AGRICULTURAL

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 144, 19 June 1915, Page 13

AGRICULTURAL

LUCERNE ' A week or two ago we made reference to some lucerne plants discovered on Mr T. Winks's plot ut Ararata, which appeared to be drying off, duo to an attack of fungus from near the crown to a. few inches below the surface (say- the llawera Star). The specimens were sent to the Government Biologist, and his report on them i« as follows: — "The specimen of lucerne advised in your memorandum of 18th ultimo is affected with lucerne root rot, a somewhat obscure fungus known as Sterile Fungus (Rhizoctonia violacea). It is a parasite well characterised by the formation of a loooe weft of fungal fibres which thickens ac it grows -into a close felt enveloping the roots and other subterranean portions of the host. Rhizoctonia is most persistent even in certain affected soils when its known hosts have not been cultivated for many years, arid the methods of control cannot always be effected regardless of the specie? of plant which is cultivated. On the appearance, of the •disease in a limited amount for the first tune, the soil is sometimes advisedly w atered thoroughly with a solution of lfilb sulphate of iron to three gallons of water. The diseased patch may also bo encircled with a trench to prevent the spread of the fungus through the soil, the soil being thrown inwards. Such affected areas aro moreover sometimes turned over, tho plant remains being collected and burnt therein and grass subsequently sown. When Rhizoctonia is not wide-spread, the cultivation of unsusceptible plants and the Btrict control of weeds, many of which act as hosts, are the best known measures to adopt. Freshly decaying vegetable matter is favourable to the fungus, 6_o also is soil acidity. Drainage and liming are therefore useful. Cereals have been found notably immune from attack." Some of the largest milk suppliers to the Rongotea Dairy Company intend giving up milking after this 6eason, and devoting their time to sheep and cattle raising. Two of the suppliers who have so decided, milked nearly 300 cows between them, and their decision to give up milking will make a material difference in the milk supply. It is said that tho practice known as "trotting" is still met with in some saloyards, and a suggestion has (the Hawera I Star reports) been made that the directors of the Farmers' Co-operative and other auctioneering firms should use overy effort to see that it does not obtain at any of their sales. One prominent dealer on this coast eaid that if the farmers would make it a rule to publicly announce to tho buyers at the sale that such and such a pen was their own particular stock buyers would feel much more at case in bidding, and tho farmer would got more competition for his particular lines. Show competitions for the various dairy factories sorve a very useful purpose, and should bo well supported (says the Hawera Star). It is freely admitted that but for show competitions, pasteurisation, in a general sense, would not have been in vogue to-day. One factory discovered that by pasteurising the, milk a much better article could be produced for show purposes, and from that it was argued that if it improved the show butter, why not apply it to all that was produced at the factory, and hence it speedily became tho general practice. But, after all, credit must be given to the factory which secures tho best results all the year round, and for that reason we must congratulate -the Whenuakura factory for securing the bost results at the Patea grading works during tho past season. Manutahi came second. The grain season, so far as the railways aro concerned, is now in full swing, and considerable quantities have to be handled daily (writes the Invercargill correspondent of the Lyttelton Times). The season this year is much later than last owing to unfavourable weather conditions. At this time last year the graincarrying season was practically over. Last year the quantity of grain carried over the Southland section of the New Zealand railways was the lowest for some jears, but this year an obvious revival has taken place. This undoubtedly was owing to the request of the Primo Minister, when tho war broke out, that tho farmers should sow more cereals. The better yields also this year will make the total at the end of the season disclose a substantial increase. Notwithstanding tho reputed backwardness or shyness of the farmers to part with their grain, it is obvious that a goodly number of them have already done so. Last week 42,195 sacks were dealt with, as against 6621 sacks for the corresponding week of last year. The- total to date is 301,725 sacks, as against 233,318 sacks last year. Tho Ballanco Co-operativo Dairy Company paid out the sum of £2400 for but-ter-fat supplied during May, payment being at the rate of Is 2d per lb. The supply during the past month has been well maintained. To date this season tho company has (says the Pahiatua Herald) distributed £58,610 to its suppliers. The monthly payments are as follow : — September, £2800; October, £3700; November, £6000 ; Deoembor, £7400 ; January, £5800; February, £9860; March, £6880; April, £5970; May, £4800; June, £2400; total, £58,610. The Soptember payment included the previous season's bonus, and tho payment in February included the extra Id per lb. for the two preceding months It is a fact generally recognised among sbeepowners (writes London Times) that the condition of the ewes in tho mating sea6on goes far to determine the fertility in tho following spring, and the moderate crop of lambs now reported may easily be accounted for by the poor condition of the ewes in the autumn. But apparently, besides being fower in number, 'the lambs are often small and weak, and the ewes thin and milking indifferently. These conditions also are a legacy of on unproductive autumn, and the consequence of a want of seasonable food are reflected in a crop of lambs generally described as below tho average Says an English paper: — "The lamßing season in the principal Lincoln long-wool flocks is now practically over, and can. safely bo termed the worst experienced for over ten years. Tho mortality among; both ewes end lambs has been highor than urual, a-s in some districts from 10 to 35 per cent, of tho youngsters died before they were a week old. The fall in lamb\ too. is smaller than in> any year since 1900." The Hawora Star reports: "Mr. H. D. MacDonaid has patented an apparatus for tho weighing and sampling of machinemilked cows. Mr. MacDonaid claims that his machine will weigh automatically and correctly each cow's milk and simultaneously extract a true sample for testing purposes. At present tho greatest drawback to machine milking i« that most farmers in a great measure are working in the dark as regards their best cowt>, but if by a single attachment to the present milking machines the apparatu* can automatically do what is claimed for it by Mr. MacDonaid. it will be of inestimable value to the dairy industry of tho whole of Taranaki." The weather during tho past week or two has been very mild, and but, for slight frosts at night one would think spring had set in (writes the Waikoikoi correspondent of the Mctaura Ensign). Tho f-armerß are busy ploughing, with the exception of a few who still hpvo their harvest out There are still one o:- two paddocks on tho landslip in the rtook, which have juet been cut The district is well stocked with fat sheep, and very few lambs have left the district