NOTES BY THE WAY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 2 July 1927, Page 16

NOTES BY THE WAY.

Chou mocllier and artichokes arc two of the best pig feeds possible. They form good shelter and the rooting keeps the pigs healthy and strong. It is proposed by the Lowgarth Farmers’ Union to get Mr Deem at an early date to give them a talk on roots, fodders, manuring and other similar matters. The use of agricultural salt in the mangold crops of the experimental farms has increased the yields by 8 to 10 tons per acre. This result, too, was borne out by the work of the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs this year. An experiment in mangold growing will be tried by the Stratford Demonstration Farm Committee this coming year on a farm at Lowgarth where the owner has had very bad results for some two seasons. The committee will try out several varieties, the owners of the farm standing all the expense necessary. This is another of the cases where good work can bo done by the progressive farmer working in conjunction with the experts. Ensilage judging, in the stack or pit, will be taken up by a number of districts during next season. It is of interest because of the growing number of those farmers who have determined to give up a large amount of root growing and thus obviate so much ploughing, with the probability of getting noxious weeds. There is a kind of cattle cabbage grown largely in the Old Country, and a farmer who had experience of it said lie believed it might be worth considering growing it here. The lasting power of good pastures when kept "fed” is remarkable. There are many cases on the older farms; one near Auroa has been down eleven years, when it was said to be worn out, but consistent top-dressing has made it one of the best on the farm. On some of the farms at the top of the Oeo Eoad are the original settlers of close on forty years ago or their sons. Going over one of these farms, the owner, a son of an original owner, said that the pastures were those put down after the original burn, and they were better than many of the paddocks which have been put down a year or two. The farmers say that the grass seed supplied now is poor in comparison to the old seed, and that accounts for a lot. The efficacy of wire fences was being discussed the other day, when a party was looking at the wire fence round a crop of carrots. It looked not fit to keep out anything, but the cows did not tackle it. But, on another farm, there was a stout, well-built fence, and the owner said: "I’ve got a cow that no fence will keep out.” And sure enough, it was in the crop enjoying itself. The trend of the value of land is shown in many "places. In Matapu an area of 97 acres sold recently for £42 per acre; it was offered in 1922 for £75.

I Dairy farmers generally are feeding out about the same time this year, some a little earlier perhaps. The mildness of the season has not made much difference. Barriball was an old settler in Kew Zealand who brought out seed of carrots in the early days and had wonderful results. Some of this seed was secured by a number of farmers of Taranaki, and a few of them have it to this day and save more from year to year. It has been.difficult for others to procure supplies. The “Cali,” as it known, has been bad this year ,and it flourishes where it can get shelter. The grub is to be seen in many other parts of the district than those mentioned recently. The little white grub 1 is the worse of the two, coming out at night and taking the roots of the grass. Its ravages are very serious and are ' / seen in many parts. r Ensilage is said to be as good as medicines to the stock, and if it is good, green and leafy as when made from lucerne, the stock will eat every speck and look for more. »Sliort grass is sweet and will produce the butter-fat; therefore keep the pastures down, by the mower if necessary. The long seeded grass is of little value. “Do not attempt” says a motto, recited by one of the departments, “to give your pigs a balanced ration. Give them the good fodder; they will do the rest.” “Stock will leave a ‘slagged’ paddock to go to a ‘super’ paddock,” said a farmer the other day when emphasising the value of the latter. They have a remarkable sense of the best. Keep your paddocks short and the stock will go to them. They love the grass short, and every inch that it goes up, it gets poorer. It is generally conceded that it is best to plough early and work well when putting in practically any crop. A good tilth is a wonderful help to cropping. The growth of grass on patches where, say, boxthorn has been burnt is noticeably in advance of other parts. The manure from burnt wood is very potent. The half-bred Tammy-Bcrkshire boar on the Tammy sow is said to be one of the best by some breeders. Well made concrete pig styes are being put in on several farms. Several may be seen on farms on the Hunter Road, one of those districts where most markedly farmers have made their farms “homes” and have spared no time or expense in improving them. .The permanent sty is only one more evidence of that intention. It is a point worth noting that in no less than half of the entry of mangolds in the Matapu farmers’ competitions and in about the same proportion of the swedes, the judges insisted “want more cultivation.” The value of the working of the crops is proved to be worth more than all the manures. Growers of crops could take a lesson in this from the humble Chinee gardener. “Peed your cows well; no ‘scrub’ feeding for good cows”—a slogan of the Agricultural Department, and a wise one. The “scrub”’ bull is not the only evil to be eliminated. It is remarkable the number of farmers in this district who are planting their creeks and rough places. Several do a certain portion every year | and are rapidly covering the whole of the “rough stuff.” One farmer near Auroa is looking for the best trees to grow in a swanrpy part of the farm. Pigs, curiously enough with the prices for baeoners so low, have been fetching fine prices lately, up to 20s for weaners. An amusing incident is recorded from a centre close to Hawera where some farmers gathered for the annual root judging competition. While at lunch they were comparing notes, and the talk led to noxious weeds and the best method of making farmers cut

them. Blackberry was mentioned, and

one farmer recalled when, about 16 years ago, in the rough country near Riverlea he had some American berry growing and the inspector was worrying him, and at last presented an ultimatum. He considered the inspector very hard. But he was surprised considerably when the judge of the crops who sat beside him said that he was the inspector in question, and recalled that he was considered a "terror. ’’ Needless to say, they both enjoyed the recital of the incident. Some farmers who have been troubled with Californian thistle have made a practice of devoting one day a week and never missing in clipping off the plants. They found that in the second year they had nothing left to do, so effectual was the clipping.