FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 26, 30 December 1925, Page 5

FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

FARMING NOTES.

(By. “Ploughshare.”)

Most of the hay-crops were got into the stack before Christmas. There have been some very heavy crops below Shannon. I have also seen some heavy .looking fields of oats recently in that part of tho country. I also noticed a good strike of turnips near Awapuni. The sowing of turnips should be got on with. Wheat is ripe for cutting whenever the grain can bo squeezed without yielding a milky juice, as after this stage, ripening merely .thickens the outer covering of the ear. Experiments have proved that, to allow wheat to become dead ripe before harvesting, is injurious to both the quantity and quality of flour. As soon as the sheaves are fairly dry in tho etooks, stacking operations should be commenced. Care should bo exercised in preparing stackbottoms ; many tons are wasted annually through this oversight. Stack covers should be on hand, stacks should bo covered as soon as operations are over. Oats should bo cut whilst the stalks are still green, othenviso much of the grain will be lost by shedding, especially during windy weather. To find the cubic contents of a haystack, multiply the length by the breadth, and the product by the average height; divide this by 400 for new hay and 350 for old hay. Round stacks.—Square the diameter and take 11-13ths of tho result, then multiply this by the height. To obtain the height, measure from the ground to the eaves, then from the eaves to the apex, of this latter measurement take one-third and add to tho height from the ground to eaves, this will give yyfi the result in feet. Stubble lands may be stocked with sheep as they clean up weeds and do well on stubble. Do not neglect to make frequent tests of skim milk, because much money may be lost in this way. Do not weigh your cream or milk on any but tested scales, because the weight returned from tho factory will not correspond, and may be the causo of a considerable amount of trouble. Dairy farmers should recognise that money spent in the purchase of a sire with a butter-fat record is well invested as it is recognised that a prolonged milking period is the outcome of good breeding and feeding. LUCERNE. If lucerne is to follow clover, and is to be sown in the autmn, the sod should be broken early after harvesting. Each day’s ploughing should be harrowed, disked ana cross-disked and then harrowed again. In order to introduce bacteria, some farmers sow a few pounds of tho Jucerne seed with the clover for two season preparatory to sowing permanently for lucerne. Unlike most crops lucerne obtains nitrogen from tho soil only during tile first few months of its growth, and afterwards takes its necessary requirements from the air and stores up a large surplus in tho soil. Sowing methods.—Broadcast methods are not advocated. The general opinion is. that by sowing witli a drill, properly ■regulated, one . can use five pounds less of seed per acre. Twenty pounds of seed to the acre should be ample. Of course, quantity depends largely on tho circumstances under which it is grown, such as quality of seed, soil conditions, method of sowing and weather conditions. ‘ Tho disking that the field should have later will split the crowns and many new stalks will be Dent up. In a few years a square foot of surfaco will not accommodato more than eight or nine healthy plants. Soil inoculation. —According to scientists, where lucerne lias -been growing well for two years or more, wo may find attached to the roots small wartlike protuberances. These protuberances are tho homes of tho bacteria which obtain their sustenance from the nitrojjen of the air and tho starch of the plant. They collect more nitrogen than they need and which is taken up by the plant itself. It also stores the nitrogen round about its roots in the soil. Many methods'have been introduced in _tho preparing of land and introducing the bacteria into the soil. It is usually recommended, in the introduction of bacteria, to obtain infected soil from established lucerne fields. This soil is spread upon the fields dr sown with the seed. If seed is to be drilled the inoculated soil should be spread over the field, and then harrowed in. You would probably require about two hundred pounds of inoculated soil to the acre. Farmers should take precautions when obtaining inoculated soil, and in order to obtain good results I should advise them to get in touch with the Agriculture Department’s officers. Numerous parasites live in soil for years, and it is inadvisable to obtain soil indiscriminately. The enormous damage to crops caused by introduced weeds, etc., should convey a warning and lead farmers to the taking of precautions against such introductions. Worn out pastures may require special manures. If lime is deficient, this must be applied. Lucerne requires nitrogen potash and phosphorous especially. It is better to apply smaller quantities of lime at shorter intervals than larger quantities at longer intervals. Air-slacked lime is less caustic than quick-lime, and is not so liable to harm the young plants which may come in contact with it when recently applied. Farmers should not become discouraged if the first results are not too promising. In cases whero the crop is weak, leaves are yellow, or signs of spotted leaf is evident, I would advise the use of the mower. Clip early and leave on tho ground. This is not to make a mulch but to re-

tard the weeds and stimulate the young plants.- Tho disc should also be used. Harvesting.—Do not cut immediately after a heavy rain, because the wet ground will prevent proper curing. Cut in tho morning when, the dew is ■ well off. Too long exposure in the sun dries the leaves in such a way that they may crumble and drop off. The best hay is made partly in the shade, in loose windrows or in narrow cocks. The hay may bo left in these cocks for two or three days. Most people agree that lucerne should not be left in the swath for more than two or three hours. To sum up : Cut in early bloom. Handle as little as possible. Prevent it from becoming wet after cutting. . , Cure in the windrow, in the cock and in the stack. Cut as often as it blooms. SHORTAGE OF TIMBER. The phenomenal increase in artificial silk manufactures made from wood pulp will affect the future world supplies of timber. There is now more artificial silk than real silk on the market, and it is used to make lace, wall-papers and leather and many other things which we little realised a few years ago could originate in our forests. In England a numbei of afforestation schemes have been developed. In one area there are 26,000 acres containing a variety of trees of which the bulk are conifers. This land before being planted was wholly derelict. Practically 80 per cent, of Finland’s forests contain coniferous species, over 50 per cent, being pine. Timber is being used many times faster than it is being replaced, and it is high, time that the country awoke to tho fact that we must prepare to meet a demand that is increasing out of all proportion to the demand for other products, and a vigorous afforestation policy should be pursued. It is tho duty of every person to interest themselves in afforestation and stimulus should be given both to the Government Forestry Department and others who are endeavouring to prepare for the threatened shortage of timber.

HOROWHENUA BUTTER-FAT COMPETITION. The butter-fat competition in connection with the Horowhenua Show has now concluded. It was open to cows of any age or breed, and these were milked between September 12th and December 4tli, 1925, in the presence of the A. and P. Association’s steward on the owner’s property. Samples were taken from four consecutive milkings and points awarded as follow: 15 points for every lib of but-ter-fat; 1 point for every 101 b of milk. Previous winners are as follow: 1922, G: Sievers; 1923, J. Horn; 1924, G. Sievers; 1925, R. V. Brown. The 1926 winners are Messrs L. and J. Griffiths. Details of the competition are as follow : L. and J. Griffiths’ Oakland Ray— Total milk, 115.00; test, 5.1; butterfat, 5.865; points for fat, 87.9; points for milk, 11.5; total points, 99.4. P. It. Catley’s Lady.—Total milk, 112.10; test, 4.8; butter-fat, 5.380; points for fat, 80.7; points for milk, 11.2; total points,- 91.9. R. L. ■ Horn’s Kuku’s Delightful.— Total milk, 106.70; test, 4.8; butterfat, 5.121; points for fat, 76.8; points for milk, 10.6; total points, 87.4. L. and J. Griffiths’ Qui Vive.—Total milk, 98.80; test, 5.2; butter-fat,' 5.137; points for fat,. 77.0; points for milk, 9.8; total points,' 86.8. It. V. Brown’s Maggie.—Total milk, 128.50; test, 3.5; butter-fat, 4.497; points for fat, 67.4 ; points for milk, 12.8; total points, 80.2. It. V. Brown’s Zest.—Total milk, 112..60; test, 3.7; butter-fat, 4.166; points for fat, 62.4; points for milk, 11.2; total points, 73.6. Tlios. Hobson’s ' Nora.—Total milk, 80.50; test, 5.2; butter-fat, 4.186; points for fat, 62.7; points for milk, 8.0; total points, 70.7. A. Shaw’s Christmas.—Total milk, 70.40; test, 5.8; butter-fat, 4.083; points for fat, 61.2; points for milk, 7.0; total points, 68.2. H. J. Lancaster’s Glee.—Total milk, 98.80; test, 3.7; butter-fat, 3.655; points for fat, 54.8; points for milk, 9.8; total points, 64.6. 11. J. Lancaster’s Heatherlea Maid. —Total milk, 91.10; test, 3.9; butterfat, 3.552; points for fat, 53.2; points for milk, 9.1; total points, 62.3.‘ FROZEN MEAT MARKET. SMITHFIELD PRICES. The New Zealand_ Meat Producers’ Board has received the following ca?degram from its London office dated December 24, advising Smithfield delivered prices afSthat date as follow (prices for the two previous weeks are shown in parentheses): New Zealand wethers and maiden ewes, Canterbury quality, selected brands: 561 b and underbid (71d, 7(d), silb to 641 b (7id, 7fd), 651 bto 72ib 7fd (7RI, 7Jd). Other brands: 561 b and under 7d (7d, 7d), 571 b to 641 b 7d (7d, 7d), 651 b to 721 b 7d (7d, 7d). v ’ New Zealand ewes: 641 b and under 45d_ (4-Jd, 43d). ' New Zealand lamb: Canterbury quality, 361 b and under IOJd (IOJd, 10fd), 371 b to 421 b BJd (8-Jd, 8R1), 431 b to 501 b 7£d (7RI, 73d), seconds 8-)d (BJd, 9d). Selected brands, 361 b and under 10R1 (10id, lOJd), 3/lb to 421 b 73d (73d, 8d). Other brands, first quality, 421 b and under BJd (BJd; 83d), seconds B£d (Bsd, 8-)d). New Zealand beef: Ox fores 43d (4-Jd, 43d), ox hinds 5d (4£d, 4Jd). Argentine chilled beef: Ox fores 4RI (43d, sd), ox hinds 74d (6ld, 03d).

FAT STOCK FOR EXPORT. WEEKLY PRICES. The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board advises that the following prices were being offered on December 24, 1925, for fat stock for export: 1 Auckland: Wethers, 561 b and under 5Jd, second quality wethers 4Jd; ewes, 561 b and under 4d; prime woolly lambs, 361 b and under 8-}d, 371 b to 421 b Bd, 431 b and over 7id, second quality lambs Bd. | Poverty Bay: Wethers, 561 b and under sld, 571 b to 641 b 4£d, second quality wethers 4Jd; prime woolly iambs, 361 b and under Bid, 371 b to 421 b Bd, 431 b and over 7d, second quality lambs . 7id. I Hawke’s Bay: Wethers, 561 b and ( under 61d, 571 b to 641 b 5Jd, second ! quality wethers sd; ewes, 561 b and i under 4id, 571 bto 641 b 4d; prime j woolly lambs, 361 b and under 9Jd, 371 b to 421 b 81d, 431 b and over Bd, second ! quality lambs 9d. I Wellington: Wethers, 561 b and under 6jd, 571 b to 641 b 5Jd, second qualI ity wethers 5Jd; ewes, 561 b and under i 4sd, 571 bto 641 b 4d; prime woolly lambs, 361 b and under 9Jd, 371 b to 421 b BJd, 431 b and over Bd, second quality lambs, 361 b and under 9d, over arvi a-