FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2498, 14 July 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

New Zealand Red Clover Seed.— Thanks to the humble bee, Mr G. H, Martou, an Eyrotou farmer, has (says thu Timaru Herald) been able to send red clover seed to market this year—a good sample. Colonial Fruit in England.—The London Garden notes the receipt, by u Covert Garden importer of some Ribston pippins, which have justarrived from New Zealand. Tho flavour was excellent. Tho flesh was firm and juicy, and seems to have lost none of its luscious richness.

Naphtha for Peas.—An English gardener, as a preventive against ground vermin and mice, steeps his peas in naphtha for twenty-four hours before sowing, and finds it also a remedy against the seed souring in the soil should very wot weather succeed the sowing of early peas. Skimmed Milk as a Feeding Substance. — Experiments in pig-feeding, instituted under the auspices of tho Danish Agricultural Society by Professor Fjord, go to show that skimmed milk has double the feeding valuo of bnttor milk ; that ryo and barley aro of about equal value ; with a slight per centagc in favour of rye ; and that Gibs, of (-kimmod milk have tho same feeding valuo of lib. of ryo and barley, and 121bs. of butter milk are required to obtain the result of feeding value. Lime in Water.—A dairyman who was brought up in a limestone country assorted that cattle there, never bloated from eating green feed. This has led him to believe that lime in water prevents bloating. Ho has followed the practico of putting from lgal to 2gal of lime, every week, in the water-troughs from which his cattle drink ; and none of his cattle gives him auy trouble by getting bloated.

Milk Axd Buttbß. are so .scarce in San Diego, says tho San Francisco Chronicle, that the former is being retailed from 15 to 20 cents a quart, and butter at 50 to 60 ctiits a lb. And, what is considered a strong piece of news and somewhat discreditable to the supposed enterprising agriculturists o" California, is that a project, is on foot for tho organisation of a 'company with the object of importing milk and butter in refrigerating cars all tho way from lowa, in the valley of tho Mississippi. Folding and Big Wheat Cnors.—A Colorado farmer, who has an idea or two in his head above the common, tells how he manages to harvest crops of wheat which averages 40 bushels to the acre. Ho has a farm of only 100 acres. Eighty acres of this are seeded to lucerne, from which he cuts hay enough to keep a. (roodsized flock of sheep in fiuo condition all the year round. He has a portable corral (fold) made which incloses about an acre of land. This ho sots up on tho land to be iswn to wheat ; and ho confines the sheep therein for two or three days, hauling the lucerne, and feeding it to them. The corral is moved about the field until it is all gone over. By this time the ground has become pretty well covered with sheep droppings; audit is then in condition "to plough. Asa result of the pasturing of the sheep crops of wheat are regularly harvested which average 40 bushels and upward to tho acre. A hundred and sixty acres of land treated in this manner can bo aud have been made to pay a net prorit of over £100 a year. For plain farming this may fairly bo considered as" doing quite well."

Dairy Factories: TllKtll INFLUKNOIi ON FARM ECONOMY. The advantage to the country at large of a well organised system of Cheese and Butter Factories would be difficult to estimate. It would help to solve the question of the profitable working of our lighter lands. The profitable manufacture of butter and cheese would create a demand for stock, for the reason that the carrying capacity of the land would soon be doubled. The fertility of the land would be increased instead of diminished, as it is by continuous corn-growing, and the better condition of the soil would result in a better average of crops ; while it would bo found more profitable to consame all second quality grain on the farm than to pay freight on it to distant markets. In other words, it will pay best to convert it into butter and pork, retaining the residue in the shape of manure for the land upon which it was grown. These are some of the advantages which must follow the successful developmont of the dairy industry, but there will also follow a return of prosperity to the chief industrial classes in the colony, viz. the farmers. It must, however, be remembered that such a desirable state of things can only be secured by the active co-op-eration of the farmers themselves, who must avail themselves of all the latest improvements in butter and cheese manufacture which science has provided. There is perhaps no question at the present time attracting so much attention (from an agricultural point of view) in Britain, than that relating to dairying. During the last century England and Ireland were the largest exporters of dairy produce, supplying much of the butter consumed on the Continent ; but an extraordinary change lias taken place within the last thirty years ; the export trade has practically ceased. British-made butter at longer raukinjr as superior to all other. Danish, French, and Swiss butter now commands a better price from its superior quality. How, it will be asked, has all this been brought about P We have not far to seek for a cause. The Governments of those countries named, to which may be added America and Canada, recognising the importance of the dairy industry if properly carried oat, have lent large assistance to that end. Dairy schools have been established and (■upported by the State. Farmers' sons and daughters havo been trained to understand the business from a scientific as well aa a practical point of view. The application of machinery to the manufacture of cheese, but more especially of butter, has been encouraged. Separators and butter workers, improved churns, and dairy appliance of all descriptions have resulted from the liberal encouragement offered by Continental Governments; heuee it is that dairy produce of the finest quality is now produced by the dairy farmers of the countries referred to. The British farmer, always slow to adapt himself to changiug circumstances, has at lust become alive to tho danger with which he is threatened, of being entirely deprived of what should be his most lucrative home industry. Vigorous stops aro now being taken by the Departmental Gummission on Agricultural and Dairy Schools with a view to regaining the lost prestige in British dairy produce. Dairy schools have, and are still being established in many parts of the kingdom, and there is no reason to doubt, but that ere long, much of the trade in butter will be regained by Home producers. Still there is plenty of room for all, when we consider that the money value of the butter imported into Britaiti in 1887, amounted to £8,016,76!), the total value of cheese imported in the same year amounted to £4,508,937, and the butterine imports were £3,569,948. There is no reason why the butter exports of New Zealand should not soon reach £1,000,000, and possibly go on increasing. As an instance of the result of neglecting to maiutain a standard of perfection, it may be mentioned that Ireland for many years supplied the outside market with outter, famous for its quality. We have Qurselves used this butter thirty years

ago on tho diggings of Australia, after it had undergone a voyage of four months in the hold of a vessel, and on arrival had been subjected to a ttill further journey, oFten extending ovi-r two or throe weeks, lumbering through swamps and forests, under a burning sun ; we have, we say used Cork butter, and found it excellent in quality. This was some of the celebrated double Rose brand, made long before the advent of separators or patent butter workers, the only machinery used being human energy, the cool hand of the dairymaid, and incessant "elbow grease." Complete command of the markets for a long course of years, engendered a carelessness which ultimately proved fatal to tho trade ; and hence it is that we now sec tho foreigner competing more (ban successfully with tho Home producer. We view with much satisfaction the wisdom exhibited by our Government in determining to send Home for an expert in dairy matters. Tho utmost, cure should bo exorcised in selecting a. person suitable for the purpose. Ho should be thoroughly up to all the latest inventions and improvements in tho arts of butter and cheese making. He should thoroughly understand the theory, as well as the practice of tho business, be should be conversant with the working of cheese and butter factories and creameries. As tho Danish butter ranks highest in tho London market, not only for its excellence, but for its keeping quality, it occurs to us whoever is selected tor the appointment, should know all about, tho Danish method of butter making, for if we are to make a name in London and elsewhere for our butter, it must possess tho quality of keeping sound and sweet for at least six or nine months.—M. Murphy, F.L.S., in N.Z. Country Journal.