FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2635, 1 June 1889, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

ChVtiKSnALE Staluox.—lt is csl.imated that the celobralod Clvrles.lale i-tallion " I'riuce of Wales" with hi.descendants has b-rn worth quite '.'l'.Oof),.')');; t.,) SVotlnu.-?. Skpauatem Mii.k._.-..\ Mr.J. ;,r (! |)..wall writes to the Uoniie.il of the Agricultural Society of Victoria, that a friend of his bad made a test—the result licintr that "i::i.t jraihms of mill.; produced seven pounds of l.ut.lrr wit.h the use of the separator ; and if any tmn disputed the accuracy of the statement he was prepared to have the te-t repeated. Mll.K and J{t:TTEit.—(;> )( ,d boiler cows will mako a pound of butter to every 14 or ISib of milk. " (Jmi't-il purpose cows " want, from 22 to 311b5.. and some cows would r-. quire oOlbs of milk to make

a pound of butter. Average dairies require somewhere about 251bs of milk to make it pound of butter.

The SheepTraukin the Eighteenth Cen'TURV.— In J7SB a penalty of £3 was imposed upon the carrying" oft' of any sheep from the British "isles, excepting wtthers allowed as sea stock on voyages Neither sheep nor wool could be conveyed from the mainland to Shetland or other islands of Scotland, nor carried across a tidal river, without an express bond that such was not for exportation Such was the jealousy exercised, that by the law of 17S8, no sheep could bo shorn within five miles of the sea coast without the presence and supervision of a revenue officer.

Ammonia Losses is House Stables.— Horso manure heats rapidly, and cveu in the very coldest weather the heap outside the stable door will be found warm enough to melt the snow that falls on it. It is rich in ammonia, especially if the horse has been {ri-ain fed. If the manure is left in the stable, ai:d the latter is nnventilated, there is not only waste of ammonia, but the horse's health is injured. Many horses arc made blind from wastage of ammonia in their stables.

Jersey Butter Yields.—A Jersey cow, owned by Mr Alfred Brown, Montpellier, Sussex, after producing her fourth calf, yielded 576 lbs of butter in the year ending 30th September, 1887. Though now two-thirds gone in calf, she produces at tho rate of 10 lb of butter per week, Her record for the year ending September, 1880, was 5U lbs of butter. Anolhoi Jersey breeder writes that from 215,.;22 lbs of milk produced in his dairy in 188G, begot 11,207 lbs of bntte-r, being a ratio of 1 lb of butter to 17'28 lbs of milk. This at the rate of about 1 lb of butter from 7 quarts of milk. Wkioiit of Food Consumed t.y Shew.—A correspondent of the Agricultural Oiizotto has carefully weighed tho food consumed by 200 fattening sheep, and finds it as follows for a week : — Twenty - five thousand two hundred pounds of cut swedes, 3,3601b. ensilage, l.oGSlb. mixed linseed enke and wheat. This gives—l Sib, swedes, Goz. ensilage (about), lib. 2oz. cako and corn per day per sheep. The sheep vary in size from 001b. up to 1001b., and' the above ration is as much as they will clear up. They have no hay, and are doing splendidly. They prefer the ensilage to the swedes,

The Quince and the Medlar ah Ornamental Trees,.— Occasionally wo arci reruindpd of tho great beauty of the quince and medlar when we quite unawares come upon an aged specimen in some beautiful old Sussex garden. A short time back at West Grinstead Park we saw a pond surrounded by quinces, and more recently still, in an old garden, we saw two quince trees overhanging a small sheet of water, and literally breaking down with the weight of the enormous fruits. If tho fruit was useless, neglect would be more consistent, but quince jelly is an excellent preserve. Again, take the medlar, and we have a tree, beautiful in foliage, flower or fruit, and tit for the adornment of any lawn.— Garden.

Making axd Using Man-die.—ln a practical paper on tho subject before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, Professor Henry concluded with those points: —I. To hnvo rich manure we in list supply our catllc with rich food. 2. The value of the manure depends morn upon the feed than tho animal. 3. Milch cows tnke out more fertility from the food than any other kind of stock, growing stock next and fattening animals tho least. 4. Very rarely does the fertility taken out of the food by our live stock amount to one-fourth of that iu it, and it may be one-tweutieth. ,5. Nearly all the phosphorus is in the solid portion of the excrement., while the nitrogen and potash are in the urine ; hence, if we allow the urine to go to wasto wo have only one of the three valuable elements loft in any quantity in what remains. G. In buying feeds" we should always have in mind the maimrial value that they contain as well as the feeding value.

Farming Notes for May and Jane. Wheat sowinsr should now be pushed forward. Too muoh care cannot be exercised iu selecting seed, which should be plump and free from the seeds of weeds, and properly dressed with unadulterated Milestone for the prevention of smut—loz. to every quart of water used. On deeply tilled ulean land in good heart, one bushed of seed will produce good results drilled in, but H bushels aro more frequently used. Hunter's Pearl and Velvet chaff wheats are good varieties for sowing in May and June, and up to the middle of ■July.

Stock of nil kinds will, as the winter advances, require special attention. A plentiful supply of turnips and mangels should hav« been provided, to compensate for the failing pastures; shelter should also be provided, for cold cutting winds and rain soon atrip the flesh off animals however well they may be attended to i>! other respects, and much of the food supplied is consequently lost. Potatoes should now be got out of the prouud to prevent a second growth, and if not required for immediate sale, should be carefully pitted in a dry place, Carkots should be raised aDd pitted, if left in the ground they will make a fresh growth, to the injury of their feeding: value, and to the detriment of thegrounrf. These remarks do not apply to turnips or mauarels, at least for the next month or so Gkee:* Foddkk.—Cape barley, ryo,' and tares may still be sown for early spring soiling ; sow two bushels of tares and one bushel of barley, winter oats, or rye, per acre. This crop may be sown on land which has boruo a corn crop, and if not in the best condition as regards fertility, a couple of cwt. of superphaspHte or half-inch bones per acre will produce good results, and the land will be in fiuo condition nest season for a crop of tni-, nips. Q Q gnod soil, tares have been known to yield 20 tons per acre, but half that quantity of green soiling is a fair nrop. Every farm should have a patch of green stuff, especially Capo barley, which will be found of groat value iu the early spring beforo tho grass begins to "row plentifully.

LiYK sites intended for live fences should now be prepared Plougn a strip three feet wide, and if anbsoued at the same time all the better ; let the ground lio rough till required,' cither for planting quicks or sowin« gorsc, clicks may he planted at any tune from the beginning of May till the end of August or middle of September they should be cut well back when planted ; early spring will be soon onouirh tor the gorse seed.

Working should always he toe! on crushed com, as they usually feed ravenously and bolt much of their food which yields but little nourishment.' Wheat lands are frequently fouled in this way. Never turn working horses out of the stable till well rilled, thoroughly cooled and well covered. Hotter far to keep them under cover during the winter season.

Flax.— Ground intended for this crop wh_i.-t.lioi- leu or stubble, should now receive a deep ploughing, and be iillowod' to lemaiu m till early spring, when it should bo cross ploughed and grubbed.

Wheat Bo\vi\<;.—No time should bo lost in gelling j„ the remainder of this crap ; always remember that the earlysown wheat ir)"favonr,inlfl soils has often two chances to one over the Lite .sown. Manuisb from the pijraericH, cow shed?, ■•'tiii stables, etc., should now bn spread over (.'i-.-i.5..-or stubble land, u> [„. d in for root, crop;, «S'!.'" { hc l,shi \', a, \ l!,y c,< "' l,nrs yilMfor" "" J ' K aIUi St; 1" a con, l'Ost 01 juice to fertilise (lie poorest Foil " ' —N./5. Country Journal.