FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2558, 1 December 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Citrio Acid in Milk.-M. Henkel has discovered citric acid io cow's milk, n fact hitherto not admitted. Iu 40 tuns of fresh milk there ia as much citric acid, in the form of suits, as in 400,000,000 of lemons; in other wouls, the average daily milk of a cow contains as muuh citrio acid as two or throe lemons. Separating v. Skimmixo.—The following favourable report of a de Laval separator is given :—The milk, after the whole had been mixed, waa separated iu two equal parts, one half to be treated by the separator, the other half in the ordinary way. The result for a trial of 19 days was that 1321b of butter was obtained from the set milk, while that which passed through the separator produced 1731b, a gain of 411b in favour of the separator. So that if the whole of the milk had been separated, instead of half of it, a gain of 821b in favour of the separator would have been found over the old system. Fruit-Gkowees and Co-opkration : In tjie Hands op tub Causers.—The Califoruians are suffering in many parts of the country from want of co-operative societies. The demand for the establishment of oanneries and fruit drying establishments haa been great, and now they are numerous in the State, but growers are no bettor off than before. The fruit crops have deen large this year, and the canners, being master of the situation, offer any price they choose, end that is so small that there is but little more profit than before, for the canner knows that the grower must either take the price offered or else see his crop wasted. He is, therefore, obliged to sell his finest apricots and peaches for perhaps as little as $A the pound. Sun-dried peaches were quoted wholesale at from Sd to Is 3d the lb.

Thoroughness of the De Laval Cream Separator.—Some persons are inclined to bring discredit on the De Laval cream separator on account of tiie milk being left so poor as to be injurious to calves fed on it. It is state:! that quite a heavy mortality has occurred in some parts of Tasmania in consequence. "But," as the Colonist remarks, " this is simply confirming the favourable reports which dairymen give with regard to the increase of butter by the use of the separator. They cannot have their cake and eat it too, neither can they feed calves with butter which they sell. We do not make these remarks with a view of discouraging the use of the separators, but rather the reverse, as the poverty of the skim milk is a high recommendation. What we would urge is that some additions be made to the skim milk, in order to restore the nourishment. Those who grow linseed would find it advantageous to use such, as it forms a very fair substitute."

Paris as a Market for Colonial Butter. — The Scandinavian farmers have taken alarm at the introduction of Australian butter to the European market. _ After sending us bread (wheat), nothing was more natural than that the antipodes should forward us the butter to spread on it. From fresh beef, mutton and wines, to say nothing of wool, Australia, true to her motto, has "advanced ,, to butter. And right good too it is in flavour, equal to what currently fetches 3f. per lb in Paris. The finest butter, that with the delicate butter cup and dairy bouquet, the nutty taste, and the honhon-~ mcltingnesa in the mouth, commands if. per lb. There is then a sufficient margin left, despite duties, to send supplies even to France. If it pays to sell Australian butter at l£ f, per lb in London there is an ampie profit left to ship to Paris, and net 3f. per lb.

Dishonest Practices of London Fiujit Salesmen.—The London Horticultural rimes states that unpleasant exposures have recently been made in Covent Garden market by certain large growers of produce who placed letters in the bottom of their baskets of fruit, &c. (with stamped envelopes for reply), asking the buyers to furnish to the growers the price they had paid for the fruit. In every case the growers found that the goods had been sold for a higher price than hid been remitted by the salesmen. Interviews followed between some of tbo growers and the salesmen, which were brief and unsatisfactory. The commission men, howovor, were compelled to repay every farthing they had taken, and narrowly escaped being prosecuted. The lesson to be drawn is, that producers should be their own salesmen by joining together and forming 00-operative associations for the disposal and purchase of

A Large Fruit-growing Coxcerx.— An " .English Apple and Fruit-growing Company " has been formed near London, and has issued tho following prospectus : —Tho cupttal proposed to "bo raised is £50,000, in shares of £1 each. A contract has been entered into to purchase nearly 300 acres of land in Kent suitable for fruit-growing for £737."). Shares worth £1000 allotted to tho promoters, but will not bear a dividend til! tho ordinary shareholders have received a dividend of 5 per cent, on their shares, nor will tho directors receive any fee until a dividend has been paid. Power is reserved to the sompany to plant, raise, grow, purchase anil soil fruit imd other trees, phtiitt, flowers or any other garden and agricultural produce, aud to act as brokers mid commission agonts in tho disposal of fruit and crops of every description; also to erect buildings, provide machinery, otc, in furtherance of the objeots in viuw ; and to preserve by boiling, bottling, cunning, drying, cooling, candying and other methods of storing aud preserving fruit; together with all other provision's that the wit of mini can devise for rondoring the undertaking successful, Co.ncjkalku Mini : MorjsGood News for Dairymen'.— In time, perhaps, Australians may bo ablo to send Parisians congealed milk as well as frozen meats and butter. M. GutSrin, an engineer at Grand Villiers, in tho Vosges, has discovered a practical moans to oonaeal milk fresh from the cow, so that it will koop in that stato during , several weeks, and to bear transportation without losing any of its qualities or becoming unfitted for the various uses of consumption. A syndicate of farmers in the department of the Vosges—23s miles north-east of Paris, has been formed to work the patent, and send blocks of congealed milk to the capital. In this state the milk muefc be microbically pure, as Pasteur has shown that a zero temperature kills disease giving genus. The opalesenco and the flavour of the milk present no change ; it boils and skims as well as that fresh from the best city dairy, and also can be made into cheese. Before using, the whole of a milk block in a can mu<t be dissolved and tho liquid shaken. Imagine a Parisian depending on Australia for the milk for his morning cafe au hit.— Paris correspondent of the Leader.

Wjieat-guowisg in- Britain- ax» India Conth.wted.— In the course of a description of a three months' tour

through India, a correspondent of the leading journal says it makes one's hearl ache to think of the British wheat Rrowei as you see the cereals in India, even in o

native state. When you get to British territory the wheat, maize, barley, gramm and jowry are magnificent. How can the British farmer grow wheat against the Bombay ryot ? He has 6 sunny days a month, not 30 ; stiff clay land perhaps, not black cotton growing soil tliat will bear wheat 50 years running without any manure wh itever : costly labor, not skilled labour at 6d or sil a day, and unskilled at 3d or2d ; complicated machinery, not a plough so simple that one could make it oneself, and so easily handled that one man with four bullocks works it invariably ; 5-year rotation, not wheat yearly ; heavy rent, not 10s to 4s per acre for irrigated wheat land, 7s to 3d for unirrigated ; expensive habits, with a hunter and a piauu ; not a wife who keeps the house and clothes the family on 4s or us a week; aud donkeys to be hired at us per score per day ; harvest in September, not in February ; land pulverised by the frost, not by the yeuial and unfailing sun. The prices quoted are from the Punjaub Government Gazetter, Delhi district, 1881-2, where it is also stated that in that district at that date 540,080 acres were under crops ; 133,815 acres were under wheat. Id the Lahore district at the same date 918,723 acres wore under crops, and 348.513 acres were under wheat.

Polled Durham Cattle —A writer in the London Live Stock Journal gives an account of n breed of polled Durham oittle in Delaware, Ohio. These oattlo are ovvued by two intolliiront young farmers living in Butler Comity, "who began their experiment about 10 years ago with ii polled cow, red in colour, of what ia called the common stook of the country, with no cross, so far as known, of any established breed. She was only of moderate excellence for an animal of no particular breeding , , but of fair excellence as a milker. To this cow they bred a pure Sliortliorii bull. The first calf proving- to be a heifer without horns, it was determined to reservo it and try the experiment of another Shorthorn cross, which in due time was mado, and the progeny was another hornless calf. To this " idea " these men had adhered, breeding ali the time the selected heifers to pedigree Shorthorn bulla uutil now they have 15 or 20 beautiful hornless cattle, with all other characteristics of well-bred Shorthorns. They "have had an occasional calf with horns, but not mere than one in five. In a lot on exhibition at Columbus the writer was shown a bull with three crosses of Shorthorn blood, now 3 years old that in all characteristics save the absence of horns possessed all the points of a pure-bred Durham. His quality was excellent, aud his weight but a little under 20001b. There were also two or three young heifers as flue and as true to the form, quality and colour of the Durham breed, all being of tho same character, light (not dark) red, with a few very small, clear white marks.