THE RURAL WORLD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 584, 12 July 1913, Page 7

THE RURAL WORLD.

HARVESTING LUCERNE. BALING IN THE FIELD. During the past few years aince the Department of Agriculture has taken in hand the cultivation of lucerne and demonstrated that this most valuable l of fodder plants can be successfully grown over a very wide area of the Dominion provided the proper varieties are sown, the acreage under crop is increasing rapidly. Where successful Btands have been established many farmers have experienced considerable loss in the resultant crop, because of their lack of knowledge of the proper and most economical way of harvesting. In this connection it m interesting to note the resullts oc an American writer on subject of harvesting lucerne. "Forage crops suff r both in yield and quality if harvested too early or too late. Much damage iB done, also, when too much or too little time is given for curing. Lucerne is especially susceptible to mistreatment because the leaves may be loßt, the colour spoiled, and soluble nutrients lost by a little neglect, and it pays good returns for care owing to the high price of a first-class product. "If lucerne has made a rank growth it will be found neceßsary to harvest at an earlier period than if it has grown slowly. Rank growth means coarse hay. This is why the second cutting of hay is usually coarse and not as good in quality as the first cutting. If the lucerne is allowed to stand too long before cutting the lower leaves will turn yellow and fall, and the part that the hay buyer most desires is lost. Likewise failure to harvest at the proper time causes the hay to lose some of its colour and instead of having the desired pea-green shade it will have a brownish cast. If cut too green it is apt to heat, and a less mount of nutrients will be obtained when the lucerne is rut when it is in bloom. "As soon after cuttinft as possible the hay should be gathered into windrows with a horse rake. This should not be done, however, until it will dump without "hanging" or clinging to the rake teeth. Under ordinary circumstances not more than twelve hours of sunshine are necessary. The hay shouid not lie in the windrows for very long, but should be put into cock a of medium size, and there left to cure until ready to bale. In this way the hay is well cured and get a very little bhachin in the Bun. The time that the hay should be left in the cock will depend upon the condition in which it is cocked. It must be sufficiently cured so that it will not shrink or mould. The hay should break readily when a bunch is taken in both hands and twißted. "Baling in the field from the cocks seems to be the most economical and satisfactory way to care for the crop. Fewer tools are needed, only a rake being required and the hay is less handled, thereby insuring the least loss of leaveß. The bales should be put under good cover immediately aa they will be greatly damaged by rains if exposed."

PRESERVING BUTTER

An effective means of preserving butter is thus vouched for by an American dairy farmer: — "Churn," and then wash Well the butter in several cold waters, 80 as to thoroughly remove every trace of the butter milk. Drain well, spread it thinly and salt to suit the taste, sprinkling the salt thinly over every portion of it. Work well, drain again and set in a cold cellar of even temperature until next day. Then work it again by means of a butter ladle and pat it into little cakes the size of an egg, and pat each one of these cakes —one at a time —until thin aB a wafer, so as to drain off all the water possible. Pack in earthen jars, filling within one inch of the top. Now wring a white linen or muslin cloth from cold wateiI—cutting 1 —cutting it to lap a little over the jar—and on the top of the cloth put fine salt until it comes level with the top of the jar. Put a sheet of paraffiii paper over the salt, seal covers on with wax, and tie brown paper down over it all, so as to ensure excluding the air. Butter preserved by this method cannot become strong, provided all the equipment has been kept perfectly sweet and clean by thorough washing and scalding. Fill the jars or crocks full at once;never leave them over for the next churning. The butter is liable to become strong if the jars I are left open a day or two. If cattle have been allowed to (pasture in wild fields, which has caused the butter to have any disagreeable taste, if packed by these instructions every particle of it will draw out. My customers will not buy elsewhere as long as I can supply them. The cloths ÜBed are never used in any other kind of work. We always wash, rinse and scald them each time they are used, and hang them out in the air, so they will be fresh and swei t the next time they are to be I used. Butter should be kept in a cold cellar of even temperature."

MILKING THRICE DAILY

AN EXPERT OPINION. Referring to the question of milking three times a day, Mr M. A. O'Callaghan, of the New South Wales Agricultura Department, says: —"Experience has shown that cows that give very large quantities of milk will yield more if milked three times in the twenty-four hours, instead of twice. If a cow is a large milker, her udder becomes full long before milking time arrives, unless she has ,great capacity in her mammary glands, and hence the animal suffers a certain amount of pain if allowed to go too long without being milked. " Under such circumstances a cow will give larger yields if milked three

times a day, and the butter fat teat will not suffer. In nearly all the American records the cows that produce such high yields are milked three times a day."

SOAKING SEEDS

According to Mr V. Donnan, experimentalißt, Hawkesbury Agricultural College, some seeds, such as those of the lucerne tree Sagosaste —require either to be soaked or to have the outside skin partially burned before germination in the soil can be relied upon. Any other seeds which have a similar thick, tough skin will be benefitted by the same treatment. Such seeds are treated at the college by pouring boiling water over them, and then standing them in the water for twelve hourß. In the caße of seeds like peas and beans germination is hastened by Boaking in ordinary water. This is invaluable when such crops are being grown for an early market. The total germination of soaked and unsoaked is, however, much the same. This class of seedß, of course, has thinner and softer coatß than the first mentioned. Planting soaked seed in soil too dry to support growth always results in heavy loss.

BREAKING IN FAfeM HORSES.

A South Australian farmer, Mr A. A. Schelze, speaking at the meeting of the local Farmers' Union, on the subject of breaking in farm horses, said the most satisfactory way of breaking-in a colt was to quietly drive the animal into a strongly built stable, about 201't square, in the centre of which was a strong upright. After placing a rope over its neck with the aid of a pole, a turn of the rope should be taken around the upright, the end being held by an assistant whilst the colt was being drawn up to the centre. Then the winkers should be put on. A lengthy rope could bo fastened to the u ring of a bit on the near side, passed under the jaw, and tifd to the ring on the offside. This would prevent the ring being pulled into the colt's mouth. The neck rope should then be taken off, iand the animal led to a clear space, where it might be allowed to run round in a circle; but it should not be forced to do so. When it had been taught to follow the operator a rope should be fastened to the offside ring, and the animal driven. It should now be hitched by mean? of long chains to light log. It was well to accustom the animal to having its legs over the chains. It should be turned in every direction and made to start and stop at the driver's command. It should by this time be quiet enough to be placed in the team, but not more than an hour or two hours' work should be given at first. A little more should be given each day until it was strong enough to a day's work without distress. Breaking was best started when the animal was about two and a half yeara old.

PROFITS FROM MARGARINE.

DIVIDEND OF 212* PER CENT. The extraordinary profits derived from margarine were disclosed in the statement of accounts presented to the shareho'ders of the Maypole Dairy Co., Ltd., at the annual meeting in London recently. The profits o£ this company have 'trebled in the laßt five years, amounting in 1912 to over £550,000, from which deferred shareholders received a dividend ot no less than 2121 per cent. In addition to Buch handsome dividends the reserve fund haß been built up to the respectble gure of £620,000. Even grantinng expert management and highlydeveloped organisation, aays an exchange, a large portion of these phenomenal profits remain unaccounted for.from an every-day business point of view. It would seem that the margarine trade is being revolutionised. With or without reason, there has long existed a strong preudice against this article. Probably the cause has been the fancied or real objection to the use of animal fata in its preparation, although many brands of margarine are quite indistinguishable from real butter, both in appearance and taste to the ordinary customer. But the Maypole Company attributes a large measure of its success to a new departure in manufacture. It has replaced animal fats with nut fats, thus deferring the popular imaginative taste. The enormous trade of this company may be estimated when it is stated that it has opened about 80 establishments for the sale of its products, the manufacture of which entails a daily consumption of 500 tons of nuts.