FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2444, 10 March 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

The Waikato Hoirru:ui/mRAT, Society's Snow.—We would remind intending exhibitors at tho approaching show that entries close with the Secretary, Hamilton, on Monday next. A large number of special prizes have boon offered, a list of which will be found in the Society's advertisement.

The Chops ix New South Walks.— NewSouch \V r files (writes the correspondent of the Otago Daily Times) has reaped the benefit of the past mairuineenfc season in ii greater degree than any of her neighbours. Reports collected from all parts of the colony show that the returns of agricultural produce are eminently .satisfactory. The heavy ruins which fell just as the crops were being , harvested did considerable damage to the wheat, liny, mid maize, aud the latter suffered from the effects of the floods. A few complaints wore also made about rust in wheat in some districts, but the general yield is large. The maize crops were also heavy, especially in the Clarence district, and the sufrar crops were good. Pastoral affairs were never in a raoru satisfactory state. Stock- aro rolling in fat, and there is au abundance of feed and water everywhere Some statistics which have been issued by the inspector of stock show the power of recuperation possessed by New South Wales in a remnrkablo degree. Ho estimates that at the beginning of this year the colony owned sheep. In ISSI there were only 31,000,000, the drought having reduced the number in one year by 0,000,000. That decrease was recovered by the eDd of ISSS ; in ISSS there was a further gain of 2,000,000, aud last year saw the enormous accession of 7,500,000.' Last year's lambing is put down at from 10 to 12 millions. Mutton may bo expected to cheapen, aud freezing operations will probably bo prosecuted vigorously. Farm Laikhtrers , Waoks.— Farmers in all the Midland and Southern parts of England have hitherto beeu in the habit of paying a portion of their men's wages in beer during hay and harvest time : but a law was passed in tlio last session of Parliament prohibiting them from paying wages in anything but money, under penalties of £o for the first offence, £20 for the second and £100 for the third. This has led to disputes between employers and their men regarding what is termed "beer money," and to disputes as to the wisdom of thn prohibition. One farmer, who writes to the Murk-lima Express, says, "to interfere between mn.st.er and man as to giving the latter a fair allowance of beer reminds me of the Maine Liquor Law." Ho then recounts how ho gave each of his men half a gallon of beer per day, and lie brows it himself at a cost of 10d persallon, which costs him for a total of 390 gallons f.lio sum of £16 us, but if he has to give his men a ni'>;:ev e-.livalent, he must give them i! a retail price of beer at the public house. The difference to him would be £9 13s, which lie has to pay extra to the men, while they have to drink beer of i\n inferior qualify—the filthy doctored stud' of the public house—instead of the honest, wholesome beer he brewed for them. Ho does not appear to consider that it would be batter for the men to drink somewhat less than two quarts of beer per day and save a portion of the money. Another writer, this time in the Agricultural Ga/.ctto, takes an opposite view of the ease. He says he has not given beer for many years. In hay time lie gives 2s a week extra up to the harvest, and ds Gd per day for six weeks in harvest ; on threshing day Od extra instead of beer. The men are content with the arrangement, more so than when he gave beer, for then they were not content unless they had enough to make the weaker ones drunk before they went home at night, and very generally they would become troublesome before they did go home.

Hoiisk Brekiuxc ix Jai-ax. — Adescription of this lias been recently published, and it forms an interesting record of Japanese horse love. There are large breeding establishments in ninny other parts of the woild, but it is doubtful if there is now, or ever was, a breeding establishment in any other country that could equal flic great horse pasture of Shiniosa, in Japan. Nearly 1000 years ago the main island of the Japanese Empire was about equally divided boUvecu the conquering races and the aborigines. The conquerors held the southern half and the aborigines the northern half. One of the reiguiiu; Tycoons determined upon the conquest of the aborigines, and he sent i\ large and well-equipped army across the Ifaknni range into the aboriginal territory. Aftor a long war, in which there were many bloody battles, the aborigines were driven north. The territory conquered comprises all the country around Tokio, the capital, and several provinces still north of that, and within the boundaries of this conquest were what are now called the plains of Shimosa. The plains were found to be admirably adapted to grazing. They arc about forty miles east of Tokio, between the head of the Bay of Yeddo and the ocean, and are 300 or 100 Feet above the asa level. They are, in fact, peninsula table land*. From these plains a considerable number of small streams have their sources. The larger part of surface is covered with grasses, indigenous to that vory country, among , which are several kinds of clover, bunch, gi-assi;-! and fescue grass. At intervals there nve groves of pines, oaks, beoeh and maple trees. It was determined to establish there a p-mfcure, where t.ho best cavalry horses could bo bred, and in such numbers that their whole cavalry could bo supplied with mounts at any time. The best equine stock of the empire was bought and brought t) theso pastures. were sent to Cirea, Manchuria and China, and the blooded stallions were bought for the improvement of the native blood. By the natural increase in a century or two there was an immense number of horses in this imperial pasture. The official authority already quoted puts this number at more than 100,000 The labourers used in the construction of the embankments settled permanenfclyon fcho lauds that worn excluded from this enolosure, and the villages founded by them are still there'. By these moan-; the rulers not only had a thoroughly fortified pasture, but they occupied, settled, and developed the country conquered from the enemy.