FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2465, 28 April 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

A Sknsidle Idea.—An interesting case of miners turned gardeners is to bo seen at Navarre, where tho diggings being nearly worked out, a largn number of the miners have taken up 20 acre selections for cultivation, and most of them have a comfortable house and garden attached, in which they arc able to grow fruit to groat perfection, and, as a correspondent of tho Stawell Times states, nothing but the best will satisfy them. Apples and pears attain a great size, one pear tree bearing fruit of 31b. and 41b. weight. Unfortunately for growers, owing to no railway being near and the distance from market, the prices obtained for produce are hardly remunerative.

A Nkw Apple.—We aro in receipt of a sample of a seeding apple raised by Mr Gcorgn Ncilson, curator of tho gardens of tho Koyal Horticultural Society, which we cousider of quite a first-clasa charactor, indeed, it is a model of winter cooking apples, being of handsome shape, richly coloured, of good size, and in all other respects all that could be desired ; besides being, what renders it still more valuable, blight proof. Mr Neilson says of it: —"I bog to forward samples of a seedling apple raised by me some yoars .ago, and the only one I have retained out of some hundreds sown at tho same time. It is ...a cross between Majetiu and Dumelow's Seedling. Ido not claim for it the character of a first-class npple, but the character of being perfectly blight proof, root and branch, a free cropper, strong grower, fine foliage and a good keeper. In districts subject to blight it may yet be found useful, and attain a good size for marketing purposes." This apple seems worthy of the name of Neilsou's Centennial.

Skim Milk.—Feeding tho sweet milk buck by the cows is a method recommended by Professor L. B, Arnold. He suggests ii milk ration, of 181b. of hay, 81b. of bran, and 121b. of skim milk, the bran and milk being mixed together. Cows when fed ou dry food will require over 1001b. of water a day, and if succulent food is provided they will drink 501b. of watjr in addition. In some cases feeding the milk may prove more economical than giving , it to pigs. Let the pigs run about, and do not force them in styes to nine score at an oarly ago, ia the best advice civen to English farmers with regard to the production of streaky bacon. The forcing of pigs to over-fat has opened the English market to more Irish bacon than ever need bo the case. The public will have fat and lean, and it is of no use continuing producing what will not sell.

Tub English Butter Market.—lt was expected in England that there would be an increased demand for butter after the Ist of January, when the Margarine Bill came into force. A writer in the Agricultural Gazette saye :--" It strikes me that there will be almost a butter famine. A largo quantity of vile stuff is now daily palmed off as butter; and when sellers are oompelled to offer it in its tnio colour the public will refuse to accept it ; and where ia the buttor to come from to substitute the tons of butterinc that are now weekly sold to the victimised consumers ? Good, fresh butter is now sailing in Ashford at Is 4d per lb., and there will be a greater demand for good butter after Ist .January. Where the land is suitiUe, I think there is still some hope for the farmers, as it will be their own fault if so much money is sent abroad as heretofore to purchase butter that could be produced in our own country.