FARM, GARDEN, AMD ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2605, 23 March 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AMD ORCHARD NOTES.

Expeditious Ploughing.—A report on ploughing on a largo scale is given in the Californtan Visalia Times, which states that Gr. S. Berry's traction engine, drawing four 5-gang ploughs, is doing Komo excellent work in the 'Vicinity of I hi; 18-Mile Hou»e ranch. Tho ploughs turn the soil over in good shape, and following each plough Is a drag or harrow that pulverises the clods and leaves the grouud as smooth as a floor. The machine runs day and night, a lnrge locomotive head, light being placed in front of the ploughs when darkness comes, while about half a. dozen lamps hang around tho engine. Tho engines requires tho labour of 10 men to run it 24 hours. Tho traction moves off at about the rate that a plug team goes when ploughing, and as it never has to stop to catch its breath, of course, it would gain over a team some distance in a day's travel. Seventy acres are ploughed every 24 hours. It is a wonderful invention For seeding as well as harvesting grain. The Natural Enemy of the White Scale.—Regarding the parasites of the scale insects that were sent to California from South Australia, the Anaheim Gazette remarks :—The imported Australian paraaitee for the extermination of the wWte scale are destined to work great benefit to the orchards of the State. A few days ago some of the imported scale destroyers, among which are some resembling the lady bug, were placed under a tree in the scale infested YVolfekill orchard in Los Angeles, and a small tent was constructed with a canvas roof protecting the entire tree. The sides are of mosquito netting of close texture. This protects the insects, confines their operations, and enables those interested in the experiments to observe the habits of tho pedts. The lady bugs were found to be exceedingly voracious, and destroyed the scale so rapidly as to endanger the process of the less active Australian parasites. Accordingly the lady bugs were taken to another tree aud similarly enclosed. The two stations are, therefore, in operation within a few yards of each other. Already myriads of black flies can be Heen within the netting, and they have begun their deadly work on their white enemies. Of course, the actual results can only be guessed at this time, as it requires fully three months for the flies to develop from the egg to tho winged insect. Mr Wolfskill is very confident that the natural enemy of the destructive orange pest has been discovered, It is now only a question of the effect of the climate upon their existence and habits. They are very prolific, and if they can be successfully grown here the country can be readily supplied with them, and the orchards will yet be saved. Receii-t tor Cure ok Fungus.— Sulphate of copper (blue vitriol) is now much used both in Europe and America for the destruction of fungus moulds, for which it is highly efficacious, but unless properly applied may be injurious to the plant. Therefore the following method of preparing tho mixture as described in the Rovue Horticole, for December, 1888, may be useful to any ono desirous of trying it as a remedy :— " One method of preparing this remedy is by dissolving 6 kilogrammes of sulphate of copper in about 88 litres of water, using for the purpose a wooden or stone basin. Another way is by placing in a separate vessol 6 kilogrammes of quicklime, and pouring upon it, little by little, and very slowly, 12 litres of water. It forms a milky liquid, which should be stirred with a stick, care being taken to break up any lumps which inuy be formed. The lime in mixing with the water gives off much heat. When this milky stuff is quite cool, it maybe gently mixed in the solution of sulphate of copper, care being taken that the mixture is well stirred. Thus a thin liquid is obtained, whieh, if the copper employed is pure, should be of a beautiful sky-bluo colour. In the formation of this preparation of sulphate of copper and lime, there is found a sulphate of lime (gypsum), and a hydrated oxide of copper, in such proportions as are not dangerous to plants, but which kill the microscopic fungi on the potato (Peronospora infestans). Finally, the plants must not be watered with the water can, or the solution will reach the roots and kill the plants. It, is only necessary to spray tho fiiliaire with the solution," Hotter Without Churning.—The art of making butter is about to be revolutionised, says the New York Herald; that is, if a discovery just made by a lady in West Nyack can be successfully put in operation. The old method of churning will be abolished. Neither

horse, dog, nor hand power has a part in the new method. Its discovery was accidental. The discoverer, who has experimented with her new method many times, believes in it thoroughly. She put the cream of several days' milkings from her pet Jersey cow in a thick cloth one day Inst summer, and as it was too warm to churn placed the bag , in the ground in a cool place, throwing: a shovel of earth over it, so that puss could not Ret at it. Sho left it there until she came home the next day. Wheu she took the bag: from the ground she found the cream bad turned to a great yellow lump of b'lttor, and the only thing , left for her to do was to suit and murk it. The buttermilk had entirely disappeared, but there was about a third move than the u>u»l amount of butter obtained by churning:, She has tried the experiment a dozen times since, and always obtained better butter than by churning. Tho only exception was one time wheu the rain soaked into the ground and mildewed the cream. She is perfectly willing to let. tho world have the benefit of her discovery, hoping it may in some degree lessen the hard work of farmers' wives. Whether it is the ohemioal action of a particular condition of the soil on the cream, or what the cause is, she does not attempt to explain ; but the fact remair.H that when sho has buried the crenm in the earth for twenty-hour hours it is turned to butter, and good, sweet butter too. Feed vor Cows.—As a matter of course, dairymen near large towns in England use artificial foods for increasing the richness of the cows' milk, and the nitrogenous (albuminoid) constituents of a food being the most valuable, cotton cake, which is rich in that substance, has been always largely used, having " borne the palm," for richness compared with market value ; but the opinion is gaining ground that this very richness is one of the primary causes of milk fever. Therefore other foods containing a less proportion of albuminous matter are being used. Among these are several kinds of pulse, known in the market as Indian poas, which are imported from different parts of ludia, of which the value is becoming known to dairymen, but not being yet in great demand are comparatively cheap. The several varieties are known by different names in the market as Calcutta peas, Matter peas, Dal or Dol, pigeon peas, &c. It is believed that most of them

I are varieties of Cajanus indicus, which would probably be worthy of a trial at Dookie or elsewhere. Baron Von Mueller in his Select Plants, thus speaks of it :— " The Catjaug ; in Assam called Geeloahmah, often also Arhar : A shrubby plant of tropical Africa and perhaps Asia, but ascending to 6000 feet in the extra-tropical latitudes of the the Himalayas. One of the upland varieties will endure a few degrees of frost. It sustains itself on dry ground, and yields the pulse known as Dhal, Urhar and Congo pea. The plant lasts for about three years, attains a height of 15 feet, and has yielded in the richest soil of Egypt 40001b (equal to about GO bushels) of peas per acre. A crop is obtained the first year. The seeds can be used as peas in a green state as well as when ripe. Several species, partly indigenous to the warmer tracts of Australia, might be testod for the economic value of their seeds." Agricultural Implement;-!.—Agricul-ture, like oil other of the arts and sciences, has seen wonderful advances within the last century in the lino of tools. Improved machines and mechanical devices of many kinds have greatly reduced the

farmer's manual labour, and mado an immense increase in the power of producing with a given amounc of labour. The mowing machine has almost supplanted the snythe, and the flail is fast becoming an interesting relic, Yet aa late hs 1830, in some parishes in England, the labourers went about destroying every liorfo power threshing raiichitiu they could find. Little prejudice now rcmuins against labour savinjf f>mn rrmohincry, and the farmer is thought behind the times if he mows with apcyths or threshes with a flail. The model farmer now mows, spreads and rakes his hay with the mower, tedder and horse rake, and then lifts it from hay ruck to barn loft with a horse fork. He ploughs, in the at loimt, with a sulky plough ; then unes a harrow, cultivator and pulveriser all in one, and sows his seeds with a mechanical seed sower. When manuring , time comes in fall or spring, he can use a manure spreader if he wishes. Wheel hoes save the farmer's back lots of stitches, or a horse hoe can be used. One of the devices that is now no longer thought a luxury is the windmill. Any one who rides through New England with his eyes open knmws how many of these are in use. Some are utilised for cutting wood, hay and roots, and for other mechanical purposes, but they are as one in a hundred to those used for pumping water. There is almost no limit to the height which water can bo raised by the windmill, and it need not be put directly over the well ; in fact, it may be many feet away, provided the vertical distance be not great. Old Prob says, and experience proves, that hereabouts the wind blows about one third the time, so the tauk used for storage must hold at least three times as much as the amount required in any one day. Thus water can be stored to supply the house, barn or fields, and the farmer i!an be almost independent of rain. Tho smallest mill put up, with fair winds, will store 250 to 400 gallons of water an hour. Such mills as farmers ordinarily use cost from 125 dol. to 400 dol. and the purchaser can, if he wishes, easily erect them himself.—Boston Globe.