AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7251, 10 January 1889, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(_W_b__y Press _

The following is the estimate of the British wheat crop of the present year, by Sir J. B. Lawes:—Taking the average population of the United Kingdom for the harvest year 1888-7, at rather over 372 millions (37,771,175), the estimated requirement for consumption, at s.6sbushelg per head, would be about 28 2-3 million quarters (28,675,802). The area under wheat is reported to have been 2,663,438 acres, or nearly 300,000 more than last year. This area at 26 7-8 bushels per acre would yield nearly 9 million quarters (8,947,480); and deducting 2 bushels per acre for seed, there would remain rather over 8£ million quarters (8,281,621) available for consumption, and there would accordingly-- required about 18 1-8 million quarters (18,894,271) to be provided from stocks and imports.

A committee on pleuro, appointed by th e British Government, in their report state they recognised iv the fullest terms that tuberculosis was a very prevalent disease and also a very dangerous one, as it was communicable to man, through the eating of flesh or the drinking of milk from diseased animals. It was more dangerous than pleuro iv that respect, and it wag, more difficult to deal with in another respect, as it was hereditary, whereas pleuro was not so. The committee, therefore, recommended that tuberculosis should be included in the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, so as to provide for the slaughter of diseasedani.nals when found diseased onth; owner's premises, and also when exposed in fairs, markets, etc., and during transit.

A Blue-Book has been issued containing the evidence taken last year on " Market Rights and Tolls," which contains the following evidence on selling cattle by live weight given by Messrs Swan and Sons, auctioneers, on cattle sold at their meat mart, Edinburgh:—The highest percentage of meat was got from a three* year-old shorthorn grass-fed bullock. This animal weighed 96 stones, the price per stone live weight was 4s lOjd, the yield of meat was 62.20 per cent, and the cost to tbe butcher was 7s IOJd per stone. The. next highest percentage was got from a cross polled bullock, court-fed, the live weight of which was 90 stories and the yield of meat 59.44 percent.;the cost to the butcher being Bs. 2d. per stone. A West Highland beifer gave a yield of 59 per cent. ; and home-fed Canadians were found to yield about 57-0 per cent, of dressed meat.

An interesting report of the " staying • qualities of wheat is given In the Mark: Lane Express. A sample in the straw was shown from a rick put together in August 1864, and consequently 21 years old. It was grown near Dover. The rick has been re thatched five times. The wheat is as plump in the berry as it was when harvested, and the straw is as bright and fresh ss when put together in the giorous sunshine of that season; after the great lapse of time this is very remarkable, and the writer intends to test the vitality of the grain fairly, in the ground and in the open. It isjfound that diseased potatoes can be utilised for the manufacture of starch. A quantity weighing 801b. having been pulped, yielded 101b. so_ of starch.

The thirty-fourth great annual Ayrshire Cheese Show, which was held at Kilmarnock on 28th October proved beyond dispute tha_ although there was ah unusually high yield of milk in dairying district., this year, yet there was certainly not mere than an average yield of butter and cheese. This may, says tbe North British AgricoxtO— _t, be in some put due to unfavourable climatic conditions of the

season. It is, however, an acknowledged fact that cheese made on the n-.-tt.tfa system, which is now so common laths south-west of Scotlao<*, has not the -eso. Ing quality which characterised the cheese of that district before this new system was introduced. It is also known thtf some of the best makers In the South west of Scotland, including Mr Frederick" of Drumflower, who lately carried the Lord Mayor's cup for the beat cheese at the London Dairy Show, made their cheese in the system taught many years ago by Mr Harding, an instructor who came from Somerset, the home of the Cheddars, to improve the cheese of Scotland. Oa Mr Harding's system the acidity was starts by the addition of sour whey. By the <& Dunlop method the cheese were made by the cold process, no heated whey belr_ added to the curd at all. Cheese mads oa | this system were much longer in ripening, while the_ keeping powers were all that I could be wished. Under the Canadian system, as now practised, on the othet hand, the cheese can be ripened In a te* weeks, but this rapid ripening cm tom their equally rapid decay. Tblslsapolat which eheesemakers would do well to examine carefully.

Much of the so-called ivory now in ttt* is simply potato. A good, sound potato washed in diluted sulphuric acid, th« boiled in the same solution and then slowly dried, Is all ready to be turned into buttons, poker chips, and Innumerably other things that ivory was used tor ones upon a time.

Alfalfa should never be pastured. ]& the first place it will pay better to cut It and feed it to stock. There ls an Immesa* waste in having a lot ot stock In oa » rank growth of alfalfa. The waste is mor* than what is eaten, The great objection, however, is that if pastured the weeds are allowed to grow, while the alfalfa is est* down. It ls evident tbat in this way tltt weeds soon take the field, but if It Is est the whole is taken down together, aad when given a fair chance alfalfa will sot be rooted out by any weed. If a penoa has even as many as 10 or 12 head of stock to feed he will find that it will pay ty wages to mow it and haul it ont to tout. A field will feed three times aa much sto& and save the grass from being killed ot| by weeds.—Colusa Sum.