NOTES BY “PLOUGHSHARE”

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 176, 26 June 1926, Page 5

NOTES BY “PLOUGHSHARE”

A considerable amount of top-dressing is being dono at the present time. Whore land is covered with rushes, it would be a good plan to endeavour to clear the rushes out prior to applying top-dressing manures. In many instances one notices that farmers do not take sufficient care of their implements. Even on well kept farms it is quite a common thing to eee valuable implements left out in the open at tho mercy of tho elements. This must oventually result in considerable loss to the owner. It is rumoured that several Newbury suppliers contemplate taking up homo separation during tho coming season. In most parts of the district stock is in fairly good condition, and providing that sufficient winter feed is on hand, cows should come in well next spring. In the Whakarongo district a fair area of rushes and ewamp lands has been burnt off. MOISTURE IN SOIL. Moisture in the soil should take the form of moving water, carrying with it plant food in solution, and drawing after it the atmospheric air. It is to promote this flow of water —especially of rain water — through the soil that the operation of draining is resorted to. Though vegetation cannot thrive upon a soil that contains no moisture, it does not follow that because a soil is filled with moisture it is therefore well adapted to plant growth. Everything depends upon tho condition in which such moisture exists. If it is stagnant, that is, if it takes tho form of standing water, the soil will for practical purposes be barren. SCALDING PIGS. Water for scalding a pig should be about 175 degrees E. Caro should bo taken to see that the water is not any hotter; otherwise there is danger of the hair becoming set, which wilt entail a considerable amount of labour to make a good job of the cleaning. Tho carcase should be moved about in the scalding tub until the hair comes away easily, when tho pig should bo lifted out, placed on a table, and the work of removing the hair should bo done as quickly as possible. GENERAL NOTES. It is imperative that a cow shall have a rest before calving of from six to eight weeks and whilst dry is the most important time for giving attention to her feeding. Many cows are ruined by overfeeding at calving time. Salt should always be available and placed in a convenient place under cover from the weather. It is a necessity for the health of cows.

If you wish to avoid machine flavours in your cream, boiling water should always be used when cleansing machine and separator parts. One of tho most important items in the work of producing a superfine article is the cooling of cream as it leaves the separator. When selecting a sow, the same care should be taken, as in the case of a cow; she should be selected for her milking qualities. Green manuring is a simple way of improving a soil that is deficient in humus. Land is drained with tho object of promoting the percolation of water and air. If a tilth is fine it is able to draw up a largo amount of water from below, but it must be sufficiently compressed for the particles of mould to touch one another on all side 6 or tho capacity is weak; therefore, very light dry tilths should be rolled. Big crops of potatoes are often obtained from recently broken up grass land. The refuse of a diseased crop should not be left in tho fields nor thrown on tho dung heap. . It is necessary for all animals that they should be given sufficient food to meet their daily wants. , . A shallow and flat furrow is in itself more effective in killing the turf and it also makes it much easier for subsequent ploughing. , . • , Never mix hot and cold cream togother as by doing so you are bound to send your grado down. ~ , . , The best plan to get rid of giant fescue, is to burn off the plant, and then stock heavily. Young shoots coming up after the burn are palatable to stock, and the,, manure from them should encourago othor grasses to assert themselves. . A thorough cleaning and cultivation such as is involved in bare fallowing is beneficial to several succeeding crops. THE WOOL MARKETS. BRADFORD TOPS. LONDON, June 24. On the Bradford tops market there is a small business in merinos; crossbreds are weaker. —A and N.Z. cable. RABBITSKIN SALES. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., Dunedin, report as follows There was a very heavy offering at the rabbitskin sale on Juno 22nd. Considering this, prices kept up remarkably well, especially when it is borne in mind that all skins are selling at local sales at more than London parity. An easing in prices was bound to come, and at this sale this occurred to the extent of 3d to 6d on all spotted grades. Good winters were in keen demand, especially bucks, which were really slightly dearer than at last sale. Does sold well, but showed a tendency to be weaker, but are, however, bringing very high prices. Prices realised: — Runners and suckers up to 26d, summers 33]d, light racks 39d, prime racks 46d, early autumns 722 d, late autumns 82Jd, incoming winters 915 d, early winter bucks llOid, early winter does 88d, Waiter bucks up to 103 d, Ist winter bucks 117]d, prime winter bucks 119]d, winter does 84]d, Ist winter does 89d, prime winter does 100 d, outgoing winter does 69id, spotted winters 76f(1, 2nd broken 55d, Ist broken up to 66d, 2nd winter blacks 68R1, Ist winter blacks 85d, winter fawns 127 id, milky 35id, 2nd winters B.S. 60d, Ist winters B.S. 74d, hareskins 51|d, horsehair 20id. On these prices late autumns realised £5 15s per 100, incoming winters £6 Bs, early winters £7 10s, first and prime winters £8 ss, and second winters £7. Dalgety and Coy., Ltd., (Wellington) report: —We held our third sale of rabbitskins on Thursday, when we offered a large catalogue of all grades to a full attendance of buyers, representing tho principal fur selling houses in New Zealand, also exporters, furriers and tho local trade. Our catalogue comprised consignments received from tho Marlborough district, King Country, Taihape, Feilding, Carterton, Mastcrton, Hawke’s Bay and various parts of the North Island. Competition was exceptionally keon for all grades and prices compare more than favourably with the Dunedin sale held on the 22nd inst. For a line of super winter bucks we secured the extreme price of 114 d per lb. and for does UOd. The following is the range of prices for carefully stretched and well “got up” skins:—Runners and suckers 25d to 29d per lb., summers 29Jd to 31d, light racks 3oid to 36fd, prime racks Sißd, dawny autumns 48Jd, early autumns 58id, autumns 52fd, late autumns 70]d to 75Jd, incoming 'winters 82id, early winters 90d to 95id, super winter bucks_ll2jd to 114 d, Ist winter bucks lOod to llOJd, winter bucks Sod. prime winter does 94Jd to UOd, Ist winter does 82d to 86d, winter does 69)d, spotted winters GO to 72d, summer blacks 29]d, autumn blacks 43]d, incoming blacks 56]d, early winter blacks 621 d, winter I blacks 72Jd, fawns 80d to 120 id, does U2d; liareskins, 331 d to 521 d.