FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2680, 14 September 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

* Ciiefse From Ewes' Milk.—Tho connection between cheese making and the wool trade is not, on tho face.of it, very apparent, but in undent times it was a common practice to milk the ewes, and even in tho present time the small Montpelior cheese is made entirely from ewes, milk. Tho celebrated Roohfort chccse, which commands such a high price in this market, is also made either from ewes' milk alone or from a mixture of goats' and ewes' milk.

DnMELOw's Seedling.—The only English apple, says the president of the Ontario Fruitgrowers' Association, that struck him on a visit to England was the Wellington (Dumelow's Seedling). That impressed him as much as the Canadian apples themselves. Mr Allan, ho tells n*. endeavoured to procure some grafts. These wore promised him on condition that they should not be sent to Canada. The president asked, "Why ? " and received the answer, " Well, it is the only apple wo can make anything out of here now, and if those Canadians got any we are done." No grafts could be obtained on that occasion, but some wore obtained elsewhere. " Why did the president not apply to the lloyal Horticultural Society at Chiswick ?" says the Chronicle. " There is no fear of being done in that way."

Mkrlno Siikki' in France.—Franc has over 36,000,000 head of sheep, and o this total the Merino breed constitute the two-thirds. It is not a mutton-pro ducing race ; its fame lies in the yiel< and quality of the wool. However, thi assertion may ba qualified. France hai proved her Merinos to have weightiei fleeces and more mutton ; tho strongtl and length of staple have kept pact with augmented weight of fleece, while precocity in putting up flesh has alsc followed. The Merinos have stocked France, and helped to do tho same with Australia and America. Every year the breeding depots at Solssonnais, Chatcllonnois, Beanco and Champagno are visited by purchasers on the look out for the best animals. The breed now furnishes a wool fine, long, Boft and strong, and produces at an advanced age mutton of excellent quality. The half - bred Merinos, or local races, are the offspring of a merino tub with regional breeds. French farmers like the Southdowns in 187 8, and bought all England sent. Though a good mutton sheep, it can hardly be ranked with the Merino ; as to its crossing advantages on native races it, like tho long-woollcd Leicester, is an open question. The climate of Franco and her relatively limited range of pasturage have much to do in the matter of the sheep question.

Simple Method of Making Silacie.— As the time for making onsilago is approaching, tho following very simple method, as recommended by a correspondent of the Irish Farmers' Gazette, may be found worthy .a trial: —" Instead of building silos or pilk'g up stacks and putting on heavy weights, which have to bo removed several times, simply make your silo as you would a dunghill, about la to 10 feet wide, and length according to quantity. Draw your cart up tho end and down tho other, keeping the wheels as near the outer edge as possible, coming back through the middle with empty cart. When done, cut off the two ends and put them on the top covering all with a foot of clay taken from the sides. You can build a small rick of hay on it to keep the rain off. Seven or eight acres of very heavy crass can easily bo put into one of those heaps and not be very long or more than 0 feet high. I tried it last year, and would not think of making silage on any other plan on any account, having had experience of other ways as well. There is little or 110 trouble, no risk, and the silage is just between sweet and sour. I fed about 60 tons of it to my stall-feds and dairy cows, and was only sorry I had not made more. The hay I put over the silo was rather improved than otherwise by tho odor passing up through it."

" Mocttiiixg" Hoii.sk s !.—We frequently receive inquiries as to the best method of what, in stable pnrlmire, is termed " mouthing " a horse. This, as every horseman knows, is part of the early training of the animal, and if neglected at that period or improperly applied, the horse is for ever afterwards, as a rule, a nuisance to either drive or ride. Now, the true way to bit a colt is not to bit him at all, that is, let him bit himself. When the colt is young teach him to hold a bit in his mouth. The most serviceable bit is made of pine, some half inch in diameter and five inches in length. This piece of soft wood is held in the mouth by a cord tied to cither end, and passing over the head, back of the ears. The colt loves to have this in his mouth, because it greatly assists the teething process. Ho will bite it, and work it over in his mouth, and enjoy it immensely. He will welcome the putting of it on, and actually reach out and open his mouth for it, as a training horse will for a bit. After a few days tie the strings so as to make miniature reins to the bit, and teach the colt the proper use of it. When this is done he is ready for the regular steel bit. Put your bridle on with a leather bit, large and pliant, and this is all the " bitting " a colt needs. Treated in this way, he will have a lively, yielding, sensitive mouth. He will take the bit bravely when working up to his speed, but yield readily to the driver's will. A horse bitted in this way can be driven with the lines held in one hand, or lifted over a five-barred gate with the strength of a single wrist.

BuTTEE-MAICINO COJII'ETITION'.—The competitions in buttor-making at the late Royal Show excited a good deal of attention. The quantity of croam allotted to each competitor was 20.{1b. Tho croam had been separated by machinery and ripened. It was given out at a temperature of sSdeg., and with it an unlimited supply of ice was allowed. Each competitor was allowed to bring his or her own churn and butter worker. Tho first prize was awarded to Mr John Craig, who represented Messrs Hrtidford and Co., of London and Sulford, aud used the Charlemout ohurn. Ho was ono of the last to get his butter, having been churning 08 minutes. Mr J. S. Latham, a representative of the Dairy Supply Company, was placed socoud. Ho used a Victoria end-over-end ehurn, and was 17 minutes churning. A second representative of Messrs Bradford, Mr David Pullcn, carried oil' tho third prize, The churn he used was a Diaphragm, and tho time occupied in churning was 10 minutes. Tho reserve ticket was given to Mr C. R. Valentine, of Ludlow, who used a Diaphragm churn, and was 35 minutes churning, Mrs Dnidy did licr work in excellent stylo, and her butter looked about the best in colour ; but owing to having to use a butter worker with which she was not acquainted, she failed to work out the buttermilk bo well aa the couipeti-

tors placed in front of her. In the dairymaid's ulass 27 entered the lists. The first prize was awarded to Mrs Williams, who turned 71b. 3oz. of butter out. of the allotted quantity of cream. Miss William*, who came second, had 71b. ljoz,, and Miss Keel, the third prize winner, made (jib. lSJpz, of butter. The third competition was for dairymen. Nine operators took part in the contest, but it was a noteworthy fact that the work done bv tins male hul.tci-imikers was not to good as that done hy tin; females. T' first, prize went'to Mr F. C. Paine, who m ido 7l!>. ] the second to Mr J. Cottarn, who made 61b. 7A r, z., and the third to Mr T. Smiih, who made 2oz. less than the last-naincd. Mr F. GinifPr, Netting Hill, was reserve with Gib. lijoz. LathVßfs Sn.vi'.sTKis: A vVondeiiki;lj Fokake Plant.—Quite a sensation has lately been ciused in the new world by the announcement of a wonderful new forage plant, which will grow enormous and most profitable crops on even the poorest soils, ami which seems to flourish luxuriantly in any climate. The plant in question is the J.rtl/tyrus Si/vcKtria, and the credit of having brought it to its present state of development, through half a century of constant experimenting and improvement, belongs to Professor Wagner, of Germany. The Lalhyrus SilveslrU grows in a wild state on the pampas of South America, where it flourishes so luxuriantly that sheep are frequently entangled into and smothered by its rankness and closcness of growth. Tn its wild state the seed of the plant is unable to germinate, but after 50 years of the most careful cultivation this difficulty has been completely overcome. The plant belongs to the order of the lcguminosiv, and as such it is able to forage for itself in regard to nitrogen, of which it obtains abundant supplies, either from the lower strata of soil or from the boundless atmospheric stores. Even on the poorest soils it grows a crop which will yield at least 4 tons of hay per acre, and the nutritive value of the crop as determined by chemical analysis, is about twice as great as that of clover hay. The Prussian Minister of Agriculture has been so deeply impressed with the great value of this plant that a Government order has just been issued, granting to every Prussian landowner who cultivates this plant on his waste land a subsidy of 30s per hectare—a hectare being equal to 2'j English standard acres. As a consequence ot this Imperial recognition of the value of the plant all the available seed of the cultivated pknt has been bought up at famine prices, but a number of young plants have been reserved for sale by the Lathyrus Silvestris Agency, established at Liverpool for the : purpose of introducing the crop iato England. |