EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9364, 13 March 1896, Page 2

EDITORIAL FARM NOTES.

"Weekly Press and Referee/ DR. DE LACTOCR'S POTATO EXPERI3IEXT3.

i A year aeo we referred to an interesting •r*vAperiment being carried on by Dr. cle Lautour, of Oama.ru. Being impressed with the fact that the potatoes in his district were deteriorating in quality, and believing the chief cause to be the want of more frequent change of seed, the idea no doubt occurred to the Doctor that as flowers, such as pau.sies and carnations improve in quality when grown from cuttings, the same might linppen if potatoes were grown from cuttings. Accordingly, in December, 1893, the Doctor struck two cuttiup; from the sterns of potatoes growing in his garden. These cuttings grew and produced threo tubers in March, 1894, weighing la 1834. these three potatoes were cut into eleven sets, ten of which grew and matured. They were dug on February 4th, 1395, and yielded sixty-five table potatoes, weighing 211bs 807.5, and nineteen sesd, weighing lib Bozs. The potatoes were of superior quality. In 1895, the Doctor sent a few of these potatoes to Mr Eayno, of Lincoln College, and a few to Mr Ceo. Brbwnlec, of Oamaru; the remsiningtubers(tablc), weighing 1711)8 Bozs. These wore planted in six rows; the small seed (twenty in number), were planted whole and separately. These were planted on August Bth, 1895, and dug in January and February, yielding 1,285 sound table potatoes, weighing 2461b5. There wei-e 663 small or seed potatoes. The whole were grown in a garden plot of good soil, measuring 24ft x 14ft; this is equal to a return of 14 tons per acre. The above statement must be supplemented by Mr Bayne and Mr Erownlee before the total, result from the three little potatoes in two years can be realised.

FOOR QUALITY MUTTON. Messra Henry Fitter & Sons' report dated Jan. 10th, 1896, is to hand, and contains some statements which should be pondered over by all who are interested in the success of the frozen meat trade. The remarks referred to are to the following effect: —"Unfortunately, many of the New Zealand sheep now coining on the market are of very poor quality, and compare unfavourably with other frozen sheep that are being sold at much lower prices. The syetein of forward selling has no doubt had a good dec! to do with this, for in forward sak'3 everything appears to depend on the weight, and very little on the quality. This has been frequently illustrated of late, for many of the parcels that have been bought forward have I given great dissatisfaction to the buyers, and <in some cases claims have been made. We have expressed the opinion many times that, if New Zealand is to keep at the top of the market).there muat be morovattention paid to the quality of the Mutton ;*for already we arc getting cross-breds from Australia, and the River Plate, which are decidedly better in quality than many of the medium New

Zealand Sheep. Consequently the competition is very keen add , prices suffer." We have frequently expressed ourselves to the effect, that if New Zealand is to compete successfully with countries such as the Argentine (and coming nearer home, the Australian Colonies) stock-owners will have to aim at keeping up their stocktothe highest pitch of perfection. No second quality meat 'should be shipped, far better send it to the try pot. The same may be said of our dairy produce. Experience has shown that New Zealand can produce mutton and lamb, equal to the best home grown, whioh will pay for shipping, while shipping inferior quality mutton or lamb, will in all probality result in loss. A FINE FODDER PLANT. At a recent meeting of the Riverton S. A. branch of the Agricultural; Bureau, Mr Dfcvis tabled a specimen of Thousand Headed Kale, over 3ft in circumference at the top. Mr Davis, in describing hie mode of treatment of the crop, said that on November 30th he set out 300 plants, just opening the furrows, spreading a little manure (he does not say what kind or how much), covering it up and then harrowing,. the plants being dibbled in 3ft apart. The land is worked so as to keep the surface open and free from weeds. No water was used. Thousand-headed Kale is largely cultivated in England by sheepfarmers; it ia admirably adapted for ewes. One great advantage in this crop is that it does not scour sheep or lambs. The conditions of successful culture are clean, well-tilled, and rich soil—or soil rendered rich for the crop by manures. It may be sown in drills 30in apart in March or April for use in August and September, or in September or October for feeding in the following autumn ; or it may be sown in a seed bed in autumn, and planted out early in spring, ploughed in under the third or fourth furrow, according to the richness of the soil. An experienced farmer in the Old Country has said of this crop that " It is the least known and most desirable of any green crop he bad ever seen. It is a plant that produces more food per acre than any other; and does not disagree with any stock, nor does it impoverish the land." Certainly this high* encomium is largely borne out by the facts above referred'to.

XTXCtEXmuX DAIRIES AND UJTHEAJLTUT COWS. The recent inspection of dairies and dairy stock for the'supply of milk to the city and suburbs of Christchurch, must lead to a material improvement, not only in the class and care of stock used for milk purposes, but to other sanitary improvements, the want of which has perhaps more to do with the recent outburst of typhoid in Christchurch and its surroundings than even the dirt and disease reported in connection with certain dairy farmers. Our remarks will, however, be directed to the dairies and the dairy stock. We can heartily endorse one of the recommendations of the committee appointed by the City Council when they urge the appointment of an inspector of dairies, registration of persona who sell milk in town, the frequent testing of milk, and the granting of special certificates to dairies where the appliances, surroundings, and stock aro found to be first-class. Perusing the report, wo find that in one dairy a cow was found with all the appearance of suffering from cancer. A medical man of considerable experience in such matters, states that infantile tuberculosis is on the increase in Christcharcb, and he has no doubt bat that the evil is traceable to our milk supply. Tuberculosis is more frequent amongst dairy cattle than v generally supposed, especially

so in aged cattle. The same authority suggests that the American system should be introduced here." It if? as follows :—As soon as an animal is suspected, the tubcrenlinc test is applied (which is infallible), and should the animal be found to be affected with the disease, it is immediately destroyed. Absolute cleanliness should be observed in the milking yards, the milk cans, and the milkers' hands. We were much pleased with a visit we paid recently to the Asylum farm, near Christchurch, with the arrangements in the milking yard. Two milking machines were at work, by which means the milk is drawn from the cows iuto the air-tight cans perfectly clean and pure. The cows' xidders are carefully cleaned before attaching the suckers. Alongside the milking-yard there is a lavoratory supplied with pientj" of water and soap. If the same cleanliness was observed in all our dairies, we fancy that very little complaint would be made, save and except of diseased stock. AKAROA COUNTY FARMERS , ASSOCIATION. A large amount of dissatisfaction has for some time been rife in this district, touching the grading of cheese by the Government grader. A meeting of members was recently called to consider the matter, and to hear Mr Sawers's explanation regarding the system pursued at Lyttelton. He explained that the Act provided that regulations could be made for the grading of butter and cheese. The regulation providing for the grading of butter was carried out; with cheese, however, it was a totally different matter, as it wa3 never graded at fill. A reference to the Government Gazette would show that the Government only took the right to inspect and report to the various shippers, so that defects might js remedied ; they took no right to grade, and no cheese had ever been graded in Lyttsllon, and no cases had been marked with a grade of any kind. Mr Sawcrs also illustrated the advantage of having cheese examined and reported upon. Mr W. M'Xay said that although a really qualified grader was a great, advantage to manufacturers of dairy produce, much harm would result from an inefficient one. TJIK TICK PLAGUE. The tick plague in Queensland referred to in a recent iss;:e, is we are pleased to note on the decline. Large numbers of cattle have succumbed to the plague. The irritation caused by the swarms of ticks infecting the unfortunate animals, results in many cases in faver and ultimately death. Cattle in a semi-state of starvation are more liable to attack those in good condition. It appears that with copious rain and a fresh growth of feed, the unfortunate animals are gradually getting rid of their tormentors. It is not pleasant to contemplate the terrible sufferings of the poor brutes.