FACTS FOR FARMERS.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 360, 3 September 1874, Page 2

FACTS FOR FARMERS.

A very interesting report on what is called the "Spencer Scheme of Prizes for best Managed Small Farms" has just appeared, and details the resuty of the second year of work of that plan. The scheme arose from theinterest which the late Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, took in the veiy numerous class of Irish small tillage farmers. , More than half of all the holdings in Ireland, namely, 317,457 out of 608,864, where valued in 1866 at less than £8 a year. In many cases, perhaps the great majority, these holdings are imperfectly cultivated, and the habitations on them are ill-kept and inferior in kind. Lord Spencer was very anxious to do something towards the improvement of this class of farmers ; and, in order to encourage them in making efforts towards greater neatness and more careful tillage, he established a prize scheme, which . is now in the second year of its working. - In Ireland there are certain school farms or gardens under the inspection of the National Board of Education, and eight of these were selected in various parts of the country — two in each province. To the small farms within a radius of five 'or six miles from these centres, Lord Spencer proposed to give annually, for five years, three prizes of £3 10s, £2 10s, and £1 10s ; respectively. These were to be gained by " the occupiers of three holdings in each of the arears above described, and valued under L8 a yestr, which should be adjudged to be the most commendable on the score of (1), The neatness and cleanliness of the house; (2), The amount and quality of the produce of the land ; (3), The character and condition of the live stock of all sorts, from horses and cows down to poultry and bees, ; (4), Any other circumstances that might attract the favorable attention of the judges." The judging was given into the hands of the agricultural school inspectors ; and it is their brief reports now published in a pamphlet form which are before us. In several cases the landlords of the districts which competed for the prizes gave additional sums of money, some to increase the number of pvifceu, and others to add to the value of those gained. The amount of the pxizes given may seeni^ to be very trifling ; but in reality they are not so, when the rents paid for the holdings are considered. One man the valuation of whose holding amounted to no more than £6 15s, annually, took a double prize,' which brought him £Q ; and of course such an amount of money was to him a great boon. Fields improved in cultivation, gardens well laid out, gates added where before there were none, a.re all among the points which the Spencer prizes are said to have developed. To our readers, hpwever, thp nio&l interesting circumstance detailed in the

report -will (undoubtedly be that a' considera,]jk number of the prizes have been won by wotoen. In the agricultural life of a country such as Irelaad, women have more influence than is generally supposed. When the head of the family is taken away ly death, the sole care of the farm may, and often does, fall- on the widow or on the daughter, The political niotjve of not wishing to have women as farmery because they have no votes to dispose of, does not seem to operate as regards the holdings of Ireland. Some of the women- %4*O taken prizes are high up i& the lists in wfckihiSacir names are mentioned ; and in one list the first and second prizes are both taken by women. Inoiher two lists, women take the third prize jn each. <-Th« report draws the inference that women, who so often have to manage farms, should receive in rural sdhools a certain amount o£ instruction in the elements of agriculture. "We are very glad to_>aee , so enlightened a statement. The women who hold these small Irish farms have shown that they deserve the education, which, we hope, may a]t some future day be extended to them. — Queen. From letters received from our American.- corr respondents, it appeal* that the potato is threatened with an enemy more terrible than the disease which has occupied such a large share of public attention during the last thirty years — the Doryphora decempunchxta. Since its first appearance in the cultivated districts a few yeai'B since, it has done an immense amount of mischief, and spread with such amazing rapidity throughout North America, as to give Ui good cause for fearing it will find its way across the Atlantic to our shores. The original home of 'this pest was in the Rocky Mountains, where it feeds on a species of wild potato. As soon as ciopj* oiL the edible potato were planted at the foot of the mountains they were attacked by the beetle, which from that time commenced to travel towards the east, extending itself right and -left as it did so. Fields of potatoes, when attacked, are quickly cleared of every particle of green foliage, and the I crop totally destroyed, It was at one time hoped that the beetles would, like an invading army, devastate the country and pass on ; but it has been found that colonies have been left behind, and the pest established permanently. They are uninjured by extreme heat and co]d,and asyetnomeans^have been discovered for destroying them except lay hand-picking, which is not only tedious, but attended with a considerable amount 6f 'danger.;.* far the blood of the crushed insect or its larva* produces blisters upon the skin whenever it comes in contact with it, and if it ' touches a wound upon the hand or elsewhere it causes severe inflammation, followed in many cases by most painful ulcers. In the importation of seed of the American potatoes — which is now earned on to a very large extent — thp yte most caution should be exercised to prevent the introduction of the beetle to this country, — Gardener 1 $ Magazine. ' ~ • - Speaking upon the subject Qf lime as a manure the Farmer says : — Lime when applied to the soil, ' acts in a two-fold manner. It -acts physically by altering the mechanical condition of the soil, imparting friability to stiff soils, and 'firmness to loose soils. It acts chemically by decomposing acid compounds existing in the soil, and. in,this manner it forms new and wholesome compounds out of others, which were injurious to vegetation.- It 'exercises a powerful influence upon inert prganic matter, brings it into a state of active decomposition and: thus renders it fit for the support pf pther and mpye valuable and varied forms of vegetation than it could have sustained in its natural state. Lime also acts on a variety of other-substances, and sets them free to perform their offices as part of the food of plants. It alsq forms £ goffsiderab.le proportion ,of . the inorganic matter of many plants, so that it feeds them both' directly and indiredtly. 6 It must be borne in 'mind, howerer, by all villa, gardeners that lime is also an injurious, as well' as a health-promoting agent. It is capital for' the kitchen-garden, but should never be within reach of the American border, because kalmias, rhododendrons, azaleas, and such like plants, utterly- abhor it. According to a return just issued of the average , weekly earnings of farm labourers for the quarters of Michaelmiia and Christmas, 1373, the wages paid to the men at Epsom were 14s a week, an<l -women 6s; to children, under 16, ss. In the eastern distiict the men earned 16s by the week, and 20s by r task work. In Kent (at Faversham)^ the men ' earned 20s as -weekly wages, and 26s at task irork, Only those who sow and reap are engaged by task. . Beer, ale, and cider are given in some places ; in " others no refreshment. In "Wales, at Newport, women and children are seldom employed. At another place in Wales the weekly wage to men was from 15s to 225, and the " task money" stated at 18s 6d ; and at the same place breakfast was given, as well as other meals, with about four pints of beer a day. At Northampton the- weekly wage, was 245.' In" Dorsetshire the "wages to the-mea were from 9,s to 11s per week; ah.enherds,^Os jtt lambing season.