FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3023, 28 November 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Foxes. — Foxes are not only making havoc of the poultry yards in Victoria, but tliey have taken to killing lambs in a fashion that savours more of the native dingo than the English fox. In districts where foxes are plentiful and rabbits scarce, lambs are being destroyed at a rate that means serious loss to tho Hock-master. An owner of a small but choice flock of merinos told me (" Bruni") lately that'he had lost folly 20 per cent, of this season's lambing by foxes alouc. This is a heavy tax to pay for the reckless folly of those who introduced this useless and harmful vermin into tjie country. Shkkp. —-The following shoep items are by " Hiuui," in the Australasian "Mr James Sluuuo, of Mulwala, writes mo that the ram which took first prize iu tho class for grass-fed aged rams at Albury was sh<rn when ho got hack to Mulwala, and his iloece weighod '2:511b. The wool was in oxcellent condition, being clean and certainly not heavy in grease, with a moderate black tip. Ttio weight is an extraordinary one when the length of staple is taken into consideration The ram named No S Royal Duke was bred by Messrs W. Oibson and Sons. .Scone, and was bought by Mr A, Sloanc,,ot Mulwala, in Sydney, two years ago. His first fleece weighed lO.flb, next year he cut '211b, and this year his fleeco has gained 2,-}lb. During tho past year lie has been entirely grass fed, and has been used heavily. The staple of his wool does not measure 2.\in, which would bu almost certain to put. him oat iu any competition with the long stapled \Ve-teru sheep, few of which under the same treatment wjuld yield sach a weight of fleece. A i-Ood many yeurx ago I obtained fr(Jm stud-flock owners the weights of their heaviest fleeces, together, when pos« siblir, wi r ,h a saujplo of each sheep's wool, 'and almost invariably the heaviest fleeces wer-> from sheep whose staple was below the ar-rage length. Mr Sloane gave .100 guineai for No. S Royal Duke, which waß by many thought t>> be an absurd pru:u for what they were pleased to describe as a 'pampered brute.' Another instance of sheep having short stapled wool cutting exceptionally heavy fleeces is furnished by Mr \V. Sanger, Nlooroola, i\ew South Wales, who has sent me some samples of wool from his two-tooth stud sheep. One of these is from a Iwo-tootu ram that gained lirst prize at Carowa. I was greatly taken with this fine young Bheep, whose fleece was one of the most dense I have met with. His wool is of a very robust typo, the staple being '2Jin anil the weight of fleece 1911) fmz—a very heavy weight of wool from such a youug sheep ; when shorn he was only fifteen months old. Three two-tooth ewes gave 10lb, and ltilb, and 1611) 2oz respectively. None of these samples showed a staple of over ,'lin. These sheep am by a sire named Paddy, bred in Australia by Messrs Hay and Marham, from pure Vermont blood. His last year's lleeco weighed 271b, anu scoured to II Ml). For this sire Mr Sanger paid 500 guineas in ISS9. With these samples was one from n three-year-old ewe by a Vermont sire from a Scone ewe. Her wool is barely 2in long, and her fhece weighs 19)slb. Tho quality of this sample is superior to that of tlv; othtflJ. Mr Sanger ill tonus me that tho while of the two-tooth ewes from the extra studs by Paddy this year averaged 15.b 2oz of clean wool - a result which speaks well for the skill shown in breeding the stud slie'ip "

Roi.liso AS'ii Hauhowino —The Australasian remarks :—" When a crop is Ift in heiuht a'i'l has not been rolled, it is difficult to decide whether to put on the roller or to wait and put up with the difficulties of rough ground at harvest. There is not much danger, but as there is decidedly a stage at winch late rolling w

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