GENERAL FARMING NEWS,

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1245, 29 September 1911, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS,

Another southern farmer has a more or less reassuring word- to say in reference to the grass grub. The item comes from Oreti, Southland, and tho farmer in'question says that he has come to the conclusion that, the parasite never attacks young, vigorous, liealthy grass; but it generally attacks paddocks-, that have been in grass for at least three or four vears. Therefore, he had concluded that, like all other parasites, the grass grub could not thrive ou tho plants unless a cortain amount of deterioration had set in. Ho had arrived at this conclusion owing, to what he had experienced himself. Last year ho had a small paddock which had "lain in grass for four years, and, not wanting to break it up, he sowed some basic slag on it and that renewed the vigour of "the plants. Other paddocks round about, which have not so long been laid down, have the grub in patches, while the paddock he had re.fernxl to did not in any part of it show a sign of grub. He had. therefore, come to the conclusion that grass must be topdressed every few .'years.

The piogress of South Africa under its new Constitution was referred to -by Senator W. i\ Lance, of the South- African Union Parliament, who arrived in Auckland by the Marama on Tuesday. In conversation with a reporter, Senator -jjtinco said tliat a larger white population was What was repaired in South Africa, as, at present, there wove about ten' Natives to every white man. The land in South Africa was excellent fcr agricultural purposes—as good as any land in tho world—but most of it was owned, by Boer farmers, who did not encourage the cutting of it up, and the Government had not offered any inducements to immigrants. At the same time, thcxe was a certain amount of development poms on. They had commenced to .export maize to Europe in considerable quantities, and were beginning to make progress in dairying. Immigrants are wanted in South Africa. Tho class of man that was wanted was, if possible, one with a little capital of his own, but who would do his own work. Many immigrants had come from Germany and they had proved useful farmers. It's a mighty easy thing for one man to advisa another to be kind to his cows so that they will give lots of milk. It is sometimes quite another thing to fol-, low out such advice, says an American writer. He knows best who has tried to milk a kicking heifer on n hot evening in fly time. Of course, there is nothing to prevent being kind to this heifer —Clothing except human nature, and human nature always seems to find expression most easily under such circumstances.