SYSTEMATIC FARMING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 300, 18 December 1895, Page 2

SYSTEMATIC FARMING.

A notion which prevails very largely and more particularly in the town than in the country ia that when a boy seems capable of no other kind of work he should bo pub on the land, where he is sure to make a Jiving. This is an entirely erroneous idea. Anyone mny, when given a piece of land, by a life of drudgery keop body and soul together, bub to make farming one of the plo/ifiantest occupations in which a man can engage with a view to earning his living it requires almost as much braius and shrewd application of common sense as to succeed in any other business. One of the importanb points in connection with farm work is to evolve and thoroughly mature a system on which to carry oufc operations. " Farming without system," a9 an exchange puts it, " is like sailing a ship withoub a rudder —it drifts hopelessly on the rocks, and is dashed to pieces. There must be some steering device tor controlling its course. It cannofc direct itself and arrive safely in port, bub requires Bomeone «fc the helm with a thorough knowledge, not onlj of how to eail the ship, bub of the course bo be pursued to eventually brinyr up ab the desired destination." System on a farm denotes a place for everything and that all work shall be properly directed and carried out. To do this and establish a solid system to act as a future guide on the farm, as the compass acts in controlling the course of tho ship with the assistance of the rudder, need* a considerable amount of brains. System points out tbo way to practical common-senso methods thafc bring forth the desired results. One cannot exoccb all soils to produce every cereal to perfection, as perfection denot-ea system, and system leads to perfection, just as like produces like. Soil produces jn proportion to ita fertility. The fertility is as a taan makes it), Theory looks very well on paper, but, unless it is combined with practice and applied in an intelligent manner, ifc is found wantiog. Whab is needed is a practical enmrnon-sonso system that requires brains to put it into execution, and which drives prejudice from the minds of those who complain that farming does not pay, It establishes the fact thafc wo live in a fust and progressive age, which the farmer has stood and gazed upon in amazement. Buiness and improvements have changed in tho past twenty years, and have brought about results that cause men who deairo to become successful to systematise their business so as to koep puce with the times, and look upon the situation in the light thafc "if I don't beat you, you will beat me." This has led the average farmor to think that he is nob in it. while at the same time, with a system, bo will find himself successful in hia occupation.

Many farmers' families* have become prejudiced againet farm life from a lack of knowledge of how to succeed on the farm. Farmers are nob uwure thab they are blessed with mosfc of the comforts or life. Cttsti your lob with thoso who are not farmers, and you will lincl that all is not gold that glitters. The privations and annoyances of business men would almost drive you to desperation. One's work, to bocomo practical, must be understood. A thorough knowledge of any business is ossontial to success. Ib clearly demonstrates itsolf thab " he who would thrive Djuab either hold bhe plough or drive,"

The Junction Yards Stock Sale.— Messrs Hunter and Nolan held their usual weekly sale at the Junction Yards yesterday. There was a medium entry of beof oatfcle, and pricoa ware tirraer than the previous week, when a drop was rocordod. Ox beef sold from 19s to 20s, and cow beef from 18s to 19s per 1001b. Store cattle were few in number, and were unchanged in prices, as were also dairy cows. Sheep maintained lato values.

Durham Yards Hohsk Sale.—Horses are dull of sale at recent quotations.

Making Dutch Gouda Cheese.— This cheese, which 13 made in Holland, is one of the most popular of Conbinonfcal manufac ture. As iho milk is brought in horn tho fiolde, it is put into pans and the renneb promptly added. Rather loss reuneb is used than ia customary in the case of English-made cheesea. By the time the evening milk comes in, the morning's supply ia ready for cutting up. For this purposa a painted woodeu bowl is used and the whey drawn off. The firafc whey is put aside in a tub, and the curd thoroughly broken, kneaded, and salted. The round vats are next resorted bo. They are rinsed in the whey tub. and the curd is presßad into them. The cheesemaker then jireßaes tho curd, and alter sufficient pressure to obtain cohesion the inuea is fcurnod out. Jt ia subjected to further eaaxiug with tho hand and then tied up in v cloth,' when ib is again transferrod to the »at and pub into a gaily-painted cheese preis till »exb morning. After one night's pressure tho cheeses are put inbo strong woe-dan boxes, and every day for eigbt day* they are taken from the vat, rubbed outride, and pub back again into the vat, whi.:b id rfnaed in fresh whey. There Is upptwHiljly no effort to control tbo temperature at ripening. Indeed, it must rise musjji bvyomi 60 or 70 ciegree.B, which is generally couiidered the most favourable reqiperatvre for the effective performanco ut tbia operation, Tba cheese m,iy ba uiarkated afe she end of eighb days, and they are frYiquently eaten a fortnighb oid, at which time the beat of them are almost) sb aofS as butter and much superior to anytiling knows, as Dutch cheese.

Potatoes as a Stock Food.—The question whab to do with potatoes too small for market, and with larger onoa when prices are very low, is an important one, and many plans are suggested to best meot this difficulty. Ono of these ideua i« tho uao of potatoes as a stock for.d. To Gnd oub their oaerita aa such experiments havo been undertaken in Franco, with the following results: When cowh wero supplied with raw sliced potatoes as their only food they ate about) 7 per cent, of their live woigho daily. Under tho influonco of this diet the production of milk wasincreased, but tholive weight diminished. The dung was watery, whitish in colour, and contained undigested starch grains. There was no sugar in the urine. Cooked potatoes wero eaten by tho cows with avidity, bub whon tod exclusively on them tho rumination and digestion were interfered with, on which account such a practico is nob to bo recommended. In any case potatoes must bo mixed with other foods to constitute a desirable ration, whether for the production of meat or milk, iiuch a mixture is favour' able to digestion, both chemically and mechanically, and incronfioa the nutritive value of tho potatoes. A favourable proportion is obbained by replacing about half of the total dry foddor by potatoes. No increase in milk production followed when the lattei constituted loss than 22 per cent, of Mio ration. Raw potatoes favour the production of milk, while boiled ones increase tho proportion of fab and sugar— an eflecb which cease?, howover, as noon as the diob ia altered. Alternate, feeding with raw and boiled potatoes for a period of throe months resulted in (1) diminution in tho thickness of tho milk and in tho amount of casein ; (2) increase in tho amount of butler fab and inorganic Baits!