FARM NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1888, 12 August 1884, Page 3

FARM NOTES.

The following notes for the cunent month aie cxtiacted fiom the New Zealand Countiy Journal : — Si'JUM. Win \t — The vaiiotics of wheat known as winter w heat, such as the peail, led, and white chaffed, and \el\et wheat, should now be followed 'oy the spiing \aiieties, embusing the Tuscans As the season advances, a little more seed n list be used ; in the beginning of August, one and a.- half bushels may suffice, but as the month advances, two bushels will not be too much, ami even two and a half may be used in light soils. In the present piospect of the wheat market it must become a question whethci it is advisable to sow w heat in any land which cannot be leckoned upon to pioduce at least ,'}o bushels per acie. a Vinti,k Wiilvt should be hanowed this month, and heavily rolled both previous to and aftei hanowing. This is an opeiation which should not be neglected, it usually has a most beneficial effect upon the young com. Watch carefully the time when the wheat has a most beneficial effect upon the young corn. Watch caietully the time when the wheat plant begins to show any attempt to spindle up into the *eed culm, after wlnoli it would be highly injuuons to use eithci hanow or toller. This applies only to heavy soils which are apt to cake after the winter rains. A dense flock of sheep driven across eaily sown wheat in light soil will answer better than the harrow s. Cakhotjs may be sown this month. The land should be well pulvciued and in tine tilth, to a qi eater depth than for any other ciop, and themaniue pieviously well ineoipoiated with the soil. In case the mania c has yet to be supplied, it should be well decomposed, and in the state of rich compost. Four pounds of seed will be lequiied to sow an acie. The seed should be well rubbed and mixed with dry sand or ashes to ensme an cv en distnbution of the seed. Clovjer a>;d Grass Herds, — If the land is under wheat, hanow it well, to raise enough of loose earth to give the seeds a good bed to vegetate in ; bushharrow and roll immediately after. Most good farmcis, however, disappiove of sowing glass and clover seed with winter wheats, barley being the most suitable ciop for this. It the land is sown, or to be sown, with oats or bailey, sow the clovers and grass seeds immediately after the giain is covoied ; harrow them lightly in, and roll heavily. Fai mers cannot be to careful in the buy iu# of glass and clover seeds. Get the best quality available. You thus in as far as it is possible to do so by the selection of seed, ensure a good growth of meadow or pasture, and run less risk of introducing weeds into the land than by using cheap seed. Gnca liberal allowance of good grass seed, perhaps 2 bushels per statute acie, along with clover seeds. Lucerne may be sown by the end of the month, or beginning of September. The land shonlcl be rich, deeply tilled, and thoroughly clean. By keeping it clean and manuring it, luxuriant crops are produced for many years. It should be sown in drills from 12 to IS inches apart, with or without a corn crop ; but sowing without a corn crop will be much the best, as it can be kept thoroughly clean the first seasou by the horse hoes. Sow 7 to 8 Ib. of seed per acre. Spring Vetches. — Successional sowing of spring \ etches should be made this month, one at the beginning and the other at the latter end. The land should be rich or manured. Two or two and a half bushels of vetches with a bushel of oats sows the statute acre. Planting should be finished this month. Trees of all kinds are now plentiful and cheap, catalogues of which may be had from any nuseryman, with full instructions as to planting, and the best kinds for each district. Gum seed may be sown broadcast, at the rate of 2J ozs. per acre, and harrowed in, but in addition to the ordinary blue gum, we would strongly recommend the stringy bark gum [Eucalyptus Olliqua), it is m infinitely more useful tree than the former, it splits freely into palings and shingles, posts and, rails, and is quite as hardy as the blue gum. For a shelter tree we perfer the Cupressus Maerocar'pa,, it is a rapid grower, and its conical from of-growth l-endera it well snitated to^and -against the high winds. Pmtu Insights is also a valuable, shelter tree, .thriving

in some localities better than'the former. It is howover nioie liable to injury from high wind that the Macrocarpa, JFiiAX. — The best time for sowing this crop is from the 15th to the end of August ; but if the weather should not suit earlier, it may be sow n up to the first week in September. Its proper placo in the rotation is alter oats or other corn Rown on good rich lea. Flax does not do so well after turnips. The best bed for it is land after oats on lea. The best seed bed is what farmers call " a winter fate ;" that is, land ploughed early in the winter and not crossploughed. The finer and firmer the bed is, the better. The stubble should be deeply ploughed as soon as the com is off, to cnsuie the ameliorating effects of the w inter fiosts and thaws. Good hanowing and cross-giubbing, with repeated hauowings and lollings, should complete the work in 1 educing the land to a fine and clean tilth. Sow the best prociu able seed at the rate of about 1^ bushels to t lie statute acie. Cover by a fine grass or chain hanow, and roll the land immediately. Young Cattli: and Storks should be oatefully tended and well fed. A little extia food given now, and up to the* pcuodwhen the glass begins to grow, » ill be well repaid, in the full development of bone, muscle and flesh, befoie the end of the season. Great care is necessary when young stock aie changed fiom pooi keep to luxuriant grass, as it is apt to bi ing on infl.innnatoiy fever, detei initiation of blood to the brain, diarrhoea, &c. Siikki'. — Ewes will now be coming foiward for eaily lambing, and should be kept as much as possible out ot wet paddocks, and supplied with a little sweet hay or oaten stiaw, and a few loots tin own on the grass, or hue access for a few houis daily to wlieie the loots aie glowing, half a pound of oats pci head pel da;y till lambing, would ensuieagood ilioppni'4 of .stiong \igorous lambs ; it is advisable to leave a tew lumps of rocksalt about the paddock lor the sheep to lick. Toha\e good eaily lambs fit for the butcher, it is indispensable to have a paddock of iape, or turnips, or lape and seeds, uvidy to tuin the ewes into as they lamb. Sheep kept in paddocks will lequne to have their feet caiefully looked aftci and paicd, the neglect of which is frequently the paient of toot lot, and much ultimate loss. It is a good plan to dii\< j sheep acios-s a bed of freshly slaked lime, but the less ewe 3 in lamb, or with lambs at foot, aie diiven about, the Letter will be the results. Ew ii.sands and Lambs should have a good bite of sweet, succulent heibage, rye, clover, and rye-giass, or good aftergiass, kept over for that put pose, to enable the lambs to have a full supply of milk. If the lambs get stunted in giowth now Lorn poveity of keep no after caie will icstore them. " The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day, Had he thy reason, would he skip and play ? Pleaded to the last, he ciops the flowery food, And lickh the hand jubt laired to bhed his blood. '