FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.
) AtiiucuLTirKS is Canada.—At a lec- [ tare recently delivered in the Old Conn- ; try on the development of Canadian agi riculturn, figures were given allowing the srreat advance in the growth of cereals, the development in Manitoba and the north-west territory being most marked. In 1 SSI the area of the wheat crop in Manitoba was 307,000 acres ; in ISSS, 520,000. Kirley iu the former year, 40, SIS acres ; hist year, 70,000. The area of oats during the same period increased from 133,000 to 170,000 acres. In conclusion, the lecturer pointed out that in the north-west fertile belt alone 300,000, OOOacrus of land were waiting to be occupied, which could feed a population of 100,000,000, and still send 600,000,000 bushels of grain yearly to the people of other countries, and this was ouly a small portion of that great country. House Brekutnci in Canada.—At the annual meeting of the Clydesdale Association of Canada, held at Toronto the other day, it was shown that during ISSB no less than 233 pedigree horses were exported to the United States from Canada; and of these 33 were from Manitoba and the North-west Territories. The value of these exported Clydesdales," says the Canadian Gazette, " would probably reach a quarter of a million dollars, This is, of course, in addition to the large ex port of general purpose (non-pedigree) horses from Canada to the manufacturing centres of the United States. For the fiscal year ending Juno 30th, ISSS, the total export of general purpose horses ! from Canada, chiefly to the United States was no less than 20,397 head, representing a value of 2,405,231 dols. The figures for ISS7 were 19,051 head, value for 2,350,920 dols. Antiskptio Qualities ok Bi.ukcum Lkavks.— Eucalyptus trees are largely grown in Italy, where Count Torelli has been experimenting with their leaves. Among the experiments was one in which the eucalyptus leaves wore placed in a pannikin of pure spring water, where they remained for some four months, the water at the end of that timo being sweet and wholesome, while the leaves showed no signs of putrescence. Another experiment was to place some meat iu with the rolls of eucalyptus leaves, where it remained 70 hours, and was decidedly palatable at the eud of that time. Meat placed in plain water was decomposed iu much less timo. The above experiments would indicate that the eucalyptus possesses somo powerful yualilies as yet
worth investigation. Tho lcavos of this remarkable tree nre proscribed, by chcwiiiff, for bad i;olds.
Kanoakoo Gkas.s.—lt scorns strange that while graziers are trying to acclimatise all sorts of imported grassps from the furthest cud* of the earth, many of which are utterly uusuited, tl.ey have made little or no effort to nave and cultivate the native kangaroo grass that iu a great decree answers all their rof]uirnm"nt.s. In
the Cave Range forest reserve, South Australia ; however, from wliieli I oth stock aud rabbits are excluded, the kangaroo grass has reappeared luxuriantly, and tiie conservator of forest*, acting for tho (J-ntral Agricultural Bureau and others, lias instiuctod the caretaker, Mr. Reddan, to save a lai'uo quantity of the seed and send it to him iu Adelaide, with the view of promoting its cultivation in those parts of the colony to which it is not indigenous, lVusibly in due time this valuable grass, although it is a native will receive the attention it deserves, anil be cultivated by graziers. iMouluy Hay Causing Aiioktion'.— The report of the Royal Veterinary College, submitted at the last meeting of the Brjuncil of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, mentioned that " cases of premature birth in a flock of ewes in Sussex, followed by the death of a large proportion of the ewes, came under observation. It was alleged that the alarm caused by the incursion of a foxhound pup was the direct cause of the fatality. But Professor Axe, who investigated the matter, ascertained that the incident hid happened several weeks before any case of illness occurred in the flock ; and further, it appeared that flocks in farms in the same district had suffered in like manner. From the evidence it was suspected that the cafes of premature birth were due to some deleterious elements in tho food, and the discovery that the sheep had been supplied for some time past with mouldy hay lent some support to this presumption. It was advised that tliis mouldy hay should not be given to the sheep, and sincc its disuse no further cases have occurred "
Fruit Croi'.s in Amkiuca.—The peach crop, which promised so largely a month acjo, says Column's Rural World of 13th June, will fall far short of expeetatious. The hail storms, insects, droughts and kindred mishaps have already made a heavy inroad on the orchards at many points. This is especially so in Arkansas, which contributes so fully to this market. A subscriber at Austin writes on the 6th June , —" The fruit crop here, is light ; the hail and cold weather nearly destroyed it." Under same date one of our Jtidisonia patrons says 'The fruit crop will be small after all. The inspcts, drought, hail, <fce., have already made such an impression that the supply of peaches and plums will be small. They are dropping off freely. Several points in Texas make similar reports. Many of our Missouri friends claim that the peach crop of the state will be smaller than last year. Serious falls of snow occurred in Wisconsin in the beginning of June, a foot in depth having fallen in some plases and crops wore greatly injured. In Sank County small vegetation suffered very considerably ; in many localities the strawberry crops were completely destroyed. Tobacco plants were killed by the frost, and the fruit crops wore seriously injured. Drought iu April cau«ed serious damage to fruit and vegetable crops in Florida.
HAD STEEL IS GARDEN Implements.— Now that- protests auriiiust tho bud steel used in war implements are rife throughout the country, Hays a writer in the Gardon, it would be well if gardeners, as a body, helped to drive tho shafts homo by protesting against the had quality of the steel supplied them in their implements of peae.e. High pricos are charged for knives which are supposed to bo of the best ware, but 75 per cent, of these are simply frauds, which only succeed in spoiling our fruit trees and our tempers. This would matter litt.lo if the highest price charged would command a good article. My own experience is that threefourths of tl;o knives which find their way into my hands arc radically bad, and that a thoroughly good one is indeed very rare, and which, when found, should bo jealously treasured and worn to the backbone rather than discarded in favour of a new one, fair perhaps to look upon, but
whose fitirnops, nlas ! is delusive. I think most srnrdencrw will ;ifrree with mo thiit 11 good knife is a good friend, plwicant and easy to work with, while a bad one leads tolonj* snags, hits of bark left inch beyond the wood, or wedjro-shaped cuts, perpetual sharpening!* and despair. Many a ohm of canker in fruit trees and general ill health might, I think, be easily traced to bad knives, though these seldom get the blame that is their due. If my experience in this is not singular, and I feci sure that it is not, thero should bo no difficulty in awakening sufficient interest in tho matter to bring about a better state of things.
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Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2677, 7 September 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)
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1,255FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES. Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2677, 7 September 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)
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