FARMING ITEMS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 1155, 31 December 1918, Page 6

FARMING ITEMS.

A GREAT POTATO PATCH. THE SWISS MULTUM IN PARVO. Within the past two years there have been numerous descriptions in the American Press of the Multilayer method of growing potatoes either where ground is at a premium such as in large centres of population, or where the soil is too shallow to sustain crops, such as in the mining regions. The usual method is to choose a small area of ground, which may be 20 feet square, more or less. This is surrounded by a common rail fence, or other form* of enclosure, such as a picket fence, having interstices of a few inches and built 8 or 10 feet hifrh. A layer of earth and manure is laid, and in this potatoes are planted after the usual manner. Upon this first layer 50 successive layers of earth and manure are superimposed, and potatoes are planted in each of the layers. The vines of the potatoes emerge not only from the top but also through the interstices of the enclosure until it has become a mass of surrounding vines. The yield is said to be phenomenal. considering the area covered and the labour and expense involved. The potato holds a place among the people of Switzerland little below that of bread. The country is rather pastoral than agricultural, and potatoes, as well a a wheat, are imported. The scarcity and high price of potatoes press heavily upon the populace. To remedy this the people are turning to what they call the American method of production. Back yards and small spaces are being utilised; and. as there are no rails, picket enclosures are erected, and the plan of construction and planting already referred to are frequently to be seen. It is reported that the crop outlook is most promising, and should the yield prove satisfactory, the question of domestic production will have been solved, as it would easily lie within the power of many Swiss families to raise their own potatoes upon areas of grounl insufficient when cultivated by ordinary methods.

PURITY OF DRIED MILK. It is tlie opinion of some people that after the war the bottom will drop out of the dried milk business; others aga'n hold that dried milk will have an important place in food economy after the war. There is no doubt that there will be a good market for dried milk, even when the demands of armies have disappeared. The loss of dairy stock on the Continent must be so great that it will take years to build up the herds again, and in the meantime dried milk can make up some of the deficiency in the supply of fresh milk. . Even in Great Britain it will no doubt be largely used to supplement the local supply. An interesting and instructive report has been made by Dr P. J. H. Goutts on dried milk, with special reference to its use in infant feeding. After describing the process for preparing dried milk, and giving some particulars of what the product is like, and how to use it, the report states that dried milk as put on sale in Great Britain comes usually under one of four classes, (1) full cream, (2) three-quarter cream, (3) half cream, and (4) skimmed. Full cream dried milk for baby feeding is sometimes sold merely under that description, or supplied under special names or brands. Dr. Goutts then makes this Important statement: "Experience during the last twelve or fourteen years shows that dried milk is one of the most satisfactory forms of cows' milk for use in the feeding of infants. It has been very largely employed in connection with infant welfare centres in England, particularly in Leicester and in Sheffield, and experience in these towns, and also in many other places, shows that a very large proportion of babies oan take dried milk very well, and that on this food they thrive and develop in a satisfactory manner. It has been found that babies digest dried milk well. Vomiting is less frequent with dried milk than with ordinary cows' milk. Fresh, clean, pure, raw cows' milk is a very good food for a baby when mothers' milk is not available, but unfortunately the milk ordinarily sold in towns does not conform to this description, being often far from clean and containing large numbers o 1 germs. Such milk, especially in summer, will not keep a day without becoming sour and is apt to cause digestive troubles in babies. Dried milk contains far fewer germs than ordinary town milk, and is less likely to-contain the germs of infectious diseases. Also germs do not multiply in dried milk; they do in ordinary milk. Dried milk keeps well so long as it is kept dry. Only as much should be made up at a time as is required for one feed ,and there need, therefore, be no waste." This information should be encouraging to the advocates of dried milk manufacture, for if dried milk is suitable for infants, it surely will not harm adults. Where it is not required as a regular source of supply, dried milk will be found an excellent standby in a household in case of shortage of fresh milk.