The farmer.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1839, 19 April 1884, Page 6 (Supplement)

The farmer.

HOW TO FERTILISE FRUIT TREES. Here and there on all farms and in most fruit gaidens will be seen an occasional tree or grape-vine which seems to lack vigor — does not grow well, and yet seems to have no particular disease. The probabilities are that the tree is dying of starvation and needs a liberal supply of food. When you give it this ration, do not pile a load of manure around the trunk of the tree or the body of a grape-vine. That is just the place where it will do the least good. Nearest the trunk of the tree the roots are all large. The fibrous roots —the feeders —are further off near the ends of the roots. These only can take up the nutriment. It is always safe to assume that the roots extend as far from the trunk in every direction as do the limbs of the tree, and to properly fertilise, spread the manure all over that area. Then fork it in and you have done a good work and done it well. If some disease has begun its work on the tree, you put the tree in a healthy, vigorous condition, the better enabling it to successfully contend against its enemies. We have seen numerous old pear and apple trees, bearing poor and gnarled fruit, which the ownera consider of no value, but which such treatment as we have outlined above would restore to their original usefulness. —Tlie Fanner.

Grass for chickens.—lf our readers desire to give their fowls an opportunity to forage a little on open days in winter, let them sow a small space in rye. It will not only afford the fowls an occasional picking of green food, but will spring up early in the spring before anything else begins to shoot. Pastures that contain orchard grass will also be found serviceable, especially for early spring feeding, and clover will be useful now and until quite late. Young chicks from the incubators will need some proportion of green food, and there is nothing better for them than to feed them at least three times a week with finely chopped rye. It may be safely claimed that rye is indispensablo to those who expect to keep large numbers of chicks. So many of them die for want of green food that it is hardly necessary to call attention to it, as facts are stubborn things, and suggest care and due regard without advice from other quarters, and if farmers will take advantage of rye as a winter growing plant, much sickness will be avoided, and constipation of the bowels prevented.—Ex.

Oil Cake for Young Stock.—There is probably no better food adapted to forcing a healthy, lapid growth of young stock than ground oil cake, and, in fact, we might say theie is no better food for all kinds of stock. Old, bxoken down horses are made to look sleek and fat by feeding oil cake, while young slock can ba forced in growth to a wonderful extent. Corn and oats are hard to digest for young stock, and often cause disease both in the stomach and mouth. We frequently hear complaints that calves and colts are not doing well, although fed on an abundance of grain, and have invariably found in such cases that they were troubled either with sore mouth or constipation, or both. The first year's giowth on a calf or colt is worth more than the two following, and should be crowded as fast as possible. During the first year the foundation is laid, and if dwarfed and ciamped from starvation or neglect, the animal can only make a scrub at matuiity. The time to make large frames is during the first year, and without large frames the prospect for draught or beef is by no means encouraging. —Minnesota Ti ibunc. Dru\ and Muscle.—J. H. Moore, in the Home and Faim, gives the following advice to small urmeis, v/ho, he says, must depend on brains to make money; there ia where brains will do work better than hands. Get a good team and keep it in good Older, so it can do a good day's work. Get such tools as will accomplish the most work. The day has passed when an intelligent man can afford to break his ground with a six-inch plough, or cultivate his corn with a one-horse plough. The world ha j made great strides in the last ten year?, and the small farmer must avail himS2lf of all the new inventions in agricultural michineiy if he ■« ould succeed. Brains will bsat muscle. The old scythe represents muscle, the mower represents brains. The cradle represents muscle, the self-binder brains. Then the next best advice I have for the small farmer is, learn to co-operate with your biother farmers; band together for advice and protection ; meet together andintelligently discuss your affairs, and forget that there is such a thing as "my way;" just think an'l believe that you can learn something fiom every one if you will try; don't combat all new innovations; if you don't wish to experiment yourself, don't try to keep otheis fioin doing so. Those people that aie generally considered fools, have made all the progress that wo have. Zso farmer, says the New York Times, ,;iiould omit to steep his seed wheat in some caustic solution that will destroy the germs of rufat and pmut. A solution of four ounces of blue vitial—sulphate of copper—dissolved in a gallon of water for each five bushels of seed, which is steeped in it till it is absorbed, has been found the most effective. Strong lime-water, salt brine, and old chamber lye, which contains a large quantity of ammonia, have ail been used with benefit. Smut is rapidly incieasing. Few grain crops are free from it, and all we can do to help ourselves to prevent it is to use these precautions.