FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2602, 16 March 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

The Lightning Pea.—ln reference to the new pea " Carter's Lightning," Ml' John Baldry, Wildwood, Flinders, writes to the Leader that he received seeds of it and sowed them on the 4th January, immediately after the heavy rain on New Year's D.iy, and they were fit for picking for the table by the 4t.h February—just 81 days from sowing'.

The Star Thistle,—That noxious weed, the Star Thistle (Ccntawca ccrfciIra pa) has found its way to Tasmania, where it is attracting the attention of fanners, as it is gradually taking possession of the land. Fanners are recommended, not only to cut, but to burn the plants before they seed, as they may still ripen seed after being cut. Stmnwedei. Wheat.—The Steinwedel wheat is making a name for itself in variout parts of the colony. In the further part of the Wimmera district Mr James Leason, sen., has proved its superiority and its suitability to the district. From a bushel sown 011 12th June, and reaped about the middle of December, he has obtained 6 bags, or a little more than 32 bushels per acre. Seven acres of Farmer's Friend gave 24 bushels, and White Tuscan the same yield. Mr Leason is so well pleased with it that he intends to plant the whole of the Steinwedel variety himself this year.

The Depression* Lifting.—A Home journal says At Christinas time it is pleasant to feel that everyone is fairly well off. Depression docs not lie so crushingly on business and industry as it did a year ago. No very great advance of prices has yet taken place, but there is life in the World's work now—in almost every department of it. The disheartening dulne.-s that hung over everything :i mrnb'T of years is so far lifted. I'rolits ire miserably small even yet, but for everyone, whether in business or in manual labour, there is plenty to do, and something to be obtained for it. That is much to bo thankful for.

Tiib Allotment System.—Fresh allotments are ootitinualiy being let in almost every village iu England. The local authorities are often puzzled to know from whom to accept land for allotments, no numerous are the offers from the landlords. The main question is about the rent. At Horntou, near Southpurt, an agreement has just been entered into to pay £2 10s per awe. In nearly all the villages in Suffolk the rent paid is £'2 per acre, and landlords are mostly willing to let their laud to individual labourers at this rent, because they are more certain of obtaining small sums from labourers than ones from farmers. Exodus of Sooth Australian Farmers. —The exoduß of farmers from South Australia to Victoria continues to go on. It is stated that fully a dozen families, with their horses and waggons, passed through Burder Town within the last fortnight, although iu the adjoining district, Tatiara, there U atmndauoc of laud, of which there are 1300 .-quaro miles fit for the agriculture, which at the rate of half-a-uiile, to each would accommodate GOO farmers, whereas there are scarcely 100 farmers in tho district who cultivate only 18,000 acres. The reason being that Farmers cannot obtain the land, as it is already occupied by two large Mpiatting companies, who use it for grazing sheep. Wjsll-.mvna(jki:> Small (fAituii.wi.— Speaking of the profit to be obtained from well-managed sm-ill gardens, the president of the Aberdeen lloyal Horticultural Society stated at the annual dinner, that on the market gardens, adjoining Paris, extending to 2 7 10ths of 1 an acre, there was a capital ontlay of about £1100 to provide glass and other appliances, including a steam engine for watering, with the result that from that little plot of ground there was raised aunually about 250,0001b. weight of vegetables. The gross income had been about £800, and the profit, after deducting £100 a year for vent and taxes, had been between £200 and £300; although eight men and a horse were required to work the ground. \VIIF.AT-GRO\VIXU rx AUSTRALIA: FALLOWED AND U>'I''ALLOWED LiAXD.—The " Man of Mark-lane " says : —" I have the authority of an agricultural export for the assertion that tho farmers iu some of tho principal farming districts of Australia have much to learn, and that the lessons they are now so dearly buying will prove very beneficial in tho long run. My informant, a great advocate for fallowing the land, says the striking contrasts to be seen in the wheat fields are bound to show that his system pays. The crops on the unf alio wed land this season present a very poor appearance, and many of them are not fit for reaping. Several farms, where special attention is paid to this, and some system observed as regards the cultivation, were as an oasis to him in a late tour, and he returns more than over convinced that there is groat room for improvement. The Australians have at least the consolation that they are not alone in this regard." The Bruce Potato : A New Hybrid.— Considerable attention has lately been given by potato growers to a new hybrid potato known as the " Bruce." which promises to be of a very prolific soit. The variety was introduced in the early part of last year by Mr Findluy, mer- i chant, Markinch, and it has been grown i with considerable success both in Eng- i land and Scotland during the past season. Notwithstanding unfavorable climatic conditions, it is said to have nourished where various other kinds pined and j succumbed to disease. MrJohußaird. t Abet'ci'oiubie, I'ifeshire, who liaa been l

testing the variety for some three years, puts the " Bruce from '25 to 100 points above all other varieties introduced by the most eminent growers, and experiments conducted in the south of England place it in the very forefront of disease-resisting tubers. Mr Findlay has Jony been known as an ardent experimenter in tli:: growth of potatoes, and hi* latent production is likely to redound very considerably to his credit. A Profitable Ox —The cross-bred ox bred ami exhibited by tho Harl of Tunkerville, Chillinghum, .'S years ll) months, 2 weeks, sire, Baron Prince 47,;i87, dam, a Chillinghairi wild cow; live weight, 10 cwt. "2 qr. "24 lbs. ; average daily gain in live weight l.lSiMbs. ; weight of dressed carcase, j'223 lbs. ; percentage of dressed carcase to gross live weight, 05.G0 lbs. This ox was highly commended, and also awarded tho reserve number in his class. Win. S. Dods, 40 High-street, Berwick-on-Tweed, slaughtered him, and has furnished tho following particulars : —" The carcase weight was 87st. 101b. (141b. to the stone), with list. 41b. of loose fat, and a very thin hide weighing SOU.', only. The weight of beef was in the more valuable parts--loin, ribs, rounds and rumps. The shoulders were very well fleshed, and full of lean meat, and the brisket was the only part which was in any way too fat. He was well furnished with kidney suet, and was particularly light in his bone. Altogether, I consider him one of the best fleshed oxen I have ever out up."

Codlin Moth.—A writer on The Orchard in the Tasmania", speaking of the Codliu Moth, says: — "My mode o'f procedure, which is commonly practised by German entomologists, is simply this : —I get some ale—the stronger the better —and after allowing it to get stale, boil it with an equal quantity of browu sugar, molasses, or treacle, until it comes to a fairly thick syrup. I then paint it with a brush either on tho trunks of the trees, or what is better, on pieces of board, which I afterwards plaeo against a tree. Under the boards I lay a newspaper or sheet. The syrup, which, if properly made, has a strong odour, attracts the moths from a long distance, and after partaking of the repast provided for them, they generally feel incapacitated from further exertion and drop on tho newspaper. If they are left too loug they will recover themselves and fly away. Tho newspapers should therefore be visited from time to time, and the moths emptied into a p;iil of water, or destroyed in some other way. 1 have caught as many as 70 or SO moths at one place in a single evening." [We should imasjiue that were Paris green, Rough on Rats, or some other delicacy of a similar nature added to the above ingredients, there would be no cause for undue haste in visiting tho newspapers, and perhaps the subsequent drowning of tho moths might bo dispensed with.—Ed. W.T.] Agricultural Retrospect and Prospect.—The year that has just closed, says the North British Agriculturist of •2nd January, has been in some respects a disappointing one, but it has at least given promise of an improvement in our agricultural prospects for the near future. The cold spring and wet summer told heavily against the hay and the grain crops, the condition in which these were harvested tending to low. r their value very considerably. Tie great shortage in the American crops was also expected to cause a sharp rise in price, but this expectation has not yet been realised to any great extent. Cattle, however, have recovered considerably in value, and are now selling at remunerative rates. Pedigree cattle have shown a decided recovery, as recently published statistics abundantly prove. Pure-bred Clydesdales have also met a very keen demand, and the highest price ever paid for a draught horse has been given this summer for a two-year-old Clydesdale colt ; while a foal of tho same breed has been sold for £900, an altogether unprecedented price for a draught animal of its age. There is good reason, therefore, to believe that the worst of the depression is now past, and that better times are in store for our great national industry. It is with a firm conviction that better times are in store for fanners that we cordially wish both our reading and commercial friends a bright and prosperous New Yen.

Spray foji Woolly Aphis. —Mr ' Krobelie, a Oaliforniau ireutleman, during a recent visit to New Zealand, gave the r ' following receipt for destruction of the ' woolly aphis, or American blight, to Mr ' Urquhart, of Drury, and the latter gentle- * man has kindly forwarded it to us for publication for the benefit of our readers, " with u request that those using' it should J forward us the result of their experi- ' meuts;—Resin, -1 pounds; sal. soda, 3 ' pounds ; are boiled in two pints of water. > After well dissolved, add water slowly ' while boiled to make 36 pints of com- ! pound. Mix one part of compound with 1 eight parts of water. We clip the J followiug from the Rural Califoriau, con--3 cerning a new remedy for scale insects, l " which contains the above ingredients, ' with tho addition offish oil:—The new ' wash for scale insects concocted by W. 1 W. Martin, of Tustin, is creating quite a ' furore in this region of country. It seems to be successful and practical for " the black and red scale ; and Mr Martin 1 has no doubt but that it will bo equally • as effective in exterminating the San 1 Jose and cottony cushion scales. On 2000 ' orange trees more or less affected with the red scale that have been treated with this wash, only two live scale have been > found. Some of the trees that hnvo been 1 treated are as large as any in tho valley, ' being twelve years old and 30 feet high. ; Some of the lemon trees when treated a few weeks ago were in full bloom. Now J they are filled with clean fruit, and the - luxuriant now growth of wood plainly * shows that now vigour has been imparted ■ to the tree-'. The formula is :—Six-fifths 1 quart of fish oil, 6 lb. caustic soda, 7 lb. - ro.iin. Boil slowly for sor 0 hours in 10 [ gallons of water, strain into your sprayi ing tank, and add enough water to make • 50 gallons. It should bo put upon the ! trees, while quite warm, with a fine spray. Pksts on Fruit and Other Trees.— Mr A. T. Urquhart, of Drury, writes to ■ a Hamilton gentleman:—"Dear Sir,— Many thanks for the spider. described the species as Arachniirti trUobata, in "Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol xvii. If it would not be troubling you too much I would be much obliged if you would, when convenient, collect specimens for me. They could be dropped into a widemonth bottle, containing methylated spirit, which I will pay for, and occasionally left at Drury. Should you at any time feel inclined to become a member of the Auckland Institute, I will propose you. I am sorry to hear that Fusicladium is increasing in the Waikato. I found it in Tasmania, and it appeared to be prevalent in Canterbury. When in Wellington about a fortnight ago I spoke to Prof. Kirk on the subject, lie said that it would not do much harm in this country. This, you know, is not my humble opinion, and probably not yours. The few pear trees I have affected with fusicladiuin pi/rimit I treated with copper sulphate, and sulphate of iron. As I have been absent in Australia for the past three mouths, I was unable to watch the result, but I think the spraying will be a check. As you are probably right in your statement that you found Fusi- | cladiurn at Karioi, the settlers are mistaken as to its being tire blight. The malady is caused by a species of Bacteria, micrococcus rtmi/lothrit.*. Although lam ' but an amateur I shall always be glad to render you any information, provided I am abb, and shall feel obliged to any one that will send mo specimens of diseased leaves or injurious insects. 1 Have you Iccnja purchusi in Waikato. 1 It is getting scarce about Auckland, a species of lady-bird, or rather the larva is preying on it. Can you send me samples of the Puriri scale?" (