CAMBRIDGE FARMERS CLUB.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 594, 11 March 1876, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE FARMERS CLUB.

Tnr, usual monthly meeting of the Cambridge farmers Club was held at the National Hotel on Tuesday last the 7th mat. Present. —Messrs Walker, Clark, J C Reynolds, X Reynolds, James Runciman, W L Martyn, and tho Secretary Mr H Buttle. In the absence of the President, w ]. o wag j e . taiued by private business in Auckland, Mr Walker was voted to the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting hating been read xnd confirmed. The following were proposed -as members:— Messrs John Hunt and Pearson. A ballot was taken and they wore declared to have been unanimonsly elected. A letter was read from the Secretary of the the Kirikiriroa flozd Board te the Branding Act. A letter was also read from Mr Chamber's of Napier, addressed to Mr Reynolds, which is subjoined : Dkak Sib, — In answer to your request of my opinion and experience relative to tho thistle, I have muoh 1 pleasure in bearing testimony to their great value as a preparatory crop for grass, which I account for in this way . — This plant being an annual, sends its roots deep, drawing a large portion of its sustenance from the subsoil ; when it dies, the rroote .quickly decompose, affording a ready way of aerating the soil, leaving it light and in a highly favourable state for the growth of grass, particularly rye-grasa, which very toon expoli it. It is a-most valuable pioneer on land covered with fern, which it soon destroy 3, and when its course has been run, the land can ba sown with a certainty of obtaining a good growth of grass. To encourage the growth of thistles on {era land, I find that byfyurning it early in January, or before the thistle seed ripens, (stocking heavily as the young fern comes up,) a good crop is securred, and tho destruction of the fern facilitated. l^h ivo every reason to speak well of thistle*, for, )u fow years after their appearance here my rua;curried extra stock (fed on them), which increased my income at least .00%' per annum. No,food is more fattening than the flower. In j nthraion, L believe this plant was sent .here by a kind Provident, ar.<l tluit all the Acts of Parliament or others to extirpate it, will be ju vain, ;t will fulfil its mission of preparing land (particularly fern) for the higher state of vegetation. — I remain, \ours truly, .John C)iAUiii:i<«. To Mala, Napier, Feb. 7th, ]S7G. Mr Martyn v/as not quite fatibfiod with the letter, he would be very glad to sec bis fern land covered with thistles, but lie strongly objected to have them in his grass paddocks. After several 'members had epoken chiefly in favour of the thistle as a cultivator. Mr Clark proceeded to read the following very interesting Jjapor on " Jioot r: ops their utti and culfute." " Mr President and Gentlemen, — In treating a subject of sucli vital importance to our future prosperity, I find mjsolf quite unequal to do justice to the Various topics that I intend touching on, but trust that my feeble etfort* will be recoived in the opirit they arc offered, and although I may throw very little light on the subject, soieo light maybe thrown on tho matter in discussion. Gentlemen, 1 ha/c felt for some timo, and still think, that we need a reformation in tho management of our stock. In looking back to last winter and two or threo previous winters, I can but feel t hat the old system of grazing is exploded, namely, cramming our cattle and sheep for six month* in the year and failing to make suitable, provision for them during the romaining tix months. I think that it will bo generally admitttd that the most profitable way to manage cattle or sheop is to keep them always thriving, by such means we shall save year's keep in both and in almost all classes of stock. I am supposing now any one breeding their own ntock. I -urn fully convinced that a beast welt kept from the dity^it is born until it is two and a-half yean old, will be equally aa large and weigh rqually as much as one three and a-half years with the usual treatment. In r. climate such as wo have in Waikato with such excessivo growth in the spring of the year and severe froat in tho winter, I fail to toe how we are to manage profitably, unless we save a goodly portion of the manner grass for winter feeding, I think that most of us have discovered that it is not profitable to stock to the full in the spring of the year, ai by such means if drought sets in wo are unable to fatten off what was anticipated frotn lack of -food. Hence often I have known a whole season's beef spoiled- through over-stock-ing. Tho lystom that I wish to commend to your notice is one whereby we can keep'an equal quantity of stock during the iuinmer and winter, and koep them thriving and equally well all the year through. It is quite possible to do so, and I trust we shall find a system whereby it oan bo done with -profit. It will noocssitato our growing roots to a conrlderable extent, and from my own experience" I think that mangolds will occupy a very important positiwi in our winter feeding. With bay end mangolds in ample supply wo are well provided, let the winter be at rough as it may. As a matter of course to obtain the full benefit from such feeding good shelter is needed, but wo cannot all get sheds, &c. , to hold all our cattle, and hence wo must be content for awhile with the most sheltered paddocks for the roughest weather. Gome may say this looks very woll on papor but it will never pay. I would ask — dees it pay t,o rear calves duung the summer jto die from sheer starvation in the winter ? Again, is it profitable to hare your fresh conditioned oattle of tho autumn reduced to skeleton! during the winter moutn3, for the pleasure of showing what the grass will do for them in the spring ? Hence I ask those that faavo not tried -growiug mangolds to try thera, if only an aore. You will find so n\Any -ways of deposing of them when winter come* that your first thought will be.^l wish I had soveral acres more. This is not^a root for one class of stock, cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, and poultry will all do well on mangolds. How they shall bo most profitably disposed of must depend on circumstances to » certain extent It is possible to fatten cattle at any timo during the winter months with hay and mangolds, but I think that double tho number could be kept in a thriving condition with the lame amount of feed that it would require to fatten tho lesser number. To mo grazing is a pleasurable ocoupation, when I can look around me and see that ovory animal I possess has plenty to eat, which should mean thriving ; but when one is compelled to inspect tboir etock daily and teo them

in a state of semi-starvation, graziDg then to mo becomes an abomination. To the breeder mangolds are invaluable ; cows do well on them, and yield large quantities of milk, whilst the weaning cows will eat thin ravenously, from two weeks old and upward*. I~have had winter calves, nith proper shelter and fed daily on mangolds, for eiii-pa^s tho«e fed during the summer months. Our young stock require our attention as much as any class we have, and to keep size and oge travelling at equal pace must be well fed. I h ave heard it remarked, if I can only keep those calves or yearlings alive until the spring they will be allnght. I» this oreditable to men vvho, if you doubted their being thoroughly practical would think you wished to insult them. Per.onally I feel that we do nofc give our business sufficient itudy ; if so the resulta accruing from the same are very smnll In my Uavela last winter I came m contact with poor wretched calves, at death's door from scouring, which ,„ too many instances wm brought on by starvation, and when m this condition and beyond all hope of recovery, practical wen are seen ruehiug to the hay stack and commencing giYiHg hay in large qnantities to beasts whose system is thoroughly disorganised, and whose digestive organs are quite incapable of extracting nourishment fiom the hay ; thia to my mind appears like locking the at able-door when the horse is stolen . There is a proper time to do these things, and he who studies his own interest never allows a beast to go backward for lack of food if he possess the food to give. I doubt not that I shall be met by many with " every one knows this." If so, the greater our sia that we allow it to exist. I will now make a Few remarks as to the value of mangolds to tho owner of breeding ewes. Without some aid'beyoud the grass we are not m a position to give proper treatment to eaily lambs, to do justice to either ewe or lamb. Is it not worthy of our consideration whether it n not desirable to have our lambs earlier than is the present custom in this district, Caking into consideration that lambe dropped m August or November, as shearling sheep, all count as the same age, although at nuck time the late or early ;; 8m >,B, B ropreeent a very different-money value .1 think that mangolds will becomt genirally used to '-try those who are striving to work up good -fiocks of sheep and are wishful to .keep up the size with a heavy fleece of wool, for a month or two when there is literally no grass, and turnips if grown will Lye lost their nourishment to Jjus yery large extent. I think that mangolds will be invaluable bet «en the time when the on. shall have become useless and the grass not made its appearance. During that period mangolds given to the ewes and lamb* on grass pakidocks would be very benefioial and would save both ewe and lamb from getting any oheck and place us in a position that we could get our lamb* as early «s we chose. To the wheat grower on light laud with sheep mangolds may be -made very useful. It is customary in this distnot with thoee that have sheep to run them ever the wheal once or twice at lnter-Tals. The method I have pursued in England on ious* light land is to fold, the sheep on the *rheat> giving say to two hundred sheep and lambs an acre daily with mangolds to make up deficiency of •<food and putting lamb hurdles to the Iront of the fold that the lambs can run in advance of the fold and obtain fresh green wheat laily. By this means the wheat is bitten off one* only, tha land is thoroughly consolidated— heavily man ured, and I think groat good would result from it. My remarks in referenoe lo carrots will be brief, I look on them as a more expensive crop tooultivate than mangolds and 'for some purposes more useful. For horues they are very valuable as with hay and carrots our working horses will work full daysund hold first rate condition if provided with proper stabling. For the dairy I know of-no more valuable root ; the> n.ay yeild no more milk than mangolds jet they will give much more butter and greatly ur.provo ibe quality, giving nohneag of colojr. liriniiess of touoh, aud that rich, uutty flavor so desnable m butter. I shall now offer a few remarks on the culture of roots which lemark will apply to the treatment 'of the light land of this district. There appear to be a difficulty that applies to cropp.nc generally on this land when thoroughly well worked, that id in gotting tl-e land together again, and I think that one of the most importantr tant implements to the -farmer is a good heavy roller. We have great advantages in this respect although tharo is this difficulty— -in getting tbo land again it can be worked at any tune, no matter how wot,-~»I believe, a large portion of >ciir land it would be impossible to make bard by treading whilst working \ntli horses. There are two implements that are required for the culture of mangolds and carrots that reduce the labor in preparing tho land, and sowing-lbo Seed, namely a drill plough ant a seed drill, and us they are implements that are not required often two or three farmers living side by side could ,ioin together and the expenso would not be much. About, £18 wouldjbuy both implements, aud witn them one man and pair of horsee conid drill up or sow four acres daily. <I have grown inangohh the past five years with varied iret alts, tho best I have evor scon either in thia country or England have bean grown «wibh t artificial uiinure and salt. In England fish manure «wl salt threo cwt of each. <In \Waikato 1 three cut .each of bone dust and salt. Although a great adrocite for' form yard manure generally,'! do not approve of it applied directly to eithtr of these crops, it would bo desirable to apply farm yard manrure'to a crop preceding these roots as applied directly it has a< tendency to make both mangolds and carrots rooty, which, I think, is very objectionable especially m a country where ooitof labor is a great consideration. To my idea, mangolds should have a tap root only, when so, they draw out of our land tolerably olean so thattheyoan.be given to cattle With simply knocking them together when drawing without waste. In a country wjiere everything is comparatively new, with ho fixed rules to go by, it is difficult to mark out a course to pursue. Nothing short of time with •xpenence gained as no advance can obtain us this. One point I am tolerably certain is, that we cannot depend on a crop of mangolds without manuro of some kind, and what appears to be most needed is something to jive them a qmok start that the plants may get beyond tho weeds and the grubs, the latter being our worst enemy in their culture. To overcome the latter evil to a certain exten^ where drilled in, I would recommtnd an addi^ tional pound or two of seed. It is less expensive if you obtain a full plant than tho filling up by transplanting. The method I have adopted of applying manure, is drilling up the land mixing manure and salt and sowing it between the drills then splitting tho drills shutting manure in the centre. I have been in the habit of sowing two pounds per acre of mangold seod, should I live to sow again, I shall try four pounds, so that the grubs may have a 'goodly share, with I trust, less injury to the crop. This treatinont will apply equally to carrots or mangolds save tb« quantity of seed, carrots requiring one pound per acre only. There is a great diversity of opinion as to the best sort of mangold, I am greatly in favor of the yellow globe for quality. 1 think it capnot be surpassed for weight per acre. I believe the long red has 111 1 o advantage. The average weight I grew per acre last year ef the yellow glove, was 25 tons, over an area of six acres ; the Ingest single root to my knowledge was 28 J lbs. We haye groat advantages in tkis country compared with colder climates. Here mangolds may be left in the ground until wanted (last yoar they were growing all through the winter) which saves labor of cai ting and covering unless tho land be required >for other purpose earlier. I believe if used directly fromkthe Hold for stock that it is advisable to draw them a week in advance of your requirements just throwing them m rows on the ground they grew on ; if on t!io other hand you cart them away to store no edge tool should be used. The top should never be cut off but wrung off, so that the crown of the mangold is uninjured, and all loots left ou the grouud as if cut they are Tsr? liable to rot. lv stacking mangolds it is not desirable to have your stack too wide or too high as they can scarcely be kept too cool; let them be w 2u d °" lj> no earfch beiQ X P" 1 over them. With these few remarks I leave tho subject in more able hands for discussion..

hurtful to giro freshly puH-d be centered a fair average "^W^was the best manure? and in what quantS i should it be applied to both mangolds "« Whaiw* the bet lime for sowing?" "What would be the cost per acre fora moderate crop? ami what work would be required in *?TcC*^ht it would b. Wtor to an, wer the questions* at the close of the d«ow», when he would hare an opportunity of rjplying to aU the argumenti at the same time. Mr James Runciman agreed with Mr Clark, but there was one more question he would lrke to ask. " Would it be wise to grow ™ n S™™ on new fern land?" He wished te ihivoM Clarks opinion ou this matter, as he believed he (Mr Clarke) had hatl great experience m growing "m* Johk Buhoimah was ploart with the Essay. He did not think, however, that all tho necessary implement had been mentioned, lhe 3 ub-soil plough was a most and implement in the cultivation of root crops and oarrots were the better for long root • He gave adescriDtion of tho munster carrot grown Dy hi. ' (an account of which ue. alr^y W™* in Ihese columns.) , •. t _ s:r f P^Trap hl " e 6 ot deep at tho land was ploughed. MrVtalker wished to know what land -was jhad been successful in growing f™& 0™:0 ™: *• ihought that if the mangolds could be got in t,me for the stock it would be all right, but most ; people ha* their cattle starring before the crop was in -he had been very successful himself. He found the grub very destructive. ■ It Has a very uncertain crop ; when it did succeed, very likely they would have no cattle- to eat thorn. He believed that Mr Clark had fed stock with mangold., but he bought that it woali have been So» PrXol. to have sold the cattle in the •utumi, a^d to have let the root, rot ! lime perhaps would? destroy the insect, if anything would Mr Reynold, said that whenever mangolds had failed? with them it had been their own fault Eitbe* they did not to* the seed at the proper time or the land was not properly PrePP re P" e °T^ thought that to escape tho insect, it should be .own early in August. They had put some m grass land I last year, skimmed and well worked, but there were a great many weed- and much clover among them. He did *o> think it was advisable to work the land too much. X became too light and dry; what they wanted was a good start. Artificial manure was the best. If farm yard manure wa. used it should be applied to the preceding crop-last year they -had about two icres in, but in consequence of working the land too much, and not sowing the seed early enough they had Vailed. He thought that if they were ™ll attended to, they were a pretty certain crop. He considered that bone-dust and guano in about equal quantities, was the best manure. . Mr W L Martyn was not satisfied with tuis. The Reynold's had grown mangolds for many years, and he would like to know how they did with kern. Mr Eey nolds kad said 'if the land had been cleaned," if they had sown them at the proper time." He had not said if they were Successful in what they had grown. He repeated that his, Mr Martyns, own crop was a failure. Mr Clark would ask if Mr Martyn had applied r -tificiartawiure to the mangolds. He said that he did not know much himself, and in reading his essay that night, his object was to learn quite as much as to teach. How did Mr Martyn apply the manure, if used ? Mr W L Martyn said that he put about three cwt of superphosphate bones and guano— mixed, on the surface, he used a hand drill and afterwards rolled the ground- The plants were always destroyed when about two months old—he usually sowed in; August —lust year ho sowed in September. . , Mr Walker approved of early sowing— He naa sowed mangolds one year in October with three cwt of manure per acr«, but they failed, while tome of his own seed, self sown in the July-pre-vious, succeeded in becoming mangolds. He considered that heavy dry land was tho most suitable for this «rop, cultivated in the autumn, and deeply .übsoiled, farmyard manure, if used, should then be put in to lie all the winter, artificial manure should be well mired with the soil at the time of sowing. The ground should be solid, and the seed should be .own when it ■ vras moist. , Mr John Bunoiman .aid— A good deal -had | been .aid about artificial manure, both at the meeting* of the Club and in the local-paper. He • had not given the matter much attention beforo, but he would like to know what wa§ understood by artificial manure. Superphosphate -was arti3cial, but bone, and guano were certainly not. He had only grown mangolds ones, and that wa. last year. Hi. oattle would have done visry badly without them, he found, however, that the .heep would not touch- them, he did not have a very good crop. This he attributed to tho dry weather. He .owed the «eed in the furrow and not on the ridge, and afterward, harrowed down the ndge with a common harrow. Mr James Runoiman .aid that as he had asked ■o many que.tion., it w«» only fair to give hi. own experience. The best crop he ever had wa. from grass land ploughed— with a skim coulter— about «ix inches deep, in June. It was put in with a drill. The land was rather heavy. It yielded about 40 ton. per acre. Last year he grew a crop on t fern land ploughed -about four month, before. It wa. not a very good crop. He manured with bone dust. He .aid the land must' be .übsoiled. Mr Martyn— "Could they be growa succss.fully once in four years ?" Mr Ruaciman thought that with care they could be grown auccisfully four years out of Mr Hunt wi.bed to know whether inseots were * more deitructive to the root, of the grass in «ld or in yr land P In England they only put root crop. tf*r two or three white crops. Mr Battle said, in referenco to the first part of Mr Clarks essay, that he quite concurred with him in .aying that they could not depend upon grass for lambs. Early lambs were always the be.t. He thought it was very important that tome provision should be made- for the early lamb*. Mr John Runciman said that it would not do ■ to depend upon mangolds for sheep, they wer« 80 uncertain: potatoes he thought would be suitable. Mr R Reynolds said that light land produced the largest crop, but unfortunately it wa. more affected by the .grub ; heavy land was much freer from insects, and it was, therefore, to be preferred. Mr Walker said that the land should be moist and fine, if ploughed in the spring it got too "Mr Martyn did not think the land would remain so long without getting full of weedt. Mr Walker said it should be oultivatsd with the harrow, or it should have a .hallow ploughing ; it should bo stirred at least eighteen-mohe. in the autumn. Mr Clark in answer to the variou. qu«stions said, he would consider twenty-fire- tons to tho acre a fair average crop. The best way to draw them was a week's supply at a time. In England they were drawn in November and given to the cattle about Maroh, but in this warm climate he thought they could bo eaten any time. Sheep refused them at first, but he found that they got used to them. The time for .owing depended on tho woather. One of his best • crops was planted in November, and the roots took a prize at the Waikato Show. He believed, ihowever, that August wa. the best time in any average of seasons, He had always, except once, put them after potatoes. He had been told 'that grass land wa. better He put tho «eed in <dnlle with bone-duit and salt, He believed

bones to bo better than guano ; he «to told tlm would yield twice the wop. The belt olws of land for mangolds was a gravelly one. He grew iomo mangolds, one portion on a piece of land half gravel and half loam, on the gravel he go about twenty tons, and on the loam the crop w» very poor, he thought the grub could not work in the gravel. This class of land jlso suffered lei-, from drought. . It was a wwtake to make the r.dges too high, it made the land too light. Lund ahouldha prepared in the : winter and drilled in the spring. He would rather sow after a crop than after grais. He had grown mangolds six or seven years and whenever he hadliven proper attention he was successful One y«r they failed through *ant of care, he being busy at the time. He wa 8 of opinion that although salt would not destroy insects, they did not like it. Salt kept the land moist, although it might not be required on heavy land he beheved mangold liked it, being a native of the sea-shore. With reference to mangold as lood for sheep, Uwre might be bettor iood, but he thought they could depend on the mangold. He thought it aUould be eaten with some fireen tood; rye for instance. Mr John Runciman thought that rye would hardly do, it was early enough, but there were many plants that would answer the purpose. Tliii concluded the disoussion. Mr James Jtunoiman proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Clark for his Tory able and interesting essay ; wcondod by Mr W L Martyn. Mr Clark gave notice that at the next meeting he would more a resolution affecting clauie 6 of the rules. , Mr Clark also gave -notice that at the next meeting he would propoie the following gentlemen a7 members : Messrs P. Leslie, Stoele, and Mr James Runciman gave notioe that at the next meeting he would read an essay on • bnee«e Making." , . »i ■ t. Mr Buttle said he wiohedto bring one thin? before them before they separated. Mr John Fibber had, owing to an accident, been prevented from attending for the tot three meetiiw, *nd >ii»d neglected to send an apology, thereby ceawng t-o be a member of the club. If the club would make an exception in Mr Fisher s case, >ea the circumstances were extenuating, he would be happy to convey the expresiion of the meeting to him. . r «■ ■ It was asned unani-aoasly that Mr Klsher should not l be considered ai having forfeited ""-A of thank, to the Chairman concluded thebusinewof the meeting.-OwN CosiaaroHDINT,