On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 10 April 1913, Page 59

On the Land

GENERAL. An eighth of an acre of Buda kale at Moumahaki Experimental Farm, which last year produced feedingmaterial at the rate of 57 tons to the acre, was allowed to go to seed. The result was highly gratifying. Though the small birds were very troublesome, and it is estimated from close observations they took fully half the seed, the threshing produced a fine sample, representing a return equal to a local market value of £4B per acre. The efficiency of spraying potatoes with the Bordeaux mixture has been amply demonstrated by the result of an experiment conducted by the Government expert at the garden plots of the Milton District High Scnool (says the Otayo Daily Times). In February—which must be considered as rather late to spraytwo of six plots of. growing potatoes were treated with the mixture, and while the tubers so dealt with have returned good crops the remaining four plots were attacked with the potato blight, and have proved an absolute failure. At Burnside last week there were large yardings of fat cattle and sheep, while fat lambs ana pigs were in full supply. The yarding of fat cattle consisted of 215 head, principally good quality bullocks. The number forward was in excess of requirements, and prices showed a drop of fully 10s per head. Quotations: Best bullocks, £ll 10s to £l2 10s; extra, to £l3 10s; medium to good, £lO to £11; light, £8 10s to £9 10s; best cows and heifers, £8 10s to £9 15s; extra, to £ll 2s 6d. There was an entry of 4089 fat sheep. All prime sheep showed a drop of Is per head, whilst ewes and medium-weight wethers declined Is 6d per head. There were not many pens of heavy sheep forward. Quota- - tions: Prime wethers, 20s to 235; extra, to 28s 9d: medium to good, 18s to 19s 6d; light, 16s 6d to 17s 6d'; best ewes 17s 6d to 20s; extra good, to 265. The lambs penned totalled' 1530, these being mostly of good quality. Exporters were operating freely and prices were fully up to previous week's rates. Best lambs brought from 18s to 19s 6d, extra good to 23s 9d ; medium to good 15s 6d to 17s 6d; light 13s 6d to 14s 6d. The pigs forward numbered 148. Prices for baconers and porkers were fully up to previous week's rates, but store pigs showed a decline. Suckers brought from 12a 6d to 16s; slips, 17s to 23s 6d; stores, to 265; porkers, 32s to 425; light baconers, to 535; heavy baconers, to 725; choppers, to 90s. At Addington last week there were very large entries of all classes of sheep, and fair entries in other departments. The demand for store sheep was again keen, and prices were fully maintained. " Fat lambs showed a further weakening in prices, and owing to the large entry fat sheep were easier. Fat cattle were also weaker in price, as were also fat pigs. There was a good sale for store cattle, of which there was a special entry from Gisborne. Export buyers were operating freely for fat lambs, but at prices about 6d per head below the rates ruling the previous week. The bulk of the purchases were made on a basis of 5d to s{,d per lb. Light lambs sold rather better in proportion than medium or heavier weights. Tegs sold at 17s to 20s; a few extra to 21s; ordinary freezing weights, 15s to 17s; and lighter, 13s to 14s 9d. The range of prices for fat sheep was as follows : —Prime wethers, 19s to 22s 9d ; »... lighter, 15s to 18s 6d; merino wethers, 10s to 15s 4d ; prime ewes, 16s to 21s; medium, 13s to 15s 6d ; aged and light, 10s to 12s 6d. For fat cattle the prices were unchanged, beef realising 22s 6d to 30s per 1001 b, according to quality. Steers made £7 10s to £ll ; extra, to £l4 2s 6d; heifers, £6 to £9, extra to £ll 6d ; and cows, £5 15s to £lO 2s 6d. The boom prices of fat pigs at the previous sale were not maintained, values dropping considerably. Choppers realised £3 to £5 10s; heavy baconers, £3 5s to £-Tl3s; and lighter sorts, £2 12s 6d to £3, equal to 5d to s|d, against 6d per lb the previous week. Heavy porkers made £2 4s to £2 9s, and lighter sorts £1 18s to £2 3s.

WESTERN WOLTHS RYEGRASS. " An experimental paddock of the above grass (writes our Hamilton correspondent) was very successfully grown at the Ruakura Farm of Instruction last season. Three acres were sown on May 14, 1912; and the first crop, averaging 15 tons to the acre despite the natural poorness of the paddock, was carted to stock on October V. The second crop was kept for seed, but it was ready to be carted to stock on December 1, had it been required for that purpose. It was, however, threshed, and yielded 30 bushels per acre. The grass has again sprung up and a third crop should be ready • shortly. The first crop, if sown in May, comes to maturity when there is a great scarcity of feed, and is consequently relished by stock of all kinds. The great disadvantage of this crop is that it removes so much fertility from the soil. It undoubtedly produces a luxuriant growth of foliage, but the above-mentioned fault is a great drawback. The fact that the grass is an annual is also to its disadvantage. Seed was sown at the rate of 301 b per acre ana manured with 4cwt of basic superphosphate. No attempt was made to graze the grass last season, but there is no reason why it should not be a success, especially if the grass were allowed an occasional short respite to recuperate. FEEDING AND CARE OF PIGS. At a recent meeting of a branch of the South Australian Farmers' Bureau, Mr. John Lewis, a practical pig raiser, said many people seemed to think that any place is good enough to keep a pig in, as long as there is some sort of enclosure to keep nim from romping over the garden, and a few sheets of iron over one corner to keep it dry; but, in his opinion, if pigs were to be kept at a profit, they needed as much care and attention as any other animal. The sty should have a good slab floor and be well covered, as when kept dry the pig fattened quicker and did not need so much food. When there was a scarcity of food it was a mistake to wean young pigs and allow them to get low in condition. The better plan was to sell them right away, as they were usually in good condition when taken from the mother. He considered six weeks about the right age to wean the young pigs. The matter of breed he would leave to the discretion of the owner. The farmer should grow as much of the food required as possible. He thought peas the most profitable, as they provided. bedding as well as food. The pigs should only be given as much food at a time as they could clear up. Pigs that are being prepared for market, or. sows with litters, should be kept under cover, but H or store pigs and others he would advise setting aside a small run of, say, an acre or two, with a good warm sty to shelter them at night. He thought the pigs should be fit for market when from 801 b to 1201 b in weight, but, if for home consumption, they might be fed a little linger. EXPERIMENT IN POTATO CULTURE. Mr. W. H. Sayer, of Forth, N.W. Coast, Tasmania, has just concluded an experiment in potato culture. In 1911 he received from the Tasmanian Government potato expert three potatoes of a new variety, and named the Canon Tuber. The potatoes weighed lib, and they were planted on October 13, 1911, and yielded 1231 b of tubers. From 1231 b, Mr. Sayer planted on September 2, 1912, 1201 b potatoes, and the yield at his digging recently gave 16631 bof potatoes. The ground planted measured 66ft by 30ft wide, and is grey and sandy. Mr. Sayer aims at raising an early red and is satisfied that he can produce a first-class article in twelve weeks from planting.