FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2979, 18 August 1891, Page 4

FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD NOTES.

. -v ■ Hawk, ash Vuim: Lamim.—r'rom t-11 ~>mi.il.. siuri'is «t in'.ir (if hawk.-. .'■j'»-.--iiitr \ ".iitii.' lambs aboiif. .-.t..l hull, t in;.' !h<'"i ~\-'i d'-iili. Out! day l-'st wi'tk ii ... |~,ik . : luinl., .-n.p.trciitly moru than 1 v.v. '.'. ol'l, w,-i-< scull riiuiiinir half dazed ,1. loss a i>iidd(ii:k near Normuntiy with no li'.-s th.m four h.iwkn Mvo.itiinir down ii[i .11 il, every few i-ccoiids, i,nd no doubt it. soon sii'.'fiiiiibe.! to Since (Ikjii amithi.r otst'i'vi.r miw two hawks hovci-inif over atul striking a', a lamb. We that ri-.w thu New Zealand hawk* found out that thuy could hunt and kill hares, as tiny now do persistenly, they would not bo long in discovering tliat lambs were much more helple.-* and more easily procured i|Uiirry —HaweraStar. English UrTTf.li. —Mr Oeonjre Cibhons ma.de a spltndid defence of the English dairy industry at the recent Oxfordshire show. Ho iMendo.l the syctem of butter making pursued in Enu'l.md against tho factory , Hj-stom, and said that no one could make butter better th'iii famers , wive--, and duujjchters. Mr Thomis Nuttal, the yreat autliorit.y on butter making, is also uf tho same opinion. Jlr (iibbons stated in his speach that -JO years ago .Danish butter was the very worst in Europe, and when it was sont hero it was sold for ■rrcase. Tho King of Dcnma'.k aud the Tloyal Danish Agricultural Society sent their bust men to Entrland to learn the best system of butter making, and they carried it back to Denmark. Tho Best Danish butter did not now command the price of the best English butter, and there was no better butter produced in the world than there was in England. (Juito light ! And if our dairy folks would be careful and attentive to details and our Jersey and Oucrnsey neighbours come, up a little nearer to the times in the methods of nobody would touch us for the best article—and it is the bust only which pays well.

i;.\nni;. v Cow;;. -A correHiiomU-iit of tho Leader writes hu has a barren Shorthorn cow and wishes to know if tlnne is any remedy. It is in just such canes as this that bam'tinesH becomes an expensive difliciilty. With common cows it dues not matter so much, but when a valuable cow is barren it does mutter. Very frequently the trouble is the result of too much fat, mid in that case it is easily remedied. The orirans of rotroni-ratiun are always in the best and most vigorous condition when the animal is in fair condition, neither too fat nor ton lean. In vory rare cases the trouble may bu tho result of malformation, but some of the lest authorities think that is very seldom the c.ise. A cow should uover be condemned ashopelessly barrou until there ia thorough investigation of all tho attending circumstances. Improper feeding aud care and consequent loss of vigor may cause temporary banenuose, and that will of course be remedied when tho causo is removed. There are cases recorded in which seemingly barren heifers have been restored by putting them under a yoke and setting them to work. The philosophy of that is that not only is unnecessary fat removed, but that the exercise ftrenjrthens thu whole system. There is another instance recorded in which 11 valuable cow was purchased at a very low figure, becauso she was supposed to bo barren. The purchaser drove her a long distance, ahout 120 miles, and she immediately bred, It is also sometimes ths case that u change of climate will cause the desired chungo. However, when these means fail, the stockman should examine the animal to neo whether the neck of tho womb is not closed up by a growth of superfluous fat or tissue. Tho hand should be insorted into the uterus when the cow comes in season, and any obstacle removed with the finger, or a piece of round wood, smoothly pointed, conveyed in the palm of the hand, may be used to make the opening , . After this operation the cow should bo served by tho bull and, if properly performed, the results are generally satisfactory. It is believed by many who have given tho subject close attention that legitimate barrenness, that is barrenness beyond our control, very seldom ox ists.

How Butter is Made i.v Jeusky.— The milk, in going into the can passes through a linen strainer, which covers tho top of tho can. When the work ia finished, tho milk is taken to the dairy and emptied into deep earthenware vessels. The milk is allowed to stand in those vessels, called crock?, till the cream has risen aud become firm. The next process is that of skimming tho cream. This is dono by tho farmer's wife or daughters. In doing this, tho cream is first dutimhcd from the sido of tho vl'Smjl and raised together as much as possiblo by inclining the crook over that (lest.iukd to rcuiovo tho cream, sometimes nearly tho whole alipa off the thick milk ; and Iho remainder ia removed with a skimmer. The skimmer used for this purpuHu is a hiniiH, flat, perforated ladlo. The cream is placed inin a large crock kept for the purpose, and is allowed to stand until such timu u-j it ii required for churns ing. At tho bottom of tho old-fashioned cream crocks there is a small hole, stopped up by a peg, which in occasionally used to drain off tho serous portion separating from tho ctoam. Churning, as a rule, is carried on twice a week during the summer months, and once a week during tho winter. There are many varieties of churns in use, the most common being a square box churn fitted with beaters which work ou a rotary action. After the churn has been scalded with boiling water and made ready tho cream is worked. Tho speed at which the churning commences is comparatively slow, Tho temperature of tho cream is am early as possible at f>B to (JO decrees. As soon as thu butter begins to separate and form,cold water is udded and after a liUlo more churning tho buttermilk is drawn. Tho churning is then continued, more cold water being added, and tho same process of drawing tho milk followed, until tho buttor remains in a semi-solid mass. It ib then, after being washed iu this way, removed from the chum and placed in a largo woodou bowl, which has also been scalded. Next comes tho process of salting. This may bo done either by tho addition of the salt itself to the butter, or b> its beingadded,thereto in tho form of a liquid ; in either case it U employed usually in the proportions of loz. per pound of butter. Tho operation is that, of working tho salt and buttor together. Tho old and primitiva mode of doing Hih, by means of kneading it with a larga wooden spoon in tho bowl, is etill iu vojrue, although butter-workers are gradually being adopted. If tho butter is intended to bo made up for winter : supply, additional salt would bo added iu 1 tho kneading ; if thu butter is for immediate salo it is made up in pots of lib ouch, aud marked with a stamp bearing the numo of tho maker. Kvcry precaution is supposed to bo taken to work tho butter as dry as possible, but it must bo said that too frequently this is notsostrickly adhered to as it should bo. It in usually estimated that in the best months from 8 quarts to 9 quarts of milk are on tho average required to make lib of butter, The butter mado iu the island is almost all used for home consumption. Thoro is a certain quantity exported, but it is extremely small. No cheese is mado, nor does it appear that cheesemaking lias ever boon ranch followod.