FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2593, 23 February 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

A Btr; Prick for a Vixkyako.— To show the value of vineyards in the Goulburn Valley we have only to mention that wo (iViithiilia Jlorald) wore credibly informed (,'int tho'fahbilk Vineyard has been sold to Unrgoync and Son, of London, for ;er>o,ooi)."— Loader.

How to Mask a Valuable IysKOT-r-CiiJi-:.- —A contributor to an exchange, says :—lf you are troubled with the green fly on your roses or pelargoniums, you will find the following an admirable mixture with which to syringe them:— Put two tablespoonfuls of kerosene and three of soft soap in a bowl with a little bulling water ; beat for ten minutes or so as you would eggs ; until all arc in a thick froth, and t'li'in mix with four gallons of cold water. If you put the soap aud kerosene into the water without this preliminary beating thay will never mix, and be of little use. besides cleaning the plants without injury to leaf or blossom, the potash in the soft so.ip, lam told, is useful as u manure.

A Valiiahlk Bum;!)of Dunv Cows. — The Thcleniark cow is in Norway what the Ausfclu raoo is iu Germany and the Jersey in England. Perhaps it is the only distinct race of oittle in Norway, and comes from a valley of the same namp, in one of the most mountain sheltered 3oruers of upland Norway. Full grown, the cow weighs between 7 and S cwf., but it is renowned for its abundant yield of noh milk, varying from 7 to 15 quarts per d:iy, according to feeding. The Thelenv.irk eow is slender iu body, head narrow and lonjr, neck short, horns long, well-formed and curviug upwards ; lojrs, fine and movements sprightly. Tlie colour is three-fourths white ; the flanks are uniformly red, or a reddish yellow ; and, what is not to be mot with in any other race, the flanks are dotted with red spots. Caution must be observed when the auimals are put on the richer nlimentation of the lowlands. The race Jia.s one incalculable quality; it is impervious to plouro-pneutnonia. Planting Potatoes. —It is believed that growers of potatoes would find it to their advantage to use larger sets than those they generally plant. Professor Alvord, of the Maryland, U.S., agricultural experiment association, has been testing the matter, and gives the average results of 40 varieties, under five different methods of " seeding," as follows : —

From the above experiment ic appeiua that the greater the quantity of seed potatoes used, the greater was the product. And tit is was true not only of the total yield, but also of the product of inerchiuitaLile potatoes as distinguished from those so small as to be unmerchantable. SiiEur ox TuKXirs.— Where sheep arc put on turnips, it is safer,'nt first, to givo them loss than the full quantity, and then to increase tho size of tho fold as the animals become accustomed to the food.

After a white frost, it is advisablo to avoid shifting early in tho morning, as purging is often caused by the frosted leaves. Swedes, when unripe, have been known to cause irritation and inflammation in tho stomach from tho same cause. Tho best way to avoid complications of this sort, is to give dry food, mid nothing is bettor for t,ho purpon; than hnui. A farmer placed two lots of hoggets on swedes which proved to bo indigestible, from some reason or anothor, so he gave one lot Jib of linseed o:iko and peas in equal quantities, with chaff, and the other lot l.j. pints of bran, ill so with chaff. The stronger ralion proved to be beyond tho powers of tho stomach, and several of tho first lot died from scour, while those fed on bran did very well. When it is possible, swedes should bo withered by being pulled up and left on tho ground for a day or two, before the sheep are admitted to them—that is when they are folded early in tho season. A pint of coaiHO bran, mixed with chaff, given to each sheop with the swedes, will bo almost certain to prevent the ill effects which otherwise might happen.

Twi'.NTV-EiaiiT Tons of Potatoes Pkr Acre.—lt must bo admitted that the yield of potatoes throughout the colony is not equal to what it might be. It is only on tbo richest lands, where in ordinary seasons crops of 10 to 15 tons per acre may be obtained. But in the ordinary farm land of the colony the produce can only bo considered small, cspepooially when compared with results obtained in the United States by persona who have made potato culture a speciality. An experimental farm is attached to an agricultural paper, the Rural New Yorker, under the management of Mr Carman, editor of the paper, who last season issued a challengo to tho effect that if h',i could not raise at the rate of 700 bushels of potatoes per acre in hii experiment grounds lie would forfeit f>o dol. provided any other person would pay the same amount in case of his success, the money in either event to be donated to pome charitable purpose. Tho challengo was accepted by Mr Wilmer Atkinson, the editor of tho Farm Journal. Mr Carman, however, was unsuccessful, owing to the ravages of a flea beetle (Haltica oucumoris) which soriously injured the foliage, the yield being at the rate of only 583 bushels per ncre ; though of three snrdling varieties grown, one, named No. 3. yielded only nt'tho rato of 270 bushels, No. 4, O'U bushels, and No. 2 yielded no less than 107G bushels, which, at the rate of GO lb per bushel, is equal to 28 tons.

IToESEi'XKSir as Food.—lt appears that the sale of horseflesh, so common in Franco, lias recently been introduced to England, though generally, if not always, in a surreptitious manner. The subject has been broached in the House of commons, when Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, in answer to Mr Knowlcs, said his attention had been called to the increase in the sale of horseflesh, and last summer ho received a deputation on the subject. His noble friend ths Jvirl of Onslow, Secretary of the Board of 'JVaile, was authorised by him to state in another place that the Government would be prepared to asnent to the appointment of a cummitte to consider the (juesrion of ihe sale of articles of food uu.l.t eirtMi'nstances calculated to mislead Iμ-. jrn-chaser, and ■•f cfuirse tli." K-ih! of luirsi! hV.-:h as berf would be indud-v! wiihin l!ij scope of iho eo'Minittr-o'.-i r:'|:in-y. At a meeting of the luef .'in 1 jink imrchers of Manchester ;ind S.ii'Wd were regularly er.g-\.-j;(vl in this trade, and that the "joints" wen: delivered in carts after dark, and it w\si known to the trade as " Knackerinc." The slaughter houses were watched, and some of them ako protected by dogs, in order to prevent casual inspection. One butcher, it is said, had four shops in Manchester, and also owned a knacker's yard in the suburbs. Good horses could not be sold for eating purposes under from Is to '2a (id per ib., whereas the average price of horses for slaughtering waa from £?> to £-[, and £o was a high price. Municipal and Government authorities are to be asked to regulate this traffic.

Comphtinc; Valuks of Animals. —Mγ Ct. IT. Moire, of Eyten-on-Sovern, Shrewsbury, has invented a most ingenious contrivance for computing the value of animals sold by livo weight. It is called the " Computer," and consists of a kind of a rule, with a slide in thn middle of it. Above tho slido is a scale of weights, from 4owt. to lGcwt., with sub-divisions for stonrs of Hlb., and half that weight, representing livo weights. On the slido it-'clf, whore it joins tho upper scale, values arc marked from £S to £32, with sub-divisions for 10s and 2.-*. On the low edge of tho slido is a percentage finale of prions pnr lb., from 3d to Is, in penoe, farthings and h.ilf-fdrtliinirs. On the slidinjr pnn:ent:i<re pcaln an arruw is marked, and, by settimr this opposite to the price per lb. at which an animal is to bo sold by liw weight, the total is found on tho second scale fruin the top, just beiow tho live weight of tho amtivil, marked on the top scale. To {ret tho value of ii. boast sold at a certain price per lb. of careaso weight, in accordance with idi agreed pnrcentaso of livo weight, tho percentage has only to ho sot opposite to tho price per lb., and the value of the animal is then at once found opposite to the livo woiirlit. Having found the value of one animal by either method, the respective values of any number of animals of differeut weights, but sold at tho same price, may be read over at once. The price graduation is too hiirh for colonial use, but, of course, a. lower one could easily bo made, or tho price per lb. ,-tiid total values could be halved. If anyone in New Zealand desires to have ■.me of those contrivances, ho can obtain it. from the inventor, with a useful card of tables and a little pamphlet fully explaining tho use of the rule, for 3s 9d, by parcel post. Hero tho rule, pamphlet and card cost ouly 2h 3d. We are trying nil we can to get the sale of stock by livo weight, extended, and tho " Computer'' will greatly facilitate the change. Stk.vwson's Air-Power Distributor am) Tiiu DiwTiuTcriox of Insect Fusts:. —Mr (J. V. Strawrton, of the firm of Strawson and Co., manure manufacturers, of Newbury, Berkshire, the inventor of tho "air-power distributor, or air drill," is trying to so L , on foot in his district an association whoso object is to deal with fungoid diseases and the insect and other pests which so seriously damage our crops. As he stated in a short speech at tho Newbury Root and Corn Show dinner, no apology is required for bringing tho matter forward, because at present they were feeding armies of their 0116111164 too lavishly. Club root, smut in corn, mildew, fly grub, and slug wore always present with farmers who treated them too generously, as they destroyed whole acres of crops in a low hours, a few days, or a few weeks, as tho caso might bo. The labour of scientists had greatly increased our store of knowledge on those matters, and it was for agriculturists to avail themselves of those labours. The time was fully ripe for an attempt of tho kind, and ho hoped the farmers of tho district would tako up the question with vigour, as profit was certain to result from it. In connection with the destruction of pests, it should bo borne in mind that tho machino invented by Mr Strawsou is remarkably efficacious for dressing purposes. It is only just ' coming into tho market, considerable delay having taken place in consequence of the inventor declining to send out any but most perfect machines, which aro now being manufactured by one of the host known implement makers in England. Strawsoivs air-power distributor will bo found to be a most useful machine on tho farm, as it is capablo of employment for seed sowing, and tho distribution of fertilisers, soot, paraflin, and other insecticides. The air-power spreads most ovonly, aud tho arrangements aro suoh that tho under aud upper sides of tho loaves of tho crops may bo dressed. I

believe this remarkable machine will bo shown at the Koynl Agricultural Show at Windsor, as a " new invention," and as there will bo no trials on that ooeasion, a public test will shortly be made in the presence of agricultural exports and leaders of the farming world.

Total Alrcluui* umiuuForm of seed no- cha " table tato planted. l; us hcls Bushels Bushels per acre, per acre, per acre. A lar;{e whole potato 20S.95 172.12 00.83 A. whole potato, size of egg ... 174.30 100.79 07.00 Usual cutting,one piece 131.21 82.93 61.43 A single eye, one jfoo'd sized pica 90.53 &J.S7 31.00 A single eye on 1 j very small piece f)7.03 :W.10 2t-S7