ON THE LAND

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 4742, 14 November 1922, Page 4

ON THE LAND

NEWS. VIEWS AND COMMENTS Aa the days lengthen and the temperature rises, vegetation will be further stimulated.

Pigs doumnd very little of the faremr; give them the simple life, fresh air, sood food and exercise, and they will repay you adequately.

The food of the cow lias «oiuo effect on tho churnability of cream. The more churnable cream is tho more butter is obtainable from it.

A ton of ground limestone brought 537 extra pounds of soy beans on an acre at the Washington County, New York, Experimental Farms (U.S.A.).

Greater efficiency increasing the yields of our acres, our Hocks, and our herds, is of vital importance to a permanent and remunerative system of agriculture.

One of the reasons for having tho soil sweet for raising lucerne is that tho bacteria which Jives upon the roots of tho plants will not survive in an acid -soil.

Freshly drawn milk contains a certain amount of air and gas, thorefore, it should be allowed to stand for an hour or so before being tested by the lactometer.

A gentleman who has just returned from tho Old Country heard of a building that had been erected for the sole purpose of blending New Zealand butter, to sell it as Danish.

A Martinborough sheepfarmer says he has received an olfer on forward delivery of 22s (Jd per head for his white face lambs, with a 10 per cent. reject. Ho accepted.

Growers of lucerne should watch for dodder seed. Towards the end of summer little tufts of pinkish flowers are produced, from which the seeds are readily shaken out by the wind.

Rhubarb may be easily raised from seed. From sowings made now, good sticks will be obtainable in the autumn. A liberally-manured and wellprepared site is essential if the plants are to make good growth.

A good heap of compost always comes in useful. Path-cleanings, animal droppings, road-scrapings, lime and stockyard debris should all be well mixed to-gether. Burning is wasteful.

The Opunako Dairy Company is now manufacturing slightly over 32 boxes of butter per day. an increase of about 10 boxes a day over this time last year. Butter is being retailed in Opunako at 2s per lb.—-Opunake Times.

Tho Levin district is receiving fin ample rainfall this spring, and the season is probably one of tho best in this respect that has been experienced on this coast. Feed is in abeyance, and tho dairy returns generally are well over the best outputs of hist season.

The largest wool-consuming country in the world is said to be tho United States, which annually consumes between 000,000,000 and 700.000,0001 b. whilst the United Kingdom absorbs 580.000.000 to 080.000.0001 b : France, 320,000,000 to -100,000,0001 b.; and Germany 300,000,000 to -100,000.000.

To improve the native cattle of India, a trial shipment of Fricsiaii bulls from South Africa has been ordered by the Indian Government. The British India Steamship Co. have quoted a special rate of £lO per head from Durban to Bombay for the first •50 beasts, and have also olferod to supply an attendant.

Tho Wheat Controller's return for tho period ended November 7 last states that threshing returns received to date total !).922,055 bushels; contracts to purchase good milling wheat 6,593.7-10 bushels, and fowl wheat 55-1,000 bushels. Amounts paid to farmers through Government brokers total £2,050,225 ,'ls lid, representing 0,050,003 bushels.

A Maslertonian. travelling in Scotland recently, visited the city of Aberdeen, and unexpectedly met with a reminder of home. He was walking along when he saw a familiar-looking box on a grocer's cart. He looked closer and saw '.'New Zealand Butter," looked again and read "Masterton Co-operative Dairy Co." Masterton butter certainly travolw a long way from home (says the Age). An American writer says: "Wo have seen a mother with her first child, a. young girl with her first silk dress, a young man with bis first car, we have'been treated to the sight ol a young just engaged couple ; but never, no never, have we seen the equal of human happiness as displayed, by a farmer and bin wife when thov" burned the mortgage on which they had been paying" for 30 selfsacrificing years."

.Mr J. R. Corrigiin, who is contesting the Egniontecat in the Liberal interest, says that tini-iiip; the course ol his campaign lie had come to the cowshed of a soldier settler. The soldier was milking a cow and singing "Bill Maasey, Bill Massey, lonn company, me." Mr Corrigan said he asked the soldier the meaning of the song, and the latter replied as he milked his cow: "I give three squirts lor Bill Massey, two for the loan company, and one to keep myself, my wife, and kiddy."

The late arrival ol the boat from the East with the new season's wool packs is causing some concern anionget mercantile houses and the farming community in this district (says the Wanganui Herald). At the present timo the shortage, is vqry acute. The irregular weather is, of course, holding up shearing, but as soon as it sets in line again, farmers in this district will be particularly anxious to get on with the work. 'As the shearing started earlier here than in the South Island, the demand for packs at the present time is naturally more extensive. In all probability the boat will not arrive until early next month.

The rains of last week transformed the appearance of the country in South Canterbury and put fresh heart into everybody. The fall varied in different parts of South Canterbury from about two to two and a quarter inches, and has saved the situation. .Taking; the fall at two inches, this is equivalent to 200 tons of water per acre, and it is not easy to calculate the additional weight of gold this will put into farmers' pockets. Another matter which has caused farmers and pastoraliets to become .jubilant is the way in which prices for wool and lamb have recovered. Forward sales of fine wool are being made at up to Is (kl per lb., while the price of lamb, which opened at 7d per lb, has already jumped to 9cl, BJd hcing paid for second quality.

"Merino," writing to the Timaru Herald, says: In your issue of the 4th hist., you published an extract from the Christchurch Press re tho above, in which it is stated that the question as to their origin has not been made clear. It is well known that Mr James Little, who was then (1808) manager for Dr. Wehster in North Otago, first commenced breeding the sheop now known as "Corrie-dale"—-named after tho Corriedale Station, on which the experiment was first tried. It-was somo years afterwards before any other breedor thought of following his example, and when tliev did so it was on the lines laid down by Mr Little. Somo crossed with Lincolnj whichever was considered most suitable in the country or fancy of tho breeder; hut all were on the samo lines. M ossrs Davidson , Moore, Stringfellow, and others were not originators in any way, but simplv followers of Mr Little.