JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15218, 4 March 1915, Page 5

JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS.

Mr E. A. Broughton, of the "Oakloigh" Estate, Southbridge, has sold 2000 bushels of wheat at 7s per bushel.

At yesterday's meeting of the- Lyttelton Harbour Board a letter was received from the Collector of Customs showing that the quantity and value of wheat exported from the Port.of Lyttelton durinsr the quarters ending March 31et, June 30th, September 30th, and December 31st, of 1913, was 59,08 r bushels, valued at £11,081. For a similar period in 1914 the quantity was 316 bushels, valued at £65.

Mr Alfred Gibbs, of Longford, informs the Nelson "Colonist" that he has found a satisfactory cure for peach curl in the simple process of driving a nail through the stem of the tree. He has followed this method for several years, driving the nails through the trunks of the trees in February or early in March, and leaving them there all the season to allow the sap to escape, and he has found' it an effective preventive of peach curl.

In view of the noxious weeds controversy,- the following experiment of rust inoculation, which is being tried on a patch of Californian thistle at Mangatoki, should be of interest to farmers. A supply of rust-infected plants was sent up by the Agricultural department in February last. The infected plants weTe bruised for a few hours in water, which was then sprayod on to. the healthy plants. Jn the first .and eecond months there wss no .result; .in the third month, the plants .started to rot, and during the fourth month had completely rotted on top, with a reddish streak showing as though the rust had affected the stem tissues. .'During the-filth month tfie plants had* rotted to -a depth of two feet. In October and November the young -shoots were appearing, but in November there was evidence, of disease on several plants,- which, towards the end of November, were becoming very sickly, and the rust was spreading-