THE COUNTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 142, 17 June 1910, Page 9

THE COUNTRY.

HELIANTI—A NEW FOEAGE PIAHT.

In referring to Heli-anti, an illustration ef the tiibers of which appear on this page, the "Fanners' Gazette" says: — "The most-recently introduced plant which has come before our notice is etated to combine qualities of the.highest importance in a degree never previauslv approached 4>y any farm plant. Its nine is Helianti; it was originally obtained from North America, and after years of careful cultivation by one of the leading Professors of Horticulture in Praise been greatly developed and improved. Ii even half i≤ tme 01 whax as said in its favour by its introducers into this country, it should be well iwortb. a trial at least; by iarmers.

"Helianti is stated to have an enormous growth above ground—attaining a height of 6 to 12 feet; it is of branching habit with large leaves, the flowers being of the sunflower type, though on a smaller scale, and it is of the same family as the sunflower and the Jerusalem artichoke. It is asserted that the growth makes excellent green, fodder, ensilage or hay, and exceeds both in green and dry weight, and animal food the best known forage plants such as clover, Eanfoin, etc. The percentage of dry weight in the green growth is exceeded &y "lucerne alone, the proportion being 24 per cent in Helianti to 26 per cent in lucerne, but Helianti produces no less -than, three times the weight of growth per acre, and according to analysis contains the extraordinary amount of over 7 per cent of sugar in the green growth. This result in itself will doubtless assure its cultivation on a large scale as a most valuable forage crop; but, astonishing as it may seem, only a part of its good qualities are mentioned, for at the same time Helianti grows a large crop of tubers of extreme value the first year, in weight, it is said, exceeding that per acre of potatoes several times over, and, indeed, rivalling thai of the EangeL These tubers may be used for ealinary purposes, as t3iey have a large dietie and hygienic value, have a pleasant taste and are very digestible, while torses, cattle, pigSj and sheep will ea-t them raw, greedily, and do well upon them. Horses, it. is said, prefer them even to mangels, wlien. fresh raised, 'while cows are said to do well and give more mill.- and butter when fed upon Helianti either as tubers, hay, or ensilage, and the. butter possesses the very best of flavour, even better than that produced by feeding with lucerne. iPigs fed upon the tubers are also said ?>/ the introducers of this plant to make

the best flavoured pone on the market. Poultry feed well and fatten quickly upon a mixture of half-cooked tubers and bran.

"The growth of 1006 withstood the great drought in France and in Algiers, and elsewhere, better than any other farm plant. The leaves do not fall in the driest oi weather, and no plant seems to withstand better the extremes of heat and cold, of drought and wet. The tubers have been exposed for two months to a temperature of 13 degrees Cent, below zero, without losing their

vitality and they may be regarded as safe down to 19 degrees belotv zero, but no lowers -It. must , be Ijorne iaioind; that both a heavy crop ot forage and o£ tubers cannot be grown the same season. If a crop of tubers is desired then no forage must be cut, but all allowed to mature. The dense growth will thea die back, and rhe tubers resulting may be raised late in the autumn."

OVERSTOCKING A DISTRICT.

A case has come under my notice where a complaint is made by a beekeeper who started a small apiary in a certain district some six years ago, and has gradually enlarged Ms operations till he has worked up one of nearly 60 colonies, doing very well up to the" present. So well, in fact, that he intended increasing his colonies three or fourfold, and had been to considerable trouble and expense in preparing for the increase. He now complains that an extensive bee farmer has started an out apiary within a mile in a direct line of his apiary, and he is now much put about and doubtful whether it is worth his while to carry out his original plan, as he believes the locality is too fully stocked with bees now to 'be profitable.

A meet important question i= involved in this matter, and I may point out at once that the bearing of this subject emphasises the need of what I hare several times pointed out in these columns, viz., periodical conventions of representatives of all our beekeepers' associations It seems to me that the chief element in this question is ■'"priority of right," which again bears on "overstocking" any particular district tinder consideration; in fact, the two questions must be considered together, and being a very knotty problem to decide, it is unquestionably one for a conference to grapple with.

2fo donit as commercial beekeeping extends, this question will crop up more frequently than it has done hitherto, for there is nothing at present to prevent a beefarmer from establishing an oat apiary -where he thinks fit on land-under

Ms own control. But it is hardly likely that an experienced beekeeper would plant a large out apiary in a district, which, in his opinion, was already fully stocked, as it would be as harmful to himself as to hie .neighbouring beekeepers. In this particular case, however, I cannot see that the person complaining has any justification for doing 60. as he could not, or ought not, to expect to reserve the whole of the district for 60 hives of bees, and it is quite possible that the 6econd party may not hav-e known the complainant"* intention to extend his apiary.