FARM NOTES.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXIII, Issue 311, 15 January 1912, Page 2

FARM NOTES.

SULPHUR AND FARM CROPS. In a late research ■ bulletin (No. 14), by Professors E. B. Hart and W. H. Peterson, -of the Wisconsin Experiment Station, some very important and interesting facts are recorded concerning the necessity and presence^,of sulphur in the soil as a condition ;of profitable crop production " The authors of this bulletin, in making some special studies in relation to the production of wool, which is especially rich in sulphur (approximately two per cent.), were led to inquire what particular fcedsiuffs would best contribute to the growth of wool. Not quite content to accept the tables of analyses compiled by others, they undertook to ascertain for themselves the sulphur content- of the various feedstuff's which might be used in feeding sheep. Omitting tho technical method used by them, it may suflice to say that they found much more sulphur in these feedstuff's than other chemists had discovered. A comparison of their findings with those of the celebrated Gorman chemist, Wolff, is shown in tho following table: SULPHUR IN FEEDING STUFFS. Hart and Peterson Wolff *Sulphur Sulphur Air dry material. Sulphur trioxide trioxide per cent, percent, per cent. Alfalfa hay 0.287 0.717 0.425 Clover, hay ... 0.154 0.410 0.222 Timothy hav 0.190 0.475 0.195 Barley grain 0.153 0.382 0.060 Barley straw 0.147 0.367 0.207 Corn white... 0.170 0.425 0.010 Corn' storer 0.125 0.315 0.282 Oats .' 0.180 0.450 0.055 Oat straw ... 0.195 0.487 0.230 Wheat ' 0.170 0.425 0.007 Wheat straw 0.119 0.297 0.132*1 part sulphur, 3 parts oxygen. Reduced to farm crops per acre this means that the ycild of thirty bushels of wheat remove* 15.71b of trioxide sulphur from the soil; forty bushels of barley, 14.31b; forty-five bushels of oats, 19.71b; thirty bushels of corn, 12.01b; alfalfa hay, 64.8it>; clover hay, 15.41b; meadow hay, 11.31b.

There is, of course, some sulphur in most soils, and every shower of rain brings down more, but against these there is inevitable loss by drainage. It is, therefore, tho conclusion of tho authors that it is the dictate of common wisdom for the farmer for his own benefit and that of those who arc to como after him, to take heed that tho drain of sulphur from tho soil by cropping should be compensated in some way.

PIG FEEDING ON LUCERNE. Owing to its high protein contents lucerne is a cheap and rclishable fodder for pigs in all stages of their growth, more especially for sows during the period between service and farrowing; and for boars and young pigs when building up frame prior to fattening. It has long been recognised that while wheaten bran provides an excellent food for cows in milk, its effect on pigs is different. The object of feeding bran is to provide protein .in the dairy ration in a conveniently concentrated form, and the best substitute is lucerne, as shown by the following analysis, in which the leading food constituents closely agree: Digestible Nutrients in 1001b of Bran and Luccrno Hay.' Protein Carbo-Hydrates Fat. Wheat bran 12.0 39.2 2.7 Lucerne hay 11.0 36.6 1.2 It is also known that lucerne hay is palatable a,nd readily assimilated. When pigs arc fed on lucerne in sufficient quantity to provide a well-balanced ration, there is a greater distribution of lean throughout the flesh. When denied food containing a proper quality of protein, and fed too largely on maize and other carbonaceous foods; the sow becomes abnormally depraved in the desire- for foods containing protein, and this leads to brood sows sometimes destroying their own young. Ybiing pigs, after weaning, when fed on lucerne, judiciously balanced w-ith grain, have more lusty vital organs, stronger bone and more blood, while boars at the stud are always better for service with a diet including lucerne. In all cases, however, lucerne alone, either as hay, green fodder or ensilage, is too narrow a ration, and hence should bo balanced with maize, barley, rye, oats, potatoes Or other starchy foods.

In grazing lucerne care has to be taken not to graze too close, as there is a risk of eating out tho crowns. Tho nearer the lucerne gets to the green hay maturity stage tho better. The principal of ,thc Hawkesbury College, Mr H..W. Potts, as tho result of experiments, writes:- —"Much depends on tho nature of the stand as to quantity, but under average conditions one aero has been found ample to graze 15 pigs, when supplemented with grain. A gain of 7761b of pork per acre was made in a test on lucerne grazing supplemented with maize. MANURING ORCHARDS Trees require supplies of tho same plant foods as cultivated crops, nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash. It is estimated fhat an aero of land devoted to fruitgrowing loses annually : Potash, 1501b ; nitrogen, 751b; phosphoric acid, sdlb; so that if this drain has been going on for years yield from the trees has become unsatisfactory. Orchards should have, every fourth or fifth year, the benefit of a dressing of good farmyard manure, and iir the intervening years. • an application of artificials. .A dressing of scwt to 6c\vt per acre of good Peruvian guano; mixed with lewt sulphate of potash, can bo recommended, or good results may be obtained frpm an application of a similar quantity of superphosphate of potash, followed up in spring, when the sap begins to rise, by lj cwt of nitrate soda or sulphate of ammonia per acre. COWS AT CALVING TIME.

Troubles -with' the cows at ealving-time are frequent. What is generally know as "garget" comes from inflammation duo to changes in the system at or near the time of calving, because of the large, amount of blood which goes to support the foetus. As the connecting blood vessels, are severed the organs contract, there is a sudden change in the course of, the blood, so that a larger proportion than usual goes-to the udder. The necessity,-at this time, is to keep the digestive system active. .Sometimes a mild dose of physic will be found useful', but not unless the proper feeding" lias been neglected. Laxative feeds, as a rule, bring about the right condition; only the laxative feeding must not bo overdone. Grain feeds arc valuable, but require to be accompanied by laxative mixtures. Feeding too much With hay and similar fodders exclusively, \ in order to reduce the overflow of milk, in an endeavour to avoid udder troubles, is unwise, as such is simply an invitation "to trouble. As a rule the same system of feeding usually adopted for milk" production is suitable, also for a period approaching calving, only at this time and immediately after there has to be more attention paid to feeding with ensilage or root crop mixtures of a laxative character. If milk comes into the udder before calving in too large a quantity, sufficient of it requires to be removed to ease the animal's pain, and should there set in congestion of the udder, nothing is better than the "elbow grease" practice. It does not matter much- whether the water used for fomenting the udder is warm or cold. The main thing to be depended upon is the "massaging" or working of the tissues to effect, a cure.

Millc fever is not nearly the scare it used to be "to the dairy farmer. Formerly this ailment was fatal in about nine casee out of ten, while now, owing to the better knowledge of how to handle it, the fatalities do not average more than about one in ten. When a cow is seriously affected the "oxygen inflation" remedy can always be depended upon to work like magic. Tho special apparatus, so fitted as to ensure that pure air is injected without danger from objectionable germs, that is now obtainable from any < .of , the dairy,supply firms at a moderate cost, should form part of the equipment of every dairy farm, 'but in tho absence of this tho ordinary bicycle pump can be used. In this process the udder requires to be, thoroughly

inflated,'so as to work the air well into all the ducts by manipulating tho udder while tho inflation is going on. BREVITIES. A balanced ration is an allowance of food which is so mixed and proportioned as to produce, the maximum of food value and tho minimum of waste. Plants growing from shallow soil and abundant/ rainfall develop root growth characteristics suited to their environment. If these plants wero transplanted under semiarid conditions they would fail, while those adapted, through years of development, would respond to "dry-farming" methods.