FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3040, 9 January 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

FARM, GARDEN, AND ORCHARD NOTES.

Potato Cultivation is Great Britain. In Great Britain during the past three years there has 'been an increase of 3133 acres of potatoes, while in Ireland the area under this cultivation has decreased to the extent of 27,741 aores.

BUTTEIt I'MNTIKfi AN)) WkICIIINC Machine.—Mr D. I'. M. Aberdeen, of Nirboo Nerth, has (says the Melbourne Leader) just applied for a patent for a butter printing , and weighing machine combined, which he claims to have recently invented. The inventor proposes to make the machine of three different sizes, which he will number 1, 2, and 3, according to size. No. 1 machine will print and weigh 1501b of butter an hour; No. 2. 3001b an hour ; and No. 3, 5001b an hour. The mechanism about the invention is of so small a consideration that the price of it will bo within the reach of every small butter-maker. The prices will nnge from £'2 10s up to £3, according to number. The hardest and most tedious work in connection with the mauufar.turo of butter is the printing and weighing, as all who aro acquainted therewith are aware. Besides, when done by baud it is a very slow process, and a uniform weight, size, and sbape is almost impossible. The advantage of having the butter of uniform shape is that it can he more easily packed up to be sent to market. The machine-prepared butter is of an oval shape, and the bottom of the mould being wider than the top, there in a small space between each pound when it is lying fide by side in the packing case, thus avoiding the necessity of using linen or paper to keep one pound from adhering to the other, as has to be done with tbe ha* d prepared butter. Mr Aberdoen state? that lie can do tho work in an hour with the muchiue that origimilly took himself and wife seven or eight hours to perform by hand, and the latter process was not as neat or satisfactory a« the work done by the Machine.

GLORIOUS USCBIiTAIXTY OI'THB SHOW Rin«.—lr not infrequently happens, suye t'no North British Agriculturist, that the oniniom of the judges in the showring'come sharply out in contrast with the opinion of buyers round the sale ring. Some rather notable itntnr.-ee.s of that fact

have bot-nfurniahod thi« year at ihu roouut ram huluh. At * 11•-- L'>tuiaa rim sales on 2nd September, the Borland blaokfaced ahum-ling which had the third prizo at tho Hiprhlrtud sliuw at Stirling, roalisod £00, while tho Grueubunk bkuurliog, which had 80i:ond prize in tbo Hume cltsa at tho natno show only fotcliod £70. At tho Perth ram sain on 9th September, tirst, second and third prizes were awarded to the first, the second and r.hird best Border Leleenter shearling, and the first, eecond and third prize rams s >ld ut l~> guinnnx, £20 and 23 tfuincaa renpectiwly. The Wittinghnmo Bnrdci LiecMHtorr-iui wliiuh had fi<-Ht prize at tho " Royal " at: Doucawtnr was wold «t tho Kdinbnrgh sale fjr £29 ; and the NorthfieM ram winch »tood Hecund t.i him at D >,im f ur »m sold at Kelso the following day for £41; whilutho Haw-

rigg ram wbioh Htood third at. Dontiastor wan sold at ICels . ior C4Q. Thu'Jldham. -tockH which carried tho premium honors at the "HitfhlHnd " at Stirliug was sold atK.-lno f»r £6). ; wliilo tho ram from tho same flock which wa« only placed third at Stirling carried the chani".

pion cup against tao samo competitors aft tho iiorder Union Show a few duyg later, arid was sold ut Echo for £94. Fuots suub as the<o ehow how widely taste and opuiiouo dift'or ; aud it is uo wonder that eshibitore have learned to speak of " tlio glorious uncertainty ot the show nai,',"

LiND Exhaustion-.— Ah farmers iii tho »ldcr settled diHtncts »f the colony havo been obliged to adopt rational methods in tho treatment of thrir Jan 1 in urder to

maintatn its fertility, so will the farmers in tho newly developed regions huro to follow tho same course. There was a time, i-ome 12 or 15 yem-B after districts Kuch as LuuenVld won; fii-st put in crop, when the toil, tho owinira inform us, nhoivcd very marked siuiis of exhaustion, consequent on tho growth, season aftor soaHiiii ef one kind of grain, viz. whoat. Wheat growing paid handsomely in those diyp. .vheu tho yields woro frond. and the natural wan lint tieury uviryhody iveui. in ;iliio*i exclufor producing wheat. fho soil, however, could not, .-tmd the Btrtiin thus i>ltt upon it-, Mid tho yields l>eo,inir; smaller every year. Wcorls of vtirioue kind' »Isom»rk-thrir iippciiranco in increasing number*, :md muny of the settiers wee brought J'ace to fii.ee with failure. They wore then obliged to set to work to roioro the fertility of the soil, chiefly by the introduction of a rotation of crops, and they hnvo succeeded in bringing their farms back totheirorigin.il richness and freshness, or aR nearly as possible. The mistake of exhausting , tho fertility of the soil will not bo committed twico by thosy who have experienced its effects ; yet tho harrying practice is going on as briskly as ever in tho newer farming districts of the colony. Bare fallowing, in practised by some, but it docs not appear to bo generally known that cropping in rotation renders resting of the soil almost unnecessary. IE many localities whero tho farms are nmall and the rents high, it will not pay to havo a portion of the land lying idlo every neanon. Past experience goesto prove that cropping in rotation, combined with stock keeping, is the only system of farmmar that can bo oa ricd on permanently in this colony without exhausting the fertility of the soil. It is well to rcmembar this before it is too late.—Loader.

Dairy Farming.— There is no description of ianning (says Mr D. Wil«on) that promised better pronpects of remuneration than the dairy, whero thousands grow certain produces and competo with each other in tho irrcat markets of tho world. If one happens to be possessed of land, perhaps irrigated, in tho immediate vicinity of towns and citiu3 upon which market gardening may be conducted with facility, that land may, without doubt, be put to more profit in growing vegetables than iu dairying. Fruit land, eligibly situated and intelligently managei, may also bo a source of great profit. _ Limited specialities of this kind, in which only few can comparatively engage, mußt not be embraced in tho statement, but compared with other great interests I in the country, such .ib the production of wheat and cereals, the rearing and fattening of stock, hop growing , and the like, each and all are inferior in their romenorative prospects to the dairy. The milk producer also enters the great market of the world with less competition than ho who is engaged in almost any other branch of farming, and has a wiler range and more diversified product to depose of. Then, if there is any profit in fattening stock for raarknt, animals which fail in milk for tho dairy can bo employed for this purpose ; as is also the fattening and growing of bacon. Again, tho yield of cows takes three forms of commercial product, each of which enter* into universal consumption and is regarded both as a, luxury and necessity—milk, butter, and cheese. The last two aro highly concentrated forms of food, and being less bulky of transport than other nrticles of food of the same value—for 2001b. of butter, worth £10, will occupy no more spaco in a railway truck or ship than' a bag of wheat worth 16s. In other words, the £'10 worth of butter can bo carriod as cheaply as the 16s. worth of whoat to market. This alone is nucnormoue advantage, for when the farmer comes to deduct tho freight on a low priced bulky product, together with a commission to the middleman for handling, there will afterwards remain but little profit to the producer. On the other hand, the dairyman can count pretty accurately upon what: his farm will yield when stocked with an average lot of well fed cows, and his land not so liablo to i>o exhausted as those devotod to grain growing, and, also, with an abundant source of manure at his command, should be growing moro productive from year to year.

Winter Foddkb Grass.—With the advance of dairying the want of a reallygood winterfodder grass is certain to bo felt on the majority of the farms ■whore dairy herds are kept. Tho native kangaroo grass is ono of tho verybest we possess, as it comes with the first rains of autoran, grows well through tbo winter, and springs up green and succulent after every shower in summer; but unfortunately it does not stand much soaking. Stock prefer it to almost alt other trr ashes, and their close attention invariably results in it being eaten out eventually and its place taken inferior kinds. Attempts to cultivate it artificially havo not been attended with eucoess owing to the great difficulty of securing seed, possessing germinating power. Judging by irs appearance, prairis grass is related to kangaroo grass, and their good qualities almost indentical, while the former possesses the advantage of producing a plentiful crop of seed, possessing germinating qualities which aro of a high order. It is questionable if tho value of the prairie grass as a winter fodder is fully appreciated: if it were much greater use would assuredly bo made of it. Prairie grass has a, fondue.-s for alluvial soil* along the river banks, but it will grow well in many situations, provided a reasonable quantity of moisture is available for its nouritihinont. Onlv soed obtained from old established fiolds should be sown, audit is :ilso advisable to havo the land xubdivied into small paddocks, so that the stock tan be frequently removed in order to givo the grass u chance to re-estal lieh itself. Prairio grass should I always he sown by iuelf, as wheu I mixed >ith other graces ita groater sweetness ami succulence omsw slock to keep on it whiio ;i iatc eiin be obtained, the other kinds hsitg ] c f,- a | m ,, vt „„. touched. It lespoude freily to irrigation and if allo.ved tu grow will attain u good

h i/ t. ulicii cut will mike the fAvet-d and ho' )>av. It* fpprliri" proporti.'" lire Ni.l.'iulid. it i« ear-ilyestabltHhed, i>-iitici,]nrly 011 riv. r H' ils, mid it i> grnv- [ im r n 11011 n n-t oilier ifnix'ch are dorm int. Wt>m it i- considered I hut win'erfced i" of p; . fi.-t: viiii.i' ir i.n ■» i art- ot this lOuin.x, ).c > u 'in* qU'iliii'S i ofse.-efid l-y pr i ic k'nis-.-hoti'-l i-nrvp to make it n firm Inv. uriti' n itb linn' nsncis freneiti 11 v but ri.oiv est erinlly pro]rietors of d;ii \ herd-.—Melbourne Paper.