FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2575, 12 January 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

A Modest Advertisement. — The following announcement, which appeared in a recent issue of the Melbourne Argus, will commend itself to our readers for its modesty i —-New Zealand —Splendid farm, 1386 acres, in choicest part Otago, 3ft to 10ft soil, 108 bushels oats and SO bushels wheat per acre. Particulars Street and Co., Limited, 30 Little Collinsstreet west.

The Early Apple.—A new early dessert apple, named Beauty of Bath, is advertised and figures in tho Gardeners' Chronicle. It immediately follows the Juneatingr, and is earlier than the Irish Peach, from which it is quite distinct. The fruit is of medium size, round and flattened, the ground colour of yellowish green, beautifully striped and spotted with crimson towards the sun ; the flesh is firm, pale yellow, and has a brisk, subacid far superior to that of other early apples. It is also a free and certain cropper.

Cats and Rabbits.—Some two years ago we furnished a report of the success iu destroying rabbits by means of cats on the estate of Mr on the Wcrribee. Since then the cats have increased enormously and become quite wild, the rocky parts of the country about the You Yang being well stocked with there, and they are doing good service in keeping down the rabbits, very few of the young ones being allowed to escape, consequently the numbers are steadily diminishing. It is stated that the cats have increased in size, and that their skins, for which some persons are killing them, are very large and fine. Cobx-Gkinlung Mills.—At the competitive trials of corn grinding mills, open to all England, held at Derby last month, a silver medal was offered for the best grinding mill for farmers' use. The patent " Rapid " grinding mill of Messrs Henry Bamford and Sons, Lcighton Iron Works, Uttovetcr, not only took the first prize, but ground so rapidly, and made such excellent work that a gold medal was awarded to it, in place of the silver one. This mill has reversible grinding plates, and is best adapted for farmers' use, and has never been beaten in aoy contest. " Cornkrs."—It is curious to note how men are seeking after new monopolies, says the Mark-lane Express. The territorial aristocracy having secured to themselves the greater part of the surface , of the country, the great capitalists are J trying to secure to themselves the lion's share of the results of all native industries, at the joint expense of producers and consumers—broadly speaking, at the expense of labour. So far as Britain is concerned, there have been syndicates formed to " corner " copper and tin ; one to "corner" salt is more than half formed; an iron syndicate is being attempted; and, according to Sir Edward Sullivan, coal will be the next "product'' which the money fiend will try to make his own. But the giant Labour is awakening out of his lethargic sleep, and one day he may not unlikely turn upon these useless dividers, and "rend them " —literally and metaphorically. Selling Cattle by Live Weight. — A Blue-Book has been issued containing the evidence taken last year on " Market Rights and Tolls," which contains the following evidence on selling cattle by live weight given by Messrs. Swan and Sons, auctioneers, on cattle sold at their meat mart, Edinburgh The highest percentage of meat was got from a three-year-old shorthorn grass-fed bullock. This animal weighed 9(J stones, the price per atone live weight was 4s iOAd, the yield of meat was G2.20 per cent., and

the cost to the butcher was 7s lOjtd per stone. The next highest percentage was got from a cross polled bullock, courtfed, the live weight of which was 90 stones and the yield of meat 59.44 per cent. ; the cost to the butcher being 8s 2d per stone. A West Highland heifer gave a yield of 59 per cent, ; and homefed Canadians wore found to yield about

57. ad par cent, of dressed meat. Early Maturity of Jersey Cattle. ■ —Tho early age at which the Jersey heifers come into profit was very conspicuous at the rocsnt dairy show in London. Ju class 14, for Jersey heifers

above one and less than two years old, a considerable proportion of tho animals were "in milk." Mr James Blyth's Doris—to which was awarded the Lord Mayor's oup aa the best of the Jersey

cows and heifers—had calved as far back as the 29th June, although she wanted a week or two of being two years old. This was an I<]nglish-bred heifer. Chrysanthemum and Duchess, a year older, both of which gave a creditable account of themselves at the Jersey butter test, had calved a second time. The two were English-bred. The Kerry, which runs the Jersey hard as a favourite for villa cows, has (as might be expected from the hard mountain fare to which it has been exposed for generations) no corresponding precocity. Of course in all cases where heifers are allowed to produce calves young (they have been known to do so when little more than 11 mouths old), they require extra feeding both during pregnancy, and to enable them to keep the calf alive after it is dropped. No breed, however, breeds early with so much impunity as the Jersey.

Agkicultdke i.v Vera Cruz.— The British Consul describes the primitive manner in which maizo in the Minatillan district of the Mexican State of Vera Cruz is from. Three crops are raised annually, but never on the same land. No ploughing is done; one man makes with a pointed stick a aeries of lines of holes about 2 feet apart; another inan follows, dropping two or three grains into each hole, and the rain is left to fill the holes in. The harvest is calculated at a hundred times the weight of the seed, and is gathered in 16 weeks after the planting. No manuring is done, except when the land is first cleared, and then the ashes of the burnt underwood, rank grass, and stumps are used as fertilisers. This method of cultivation prevails in remote and lowlying districts; on the higer levels maize is cultivated on ploughed lands, and farming there is becoming more and more systematic. Lack of capital is the cause of the exceedingly rude cultivation of cotton, maizo and other products in Mexico. Even in the ease of tobacco many planters never plough or manure, and never plant the same land twice, yet the reputation of Mexican tobacco is rapidly increasing, and the manufacturers of Vera Cruz are increasing the size of then' factories and the number of their operatives.

New Chemical Manure : Fluoride of Calctum.—M. Dussau, an eminent French chemist, in an article in the Journal d'Agriculture Pratique, draws attention to a new manure, fluoride of calcium. He states t.hat he has used it with great advantage for several years. For his last crop of wheat he used the fluoride at the rate of 2G4lb. per acre, and obtained 33 bushels per acre, or double the yield of his district, under favourable conditions. The best way to use the substance, he says, is in conjunction with superphosphate of lime ; but it is important that the latter should be sown separately, aud first, especially in soils which are very slightly calcareous. It is possible, he explains, that if the two manures are used together, the free acids of the superphosphate would set at liberty hydrofluoric acid, which has an injurious, and possibly poisonous, effect upon germination. At present, fluoride of calcium is sold at a comparatively high price, M. Dussau adds, as it is only used to a small extent in manufactories ; but if an extensive demand for it should arise, he expects that it will be produced as cheaply as the natural phosphates. More than a year ago M. Reboulet remarked upon the good results of using a phosphate poor in phosphoric acid, but rich in fluor, and M. Dussau's experiments confirm that announcement.

Channel Island Cattle (Concluded-) CHAPTER VII. Previously to entering upon the subjcct of pregnant cows, a few observations on the bull may prove of great advantage. There is a notion very prevalent, that frequent bulling of the cow will ensure a calf; experience has proved this to be erroneous. Once is quite sufficient ; but where the bull is of a larger kiud than the cow, the latter should have the advantage of rising ground. On returning home the cow should be milked, and tied up till quiet. Cattle taken to the bull are of less barrenness than those running with the bull.

For milking cows, it is always advisable to have a bull with two or three year's advantage of age, as the stock is not then produced too large, whioh would prybably injure tho womb, aud produce barrenness. The heifer should not bo taken to the bull younger than from eighteen to twenty-one months ; and, after calving, six weeks should elapse before the cow is bulled. When the cow is heavy in calf, that i«,

within about three months of the time of calving, considerable judgment is required as to her condition. At this time she should have plenty of exercise ; should walk a considerable distance to and from pasture ; ana, when there, should have to get her own living, or rather to work for her own living, if it may be so expressed, by the feed not being over abundant. Where exercise cannot be obtained, or where the cow is kept in, or in very small adjacent pasture, she must be prevented lrom getting too fresh by a diminution of the feeding qualities of her food. If the cow coutinues to givo her full quantity of milk up to a late period, there will be no danger at the time of calving ; but if she dries up too soon, she will get too fresh to be healthy, and means must bo taken to diminish her condition, either by increasing her exercise or diminishing her food. A lean cow can never come to harm by calving, but a fat one labours much more, and is liable to break the blood-vessels, or to induce a prolapsus, frequenting resulting in death. With heifers with their second calf, care should be taken that the system bo not over-taxed, and they should therefore be allowed to go dry sooner than older cows.

At no period of a cow being in calf should any putrid or offensive matter (such as pig-tubs, containing all manner of decayed refuse, or horse-flesh hanging up for dogs, or dead animals in ditchcs or ponds) be within her scent, for so delicate is tho constitution of a cow in this state, that the mere smell of offensive effluvia is sufficient to make her slip her calf ; ";he same result may be produced by her running in the same pasture with a cow who has recently slipped her calf. As the cow advances in calf, she should

not be allowed to pasture with strange cattlc, as they would be likely to fight or push each other about, and injury to herself and the calf might ensue. Perfect quietness in this state cannot be too much recommended.

When the period of calving arrives, the oow should bo taken in, and well-bcdded forward, giving an easy declivity to the hinder parts ; she should be disturbed as little as possible, but carefully watched. Every opportunity should be given to nature to act spontaneously; but if much difficulty appears, the assistance of a veterinary surgeon should be obtained at once. When this is rendered unnecessary by an easy labour, care should be taken to remove the caul or bladder covering the calf's head, as soon as possible, to enable

it to breathe ; and immediately after the birth oompel the cow to rise, as this aotion restores the overstrained parts to their proper position. Then subdue the tendency io inflammation by immediately withdrawing the milk.

In some counties an erroneous custom prevails of giving the cow her own inilk to drink just after calving, but this in an exploded and almost superstitioas custom, which should never be followed.

If the oow appears strong after calving, avoid giving her drenches, which produce disgust and do no good.

If medicine appears necessary, let it bo given under the direction of the veterinary surgeon.

In all the numerous cases that have fallen under my management, I have never had one occasion to give a single drench. My system is to give tho cow a warm bran mash with plenty of chilled water—not too warm—which treatment has always proved successful.

If the cow, after calving-, should not milk down well, the udder should bo fomented with warm water.

In a small practical work of thia nature, it would be useless to enter at length upon the diseases of cows ; a few hints will be much better than a dry dissertation. No information that could bo here imparted, would be of any use in the absence of experience. It will be only necessary, therefore, to give some account of the symptoms that usually indicate disease either in existence or in embryo.

The first symptom usually is the shrinking of the milk; the second symptom is a rough and staring appearance of the coat, hollownesS of the eyes, and a want of moisture at the nose. What is called a chill is easily discovered, by pressing with the hand on the back anywhere behind the shoulders, which act will cause the cow to shrink if she is not in good health.

Nothing but knowledge and experience will justify the attempt to physic the cow, without the advice of the veterinary surgeon ; and it must be borne in mind, that the object of this little book is co instruct in the management of milch cows alone, and not to enter upon the management and treatment of the various other classes of cows which are kept for a very different purpose than the production of milk and butter.