AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1374, 23 April 1881, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

Cultivation of "Wheat. Isis waa supposed to have introduced wheat into Egypt, Demeter into Greece, and the Emperor Chin-Wong into China, about 3000 b.o. In Europe it was cultivated before the period of history, ad samples have been recovered from the lacustrine dwelling of Switzerland. In England it was probably not cultivated by the ancient Britons, but the AngloSaxons when Bede wrote, early in the eighth century, sowed their wheat in the spring, and in the days of Queen Elizabeth its cultivation was but partial. Indeed, -wheat was an article of comparative luxury till nearly the seventeenth century. In India wheat seems not to be native, but introduced, for its Sanscrit name signifies "food of the barbarian ;" yet three varieties are mentioned in the Bhavaprakasa, one of which, a large grained, is said to have come from the west, and another, a small-grained or beardless wheat, is eaid to have been indigenous to Middle India.

Dung-beetle. The droppings of the larger farm stock in the pasture need to be more thoroughly distributed than they are by the animals, otherwise a portion of the surface is starved, while other parts, being overmanured, develop too rank a growth. A beetle, or "knocker," may be used to equally distribute the manure over the field. It consists of a head-piece, 18 inches long I—one end with a square face and the other trimmed iown to a sharp point. In using this instrument the dry dung is loosened with the sharp end of the head and afterwards struck with the face. A lad with one of these beetles can go over a pasture quite rapidly, doing very effective work in distributing the droppings of the animals.

Agricultural Machinery. It is a curious circumstance that while iron ploughs and threshing-machines driven by water were in use in Scotland at the close of the last century, and in common uso in the first quatter of this century, and that it is lees than forty years since the village blacksmith made all the implements of most farms, that were not home-made, it is in England that the greatest manufactories of agricultural machinery are now established. It in not so surprising to learn that in 1816 the winnowing in Sussex was performed " by the stream of air between the two barn-doors," and that there were no three threshing-machines in the whole country, because old members of the Farmers' (London) Club well remember when the value of agricultural machinery was variously discussed and disparaged |by a capital Suffolk farmer, who had been chairman of the Club, and declared to the last day of hia life that he preferred the flail. Colonel Sibthorpe, quite a pet of the farmer* in 1845, refused to allow one of his Oxfordshire tenants to put up a steam - engine; and as late as 1860 several game-preserving landlords forbade their tenants to us» reaping-machines. Yet all these prejudices have been as completely wiped out in 1881 that it is difficult to make the farmers of thirty years old believe that they ever existed. E\ery farmer now calls for machines as automatic as possible.

Young Beef. The National Live Stock Journal has been discussing the influence of age upon beef. The conclusions arrived at are that in the British markets cattle generally are killed too young for the best flavour —say when from thirteen to thirty months old. Moreover, they are fed on j turnips and oilcake, which, as regards the flavour of the meat, are far inferior to corn, hay and grass. But these farmers cannot afford te keep their stock until it matures on hay and grass; to make a profit they must sorce it with the more nutritious foods. Immature beef, though perhaps more tender than the flesh of well-matured beasts, is iuferior in juciness and flavour. This i 3 an argument in favour of those breeds that mature early, for the earlier they mature the sooner will they give a superior quality of flesh. A well-bred shorthorn steer is often as mature at thirty months as some other sorts at forty-eight or sixty months. There is a limit, however, both to earliness of maturity, as well as to the extent to which we can force feeding without impairing the quality of the flesh. The West Highland beef, so much prized in England, is produced by grazing alone until the beasts are four or five years old.

A pleasant Papa.— 'But, papa. 'Not another word. I'm a wild cat when my back's up, and don't you forget it.' The speaker was a hard visaged man, dressed with an elegance that ill accorded with his evident want of culture. She who had addressed him as 'papa' was a fair-haired girl of eighteen summers. Reared on the knee of luxury she had never known what it was to have been thwarted. Hor father a plumber, -was from the nature of his business a man of iron will, but he was not devoid of pity or generosity, as many a debtor whose house and lot he has taken in part payment for fixing the water pipes, letting the balance of the account run for two months, could testily. He had surrounded Cecil, his only child, with all that wealth could purchase, looking forward to the time when she should marry the eldest son of a Niagra Falls hackman, or some person of fortune commensurate of her own. But she had allowed her heart to be ensnared by the wiles of Cupid, and that morning had asked her sire's consent to her marriage with a poor, but not pround young man, whose agricultural operations on the Board of Trade had not been attended with suocess. It was this request that produced the answer given above., Again Cecil pleaded with her parent not to crush the love that blossemed in her heart. The old man's mind went back to the happy days when he had told her mother of his love, and how they commenced life with nothing but strong arms and willing hearts. Placing his fan-like hand on Cecil's shoulder, the old man looked at her tenderly, and aaid, ' Look ye my lass; you say you love thifc man and cannot live withut him. Mebbe not. I have promised you a sealskin sacque this winter. Let us test your love. If you become this man's bride I shall not buy the sacque. In my hand is a cheque for §300. In the wheat pit over on the Board of Trde is your lover. Which do you choose V Without raising her head she reached out convulsively for the cheque. — Chicago Folk Lore. The new pure cash system now being initiated by G. and C. will certainly prove a benefit to the public. It has been a great succes.s_ in Sydney and Melbourne, and when strictly carried out the customer who buys at an establishment where the goods are marked low to ensure a rapid sale must be a great gainer. G. and C. sell their drapery millinary, and clothing at such prices for cash as gives the buyer the advantages of a shareholder in a co-operative so ci6ty, without the risk of being called upon to bear aportion of the loss should the year's business prove unsatisfactory. Garlick and Cranwell will aim to retain the confidence which the public have hitherto shown them, and are determined to givctjbe pure cash system a fair trial; whether they gain, or lose the fust. year. Country buyers on remitting casti with 'order will be supplieu with goods at co-operative prices ; just the same as though they mado'a personal selection. Furnishing goods, such as carpets, floor cloths, Jjedsteadsj ;beddin^, and general house turnituro, the largest portion of which is turned out at oui< Own' factory, '-will be marked at the lowest remunerative prices, and a discount pt five per cent, will be allowed to those who pay af the time of purchase. <G.<& C. having realised the entire value of their, stock d,uring< theit.late cash sale, tho present stock is niw AMd, cheaply bought. An inspection is invited.— Garlick-a'nd Cranwell, City Hall Fnrnishing Arcado Qufeehsfcreet, Auckland • » ,• ■-, ■; ;>