AGRICULTURAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 126, 29 May 1915, Page 13

AGRICULTURAL

GROWING LUCERNE. A Hawora Star reporter last wook inspected two plots of lucerne — one at Mr. Robertson's farm on the Tawhiti-road, and one at Mr. T. Winks' at Ararata. Mr. Robertson's, half -acre plot was sown with Hunter River seed in December, 1913, and appears to have received fair treatment and shows fairly oven growth, oxcepting in one weak spot. During last sea-son four cuts were taken off it — two for ensilage, one for hay, and one for green foed — and Mr. Robertson is so satisfled with the results obtained from this plant that ho ie now preparing a much larger area, for lucerne. In this section, as indeed in too many lucerne plots, there is an evidence of the want of surface cultivation, and too many weeds are showing. At Mr. T. Winks' farm the plot had been put down in a well-sheltered locality and in very good loamy soil. It bore unmistakable evidence, however, of the want of proper attention and surfaco cultivation, and there wore places where the couch grass had almost smothered out the lucerne. In other places the lucerne was growing splendidly, sturdy, and a deep rich green. This plot furnishod conclusive evidence of the fact that at no stage -is it judicious to cease surface cultivation. Tho farmer may imagine that his lucerne is so thick and so strong that it will smother tho weeds, but this is not the case, and unless the harrows aro run over and the wcer's torn out ,in tho winter the lucerno will ultimately Buffer. In this' plot at Mr. Winks' were discovered a few isolated plants which wore turning yellow and dying off. 1 These wore carefully dug up and the roots examined, and, although in each caso the lower portions were (apparently sound, there was a kind of mildew extending from the orown to about six inches below the surface, and in some cases this portion of the root had rotted almost away. This could _ not have been due to dampness, and in almost every case the affected pla,nt was growing in among6t thoroughly healthy plants. Tho specimens will be sent to the Government officials in Wellington for a report. Notwithstanding the want of proper cultivation, this plot had yielded no less than five outs during the past season. Tho following extract from Country Life in Canada will be read with interest : The increase in cheese production in New Zealand has been astounding. In the last seven years tho output has increased 770 per cent., and -no one seems nble to foretell how much this may inorease during the next seven. In New Zealand the soil is very fertile, and the cattle remain outside the year round, but these 'two reasons are not given as being the only ones affecting cheese production. Dairymen in tVa-t country have for years foreseen the inroads which tho margarine trade was likely to make on the butter demand, and during the last few years factories proposed have been nearly all cheose factories, and very few butter factories. New Zealand dairymen look for a wider market and a greater increase in the demand for cheese than butter. Judging from the figures on the increase, and tVio rapi-1 strides cheese production is making "in_ New Zealand, also from conditions in i this country where tho cheese factory is gradually being driven out of business, it would seem wise for our dairymen to devnlop along butter producing lines. Of course, a gr(»at deal of cheese will st'll be made, and perhaps in a few years when people have been educated to eat more chfp'e, there will be prreafcer demand, as New Zealand producers bpljeve. But for the present tho butter business pppms to be gaining favour, sppincr that, it loaves 4bo dairyman skim milk for his cnlvp« or hogs, wliich he is bcrinnin^ to see is a very imnortanfc conpfdpration in the general welfare of his farm. Mr. A. M'G. Robertson, who is farmin? a very nice p'pch of country Just beyond tho TtuvlnH <!troani. on the outskirts of Hawera. i«s nb^ufc to try an pxporiment wht"h will l^o of interest to dairy farmers in Tnrnnnki (*ays the TTawpra Star). TTp is just now laying the foundation anr? cotirrofe floor of n cow-Hvre, 80ft by 30ft. which will be built to a Government cleV<rn nnd will aocommodnte 40 Cowp. Tho idea is that if during the coVl woathpr the cows nro kr>pt in tbnir ctalU all ni^ht and prnpprlv fod they will continue in milk for a Innn-or period, and will he in a bottor condition pt the ond of th<? winter month*. At all pvonts Mr. Robertson is going to provp or diFnrove the tbonrv so for n« It's stook aro concorned, and ho is pparinrf no expense to give it a fair trial under proper conditions! NotwirWandinsf rho drought, and the restricted ou!-put of phr««p '"n oouFcquonce, tho value of thi'fi art : "lp nlroa'v tnpVmfpcturod his cpp«on \n th« Wnirarnpa district is o«ti'noti»d at £310 187. Ltet *f\Tton the total output was valued at £273,763. Tho Titnaru HornM reports that a field of about ten acres of potatoes, land formerly p.art of tho Levels E«tnte, has yipkWl ten. tor^ to tho acre, which, considering tho dry season, must be t>coountod very sjoorl. Only one variety. Up-to-Datcs. was sown, and the potntoes have cotib out quite sound and free from blight. Some of tho tubers weighed up to 21b eaob. v A run into the country just now (says the TimarjU Horald) reveals niouarhed fields everywhere, and it is evident that much more than tho oustornary nrpaVill be sown in certeals this year. Indications aro not wanting of tho good done by the recent rain. A Wvidham farmer, who save an estimate of his crop at 25 butnols per acre, actually threehed 86 bushels nor acre. Such a disparity (remark* tho Horald) rei quires a good rleal of explanation. Raw potatoes fed to a cow in quantitities not exceeding 201b daily are a fair 1 feed. Thoro is no advantae'o in cooking potatoes for cows. It is well to cook potatoes for pigs, and mix them with maize meal, usihg/ enough water to mako a mushy mixture. At the Wisconsin Experiment Station (U.S.A.) it was found that 4401b of maizomeal fed alone produced 1001b of gain, while 2621b of maizemeal \vith_ 7861b of potatoes, weighed before cooking, produced an equal gain. In other words, 7861b of potatoes, when fed to pigs_ after being cooked, saved 1781b of maizemeal; or 4421b of potatoes are equal to 1001b of maize. At a National Farmers' Union meeting tho other night I heard, says "North Somerset" in the Western Daily Press, a very prominent farmer give what must bo tho true reason why fcome of our village children are being educated from rather than on to the land. Where this happened was in a truly rural village, far from the shriek of a_ railway whistle. As is well known, farming is like other trades, short of hands, and this farmer took a big country boy, who was attending the village sohool, ond taught him how > to milk, as this would bo very useful indeed in tho summer months. When this was brought, to tho teacher's notice the boy was seriously udmonishod, and "he was told that he would have to pay the penalty of_ his folly in learning to milk by having permanently enlarged hands. If there was ever a ricliculous statement made, _ this is one. Evidently that teacher believes that _ tho future of rho boys from that school is to \\oar kid glovea and to have their filbert nails nicely manicured each morning before proceeding to business. Still another instance was mentioned. Tho schoolboy had committed the enormity of helping a farmer to drive hi 3 cattle to pasture, and this boy was put on a form in front of all the other lads, and his serious offence recapitulated. Now, I think that buch silly fads as thoso should be exposed und a heavy foot be put down on thorn. The farmers do not want to take advantage of the consuming public; but if they cannot, produce the' food, then of I course the little that is produced helps to keep up famino ynluos. No one knows the difficulty of training a lad more than tho farmer doos, and if the educational authorities relax, thoir red tape and allow the boys to come out on the land, it is but fating that tho village school managers should see that (he lads should only go whore they would be well treated ana profitably employed. Tho boy may not bo a tower of strength, _but there are rnuny little things in which ho could and; wruild ha iiAalul- '

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