RURAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1838, 17 April 1884, Page 4

RURAL NOTES.

At the end of December last, the first of four large silos on Lord Tollemachc's estate in Cheshire was opened in the piesence of a large number of farmers and scientific agriculturists. It had been filled with dry grass, chopped into inchlengths by a chaff-cutter, and pressed down with a weight equal to fifty -six pounds on the square foot. The appearance of the ensilage was that of ilaikbrown moss, having a pleasant aroma ; but, a* in other experiments of the kind, the top layer was mouldy and spoiled. Lord Tollemache stated that ho found that animals did not seem to care for the fodder when first offered them, but that they afteiwaids ate it with evident relish Seveial samples of ensilage weie exhibited ,it the late cattle show in London, and it is notewoithy that almost without exception the pampered show animah, when a handful was offered them by way of experiment, took the food greedily. On Mr 0. Mackenzie's farm of Portmore, m Peeblesshire, a silo was opened in December, the contents of which— pressed down while in a moist condition — were found to be excellently suited for feeding purposes. At the late Vienna Exhibition, certain light iron ploughs were exhibited by a Swedish .firm ; and the suitability of these for Indian use was at once seen by Colonel Michael, who represented the Madias Government at the Exhibition. These ploughs cost only sixteen shillings apiece ; and as experiment, they have been introduced into the presidency with the best lesults. According to the Breeders' Journal the picscnt popularity of the Heieford in the United States is due to the tact that a ctoss of the Hereford bull upon shorthorn cows will in that country " get a produce seventy-five per cent of which will show all the characteristics of quality, form, and colour of the Hereford breed, and the other twenty-five per cent cannot be mistaken for other than Hereford grades." The Veterinary Journal states that the inoculation of animals, accoiding to the pan suggested by M. Pasteur, in order to piotect them against rinderpest and other di-iPises, l.as been tiied in Biitish Burmah with gi eat success. "Some calves, elephants sheep, and a pig were inoculated with M. Pasteur's lymph, and, though they suffered in no way fiom the expeiiment, the calves in particular seem to have been so far proof fiom further infection that they escaped scot-free when placed scveial times amongst herds seveiely affected by rindeipest " Colonel Kmgscote, well-known in agricultiual ciiclcs in Gieat Biitain, has been on an extensive tour in the United States and Canada, and the observations of a gentleman of such expeiicnce are well woith noting. On the question of nicatgiowing in Anieiica Colonel Kingscote says emphatically that Great Biitian has nothing to fear from American competition for yeai sto come. In spite of the enoimous capital — much of it English — embaiked in stock-raising in Anieiica, such is the e.xtiaoidinaiy demand for butchers' meat, owing to the lapidly increasing population and wealth of the country, that the ptesent puce of meat in New York is higher than it is in London and, he thinks, will continue to be so. A telegram in the Age fiom Sydney says: — The ten ible effect of the diought from which the Colony is now sufki'ing cannot be easily over-estimated, and the outlook is the most gloomy the settleis hii\ehadto face for many autumns. Ai middle icpoits that although no hea\y dwisteisto stock have yet occuned in New England, tremendous loss is likely to ensue m the ■wintei, since the lain would be too late now to piovide feed, and frosts have alicady set in. Tain worth leports that at Mimdle the bed of the Peel River is dry. Narrabi reports that the count] y is one biown, giassless waste ; that the liver is only a chriin of holes filled with slimy, putrid water ; that from 8000 to 12,000 carcasses ot peiished animal-) line Naomi between Pilli ma and Walgett ; and that the season is said to be the severest ever experienced on the Livcipool Plains. Walgett repoits that feaiful losses have taken place on the neighhoui ing stations, and that 600 carcases of cattle in one n\er pool is an illusttathc incident of the gcncial disaster. Mndgee lepoits that though in the immediate neighbourhood of the tow n the effects of the drought aie not despciate, yet towards Castlereagh there is not a blade of grass or a dtop of water. Bathurst repoits that the harvest has been short, and that the farmers cannot plough till the rain comes ; that bush files ha\e destioyed much of the feed for stock ; that the Macquaiie ii\o'* has ceased running ; that the town water is of bad quality ; and that forage for the western teams is at fabulous puces. Nyngan leports that the contractors for the lailway extension to Boiuke have to despatch 12 trucks of water by ti am daily to the head of the line, and that the water is carted thence 40 miles to gangs working on ahead ; that all along the line may be seen the bodies of hoises, cattle, sheep, dingoes, and emu ; that the stock are walking skeletons, and that one squatter killed 400cahes to save the cows, and then lost the cows, besides thousands of other cattle. "Wilcannia reports that the loss of stock must amoui.t to over 500,000 in that district alone ; that the rainfall for 1883 was only eight inches ; and that the season is the woist ever experienced, Wentworth repoits that though the fall of lain at the beginning of the month gave many stations two months' supply, the condition ot things up the Darling is veiy sciious. Cattle, sheep and horses aie dying in all diiectious. Wagga repoits that the watcrholcs on the stock loutos are fast becoming dried up, that thcic ii not so much as a thistle on some ot the inns, but that the pastoi alists think the worst may be averted if rain comes 'within the next fortnight. Bvkox Tr,\NYsos. — Joaquin Miller speaks as follows : — Baron Tennyson ! Say it over to yourself, and say it over and over again. lam so sorry. For say it over and over and I shall never be able to get the sweet sense of Alfred Tennyson out of my mind. And so Alfred Tennyson must remain a poet, be another being from this " baion." And why did Her Majesty give him this warlike title ? This one of all others. The old barons were brutes, bloodthirsty savages. Let us hope that the sweet pure poet will not descend to this title. It is an impertinence to ask him to do it. Her Majesty the Queen is great. But not so great as Alfred Tennyson the poet. And the Empiess of India can give him nothing at all in the way of dignity and honour which the umveisdl woild has not long since conferred. "'Tis only noble to be good." |Years ago the poet refci led to something of this sort. He was strong then, in the hill vigour of his functions. And then, too, Dickens was at his side. I believe they both refused titles at the same time. But now, in his old age, weak and worn, tempt him with nonsense and change his name. And the poor man now puts by that great name which he has won by long and splendid toil, nights and days of effort, years and years of glorious evidences, and walks down and becomes instead of Alfred Tennyson, only an English baron. How awkward he will feel. What a misfit this garment will make ? Let us still hope his manhood will return to him, and he will remain still Alfred Tennyson. Rats and Mice.— lf you wish to de stroy them get a packet of Hill's Magic Vkrmin Killi'r in packets, 6d, 9d, and Is, to be obtained of all storekeepers, or from T. B. Hill by enclosing sin cxtia stamp. Life in the Ba&ii— Then and Now. — It is generally supposed that in the bush we have to put up witn many discomforts and privations in the shape ol food. Formerly it was so, but now, thanks to T. B. Hill, who has himself dwelt in the bush, if food does consist chiefly of tinned meats his Colonial Sauce gives to them a most delectable flavour, making them as well of the plainest food most enjoyable, and instead as hard biscuits and indigestible damper his Improvbd Colonial Baking Powder makes the very best bread, scon<*s, cakes, and pastry far superior and more wholesome than yeast or eaven. Sold by all storekee^-iS who can obam trow any merchant in Auckland;