THE LAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 170, 19 July 1924, Page 20

THE LAND.

HINTS ON MINOR DISEASES. I Lecture by Mr. J. Lyons, Superintendent oi Live Stock, given at Dargaville Farm School). This lecture was delivered at the "Mangawhare cattleyards on July 1, Mr. Lyons stating that he wanted to make tio:ir a few only of the minor and most often occurring troubles amongst cattle. First of all he dealt with choking, wiiich frequently happened when animals were put on turnips or kindred feeds. The choking- most often occurred in that portion of the gullet under the maxilla, or lower jaw. In nine cases out of ten nit was comparatively easy to put the hand down the beast's throat and extract the offending substance. If the obstacle was further down, the epcaker advocated the use of a piece of stiff hose-pipe rather than a whiphandle or other rigid article for forcing the obstrticton from the passage. He demonstrated on a beast exactly how this should be accomplished. Blown Cattle.—Sometimes when cattle were in poor condition, and were placed on luxurious feed, such as clover, the gases caused by these conditions made the animals swell to the extent that suffocation was caused, ending in death. ' The symptoms were easily recognisable by even the least experienced farmers. A remedy readily obtainable on most farmsteads was a bottle of oil (preferably linseed) and a wineglassful of turpentine. This usually had the desired effect. Another sterling remedy, although more difficult to obtain, was 2oz hyposulphate of soda, and 2oz tincture of ginger, administered in one quart of water. In extreme cases it becomes necessary to puncture the beast. This was done at a point equidistant between the hip and the nearest rib, in the hollow or pit found in this region. Bad Feet and Lameness.—This was due usually to infection, and would iinswer to treatment. Poultice with bran, or, better stiLL. with boiled turnips, until the infected place (usually below the coronet) bursts, and then wrap iv a tar bandage. Vaginitis.—This disease, which was of a serious nature, was more or less rampant throughout the country. It could easily be recognised by the cow not getting in calf, by a discharge front the vulva, and, on closer inspection, the | appearance of small granular white j nodules inside the passage. The cow would probably keep coming back to the bull at intervals of perhaps ten days. The remedy for this is careful washing out with pink tabloids (a combination of iodide of potassium and mercury). Dissolve one of these in a quart of | water, and wash out with an ordinary syringe each day until the trouble has abated. Perhaps even a better method is the use of a pessary containing the same material. These have a solution of glycerine, which renders them sticky, and they will adhere to the affected part for as long as two or three days. A great deal of this trouble is caused through allowing the bull to run amongst the cows. Confine the bull, and if trouble of this kind is suspected, wash him after each service. To insert a pessary into the vagina, damp irst with water, and then push as far mw it will go with one finger. The pessnry will adhere to the membraneous lini-ig of the passage, and stay there as long as required. The cure usually takes three weeks or more, but it must be remembered that each time the cow is served whilst suffering from this trouble the disease is intensified tenfold. The best time for the washing of cows is between the time of calving and service. If done soon alter calving, a solution of permanganate of potash or Condy's crystals should be used, and it were well to remember that if a cow calves under ordinary conditions and cleanliness this washing is unnecessary; otherwise wash carefully. This may be done at the time with a weak of lysol in 3 or 4 gallons of water. A quart is no good. Thoroughly flush out the parts. Also, in this case give the animal a drench of 12 to 16 packets of salts ia warm water. , It was a great mistake to sell cows that had aborted, as they were more or less immune from a recurrence. There was no known preventative for abortion, as no serum had yet been discovered to cope with the trouble. In answer to a question, the speaker said that the prevalence of loss of quarters was due in many cases to j the owner's'carelessness. It was sometimes occasioned, however, by contagi-l ous mammitis. An organism called I streptococcus affects the mucous mem- | brane, and unfortunately is usually unget-at-able. Tuberculosis. —When a beast becomes thin and has an apology for a cough, which more resembles a cross between a wheeze and a grunt, and which becomes particularly noticeable after a short run, it is pretty safe to suspect this fell disease. When a beast suffers from this disease, the tuberculous bacilli infecting the lungs are coughed up and spread over the grass, infecting other cows. This disease is most dangerous in two particular forms, the worst of which is when the udder is i affected. The other form is when the • disease is generalised, and the bacillus j spread through the system. Milk from I a cow with either form is most dan-1 gerous, and too much care cannot be j exercised. In udder affection, detection | is easy by the little hard lumps always ' present. Sometimes a swelling is . apparent where glands are near the surface. One of these is below the shoul- j der blade, ono below the ear, and one : beneath the base of the tail and the i udder. Another symptom is when a j cow snores, with her head stretched out. | If the hand is pushed down her throat, ; a lump, probably as large as a cricket j ball, will be found. j Mr. Lyons demonstrated this lecture ! fully on the body of a cow badly in- ! fected with tuberculosis, which was ' killed and subjected to a post-mortem ', examination. This conveyed invaluable '. knowledge to the large number of farmers present. Phosphoric acid is a most important substance in animal nutrition. In combination with lime and magnesia, it j forms 85 per cent of the ash of bones, and the ash of muscular and nervous ' tissue contains approximately 35 per' cent of phosphoric acid. All tissues pro- j vided for the maintenance of the youn<* are very rich in phosphorus, c.1!.. cits' milk. * = Ba '

VALUE OF DRAINING. It is not inferred that draining should be done while it is actually raining, not because the work cannot be carried out on certain classes of wet land, but because no man should be expected to do such work when heavy rain is falling, and ac a matter of fact no man can possibly do a good day's work under such circumstances. But even during the wet weather of winter there are dry spells when draining may be done in comfort, and it is much easier to cut a drain when the soil is wet than when it is hard and dry. Of course, it is quite impossible to drain a wet swamp during winter, but there may be a good deal of undulating land on the farm that contains wet places, and the draining of such is prolttable occupation. Lands may be in groat need of draining and still show little surface moisture, yet the signs of subsoil moisture are quite plain to the practical farmer. Reasons for Draining. The benefits of draining have been recognised for some hundreds of years, and they have now become so obvious that it seems superfluous to discuss the matter in detail; but apart from everything else, there is at least one argument that should appeal to every farmer, namely, that all kinds of manures are waeted when applied to wet land. An argument of this kind that applies to the pocket generally has considerable weight, but there are a great number of reasons why tire draining of wet land is of the very greatest importance. Tho health of live stock and farm crops should be the main consideration of the owner, and the object of draining, to put it in as few words as possible, is to create a healthy environment for farm live stock and cultivated crops. Herbage growing on wet land is unpalatable and non-nutritious —it may even be very injurious, causing a condition of unthriftiness in all live stock. It handicaps them in their struggle against the attacks of the parasites which the wet land assists in developing, and the value of stock grazing on wet land is comparatively low. Benefits to Soil and Crops. When wet land is drained, the space previously occupied by stagnant water is, to some extent, filled with air, which I is just as essential to the life of plants !as it is to the lungs of animals and '. human beings. As a result of draining, the land becomes more porous and more easily cultivated. The ventilation of the soil is enormously assisted by draining. Jn wet land the small amount of air present soon becomes impure—a condiI tion which is said to result from the pressure of matter thrown off by the roots of plants—and no cultivated plant thrives in the presence of this impurity, but the draining, by increasing the porosity of the soil, improves the ventilation. Although our knowledge of soil bacteria is, as yet, somewhat hazy, yet we know that the soil teems with these minute forms of life, and that they play a great part in providing fertility, but it seems clear that those organisms cannot work effectively except in warm, well aerated land, two conditions that are only present when the land is well drained, naturally or artificially. If the work of the bacteria consists in combining the elements of the air with those of the soil in such a, way as to make them soluble, and hence in an available state as plant-food, it follows that, when their surroundings are not congenial, their valuable work cannot be done as it should be, and the plants have to exist on a starvation diet that is more or less poisonous. Cultivated plants growing on wet land have shallow roots, hence they feel the effects of drought sooner than do the plants growing on well drained land. Costs and Results. It has to be admitted that field draining is now a costly undertaking, but despite the cost, money spent in draining wet land is still one of the best investments a farmer can make, and the fa/t remains that if it will not pay to drain wet land, it will not pay to cultivate it. J?robably farmers would undertake more draining if they thoroughly understood the resulte and had a greater knowledge of the practical work. The actual work is not so hard and dirty as it would seem, and it is interesting work as well. Somewhat a great deal of surface water that lies in hollows during the winter can be let off by merely cutting a short, temporary, surface drain. These hollows may not be actually wet, and as a rule they are the most fertile parts of the paddock, but if water lies stagnant through the whole winter the value of these rich hollows will be greatly discounted. Care should be taken that there is no obstruction at the main drain outlet, which should be examined periodically, because it is the most important part of the whole drainage system. THE ESSENTIALS OF TEE DAIRY FARM. These may "be laid down as the man and the cow. The man first, the cow second. Unless the man realises very completely that he must study the animals under his control they will not respond to the limit of their capacity, and he must be willing to provide them with the proper care and correct feeding. Ho must not only give them the grazing of a pasture; he must see that the herbage consists of a variety of nutritious grasses, that when this fails supplementary food is supplied, and all his thoughts must be directed to the well-being of the 'herd. The man who will devote himself to the well-being of the cow is the one who will select the cattle of the highest capacity, he will avail himself of the opportunity that the system of herd-testing offers, "to enable him to select the profitable from the unprofitable. He will also have estimated the capacity of his farm to maintain the number of cattle that he may keep well fed and to the limit of their production. The cow that will respond to this careful management and liberal feeding will be of the breed to which the conditions of the farm are the most suitable. i There will be no question that the individual animal has been carefully selected. Actually the cow is the machine. It will be the machine that is most suitable for the business, and it will be mam' ' tabled in the highest state of efficiency. It is a fair comparison to make. What would be thought of the manufacturer Who ©emitted the machinery of his

establishment to become inefficient from the lack of fuel to supply the motive force of his engine? Or what would be the position in these days of competition if the working capacity be limited? This is actually the position on very many of the dairy farms of this country. It cannot be disguised i that our dairy stock is far from consisting of cows of great capacity. It is possible that until the value of the farm and the true prosperity of the owner be estimated by the butterfat yield, and no longer by the number of milking cows that are allowed to exist upon it, we may not witness any great advance in the butterfat production of the average dairy cow in the Dominion. The yield is accepted by the authorities on the statistics of the country as about 1701b. It is an average that is simply deplorable, and in a country with so genial a climate and so fertile a soil this should be impossible. We should, it is accepted, quite anticipate that the average production of tlie dairy cow will be increased when the value of the productive cow is realised. We may also remember that there is no example more powerful than that of success, and that is before us every day, in the records that are so constantly receiving publication in these columns. There we may not fail to read of the advantages in production in herds of pure-bred dairy cattle, and we see, what is of still greater importance, the splendid yields of whole herds of dairy stock. It is not assumed that the elimination of the inferior animal by the system of herd-testing is the sole factor in this improvement. It would be of small avail unless those better cows are well managed and correctly as well as liberally fed. We may, however, feel assured that the New Zealand dairy farmer will not rest until his herd i's one of highlyproductive cattle, that those cattle will be correctly and generously fed, and that the average production will be the envy of other countries. FEEDING HAY TO CATTLE. The best way to fed hay to cattle is to cart it into the paddocks, and to distribute it in small heaps, a small forkful in each heap, leaving about six yards between them. Each day a fresh track can be chosen on which "to lay the trail of hay, and so avoid poaching the surface of any particular part of the paddock. If this idea is carried out, the stronger cattle will follow the dray until the last forkful is out, and the weaker will be seen to be contentedly eating the hay that was put off first. It is not advisable to graze the yearlings with the older cattle, for they will require better treatment and more frequent changes of pasture. The future development of the young cattle will depend to a great extent on how they are brought through their first winter. Present-day values do not allow for any expensive rations, so the best thing to do is to make the most use of the roots and hay that are available, and to give as frequent changes of pasture as possible.

NO ACID SOILS FROM USING SUPERPHOSPHATE. An American authority writes: "Many farmers have the idea that superphosphate makes their soil acid or sour. l>r. R. W. Ruprecht, physiological chemist of the Florida Experiment Station, says that this idea is largely because a strong acid, sulphuric, is used in its manufacture. "However, both these theories arc wrong. The only possible free acid in superphosphate is phosphoric acid. This nckl is weak and will go rapidly into combination with lime, iron and aluminium. When this acid is present to any great extent, the superphosphate is of the consistency of putty, and thus is very difficult to handle. Free sulphuric acid is never present. Superphosphate is a mixture of several lime phosphates and gypsum. In experiments conducted in many countries and extending through long periods, soil has been found no more acid after using acid phosphates than before." SHEEP ON SWEDES. It will l>o. advisable to keep hoggets on the swedes ac much as possible, only taking them off when the weather makes it necessary to do so. There is nothing to be gained by making the swede last too long. In most parts of the North Island they win begin to lose their value as a stock food some time next month at the latest, and as the young sheep will begin to lose their teeth about that time they will thrive better on pasture. Whether the sheep are being grazed on pasture or feeding off roots, a liberal supply of hay will bo found very beneficial. If only sheep are being grazed in the paddock some form of rack should be erected, as these will be found the most economical way of supplying the hay, but racks are far from satisfactory if cattle are allowed to get at them. PLANTING FOREST TREES. The planting season is with us- In any open weather throughout winter and early spring the work can be safely done. At present first-class specimens of all the useful timber trees can be obtained cheaply from the Forestry Department. It is a pity that so many homes for want of a little forethought and as little trouble on the part of the owners should still have an ugly break, or uncomfortable aspect to greet every home-coming. : Nothing can make a bare farmstead snug and cheerful looking if the planting of trees and shrubs is neglected. To such persons we make an appeal for their own sake. To get best results, or even good results, in stock raising and the cattle industry generally, it is necessary on exposed farms to plant shelter belts or clumps of forest trees to protect the "beasts from the inclemency of the winter and the heats of the summer. This is never disputed; Wβ make no mention of many other advantages accruing to a country in which afforestation has been fostered and is maintained, which, unfortunately, is not yet do«o in* our denuded country.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. G.W. (St. Heller's) writes: Is it correct ( to spray Peach and Nectarine trees with ; Bordeaux (full strength) now and later j on with Red Oil, and if the same treat- ( ment should be. given to Apple trees';Spray reach and Nectarines with Ror- , deaux, full strength, now. It is unneces- ' eary to use Red Oil ou them unless they , are attacked with scale. Spray Aplpes ,\ with Bordeaux and a week or so lHter with Bed Oil. l ! AJMEPH (Mt. Eden) writes: VTc have a! ( Delicious Apple which prows well but has , few apples. Would it do to prune it 1 more? We have another tree which has a few apples every year but has a fungus growth like large warts on if. Also a Plum covered with moss. What mixture ] can be applied?—To severely prune the > Delicious would only make it prow more • vigorously. Leave the tree without pruning for a year or two. If you were ] to dig down around and under the tree i and cut auv lanre roots which arc running downwards into the subsoil, you would check the growth and probably ' cause the tree to fruit better. Duly cut I one, or at the most, two roots. Spray ] the Apple and Hum Tree Willi limp sill- j phur solution, one part, water ten parts. | INQUIRER (Epsom) asks: il) How and when to prune a Crape vine on an outglde wall. It has some scale on. Would it be best to paint spray on and what spray? (2) When and what spray to use ! on Peaches and Nectarines for brown rot? (3) A Quince tree last year had a good crop but the fruit fell off when about half grown. What should be done? It ' looks healthy. (-1) Would it be beneflclnl to spray Gooseberries and with what \ spray?—(l) Prune the vino by cutting ■ back, to one or two buds, all the laterals, j When finished, your vine should just have two or so main stems with short spurs ] about an inch long. It will be best to I paint on tbc spray and use limo sulphur I solution, one part, water ten parts; this ! should be done nt once and the spray I put on with a stiff brush. t2t Spray | tuo Penches and Nectarines nt oin'e with I lime sulphur solution, I—lo.1 —10. (3| Spray I <;uinci> with same, v The Gooseberries* ! should be sprayed at once with lime I sulphur, one part, water twenty-five parts. E.C.F. (West. End) asks for the names of | a few shrubs suitable for planting in a small garden. The position is shaded by the house during the day?— Azaleas and Rhododendrons would be the best, but Daphnes, Hydrangeas, Shrubby Spircns, Veronicas, Dentzias—there are several varieties of each of these —are not rampant growers, and all flower well. G.M. (Ponsonby) asks: (1) Do young Ciooseberry bushes just planted need pruning this year? The laterals are from two to six inches on different bushes. (2) Are Lemon Peach and Nectarine trees likely to grow well about herp?—(l.) Cut back the thin laterals to within two or three buds from the main brunches. Very little pruniuc is required, just sufficiiuit to keep the bushes of a good shape and prevent tbetu getting too thick in the centre. (2) Yes. they do well provided Uie soil is worked well before Diamine '

THE DAPHNE. These popular sweet-scented flowers arc of easy culture if a little care and attention is given to them. Daphne Odora. the species usuallymeant when "The Daphne" is spoken of, is a native of China, and is found growing in shady gorges and in positions not fully exposed to the sun. This indicates that a shady position is more suitable than one fully exposed, but, at the same time, the Daphne will j prow in a sunny position provided that , during summer the plant is mulched ' and the soil kept cool and moist. Almost any soil will suit them, providing it is well worked and manured. The Daphne once planted does not like being shifted, and in consequence the first preparation of the soil is most important. No pruning is necessary, but the plants may be cut back to keep them in shape. They will stand the flowers being- cut; in fact, as a rule, this provides sufficient pruning-, as the ends of the growths must bo cut off when the bloom is removed. A fine effect is had by staking up the centre of the plant and'allowing the branches to hana: down somewhat , like a "weeping" tree. SOME GOOD YELLOW CLIMBING ROSES. Jlarechal Xeil has many rivals as a yellow Rose, and its position hasi been ! often challenged, but it etill reigns supreme. It is not always an easy variety to manage, and of late years it has become subject to canker. Climbing 1 Perle dcs Jardins. a sport from the old , tea variety of the snme name, does not ] present so many difficulties. The colour •is deep canary yellow and the flowers are of large size., but they lack the j exquisite form of Marechal Xeil. ForI tunes Yellow is very vigorous in growtli ! and pives plenty of flowers. These are ! semi-double, very pretty in the 7md j state, but opening flat and ragged. The I colour, when the flowers are first open- ! ing, is a yellowish orange, flaked with I —

carmine, but becomes paler a3 they get older. For massing in bowls the ilowera are very effective. William Allen Richardson is a groat favourite, especially as a button hole flower. The colour is "variable, but in general is of a rich orange yellow in the centre, fading to pale straw or nearly white on the outer edges. It belongs to the Noisette section. If it were more free in its flowers, Cloth of Gold would be a splendid variety. It is a Xoisette of pure rich yellow and perfect shape, but has the serious defect of being a shy bloomer. PRUNING GOOSEBERRIES. In pruning Gooseberries, pay particular attention to the habit of growth. Some varieties grow strictjy upright, and in pruning these they should be cut to a bud, pointing outwards. The jrrowth next year will proceed in that direction, and so keep the centre of the bush open. Other bushes are more spreading, or they may be of decidedly drooping habit, with many of the branches lying upon the ground. The latter should be cut clean away, as the berries are rendered useless by being ,splashed with grit during showers of 'rain. Suckers or young growths arising too near the ground should also be cut out. Endeavour to have at least three inches of bare stem, whatever the

habit of the bush. Crowding should be rectified by cutting out branches that cross one another, and shade the centre of the bush unduly or spoil other branches. The benefit of this thinning will be discovered when gathering the fruits, by allowing more freedom for the hands. Old wood can be removed to allow young branches to take their place, and etrong young shoots should be shortened one-third of their length. PLANTING X.H.ITJMS. The majority of Liliums have large globular bulbs, and one reason why many fail to grow, or only make a weak growth the season aiter planting, is because the base of the bulb was not on firm soil. The bulb, when out of the ground, dries somewhat, and when planted swells correspondingly, with the result that if the hole made is not of large enough diameter the bulb swells, and the soil underneath consolidates, with the result that the bulb is held up with a cavity below. It is a good

plan to make the hole large enough so as to get the hand round the bulb, and feel it is firm on the soil. Also, to place the bulb in the hole and leave it for a few days before covering it up. Meantime, it will be found that the bulb will send out roots and grip the soil beneath. A little sand and foil can then be worked round and underneath the bulb before the final filling of the hole. DIMOHPHOTEA AURANTIACA. This is an annual which has gained admirers wherever it has been grown. The colour of the daisy-like flower is a. glossy apricot ornngp, with black centre, and it has a daintiness of habit and neatness of appearance that are especially pleasing. It is a native of South Africa and is quite hardy in Auckland. It should be sown in boxes or pots, using a light compost. When the plants are up they must bu pricked out into other pots. Avoid growing them too close so as to cause them to become drawn and weakly. As soon as large enough they can be planted out The should be well dug, and, if possible, liberally manured. Select a warm, sunny position for the plants—they are not happy in shade. To secure the best effect they should be massed. A good bed of this Daisy, plants a foot apart, is a glorious sight. The height is about nine inches, and it branches freely. It can be sown now and will then bloom in early summer. There is also D. hvbrida. similar in all respects to the type but in the colour of the floweTs. In the hybrids these vary from orange to white, ' but as a rule the very light-creams and white colours predominate and are not nearly so effective as the original type.

CULINARY peas!'" One of the most important v emi t crops is the Tea, and where a supply is wanted a sowing *J made as soon as possible, espi:cial , 5 warm light oils. An early vTJt? oi > course, must be chosen for tl^V 1 sowing The soil should be and well manured, for the Pea& in rich lecding, and must n ° starved in any way. nor allowed? fer from lack of moisture. Hav> «* pared the ground, take out o I* about ,ix inches wide and L. ■*? deep, and drop the seed in at two tv apart; thin mowing ig the seed to ;i depth of two in!i, OT,t part of the -soil l from the drtfr 54 ing the remainder in rid"c form „„ * side This will be Wm up later. It mice are likely to I? troublesome, roll the seed in a 1-!? VS of red lead and water before"^" . After the S eedling S are ground, it Tv-Hl ii c necessary to LiZ them from slugs by dusting"li me „-i along the rows, and from birds by iC of a few lengths of black 2' stretched above the rows. Eveprr • boughs or twigs stuck in here "a 2 there along the rows will gi Te ,v? from cold winds, if these prevail" P early work the dwarf varieties are a cellent. Few stakes are required and trouble and expense are therefore sav&L while the quality and quantity of m. duce leaves nothing to he desired ][ tall varieties are sown, they should b. staked as early as possible."