Notes for the Farmer.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 196, 26 August 1901, Page 4

Notes for the Farmer.

Scientific men and horseowners are divided in their opinions as to whether the shoe should be fitted “hut” or **eoM.” Bo:h sysicins Imc b:en extensively and severely t r -n;-.i. and the result has been that old lining is, as aiule, only resorted to when circumstances prevent the adoption of the ollur method, or when the owner oi a hor»e. in: ;• sti;»g th it tha hoi shoe injures the foot, incurs th- risks aitendin;; a bad lit to guard against this imaginary evil. It is my opinion (s.i>s a writer m the Agricultural World) that the shot should always be fitted at a dark, red heat, uniform from heel to heel, not just hot at the toe with the heels cold, as is often the case in the ** hurry-up” forge. The shoe should be kept in opposition to the bearing surface of the hoof sufficiently long to leave its impress on the wall right round, from heel to heel. The sole also may be included in strong feet. Instead of the hot shoe being harmful, it is decidedly beneficial, and is productive of good, as the charring or burning acts as a preservative to the horn

tibres that have been necessarily cut across in reducing the hoof to proper proportions. It is never reouirod that the hot shoe should be applied loupe- than a few seconds, if both shoe and foot, are peru-ctlv level. dir Eider Hazard, in ids second article on

" Hack to the Land.” deals with the small hoiduigs at V.'interslow, in Hampshire, created by Major Poore for the benefit of the peasantry or small farmers. Mr liider Haggard says that these small holdings have been a success, and, he asks, if that is so.

why should the same process not appear elsewhere ? Major Poore, it appears, has no faith in county councils,, and he suggests that individual owners should follow his example in their respective districts. But, says Mr Rider Haggard, few owners have his (Major Toore’s) enterprise and energy, even if they have the capital and the time to devote to the same intricate business; whilst many landlords for various reasons arc deeply averse to the principle of small holdings. Mr Rider Haggard then asks: “In the face of the admitted evils of rural depopulation, and the ei'facement of the yeoman class, is it not worth the while of Parliament to look into this matter? ” Surely, observes the Rural World, this matter has been looked into sufficiently by Parliament. We do not think it is so much Parliamentary initiative that is required as it is the disposition or the ability on the part of the owners of land to meet a want which, as Parliament lias already declared, is, “of the-first national importance.”

As regards enterprise and organisation in stock breeding, says the Field, Northumberland has already given a good lead to. its sister counties. Not content- with the distinctive position it now occupies, a further important and unique step is being considered, which, if decided upon, should tend to spread the fame of the county and to improve the position of its farmers. The latest proposal is to prepare an official account of the cattle and sheep of this county and County Durham, tor circulation in foreign countries and the colonies, and since the project has advanced to tlie point of appointing a committee to develop it, the movement is likely to lead to some tangible result. The proposed step would be a very fitting supplementary proceeding to a cattle-breeding scheme that has been in operation for some years. Mr liider Haggard, since we (llural World) last followed him, has been dealing with the agricultural conditions, etc., in the islands cf Guernsey and Jersey. The source of Guernsey’s well-being appears to be in the enterprise and energy of her inhabitants, the small yeoman proprietors of the island, and in those Land Laws which prevent tho aggregation of her acres into large estates, in regard to Jersey, Mr Eider Haggard was, as in the case of the other island, “ amazed at the prosperity of the place.” He says if is “ nothing short of asiounding that so small an area of land can produce so much wealth.” The inquirer heard some grumblings and fears, but, as he pertinently observes, “ When on the top of them one is shown a little patch of twenty-three and a third acres of land, and is informed that it was recently sold at auction for £5750, to be used, not. for building sites, but lor the cultivation of potatoes, one is, perhaps, justified in drawing one’s own conclusion —namely that the industrious husbandmen of Jersey are in no danger of immediate ruin.” Upon his craze against the Vermont breed of merino sheep, MrT. Shaw, of the Western District of Victoria, has been a perennial source of amusement to Australian sheepbreeders generally, but on no occasion more so than at the recent sheep show in Sydney. A prominent exhibit in the main pavilion was a glass ease containing three samples of wool, described under a signed statement by Mr Shaw as ‘‘No. 1 and 2 from my own sheep, and No a. as a sample sent to me from New South Wales as Vermont Wool.” The description further went on to state that the three samples bad been duly submitted to a competent wool judge for valuation, with the result- that No 1 was valued at 12;Vd, No. 2 at 11 Id and No. 3 at 3d per lb respectively. The point of the joke comes in where Mr Shaw, upon being questioned us to who sent him No. .4, said he did not know, as it came anonymously, and afterwards he was asked whether he did not know enough about wool to discover that his No. 3 exiiibit was a sample of mohair, from the ilecce of an ..Angora goat. The incident served to brighten up considerably the ordinary serious business of a sheep show, and Mr Shaw iias to his credit the tact that he owned up like a man, and wrote to the Sydney press certifying that “he never saw lovelier merino woo! than that on the Vermont sheep shown at Sydney.”

The sale of a selection from the herd ol Red Polled cattle belonging to Lord Rothschild, at Tring Park, Herts, resulted in an average of £24 14s over lifty-seveu head. The top prices were Mr 11. G. ilegnart’s 00 guineas for the three-year-old heifer Charity, and his 14 for the four-year-old cow Hastoe Red Hose, and Mr Garrett Taylor’s 50 guineas for the two-year-old heifer Cicely, and his 44 guineas for the four-year-old cow Grace Darling.

At the dispersion of the herd of Shorthorn cattle belonging to Mr H. Denis de Vitre, Charlton House, Wantage, Berks, an average of £29 7s was obtained over forty head. Amongst the best prices were Mr Ilolt-Need-ham’s 70 guineas for Belle Butterfly, the Hon. W. F. D. Smith’s 01 guineas for the roan two year-old heifer Twelfth Night, and his 17 guineas for tho red and white three-year-old heifer March Butterfly.

Every part of thev colony must have its day; the South Island has had its day in regard to settlement of Crown and Native lands. All we bear of the earth-hunger in the South Island need no longer be heard if the young men would go to the North and see the lands for settlement that are there. It is right that we should give every facility the Government require to enable them to purchase any necessary lands for close settlement, whether in the North or in the South. Hut I think the key to the advancement and prosperity of the colony, and what is best calculated to advance the interests of the colony, is to settle the Maori lands and the Crown lands that are available in the North Island. I see no reason why this bugbear oi' the Maori land policy should be allowed for ever to keep back the prosperity of the North Island, year after year, leaving the ground uncultivated.—Mail.

Mr W. Hammond, manager of Hnghendrn Station, North Queensland, states that the returns forwarded to the registrar-general at the beginning of the year by the pa-toraiist > did not- represent the extent of the los-cs by any means. He instances that Cambridge Dovns, which returned 1-12,000 sheep, allowing 43 per cent, for losses, is now able to shear only 10,000. Another station, which returned 120,000, is able to muster only 25,000. Hughenden Station returned 50 00J but now find they have only 30,000. In most cases the sheep have been away on agistment, and the season has not yet been good enough.

A Cape paper says : “ From what wo can gather the prices of fresh meat, and particularly beef, are likely to continue high for a very long time. The herds of the country are being decimated, and, of course, the difficulties of transport arc exceedingly great. In addition, there are many thousands of additional mouths to feed owing to the large army in the field. Altogether, the prospect before us is that of being compelled to rely largely upon importations for beef and mutton for some time to come, which means, of course, a continuance of dear living.” This may be of interest to New Zealand producers. lean Francisco papers of July 31st relate bow a boy in Arkansas hanged himself while trying to show play-mates how executions are conducted. A telegram from Little Rock states Ten thousand persons saw Jim Anderson, a negro, hanged here last Friday. Among the spectators was young Lenioyne Jayne, a son of Porter Jayne, a carpenter. After the execution the lad inspected the scaffold and to-day completed a miniature scaffold. He invited one of his playmates ] to take the place of the condemned man. 1 Failing in this he sought to play the dual ' role of executioner and the person con- ' detuned. He adjusted the noose around his i neck, stepped on the trap and the drop ! fell. His neck was not broken, but be is unconscious, and the doctors give no hope for his recovery. The fatal injury to the boy will undoubtedly result in Governor Davis recommending the repeal of the public executions law,