saw at such a competition at a leading agricultural show, he said that the facts stated clearly proved the necessity for promoting a higher standard of cleanliness, even among the educated milkers of the country, many of the competitors he referred to being ex-county council pupils. He moved that the attention of the leading agricultural societies be drawn to the necessity for insisting upon a proper standard of cleanliness, with a view’ to providing the public with cleaner and more wholesome milk. Mr Gana, Southampton, declared that too much attention was given to cowsheds and not enough to the grooming of the cows themselves. Dr Herbert Williams (London) stated that the filth found at the bottom of milk churns was sometimes almost indescribable. The resolution was carried unanimously. VALUE OF SULPHATE OF AMMONIA. The consumption of sulphate of ammonia for agricultural purposes in Great Britain, says the “ Mark Lane Express Agricultural Journal,” is about 80,000 tons, M’ith a value of £960,000 ; in France the consumption is estimated to be 73,000 tons, and in Germany 270,000 tons, with respectivevalues of £876,000 and £3,240,000. In France the use of sulphate of ammonia is restricted principally to the northern districts, which are the best agricultural parts of the country, and where the production of crops is conducted on a system as energetic and intensive as any in England. There, as in this country, sulphate of ammonia enters largely into the fertilising mixtures offered by the trade. 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 an enormous demand for such a combination with a guarantee of 9 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 efficacy 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, mangolds, beetroot, 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. The best result is obtained when both are used: they supplement and help one another. The effect of nitrate of soda is quicker, while the action of sulphate of ammonia is more permanent, and is continued throughout the period of the crop’s growth. For cereals the ammoniated superphosphate is used at time of sowing, and the nitrate of soda in due course as a top-dressing, if the crops require a fillip. For mangolds a similar application is efficacious.