Notes for Fanners.

Hastings Standard, Issue 207, 29 December 1896, Page 4

Notes for Fanners.

F-nut r- on the Canterbury Plains an- (says the Lyttleton Times) beginning to lie alarmed at the prospect of a drv season. The land is as hard as bricks, and though the more genial weather of the last few days has promoted some growth, a soaking rain is needed to save the crops from failure, or at best from being very light. .Some of the early wheat is throwing up the ear stalks and for such the need of rain is urgent. The crops are still healthy and of good color, and favorable weather would ensure a good yield. On heavier and moister land the crops looks unusually well, and a. heavy yield is promised. A few early oats have been cut for hay to save thi-m from the .-mall birds. I nle-s ruin comes soon the bay crop will be light. Farmers are dubious about closing their clover paddocks for seed. In the sDHth there has been too much rain; some of the early crops have been spoiled, and farmers who did not sow early have not been able to do so since, and have missed their wheat crop. In Marlborough and Nelson and most of the North Island the crops are reported to be well advanced. The small bird pest is making itself felt pretty nearly everywhere, and everybody seems determined to use means to mitigate it " next winter." In the Ashburton district boys are making from us to 15s a week birdnesting, and it is suggested that the unemployed—if there are any —might do good to themselves and the country by taking this means of earning a few shillings in the spring-time. Fruit and vegetables as well as crops are destroyed by the pests, blackbirds and thrushes being even worse than sparrows in their atta" s upon gardens and orchards.

For horses affected by the bot-fly liirvii." Dr Willmot, honorary veterinary surgeon to the Tasmanian Council of Agriculture, recommends a trial of the bisulphide of carbon treatment. " In the evening prepare the animal with a bran mash ; early next morning give 1 '.dr of bisulphide of carbon, three hours afterwards repeating the dose, and the same evening give li pint linseed oil. The hots should be expelled dead next morning. Always supposing the grubs to be those of the bot-tlys, it appears that the mischief is done after the grub is detached from the stomach of the animal, in which case the purgative dose 11+ pint of linseed oil), guarded with a small dose (Hdr) of chloric ether, should be sufficient to expel them." * It is announced that Mr T. Iv. Dow, who for the past six years has been the principal of the Longerenong (Victoria) Agricultural College, has sent in his resignation to the Council of Agricultural Education. Two years ago Mr Dow took a similar step, but on receiving petitions from the parents of students and over two hundred local

residents, he withdrew his letter. On the present occasion, however, he declares his decision is final. His opinions in regard to the system of managing the institution are understood to differ seriously from those held by the Council. The model piggery at. Edendale is, says the Wyndham Farmer, providing a valuable economic adjunct to the factory operations proper. At present i.-.O pigs are stabled in it, all under cover ; and in addition another 120 are in the old piggery, while ar lot of suckers the balance of the gross 700—are housed in another building. In addition, several more pigs are running in store condition in the paddocks. To feed the stabled pigs four stacks of barley are boiled by steam every morning in a large iron tank connected by pipes with the factory machinery ; and, in addition, they get all the whey from the daily supply from ' 2,700 gallons of milk. The pigs fatten up fast and well on such food. Two men are constantly employed in the piggeries, which are kept very clean with perfect drainage. The fat pigs from this establishment have been contracted for, it will be remembered, by the Christchurch Meat Company. A South African Mohair-growers' Association has been originated, mainly for the purpose of improving the fleece of the South African flocks. The other objects of the Association are the adoption of a better system of classification, the dissemination of useful knowledge relating to the mohair industry. the establishment of a series of mohair sales, and the securing of a registered brand to be used by members only.