FARM AND FIELD

Lake County Press, Issue 2737, 6 June 1918, Page 7

FARM AND FIELD

s_ ORIGINAL ARTICLES(By F. 0.5.) i I FEEDINC DAIRY COWS. The custom of feeding all tho cows in , a herd alike, irrespective of the yield of ■ \ milk, is a source of considerable loss. The capacity of every individual cow for the production of milk is limited. Many cowkeepers in South Australia give supplies of cake to their animals, and while the liberal use of concen- ? trated foods may increase the yield of t milk to a certain extent, it will not i convert a bad milker into a good one. [On the other hand, it will generally i pay to give a good milker a reasonable amount of eako and meal. More-' I over, unless such an animal is well j fed she will "milk herself away." It therefore follows that the quantity of cake or meal should be regulated by! the yield of milk, the heavy milker's j getting an extra supply. Another - | and perhaps the most important—fac- i tor that should determine the quantity of cake or meal fed is the price realised for the produce. In the case of town dairies where the milk is sold at retail prices and tho cows are fattened at the same time, it is not. only necessary, but it is profitable to feod well. On the other hand, where butter is made and the buttermilk consumed on the farm, or where tho milk is sent to a creamery, the feod will require to be on a much more economical scale. In the spring, while keeping up tho supply of bulky foods, it may bo advisable to reduce the concentrated foods to such cows as show an appreciable shrinkage in their milk yields. When the grass is plentiful hand-feeding may he , wholly or partly discontinued unless where there is a tendency to scour, when undocorticated cotton cake, or a mixture of ecpual parts of this cakct and dried grains, may be fed at the rate of 21b. per head per day. If tho cows are allowed a rest of about two months they will put on flesh if grazed on fairly good pasture, and will be in \ much better condition to start the fol- « lowing season than cows that calve in the spring and are fed on hay or rootfodders. t PREVENTING MILK FEVER. A cow which has had milk fever be- \ fore and is still in the prime of Ijfe, ' says an experienced dairy farmer, runs c as much danger of coming down with the trouble as she did before. High producing cows in good condition are < always susceptible. In such circum- 1 stances the thing to do is to feed such v a cow light for five or six days before calving. For tho three or four days . before and aftor calving, she should bo 1 given frequent opportunity to drink water which has had the chill taken ° from it. Twelve to 24 hours before calving, it is well, unless tho bowels are already loose, to give a physic of a spound of Epsom salts. Do not draw ( any milk from the bag for 12 to 24 ' hours after calving, and feed light foi five or six days.

CROWING RAPE. Uape is a deep-rooted plant send in, its roots well clown into the subsoil and obtaining its plant food from the lower part of tho surface soil. This fact makes it especially valuable for withstanding periods of drought, as the roots being well down in tho soil, the plants are able to obtain a supply of moisture, when more shallow-rooted plants would bo suffering. Rape thrives best in a deep alluvial soil which is well drained, and which contains plenty of decayed vegetable matter, but the plant is capable of adapting itself to more adverse conditions. Tho land should bo deeply ploughed and well worked, and brought to as fine a tilth as possible, but if sown on stubblo land it would be sufficient on light soils to thoroughly stir the surface with a disc harrow, although ploughing and harrowing would be preferable. Should the paddock ho in a weak condition, give it fully oewt. of animal manure per acre, or failing that, a special rape manure can now be obtained. The seed may be sown from tho first autiiint rains to the end of September, but the best results are obtained from the

early-sown crops. It may either be drilled or sown broadcast, but the former method is much to bo preferred, as it permits of cultivation, which insures conservation of moisture in dry seasons and the destruction of weeds. If sown in drills 41b. to Gil), of seed per acre will be sufficient, but if broad casted half as much again should b< used. The drills should be 18in. ti 2ft. apart. Rape grows very rapidly i kept clean, unci an early hoeing, eithc, by hand or horse hoe, benefits it won dorfully. In chemical composition anc feeding value, rape resembles clover. It, is even richer than clover in fleshforming constituents, and is exceedingly succulent. For fattening sheep and' lambs, and for feeding cattle, dairy cows, pigs, etc., it is now recognised as being one, of tho best green feeds. For sheep and lambs green rape i,- rich in flesh-forming constituents as well as fatty matter, hyt tho sheep l,iust. be turned in carefully at first, lor if the hungry animals are allowed to till themselves upon young rape phi tits, and these alone, inflammation is apt to ensue.

PLANTINC YOUNC TREES. Where the planting of young trees is • contemplated no time should be lost in i preparing the soil and making all . necessary preparations for transplantI ing, so that there should be as little ; delay as possible when once the trees ; are ready for removal. The prepara- : tion of the soil, if it has not previously I l)oen broken up, should in no case he loft until the time of planting, as the ' soil at that timo is generally filled with I moisture, and is certainly not in a | satisfactory condition for working. The amount of preparation required will naturally depend upon the nature of the soil' to bo dealt with. Ground that has been cultivated and cropped will need but little preparation, particularly if the soil is of a porous nature. Stiff lands, however, or lands of a clay nature, should be thoroughly broken up during the dry weather, so that the soil will become friable and easily broken up at the time of planting. It is in soils of this nature that most of the orchards for commercial 1 purposes are being planted, and unless I the soil has been thoroughly worked j and prepared my advice is to defer I planting until it is in such ootid' I tion. In every case there must be free outlet for surplus moisture; draining

J of tho land, particularly if it is of a i stiff clay nature, has a marvellous 1 effect upon plant life. The effect may ' not be immediately seen, but the re- . moval of injurious cases and the fact ' of adding several degrees of warmth to tho soil and providing a means for the air to circulate through the soil greatly asists to stimulate growth by assisting healthy root action. In manuring when planting young trees the manure should bo thoroughly incorporated with the soil and not, as , is frequently done, be placed immediately upon the roots. Trees when first planted are not in a condition to absorb tho mauurial properties applied. \ It is whoa new fibrous roots are' formed that the advantage of the' manure is felt, and the roots can assimilate tho food supplied. i I GROWING PEACHES. To what extent the orchard should: |be cultivated after three- years from I planting the trees will depend upon tho! season, and the crops grown after tho third year from setting. Half of the last season's growth should bo cut back, j [That may reduce the quantity of tho ] ! crops ti little, but the quality' will bo ' | very much better. The fruit will cost i less to pick, and the breaking down of j the dees will be very much less. Experience teaches that the trees live j longer and do bettor every way than trees not cut back. Tho cutting back should be done just before tho sap begins to rise in the spring. Peacher should be picked and handled very care- ' fully, and picked and packed at the I right time of their growth. That en- i sures most profit. Another important ; item is to see that only the best fruit 1 gets into the lower part and centre of i the package, as well as on top, where t it can be more easily seen. In packing f peaches, or any kind of fruit, it is best t to adopt similar principles. It pays best in the long run. i