THE LAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 72, 24 March 1923, Page 20

THE LAND.

TKB CANTERBURY LUCERNE | CAMPAIGN. THK l.riilM VARIHTV OF lAUCFNK .v Ri-:MAr:KAM.-K RF/rriLN\ Tip attention of l:;e farmer* of the T), nsV.oi! nv.y well be directed to tie rt-iiiuka'.ily profit iblp i-rup that has been jk-ured ii Canterbury from a onc-.icre p1..( of Tie lirimni l.i rue; it is a „., t-.y the IV;mrlment nf Agriculture; ii prew i=n w'. ron".'.y, it exhibited every in l ; .-.iti,-ii ot valuabh" traits of importance :>.« n iV.ra.v, of a crop lor hay, that it ■«.. an.! is strongly a.ivo.-.ucd for a wiJc n.lnpti in on t.ie farm by those V.'iio t.llfPrvi«ed the earlier testing, and co i!il not faii to apprx-eiate ito extra-cr-iinary : arimr-s. its vigour and its yi, 11. T:!:s viinety of lucerne is now attracting a v.ide hueresi among those ptov.cn>. to whom n plant appeals that Jiolds, a s the <:r;mni Lucerne, heavy crops of forage, and one that [rovidee liny cf the hi.'hest value that is known to tlie farm. • TiC plot of lucerne that is now- under cl.- r rvat.ion nnd disciiEfeinn, was sown tird'T the auspices of the Canterbury I.iu'crne Campaign Committee. This wad done on October '2-Z of Inst year; the fiiit cut ■wag taken on 10th February; twelve weeks Inter the stand was inepected by a Parliamentary party that ilicluded the Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Mr. Nosworthy, ami Heaton Rhode?, K.C.M.i;. (in that occasion an average square wns selected and it was carefully measured. This yielded the equivalent of 7.7 tons of green matter to the acre. The growth on the whole of the acre plot was described as both long and very dense. A second cut was taken six weeks later, that was on 3r-l March. This yielded the equivalent of P. 32 tons to ths acre, or a total in eighteen weeks from the date of sowing of 14.02 tons an acre. If this is worked out on the usually accepted basis of one ton of hay to 3.33 of green matter, the result is 4.2 tons of hay. The average price of pure lucerne hay is £4 a. ton: this gives the remarkajble return of more than £l(i an acre for a crop that liad been sown but eighteen weeke. The stand was sown under the advice of the Canterbury L,ucerne Campaign Committee. The seed was used at the rate of from five to six pounds to the acre. This small quantity is advocated, b* experience has demonstrated that the spreading habit of the growth of the Grimm Lucerne permits the adoption of a much lighter seeding than is required by the usual varieties of this plant. The rows were set out at twenty-four inches apart, to permit of inter-cultivation, but the rapidity of the growth and the spreading habit of tho plant quickly precluded that intention, for very "little subsequent cultivation was possible. Tlie preparation for the crop was very slight. One ton to the acre of burnt lime -was applied, and the seed was sown -without n fertiliser. It is also pointed out that the host of land was selected for this purpose. It may be well accepted that fnr so remarkable a, result the hijhest quality of land could not be put to a better use. LINSEED CtTLTTVATION Linseed is a standard article of comtneree. There is a large demand for the oil. Linseed cake is beyond question the most valuable of the live stock food concentrates. The yield per acre may be placed at. from 12 cwt. to 15 cwt. Tlie price quoted is on the average from £12. Linseed is a crop that is easily grown. It certainly requires careful preparation of the soil, Lut not more than other jdant3. It matures in about 100 days from the time the sred is .sown. It ehould follow lea. roots or legumes. The seed should 'be sown as soon as the danger of severe frost is past and the ■vonther has permitted the land to lie thoroughly cultivated. Seed should be evenly 'but lightly eovpred. If the plants appear to be growing too closely use the harrows vigorously; this -will reduce the number. Sturdy brandling plants are wanted. The crop should be stacked when once the sheaves are dry. Linseed cake is the standby of the stock owner. There is room for a great increase of the linseed crop in this country. Tiie acreage in this crop in Xew Zealand was SSSO acres in 15122. The yield •was 2530 tons, and four times that quantity could have been sold. THE SIZE OF DAISY COWS. Experience indicates that a cow representing the average stature of her breed is in the long run, in most cases, under the widest range of conditions, the most profitable. Stature is a factor of relatively small importance, unless it be extremely large or the opposite, in either case, it might then be v factor nf decisive importance; thru is. a cow cither excessively large or small would not be profitable , in the hands of most practical dairymen. Comparatively huge cows arc to bo found in all dairy breeds. Some large cows are not proficient producers; neither are all small one- or nil intermediates. Miiny >:nn 11 cows are less and many others aw more efficient than large cows of tiie same or of a different breed. Accepting :is his guide :in old saying 1-itt "the best goods come in small packrcrtaiu dairy breed for his working herd, I'c may claim: "They are smaller than i.as (if ~ome other dairy breeds, but they ac just as healthy, as prolific nnd ns ii.",i;v, while they are more ellicicnt as producers." Contrary to t'lat conviction. ;\~ here c ■;j>i< —. <i, another may prefer large coWt to medium-sized and small ones, on the ground thnt they are hardier, stronger nii.l huvi the capacity to eat more feed m,d thorefore to make more milk under the condition? that surround most dairy herds. The basis of practical utility in the dairy herd i; not size, and it is not breed; it i- the individuality' and ti'inperament of the cow. The lr.-st animal of the herd or stud or flock is 'tho one that conforms tlie more closely to the accepted standard oi ita breed.

THE DIGGING PLOUGH. The ppccinl value of this implement cann.it 1 \-(>r-«>.4titiiiitod where strong [anil is comcniril: we nre accustomed to direct 100 jiivat attention to tlie appearance uf I lie surface of the soil, ratlier than tn tlnit |iorlii»i. or section of till' soil that is removed from our observation, ll is very well to see a eurfuiv evenly ploiijrliPil, with the furrow slices so liriulv ami olo.«ely packed lid to provide an iilmnst ideal' seed-N-d for t iio broadcast ing- of cereals, but that condition cannot counlcrliulance Uie evil oliVcl.s of t!io plough with the long mouldbonnl thai li-avi-. tlw unbroken furrow ulirp; liimloni implemetits render it no longer nei-pa.siiry to rely upon the ploufjh to pruvKlo t'ven lines for the broaili'rtjti'il mvil: so why l>e too exacting as repirils the regularity of furrows, if the wcecU are well covcrod by the completely inveiled fum'..v slices , .'" ]t is ns well to r.'membcr that tlie disc ami tho tine harrow, follo-.veil with the roller, prepare the ground for tlie drill and that implvment takes care of the regularity of the sowing. 'Hie digging ploui;h civrs sufTu-ient eonsolidatiTm; its action is that of irrcpilarly breaking tlie layer of soil through which ii passes instead of leaving it intact: it is then in the bc-t condition for tin- operation of fun her cultivation; it may 'be that this is some-1 what Biibver.-Mve of accepted ideas. The evon well-packed furrow of the smoothlyploujrhed tit-Id may |ilense the eye. but the broken furrow slices lend themselves fnr better to the mure complete stirring of the soil that is elected by the implements that nre now made use of and that provide the better medium for tlie growth of the plant* of the crop. DRINKING WATER TOR THE CALF. T'ntil a calf is about a month old. it. will do very well on milk only, but after that ape. it should have free access to drinking water as well. A calf drinks often, but very little at a time, and, if healthy, it will not refuse its milk, or substitute, even if it has been drinking water freely. During liot weather the becomes very thirsty when the only liquid available is the morning's and evening's milk. Every experienced breeder knows that anything that-gives discomfort to tlie animal also hinders thrift, and that it is strict attention to such seemingly small details that brings hia reward iii the end. A never-failing supply of pood water is one of the most desirable features of a. modern farm. An average dairy cow will drink from ten to fifteen gallons of water daily, not to mention the very considerable quantity required for THE FARMER IS INDEPENDENT. The outstanding feature of farming is that the farmer is tho most independent of all men. No other occupation, if thrown entirely upon its own resources, could survive so long as farming. In fact, every other occupation is directly or indirectly dependent upon farming for its existence. How long would the doctor, tho lawyer, and the merchant conduct a thriving business if the fanner ceased to grow crops? How long could any people be eating bread, oatmeal porridge for ibreakfast or wearing cotton or woollen clothing if this should ever happen? The answer is simple. HIDES AND BY-PRODUCTS. There are many sex differences which develop in hides. Cow hides are thicker through the hindquartpr nnd lighter in the forequarter, while bull hides are quite thin behind and very thick over the shoulders. Steer hides are intermediate, but are heavier behind than a bull's hide, al-o being wider. Hides are thicker in winter than in summer, but the shrinkage due. to cure is greater in summer than in winter hides. Without going into the salt, summer hides will stand up only two days, while winter hides will stand up three days. With the large packers hides are graded as they go into the salt, but with the smaller houses the grading is done as I the hides come out. The sources uf the i by-products are the hide, the blood, the I waste meat, the viscera, the glands, and the bones. From the hair and hide come all kinds of leather, bruslies. binder for plaster, felt, padding, hair for upholstering and mattresses and glue. From the sinews, fata and blood come bloodmeal, filler for leather, ammoniate for fertiliser, meat meal, lubricating oils, oleomargarine, soap, glue, casehardening bone, gelatine, isinglass, and stearine. From the glands and the viscera come goldbeaters" skins, perfume bottle cups, tennis string l , clock cord?, drum snares, violin strings, surgical ligatures, and pharmaceuticals (such as I extract of thyroid, pituitary liquid, pineal substance, supraenals, pancrentin. adrenalin, pep-in, rennet, thromboplastin, etc.). From the bones come combs, buttons, hairpins. umbrella. handles, i napkin rings, tobacco boxes, buckles, (crochet needles, knife bundles, dice, jcluvsmen. electrical bushings, washers. i artificial teeth, bone rings for nursing i bottles, glue, case-hardening bone, gelatine, fertilisers, oils. ?rea-o. soap, and rod bom , marrow. From the hoofs and horns cmc various manr.fnetured article- of horn, such as inkwells, combs, ! hairbrush backs, etc. nnd neatsfoot oil. AN UNUSUAL CROSS. T'.-.roe e.ves of the ller.lwick breed ! l, n Vo ! i «ent to the London Zoolojrieal jCardo:* to be paired with a ram ot J the <ii!\linian will r-lippn. »r mouflon, [with the object of improving the qualiitv of the wool. Although not sutliciiMlitly abundant to show above the outer jenat'inn of hair, the wool of the moil- ! lion ha- been declare.l by experts to ' surpass in fineness that nf any of the i lleeee-produeing sheep of Creat Britain: land it i< hoped that the lamhs resulting from this cross will yield wool a* abundant as that of their dam? and as deiijeate in texture as that of their wild I sire -

I A wlinle i" 5 capable of swimming twelve miles an lionr. A machine is on salo in America for i turning emmophnnp rocnrrls automatically after one side has been played.