AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 138, 7 December 1912, Page 16

AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS.

EARTH WORKING BY EXPLOSIVES. In connection will) the new devourments now taking place in tho use of explosives for tho economical digging/ of Ijost holes, deep stirring of land, and u-eaking up of haid underground strata of soil generally, Mr. C. W. Burbury, superintendent of the Wentworlh irrigation urea (sttyß the Melbourne Leader) report % that "a demonstration in subßoihng with explosives yvae given on the urea by v representative of Messrs. Dalgeiy atld Co., the explosive ufeed being Monobel powder. There is a hardpan on the prea, averaging from 6 to 8 inches in thickness, but extending ih places to a depth of 2ft 6ih. "In ono place, whefo the hardpan extends to about 2ft, a hole was put down 12in, and one plug of Monobel exploded This just blew out 'the earth nnd left a hole the size of a, hole that would be dug out for planting a young tree, Ht the same time shattering the ground all round for about I2in. The next plug was put down 18hi' this threw out very little earth, but the earth was cracked for about 2ft 6in all found the hole, and left fairly loose. Another similar charge, put dowtt 2ft, just near the bottom of the hardpan, seemed to do very good work. The whole surface for about oft in diameter woe Been to rise up several inches, bo that a shovel was pushed down about 2ft 6in, near the oontre of tho hole, without any trouble. The next charge was put down about 2ft 6in, but this was getting into (softer ground, and the hardpati wag hot broken up so well. "A double charge at 2ft did splendid work, cracking the- ground all round for about 4ft, and on opening up with a shovel, a. hole about IBm in diameter wa« found Rt a depth of 2ft. The ground was solid clay from the surface, tmd 3in down it was as hard and dry aa if baked in a Are, so that it was difficult to get a hole down with a 2in auger. On another block, where the hardpan was only from 6in to lOin thick* half a plug gave iplendid results." The local ehe&ftng record for the eeason was put up th© other day at Messrs. Simpson Bros.' ehed, a native, "Tommy," putting through 282 ewee from 5.30 a.m. until 6 p.m.— Huhterville Express. "It's just the weather for cow-epank' mg," remarked the manager of the Nireaha cheese factory to ah Eketahuna Express reporter, "and our supply of milk is keeping up splendidly." He further stated the supply of milk at the factory had now reached 4200 gallons tx day, and that the compahy was making about eight large cheeses more thfin at the eorre-" spondihg time last year. Shearing is now in hand on many of the farms in the Hawera district. In the Ararata district ovor 20.000 aheap have been put through. Ah interesting case was heard in Tau»; marunui the other day, in a milk case, in which the question wiw how soon after calving the milk of a cow is fit for human consumption. A dairy expert. et&ted-tha.t one of the best tests was to drop a little of the milk into boiling water. If the milk curdles it is still unfit for use, and vice versa. The country between Pahiatua and Tane is at present looking exceptionally well. Ploughing and harrowing opera* tions have been m operation a good deal lately, and, a considerable area of land is under cultivation. The profits of dairying on good country, under efficient m&htgemont., Are demonstrated by an authenticated example of a farmer on the Richmond River, north coast of New South Wftlfefl, whose dairy herd' numbers 41 on 71 acres, and who for the past nine months hat averaged £49 17s 9d. The average number of cows per month i« about 30. During that time he has pfcid into the bank £440 9b lid. h is stated that a Waipawa resident who accepted 17s for his fat lambs received an offer of 18s a few minutes After the bargain was ►tliuehdtL An Australian shearer, who recently struck * Lihtoln-ttomney si sd in the Wftiramp*, remarked— "Gee I tf thin is the size of the shocp, I'd like to leo the cattle I" "New Zealand apples, for quality, will easily hold their owii in competition," ro> marked a Nekoh i -fruitgrower in course of conversation with a press representa> tive. "It is not generally known 1 that in 1904 at Hobail, in 1807 at Brisbane, and this year at Melbourne, New Zealand apples were awarded pride of place." The New Zealand Casein Company is orecting a large central drying factory at Arainoho, and has also made arrangements to dry for the Bunnythorpe Do» operativo Dairy Factory and a humbor of Taranaki firms. It is reported that a largo casein factory will shortly be erected in Taranaki. A destructive grub has been unearthed in the Waihuka district, Poverty Bay. It is a white grub, which attacks the roots of vegetation, and at ohe station a bed bf strawberries had beeh destroyed. When matured the grub is transformed into, a small browhish-black beetle which emerges from the earth at nightfall, and sets to work in the leaves of rose trees and other shrubs, which are quickly stripped. Between £6000 and £7000 has been .subscribed at T&kapau toVards the proposed farmers' freezing works in Hawkes Bay. In many districts in Southland the wet weather ahd consequent floods have materially abated the rabbit nuisance ; but it is doubtful (says tho Times) if they have ever been more plentiful than thgy are. at present on some properties. Where the gorse hedges have spread they are to be seen in droves. » A record consignment of 166 cases of white and coloured cheese will be despatched by the Otaraia Dairy Company in the Rotorua on 12th December. Up to this present date 150 tons of cheese have befih despatched from the Eketahuna railway station to 'Wellington for transhipment to Lohdon, while 769 bales of wool have been despatched, an increase of about two hundred bulos as compared with tho corresponding period last year. According to reports from H&wkes Bay, tho proposed freezing works in that district are to be the most up-to-date in the Dominion. Much of the ploughing in the Rangilikei district has been done per medium of stofttii ploughs t-hw season, and it is Btated ' that the work dono has given great satisfaction. "As far as, farmers are concerned," stated a speaker at a meeting of the Gisborne Sheepfarmers' Frogen Meat Company, "they are up against a good year, ahd I can only express the hope that no international cotnplicationr or unforeseen difficulties with workers will come ih to mar what is likely to be the most prosperous season we havo ever had ih Poverty Bay." . Overstocking of sheep pasture should be rigidly avoided, for it is the opinion of those best qualified to judge that it is in a great dctyreo responsible for the spread of the worm post. In addition to tho fex cessivo fouling of the lahd with a grcotet amount of paraoito-impi-pgnated droppings from ihfosteel sheep, tho depletion of the land of iU inosi nutritious grasses nnd planl* rrsiilts in a lack of thriving which prodi'spo^es to worm infection. Orm of tho be<it, tnr-nns for improving flukey or worm infested pastum* » lo burn them : but it is nob usually practicable. For lambing ewoq nothing is bolter tlmn a paddock thnt has boon burnt in the autumn. Tho feed that, springs after the burning produces a pood How of milk nftd the burnt ji round will be cotnpnrnthely free from Die eggs of para»ile< with which the young lambs are so liable to bo come infested. Tho periodical dressing of lambing paddocks with freshly burnt lime it olso a great advantage.