FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2474, 19 May 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

An t Experimental Farm.— The Rural New Yorker has an experimental farm established for tho bcuefit of its subscribers. The grounds for this work have hitherto been inadequate for tho purpose; and forty-five acres,have been added to tho estate.

Egos in Winter.—lf many winter eggs arc expected, the appliances and mater als should te provided before winter arrives. It is bad policy to commence rigging up after winter comes. If the houses are all perfected, and the hens fed up to the laying point at the start, there will be little trouble in keeping it up during the eutirc winter.

Preserved Meat.—The demand for preserved meats (wrote a London correspondent on March 9th) 3hows no improvement either for home or continental consumption. The stocks of Australian beef are very large ; and sales have been made at about 3Jd per lb. The London importers' entries for the week ended March Ist were:—Prom New South Wales, 5751 cases; from New Zealand, 492 cases ; from United States, 243S 2438 cases ; from Canada, 842 cases; from Europe, 60 cases ; total cases, 9553.

Tub Chkess and Butter Breeds — In making a comparison of leading dairy breeds, the Jersey Bulletin says The Holstein is the cow for milk in large quantities, and, consequently, the cheese cow of the period. In this the Ayrshire is a strong competitor. But for butter, fine butter, and quantity of butter, the Channel Island cow is queen. The Holstein, it may be remembered, is claimed for the ancestor of the Durham shorthorn.

Frozen Meat Trade.—The importations of frozen meat during the first two mouths of this year amount to 133,000cwt (wrote a London correspondent on March 9), or rather more than one-third more than was admitted during the corresponding period,in 1887. The chief increase, however, is from the Argentine Republic, which has sent />7,ooocwt, as against 32,000 in 1887. New Zealand mutton is bringing from 3d to 4 W por lb, and River Plato 3d to 33d. TheOroya's cargo from Sydney is realising 3Jd to 4d. Poultry that Pays.—That tho raising of chickens is not profitable is often disproved by farmers who keop a few hens. A gentleman living near Tulare, California, has 200 hens of mixed breeds —Plymouth Rocks, LeghoruH, and Black Spanish—which furnish " pin-money " for his better half. In ono week the product of his poultry-yard amounted to OOdoz. eggs, which he disposed of at 20 cent?, per dozen, making a total of lSdol. The cost of feeding , his chickens amounted to about 3dol, leaving- lodol. profit (£3) on one week's product.

Method of Saving Horses from Fire.—A New York man has invented a device to save horses in case of fire. It can be worked either by electricity or by hand. At a certain temperature a bell will ring ; and the moment the bell shall ring the doors will fly open, the horses will be unhitched, and two small streams of water will strike each horse in the face. To escape the water the horses will back out of the stalls ; and once out of them, they will have an opportunity of seeing a way of escape through the open doors.

Herki.'ord Catti.k.—A large sale held lately in Hereford (Kng.) showed that the appreciation of this famous breed has not diminished. There were some very grand yearlings and 2-year-old bulls entered ; the former numbering forty-six. Altogether, there were 100 head of pedigree cattle from tho most noted Hereford herds catalogued. Mr Crawshay's Stockton Prince was the finest animal in the yard among the aged stock ; but so strong is the feeling,for young animals just now that he was not as much as bid for. The best price made was 66gs for a 2-years-old. The average price of the whole was high.

Jersey Cattle.—Mr Thornton, as secretary of the English Jersey Cattle Society, has, at the request of the council, addressed a letter to the secretaries of the various agricultural societies in the old country, inviting attention to the ill-consequences of allowing cows in full milk to go unstripped iti the showyards till late in the morning, or even into the afternoon hours. The council suggests that the class of cows in full milk should be judged first, so as to minimise the evil cf putting off milking time until the awards are made; and it has also directed notice to the growing practice of entering in advance Channel Islands cattle " to be imported," and them substituting others when, from non-arrival or other causes, the animals originally intended are not forthcoming.

Sheep Frozen' to the Earth.—Reports from Texas indie ite a great loss of sheep from the recent terrible storms. In one instance it is related that the storm began with a heavy fall of rain ; and a flock of sheep lay dowu in the evening on the muddy ground. During , the night the weather turned cold, and froze the sheep by the wool to the earth; and, as they were unable to rise or change their position, the whole band perished. Some difficulty iray be felt in believing this story : but there is no doubt whatever that wet storms are much more trying to stock than dry storms, which are marked by a high degree of cold. The want of shelter on the American grazing plains has much to account for with regard to the heavy losses of all kinds of stock.

Show Condition'—No nostrums are of use to get the old fowls which are brought forward from year to year up to good show condition. Spangling and oiling to give colour and gloss are of no account where judges know their business, and are up to the little games of the reckless exhibitors. High condition and gloss are simply conditions of health ; and to feed for high health and vigor is to feed for condition. Pour years is old for a fowl; and it is far more difficult to get such old birds up to the mark. If you can get your bird in high health and hard feather, some stewed linseed will often help to give gloss; but to birds not in high health it is a "soft" and rather lowering food. A fortnight of it is enough, mixed in the soft food. Birds 4 years old are seldom successfully shown now in good company.

I TheJerseyßrked.—Major Alvord, an American dairy expert, holds that tho best breed for butter is the best for cheese; and tests show that the Jersey is the best. Jersey milk will make ]2J,ib of cheese to 1001b of milk ; and he did not believe a herd of Holsteins could be found which would average 101b of cheeeo to 1001b of milk. He farther claimed that the Gunrnsoys and Jerseys are the most profitable, and that in tho matter of solids other breod.i are far below them. Thyy would make much tnore butter, more and better cheese, and tho tirao was near when their milk would sell for more. Mr W. P. Richardson says that fanners in his sectioD, while recognising the superior quality of Jersey milk, had to contend with the difficulty that owing to the rapid and complete separation of the cream of Jersey milk, which occurred during transportation to market, it was impossible to remix it, I