Practical – – Agriculture.

Lake County Press, Issue 2391, 31 August 1911, Page 2

Practical - - Agriculture.

ORIGINAL ARTICLES. (By F.S.C.) Specially written for this column. All Rights Reserved. THE CONDITIONS OF FERTILITY. The conditions of fertility ol any soil are that it should contain in plenty all the ingredients necessary as plant food in a form available for the use of the plant; it must bo deep; the physical properties of the coil must bo favourable for the ingress of air and the free passage of water and plant roots ; it must bo properly cultivated ; it should rest on a suitable subsoil; there should be a good climate ; there should bo an absence of any of the conditions which cause barrenness, as the presence of injurious ingredients; there should bo a proper biological condition. The growing, sowing, and feeding of the desirable soil germs is of as much importance to the agriculturist as is the sowing of seeds or the growing and feeding of plants. It is necessary for the farmer to have certain conditions of soil, physical and chemical, which are essentia! to the growth and working of the desirable germs. The biological condition is as important as the chemical composition and physical condition. The cultivation of any soil depends on the nature of the soil, on the crop to bo sown, and on the implements employed. As far as possible, the tillages on stiff land ought to be in harmony with atmospheric changes. You cannot force a tilth without great expense. You cannot force a tilth without sacrificing moisture or producing a condition of soil too dry for germination. You cannot force a tilth n stiff land without consolidating the under section to an injurious extent; that is, you loose depth of tilth. The policy of lightening up. The policy to policy to bo adopted on clay land is a be adopted on light land is a policy of consolidation. CULTIVATION NECESSARY. Cultivation is as beneficial to the alfalfa field as to a crop of potatoes. Continuous mowing and travel compacts tlic soil to such an extent as to interfere with ventilation. Sometimes it is necessary to drive and work on the ground when it it not in lit condtion. This continued will have a compacting effect on the soil. Tim disk barrow is used widely, and I recommend it for cultivating after the first year. Disking should he shallow the first year, and the angles of the pitch should he such as not to turn the soil. It may ho necessary to weigh the disk down, so that it will penetrate the soil to a depth of 2 inches. (food results have been obtained by disking the second and third years early in the spring, or immediately after removing the first crop. \s long as plants are under throe years a single disking is sufficient. Every year following 1 recommend two cultivations. A smoothing harrow should follow the disk in order to level the field, PLOUGHING. Why plough? It loosens up the soil, exposing more of it to bo acted upon by sun, air and frost. Stubble ami weed seed are buried, and so •hanged to humus. The water-holding rapacity of the soil is increased, and rainfall can get into ploughed ground ■asier and faster. On deep ploughing i heavier rainfall can get in without ■mining off than on shallow plonghng. Do not take a wider furrow than he plough will cut. Thorough plonghng pays. It is also a good practice -o disk right after harvest ; this puts he ground in better shape for ploughMg. ENGLAND’S BUTTER CONSUMPTION. (treat Britain consumes nearly 300,no tons of butter a. year. The amnut of butter, or rather its value, weeds that of every other article 1' food except wheat and sugar. And In' butter that is produced at Home 1 only one-fourth, approximately, of be total consumption. The eonsnmpion of cheese, unlike that of butter, as for several years shown a steady ('crease. According to an article ■om the London l''inaneia! Times, quo*d in a late issue of the Consular and ratio Reports, estimates by the best ntlieiities place the home production butter in the United Kingdom at (■tween 70,000 and So,ooo tons, while 10 importations are given as 211,488 ms annually on an average for five ’ars. Canada’s quota, has fallen off 1 almost nothing, and the United fates is not looked on to supply very ndi because of the heavy homo deami. The article says;—“ The groat;t amount of butter imported into the nited Kingdom occurred in the year ided June, if),)-/, when it reached i), 27/ tons. Or this quantity 162,182 ns were from foreign countries, and ,005 from British colonies. In iqoi) e import of foreign butter had risen 1 78.378 tons, and colonial had fal--11 to 32,0)7 tons; hut in 1 (>io a. big versa! has taken place. Foreign has creased by 14,051 tons, so that the tal imports of all kinds of butter for e year ended Juno, iqio, are 20,1)64 ns, and 210,575 tons for ujoy. i 1 •’he two-year-eld draught colts ei mild bo thoroughly accustomed to the R .vs of work. Gradually accustom 111 'in to harness, bits, month pressure, H d expect to lake time to the task. colt so near maturity should never m depreciated in value for bungling -i education. ' >1 SVrvon,stress and irritability in many H •SOS are the result of those same ,;l its in their masters. Especially in ' training of .young things, qiiiet- eh is, calmness, fearlessness, firmness Isa

.ind kiudnes control the movement of

tho master workman. Very few club-headed, thick-necked steer-horned cows are any good. Even with tho cow tho tail tells a tale; the heavy club tail seldom follows a good cow, while, on tho other hand, a slim tiai to maintain maximum yield of good one. Certain fertilising elements are essential to bring a crop to perfection, and science comes to the aid of tho farmer, and informs what is essential to maintain mixamum yield cf crops. '1 ho education of the_ horse should lie like that of a child. Pleasure should bo as much as possible associated with tho early lessons, while firmness or, if need be, coercion, must establish the habit of obedience. During the farrowing hour the sow must bo kept quiet and should seldom be approached by any person. She will not need tho attention of man, and as she is extremely nervous and irritable at this time all causes of excitement should bo removed as far as possible. Many horses do not reach tiie acme of their powers until they have entered their teens. Ventilate thoroughly especially in tho early morning, but in winter avoid subjecting tho animals to draughts. When roots are fed to cows it is as well to take most of tho dirt off; a little eartii attaching will not be amiss, as the animal will discard what it does not want. Aerate and cool the milk as soon as it is strained. The cooler it is the uorc souring is retarded. If covers arc left oil the cans, cover with cloths. Cows must be kept clean and healay and have pure air to breathe, and then they will return a welcome of rich, nutritious milk in paying quantities. Through 150 years of careful breeding. Southdown shop have been noted for hardiness, a high standard of wool and mutton and early maturity. Considering the amounto f capital invested, if well cared for, there is no animal on the farm that will bring in so good a return as the brood cow. An over-supply of fat in animals at an immature age. means that the generative organs nave been prevented from making full and perfect development. Ihe dairy cow should be bred for generating in milking lines; she should have a typical daily type and a strong vigorous constitution and dairying capacity.