FARM AND STATION.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13098, 24 April 1908, Page 9

FARM AND STATION.

('W-et-klv Press and Referee.")

DEVTH OF A NOTED BORDER LEICESTER BREEDER.

In tlie Border Leicester troction of the catalogues of the larger shows in New Zealand, during the last two years particularly, mav i>e read under the entrv of certain rams: -Bred by David Hume, iiairelwell, Scotland." This notou bleeder's flock has been largely drawn upon bv North and South Island Border I/eicester men, and the sheep have helu their own in popularity with the representatives of such flocks as those- of Lord Polwarth and Messrs A. and J. K. Smith, of Leaston. It will therefore bo read with very ooiioXierable regret that the well-known Barrohvell breeder parsed away somewhat suddenly en a recent date,"while on a visit to Switzerland with his wiie and daughter. The '-North British Agriculturist, 111 an obituary notice, save that Mr Hume, who was some titty-seven yours of age, was a native of Dundee. His father was engaged in businoss there, but lie ultini-oelv leased the farm of East ba_mirmer, on the Panmuro Instates, near Carnoustie. On tho death of his fatiier, Mr Hume suceoded to the tenancy ot that farm, and in 1873 he leased the fine farm of Barrohvell, on the Brechin Ci--rtlc liuates. His management of this farm was characterised by great enterprise and skill. He kept a select herd of Shorthorns and also of Aber-deen-Angus cattle on the farm, but later on the "Doddies" were dispersed. A good many years ago he was attracted bv the merits and possibilities of the fkirdor Leicester, and he founded a flock of these. He was marvellously successful in this venture, and during tho last nine vean. he won the champion diip at tho Highland no less than <*. ven times, lic-ides being four times reservo for the championship. In 1899 ho attained the goal of his ambition by winning the. Princo of Wales's gold niedd for Iwrvrt Bolder Leicester at the Highland Show in Edinburgh, and at the Edinburgh Show of la-.t year he won the Bonier Leicester Society's prize for best shearling ram, while the championship of th© section was awarded to Bailie Taylor for an aged ram, which was fiircd by a Barrel we 11 ram. As a matter of fact, a large part of the keem-ot competition which he had to face in the showyariLs came from animals which wero eircd by Barrelwell rams, lie was also very successful with his Shorthorns, which were in high demand for exportation to the Argentine. In other walks ot life .Mr Hume had alto made his mark, lie was a director of several American Land and Cattle Companies, and he was up till last year chairman of tho Farmers' Mart Co., Brechin. In all public affairs that concerned hinifcelf or the Brechin district he took a very active and helpful part. He was a gentleman of freo and breezy manners, but of firm purpose. His genial presence will be keenly missed at the shows of the Highland and the "Angus," and the rani sales.

DANGERS IN IMPORTED FQJDER. It will he remembered that a note of warning was sounded in oonneetion with tho danger that existed of imago an outbreak of foot-and-mouth porting the cattlo tick in fodder brought into Auckland from Australia, and attention has been drawn to a similar matter at Home. A short time diseAso took place in a herd of dairy cows in Scotland, and some important statements were subsequently made in the House of Commons in relation thereto. Mr o'Shaiighiics.sy a-skcd Sir E. Strachey whether hay from Rotterdam had been the cause of the re-cut outbreak of foot-and-mouth .di--oa.se amongst cattle in tho district of Edinburgh; and, if so, whether he had taken any stop-* to prevent the importation of'hay into the United Kingdom from foreign countries with a view to prevent the outbreak of such disease in tho future. Sir E. Suarhey replied : Thero is evidence that hay imported from Rotterdam was the medium by which foot-aiid-irriuth disease was recently introduced into Scotland, but our inquiries on tne .subject are not yet complete. The general question is receiving very curef til -consideration, but n-> d'eci-.ion "has -yet 'been arrived at. "If* there' foot-and-mouth diseaso at Rotterdam?" asked Mr O'Shaughnessy. .Vl'believe,"' replied Sir • JO. Strachey, Vf that the disease existe all over tho Netherlands." In reply to the further qhestiion whether the Board would stop the importation of hay, he repeated that tho matter was under consideration."'" This k a matter that should not he lost eight of by the authorities in this country.

THE Uc5E OF "NITIIO-BACTERINE. Mr W. T. Stead, of the "lteview of Reviews," who has undertaken to boom Professor Bottomry's nitro-bacterine, hos ' found it necessary to issuo two warnings on the subject. The tirst is: '*it should bo clearly understood that the* bacteria only suyplv nitrogen to the crops and soil. If the land is deficient in phosphates, poUish, or lime, these must be added if the bacteria are to do their work properly. Plants require phosphates, potush, and lime us well ;is mtiogen ior hoalthy and vigorous growth, but nitrogen is the most i_njj_j-rt;int ts well j\a the most expensive Ukkl clement, a::<l given tho presence of the oilier food elements in the sail, inoculation will supply all the nitrogen necessary for the luxuriant growth of a leguminous crop.'' This is admittedly sound advice, but the second warning is regarded <a-> doubtful. It is worded: "Another i-oiut to be remembered concerning ir.oeuiation is that soils rich in aviihb.e nitrogen do not respond to inoculation. Whore plants can obtain nitrates from the soil they appear to prefer this source of Vtrogcii supply, and tubercle format ion is presented. . . . It cannot be too strongly emphasised that it is toil poor in nitrogen which responds mo.t readilv and liberally to inoculation; the thousands of acres of non-productive land it does not pay at present to till and manure, which can be restored to fertility and productiveness by tho use of these bacteria cultures.'' A critic points out that it is questionable „if leguminous crops prefer to taljo their nitrates from the soil where the soil is rich in available nitrogen, and ho ndds that to niako the soil rich in phosphates, potash, and lime requires a considerable outlay to begin- with, and the same treatment even without the bacterial culture would suffice to grow a good crop of leguminous plants seing that every leguminous crop has the capacity for assimilating ntmo-sphoric nitrogen "when the phosphates, lime, and potash aro provided.