JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13005, 6 January 1908, Page 5

JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

Labour is evidently very scarce in Canterbury (remarks tho "Kaikoura Star"). A well-known Littlo River settler, unable to secure men down south, sent to Kaikoura about a week ago For ten gra«» seeders, wages to be la id an hour. Tlio gentleman with whom he communicated had no difficulty in arranging for the men required, and they went down on Friday. A Kimbolton farmer, in the course of conversation with the "Dominions' Manawatu representative tho other day. suege'Sted that the Government should encourage the children attending Srate schools to indulge in tree planting. The matter could be easily taken up in connection with tihe school gardens. , It was pointed out that already Kimbolton school had made a move in this direction, and 'th«* children received every encouragement from tho committee. The s?he7i:c could be easily worked if the Department of Agriculture would supply to the children the class of trees best adapted for the various localities. The farmer added that this practice was carried out in Switzerland, and some 600.000 trees wero supplied to the children every year. Besides growing a useful class of tree, the additional purpose of providing shelter would be served. Every farmer on the West Coast of the North Island knows well that shelter is essential if the stock are to lio properly cared for during the winter; yet, with all their past experiences in this respect, it is astonishing to note how fow farms are fortified with anything liko sufficient shelter. Shelter almost does away with the necessity oP providing covens for stock. There are several lessons, says Mr GfUundets, manager of Mo_ohak : State Farm, which th© farmers of New Zealand may take from those of Britain. One striking instance is that of the rotation of crops. It is necessary, cays Mr Gillanders, that tbe Home farmer should maintain his land in a high state of fertility at the least cost, and this can best be done by a systematic rotation course. The usual procedure is tz> commence with oats, roUwved by turnips or some other fallow crop, then wheat or barley, and, finally, clover or grass, when, tne land is allowed to remain as pasture for about two years. English fanners have realised that a change of crop from year to year is less exhausting to the soil, thereby economising considerably their expenditure on artificial manures; while it provides the needed change of diet for their stock. Praotically all root crops at Home are ridged, and are always cultivated. Of course the Home farmer has to stallfeed his stock for six months in tho year, and the amount of food he has consequently to conserve is very great. Its preparation, therefore, is a matter

of very great importance, and receives special consideration. Ono of the most effective factors in breaking down the isolation of country life is tho telephone. In America the 'phone and tho rural mail delivery are bringing the farmer in constant touch with his neighbours, the markets and the world at larce. A daily, mail delivery is apparently not within measurably' distance in this country (remarks the ''New Zealand Times"), but the telephone is a practical proposition. This great convenience in the private and business affairs of the farmer may not be obtained as cheaply in this country ns in America, but the cot is not prohibitive. Here is the actual cost of a line erected by a Waikato farmer, the distance being two miles and three-quarters. The 100 poles— 6ft 6in at ono end and 4ft 4in at the other—made of heart of totara, cost £30. The insulators were Is 3d each. Six hundredweight coils of wire wer6 used, and los 9d was paid for eaoh of these; lacing wire cost 2s. The labour ran into £3 4s—two men for four days at eight shillings n day. Total ccst of erection .044 5?. 6d. or £16 2s r»»r mile. The charge for the instrument and right of connection with the bureau is £10 for the first year, with a reduction to £9 in subsequent years. No end of trouble ijs being caused in Melbourne over some faulty woclclnssinjx at the Pookie Agricultural College Farm ;n Victoria. The college clip was only n few bales, but each bale contained several classes cf wool. Tn one there were simples ranging from Lincoln to gcod comeback, and no less than -seven qualities were found in it. Other lmles wrro similarly treated. A report has been called for by the Minister, who wonts to knowwhy, seeing that students have to be taught to be exceedin.cly particular in elapsing th*» different qualities, tho college clip itself should not be. classed for n-:-rkot with the same care. At the .ome time, the Council of Agricultural Education wants to know how the information that thero hod been slovenliness got into tho newspapers. One of the most Astonishing developments of the fruit trade in recent yrtirs <.sgj-. tho "'Frtiitgrowcr'') has been the enormous quantities of class fruit from tho British colonies which havo arrived when tho Homo crops nre exhausted. It is, indeed, surprising to notice that although most of tho original scions, ej-es, cuttings, seeds, grafts, or other forms of fruit stock have been exported from England in the past, tho produce has been grown in ■_ much moro perfect manner ond put up in far more marketable form and quantities in the colonies. Tliis is largely duo to tho more reliable and more sunny clinwte of British Columbia, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, and last, but not least, iSouth Africa. These countries, storting Into in fruit production, have hern able to .goin by the experience of the mother and other countries as regards varieties, systems, and details cf cultivation ond management, methods of packing and marketing, and they have the added advantage (which they eh aro with Ireland, but which England has not got) of .direct Government legislation in maintaining a high standard of quality, absence of disease, regular supplies nnd uniform pocking und grading. These latter items have at the Capo been entered for by creating insrnvitors of fruit at ports V.f shipment aud by subsidising the establishment of cooperative societies which have served to place the smaller growers on much the st mo level with those cultivating some hundreds of ceres of fruit land.