EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8477, 8 May 1893, Page 2

EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

(" Weekly Prees. ,, IKTEN.SK KARMINO.

Amonßat the ninny puggcßtionn for th» amelioration of British ngricuUure in these days of intense doprunilon, Iμ one propounded by Sir Arthur Cetteu of Woodcot, Dorking, which is nothing lent than that all agricultural land should be deeply dug—indeed, treuched—to a depth of from two to three feet deep, adding at the sume time n liberal dreseingof manure equal to 30 tone per acre. Sir Arthur 1* a flnn believer iv this method of treating the land eveu for cereals. He has produced an average of 150 bushels of wheat per acre, the grain being of splendid quality. The cost of digglug waH £100 per nerp, I a addition the land was ploughed deeply three times. The manuiing cost £10 10a per acre, the ploughing cultivation, and harvest expenses £10 10a, ndding interest at 4 per cent on the £100 an acre spent in digging, and 3 per cent on £80, the original workingcapital (including cost of land) and local charge*, the annual cost of treating land in this way would be £28 15j. Apparently Sir Arthur Intends one digging to last fifty years or more, a 9 he allows only one per cent as sinking fund. And now as to the return*. He reaped 150 bushels of wheat, which was sold at 4s fid. giving a return of £34, and ten tons ol straw, worth £2 per ton. leaving a profit of £25 5s per acre, in addition to inturetl on capital invested. He got even better results from land treated in the same way put under ryegrass, taking two years logetber. To the cost as above, £SSL should be ndded £7 for interest the second year and £5 for current expenses, such at harvesting. The first your tho crop of hay was ten to us, and the second year twelve tons, worth £3 a ton, or a total of £100; deducting thi* expenses, .£4l, there was £69, or £34 10s per acre per annum, In addition to interest on capital. It te hardly likely that- New Zealand farmer* will try much of this kind of farming, perhaps it might be tried ou dome of the proposed State farms. STACK mULDING. Wβ notice from our northern flics that Messrs Bidwill at To Make, luivo recently threshed out four stacks of oats which have been standing since last year (over twelvemonths), without being thatched. With the exception of a few sheaves which touched the ground the corn was perfectly dry and sound. The value of this evidence Is that it Is quite possible to build weather-proof stacks. It will bo remembered that the rainfall laet year was. an exceptionally heavy one. It is only fair to say that tho sacks were built by Mr William Campbell. We would add that it would pay the grain growers of Canterbury to sccuro the services of Mr Campbell, if available, for a season te teach their sons the art (for art) it is) ol building weather-proof stacks. NEW MARKETS FOR BUTTER AND OHEBBB. Mr G. Fisher of Wellington reports that he has received a letter from a business man iv Belfast, Ireland, urging that the dairy farmers of New Zealand should send shipments of butter and cheese to that port and to Scotland, where there ia alwuyi a large and ready market for that produce, but he adds that it must beoftths very beet quality. For instance one firm in Scotland, who pay on an average &W) per week to one firm in Copenhagen all the year round for dairy produce, besides obtaining large supplies from America and Canada, and still it wauts more, provided It is of the best quality. This ntwa should stimulate our factories to producing m superior article. If they cannot, then iliey had better let the business alone.

STUD SHEttP FOR AtTSTttALIA. Mr E. Alenlove, of Windsor Parfev Oiinaru, has recently disposed of 800 stud Lincoln ewes for Australia at the vtty Hatiifactory figure of Ogs each. Tbo eftffijy are two, four, and six-tooth. They are da-Kcendt-d from some cwee imported by Mr E. Menlove twenty years ago, but which, huvc beon carefully attended to ever ainca, . This sale may be considered one of the first fruits of th* removal of the restraints on sheep from New Zealand into Australia. It ia quite evident that the principal breeders of stud sheep are about to reap ft golden harvest from their etud flocks. DAIItY FACTORY FOR OAMAHU. Wo aro very pleased to lenrn that the farmers in this district have at last made up their minds to participate in the benefits to be derived by the factory system of manufacturing outtcr. It appears that Mr Milne, who has been actively engaged in the work of canvassing the following districts, has secured promises * of cows as under :-Aweraolto, 220; Otepopo, 200; Ngapurn, 200; Pukeurl. 240; and Mahcno, 200; making a total of 1000. Ie is fully cxp'ected thac quite 23% more will be forthcoming as soon »c the factory gets to work. An effort Iβ being made to get two snares taken up for each cow owned. Aud it ia reckoned that Iha increased value given to the milk by the creamery, will pay the whole of the share, capital (£2 per cow) in one year aud give farmer* also as much for the milk as they are now getting Already 1700 abares have been taken up in the country dletrint* Tito town has not vet been canvassed. Wβ quite endorse Mr Milne'a statement which runs thus :—" There In no project that 1 know of, fchnfc will afford a safer Invert* merit, nnd 3ecuie a more certain refcura for the farmers, ihun thU industry." A FLOURISHING LITTLK FACTOBY. Since the Marllngof the B.'»llance Delrj Factory in October last, enye the Walrarapa Times, tho quantity of butter made It seventeen torn*. Tho largest milk supply, in one day reached 750enls. In January, the milk Hupplied amounted to 22,000ga1e, and cheques were paid on milk accouut equal to £300, the largest cheque being £23 for milk from about thirty cowa. It it confidently expected that tho supply will be doubled next summer. It 1* proposed to build a creamery in connection with this factory, south of Sinclair's, in the Woodville-Mongahao. FARM AMD LABOUR IN NEW ZEALAND, COMPILED BY THIS AGKNT GUNKRAL. Wo have recr ived a copy of this little* pamphlet, prepared for the special benefit of email farmers, who may make tap their minds to throw in their lot with us in the famed land. Tho pamphlet contains much useful Information, and will add one more to the numerous efforts which have been made to attract attention to our shores. Particular utreus is placed on the class of persons required in tho colony. The in* distent labourer will find no welcome ia the colony. It is farming men with some means who aro required and who would find ample investment-* for rheir energiM and their capital as well. Speaking of a general scheme of emigration, the Agent General remark* with much force that i" it cannot be stated too often tbftC colonies only want the people suited for their requirements, aud that at locg a> English people regard emigration as a means of relieving their country of every class of destitute nnd incompetent people, so long will difflcuUici Inseparable be rained in the colony to any general colonization scheme." The advantages of the colony are folly set out: her splendid trade in frozen meat; her ranldly developing dairy indnntry; her woo), flax ana manufactures are all ably treated, bh well as the labour question. FLTJKB IN SHERP. Ib ie rumoured that fluke h becoming rather prevalent and ou the increase ia some parts of New South Wales It is. to be hoped that the Stock Department will look into tho mutter. The terrible result* of this disease can beet be realised by a reference to punt experience* In other Countries. In 18802,000,000 sheep perished of fluke in England. Some forty yearn ago ftome thousands of sheep pemhed* in Tasmania of fluke, indeed, whole Hocks were decimated, nnd tnanyinhcep farmer* were ruined by their losses. Happily for NewZealaud no well authenticated case of fluke has ever been found in tbH colony. Our immunity from thin fell ditieaee ie rather unaccountable, for considerable numbers of merino sheep were imported,,, from Tasmania at the time when fluke was prevalent in that colony. The reason for tills »ingular Immunity i% accounted for by science from the fact that the pert (a funall molluek) Is not in New Zealand* Long may our d I tubes and pastures be a stranger io the creature. DBBP WELLS IN NEW SOUTH WAI-E3. The farmers in New Zealand hare but ft faint conception of the terrible losses stock owner»,have suffered In New South Wales and other parts from continued drought. h\rgv> supplies of water ure now provided along tho travelling routes form deep borfngo, ouiik nt interrals of twenty MilK'e lv the ar-imsfi districts. From one or {Jh«se hoi oh there, t* an outflow of 2,000,000 ya lions j»it day. fixpnriments hivvn been made vflth the Surplus water in the way- of irrigation with considerable nucc«n». Mr Uuultbee (the superintendent of puhlic places) esttmaroA tho averagwq"a«»<H\T °* warer required for Irritrntlon of crop* *5 72,000 cubic feet or 645.485 g»Hon» par acreeauai to n, rainfall of 20 incite*. From tli« bore r> ferred to <v supply in avallnblft ««tffi to a rainfall of 20 inches per Annum for Cbu acre*, »o that au area of about 1&50 eew* ; can be supplied with water equuiiiug a»« i of 20 inches.