Farm and Garden.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 695, 29 September 1909, Page 2

Farm and Garden.

ORIGINAL ARTICLES. (All Eights Reserved.) WHAT STOCK PAYS BEST. This is a question that is very ofen asked by a beginner, and it is one that in a certain sense admits of no definite answer. We see one farmer going- in mostly for sheep, another may be just as busy in breeding horses, and so on. Ask the former what pays him best, and the answer will be "sheep." If the sheep farmer dropped sheep suddenly, and took up with horses, it is highly probable that he would be considerably ou of pocket to what he would have been had he continued breeding sheep, and yet at the same time the horse breeder's profits might be as satisfactory as ever, or maybe more so. Now, why should this be the case? In the first place it may be taken for granted that the sort of stock that a man generally goes in mostly for, is the sort for which he has the greatest personal liking. If a man does not take a personal interest in his stock, ft will never d him much good in a financial view. The personal interest, or liking, leads to a study of all points in connection therewith; the most suitable holding for that class of stock is naturally selected, and the most paving breed for site and market is procured. Further the breeder so far as his special line is concerned becomes a walking encyclopaedia, everything is made secondary to the special part of the business and (consequently that farmer finds his particular selection yields him better returns than any other stock that he may have on hand

CRAFTING ROSES. As the work of grafting roses is now upon us, a brief outline of the operation may be of service. A very simple method is shown in the accompanying illustration.- Fig. I. represents a stock obtained from a cu-tfcing, but a seedling briar or piece of root may be treated in the same way. Cut off the top about two inches above the crown of roots if a prepared stock is employed- T T he , n sllce off a Portion as in * iff.'ll.. keeping as close to the crown as possible. A ripe and firm piece of wood with very little pith makes the best scion, and is better still if obtained from under glass or untouched by frost. It is not at all necessary that a straight piece of rose wood be used as shown at Fig. III.; a portion with the lateral growth of last season

shortened back is often "better, as it possesses more "eyes." Cut the scion on the slant as shown, the length of the cut being- regulated by that on the stock, and the depth of the cut on the stock must be according to the size or diameter of the scion. When both are placed together the outside bark of the scion must exactly fit that of the stock. With a little care this is both simple and easy. Let both cute be made so as to fit evenly and true, not leaving any space between, and when a true fit is secured —which a little practice will obtain in a single cut if a clean, sharp knife be used—tie on the scion firmly but without constriction. Fig. IV. shows the graft and portion of stock fitted together, a tongue being used to hold them in place. MAKING CEMENT TANKS. In building cement water-tanks, make them either square or oblong, as this is more convenient when constructing the frame in which to mould the cement. For the foundation, digdown to solid soil, or below any danger of frost, and then fill in with small stones up to within seven inches of the top, or if the bottom of the tank is to be above the level of the ground, fill up three or four inches more. When this is clone, put on five inches of concrete, made of six parts clean gravel, and one part Portland cement, just damp enough to firmly pack. This part of the work must be very carefully done, as the firmer it is packed the better. Before the concrete tyiss at all, place on a top layer one inch thick of two parts sharp, clean sand,

and one part cement, thoroughly mixed, and like ordinary mortar. The side walls should be at least 12 inches

thick, 10 inches of concrete and one inch of the finishing coat on the inside and outside. Walls of less thickness are apt to "spring" if the tank is very large. Build the walls inside of a frame, and immediately the wall begins to dry remove the frame. In building a wall the frame can be put up as the wall is built. After the frame is started, take some of the finishing coat and put an inch thick on the frame, so that when the frame is removed it will make both the inside and outside of the tank smooth. After plastering up six or eight inches in this manner, fill in the centre with concrete and firmly pack it. The boards should be planed, to prevent the cement sticking when the frame is removed. The walls may be made to any height desired.

THE AMATEUR'S VINERY. If the pruning-' of vines has not yet been begun, no time should be lost in doing it, as in the event of the spell of mild weather at the time of writing- continuing, the sap of the vines will soon be in rapid motion, and once that takes place, it will be a difficult matter to prune them because of their liability to bleed; once this begins it is a serious matter. It is always a wise plan as a precautionary measure, when vines have to be started quickly into growth after the knife has been used on them, to touch the wounds with styptic of white lead, which, if rubbed in, soon dries and stops the pores, and thus renders all safe. As regards late vines, the best course is to cut away any grapes which may be hanging, as however carefully they may be looked after, damp will enter and rot the berries, which entails both loss and vexation. Cut and bottled, they are little or no trouble, as they may be preserved in any dry room where the temperature is tolerably equable. An ordinary fruit room

is a Rood place to store them in. The accompanying- illustration will clearly explain the mode of pruning-. A.A. is the main stem, and 8.8. are the lateral or side shoots which have-borne fruit lat season. In pruning- tuck the shoots 8.8. hack to the cross-line. Oftentimes the buds beyond the pruning mark may look larger than those on the main stem, but they will not yield such good bunches as the latter. Prone non-fruiting - laterals the same.