Agricultural Notes.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 9779, 12 January 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

Agricultural Notes.

Ffftii th 6 Agricultural Gazette of N,S, W.

'Growing Potatoes from Seed. •The growing of new varioties of potatoes by planting the seed-balla ought to ho Imore practised than it is. It involves :Some tfoublo, as the first and secoiil 'years the potatoes growp from seed will jte little layger than beans or marbles, .arid'lith soarcely any indication of their iuturo ■ character or vilue. In mosl .case's the seed from the samo seed-bn 11 produce varieties that vary widely fr6fa each other, and also from the potato that grew the seod. Most of the entirely new varieties will not, for one re'ison or be valuable; but if Ihe old variety is repr'bdiiced, a? it 'doubtless often is, with the Early liose, it will gain fresh vigour by coining as a new variety to replace seed of the old variety which has degenerated by long cultivation. Most of the old-fashioned jtotitoes have degenerated in vigour, and cannot produce the crops they onco did. pom's^cjU'dnily) there is good demand from experienced potato-growers for all the new sorts, as they have learned that oach variety produces more potatoes While new than it does after the variety has been Ipng in cultivation. It ia not until tho third season from seod that tho character of tho now potato can be If a hundred VMieties ate produced, probably not than five or lon will bo worth planting the fourth year; but in the yoars when tho season is unusually favourable for.the potato crop, and when the vihes almost vigorous, tho proportion of valuable seedlings will bo increased. _ A seedling from a variety that Still retains its vigour will be liable to excel in vigour of growth and productiveness. Most of the valuable now varieties aro originated after seasons jWhen tho potato ofop has been abundant productive. This also applies to the production of new varioties of fruit from 'seed.

The above beara out what Mr. Thompson. Travelling Instructor in Agriculture, has lately been endeavouring to impress on the potato-growers of this colony, In many districts, despite the best of care and attention, the crops are light and inferior, simply because tlio seed tubers available for planting are in themselves ipoor and diseased, and the only remedy is tho thorough change the different means of reproduction proposed will effect.

Dressing Wheat for Smut, ! Mr. F, 0. Dyer, of Jorrara writes:— Having read in October number of tbo plan of dressing wheat and other grain for smut, I give the following simple method adopted by mo with marked success, and which may be useful and of interest to others in liko manuor. ( I obtained a largo packing-case, tinlined Inside, made it waterproof, filled it nearly full of clear water; next a barrel largo enough to hold a bag of wheat. I bored tho. barrel with an inch bit, making each hole four inches apart; covered each hole with a piece of perforated zinc 011 the outside. In centre of barrel I cut out a largo oval hole, lOin. by Bin,; the piece taken out formed the lid, • like an ordinary barrel churn, and hung in like mnnnor, and placed over the improvised tank or spindle. Having put the wheat inside the barrel and fastened it down, also same as barrel churn, turned tho handle rapidly for about five minutes, so that oach grain got thoroughly washed in cold water, taken out and dried beforo sowing. I assurp you, with the above simple method, used for sevoral years, my wheat and other grain is free from smut, besides giving the grain a healthier growth, far silpenor to dressing with sulphate of copper.

The Qepth to Plant Wheat. f.last season a wheat-grower at Singletori. Mr, J. J. Piper, undertook a series pf experiments to dotormino the most suitable depth to plant wheat in his district. Ho prepared a piece of land and drilled out the rows sis inches apart. Altogether at each depth ho planted thirty-two seeds, picked from the same parcel of grain, No. 1 he planted half on 'inwi deep, and eighteen stalks matured, reaching a height of 3 feetj of that sown 1 inch deep twenty-seven came up, height 3ff, Bin.; Sin. deep, twenty-three stalks', height 2ft, Bin,; 3in., twenty-two dime up, height 3ft, ,3in.; 4iu., eleven came up, height 2ft. gin,; Bin., five camo up, height 2ft, Bin. It is therefore shown that, in Mr, Piper's caSA, at a depth of three inches or less giiyp the best return. At the Wagga Experiment Farm it has been observed that wheat sown at a depth of three juchos gave the most satisfactory re". Suits. v? '

Martins Destroying GrassMpltcl'S. j Mr, C. R Dyer, of Jerrara, writes:— ■■Two years ago I noticed a small bird of a dark blue colour, with bronzed breasts, ,'m great numbers, and qommonly called pa'tins, m this district, and have been {interested by their ever lively chirping dm™ tho day. This soason' the eucalypti hayo been in bloom, and were infested with largo brown moths. It kas these that first drew my attention to [the birds in question, they flying about ;|e trees chirping and darting at a moth. jWhen the moths disappeared, I noticed the birds on the ground after grasshoppers and other inseots, and also saw three or four at a large bone or small stones, turning them over for what was beneath nt for food, some flying over the growing crops in quest of their prey.- I also found, upon closely watching them, that they pulled off small pieces of dried bark from apple-trees, and caught the grub of the cotlHn moth. I first thought they were qfter bees, but not one did I see them catch, They searoh old fences for moths and grubs, pulling the cocoon to pieces for them, Sinco these little friends oame, tho moths, grubs, &0,, havo greatly diminished,

A. Crags Pest. Mr, T. H, J. Griffin recently brought under the notice of the Department specimens of found in his wheat paddocks. In iiis communication Mr, GrifSn remarked: "This grass bears Bome' resemblaflce to ryo-grass, but, to nie, it seems too strong ana wiry to bo identical witE thsit plaint. As it flourishes amofig the wheat, which, by the way,,is stro%aiid vigorous, I almost fear it may be ftn enemy. Will-you kindly inform ine wKat'the grass is, and whether it is to be encouraged- or extirpated? Tho Government Manti3t,Mr, .|Jt H, Maiden, identified the grass as 'Lolium imnhntm (Dornol), reputed poisopous in /. K st" e»pty when

THIS BOARD AND THE VELVET, " A throne," «»!d Nopoleon, "la » board covered with velvet," • Strip the velvet from the throne, and yon have nothing left but bare, vulgar boards replace the velvet and you lave the most o veted symbol of human power And glory. How easy the transition, how vast the dif" feience I • ■

T'lere Ib no operation in ohem'itry more sharp end sudden than that in human lift whereby estremea of feeling follow eaoh other—leara rarefying' Into ami ei, and ami'es condensing Into tear;. Ia happinese, or is power,-10 poor a thing, then, that it dropa into its antitheaia at a touch Mt a breath ? Let ns not be too hasty with onr answer, aa we may be wrong. The great Frenoh Emperor was a cynical fellow, and light , well he loved a throne, even though ill was only an upholstered board;

And we all lovo life and its blowing! even I though they are uncertain and shaky, Henoe, woen wi hear a man aay, " I bad no pleasure in lif, j , and did not care whit beo:me of me," we ate] tareated to know the reason why. ' The person from whom we quote these words explains himself thus; "For over two yeari," he tells up, "I suffered from loss of appetite, sleeplessness, and nervousness. Prior to May, 1894,1 had always been Btiong and hearty. At thiß time I began to leslihab someth'iig had come over me—l felt 10 low and woik, £f er eating my faoe would flush, aad tha food gave meg: eat pain aoross my chest and at tin left aide, I had a ouUing pain around the heart, and bad attaoka of palpitation,"

I I beg to interrupt our good friend a moment at this point. The bumin(! of a barn or a haytiok may make a bi>t,er blaze than the cottoge we lve in, Put the lattor alaims and excltia ns most because we do live in it. On the same prinoiple a /ery pain ul_ ailment of the hard or foot may ojdso little or no mental anxiety, while a tho heari's action does, for the heart is ono of the throe'honses which life resides in, tho other two being the biain and the luegs Yet, as generally happ< ni in su-oulled heart troubles, tbo worry wa noedloas, as we shall presently see. « For weeks together," continues the narrator, " I got no proper sleep, and, in truth, so bid was this condition that I dreaded going to bed, My nervea wero thoroughly

unstrung, and affeoted the lets side of my face, which was quite drawn, I tuStred martyrdom with faofal aeura'gia. An time went i n I grow to be bo low and miserable that I had nopleaaure in life, and did Lot oare what beoame of me, I oonluted &dootor,but noneofhii medicines, hilpsd me, Better and worse, I oontinued to Buffer, until a fiiend told me about Mother Seigel's Curative tyrap, tod per»aied,Lme t0 lr a bottlo Mr mham, Grocer, tip j D g Road, and after taking it for a short time I felt it doing mo good. I slept well and had lesi din rest after inflate, Thfs enootiriged n;e to pßfsevere with It, and gradually I got stronger and the nerve pains wore away. I now enjoy good hen th, and have recommended this medicine to man/ of my customers, i on oih publish this statement as you like, ( igoed) Hairy Wenden, Hairdresser, 171, a ° ad ' ct » J otlI1 ' e ) Ipswich, July 17th loao.

Mr Wenden'i explanations of his loss of u'es pleasure is commonplace after all And yet how muoh more Important than il it were unique or exceptional j beoausa tho common place is the universal, It i< disease, my gentle reader, that tears the velvet from-the throne, that robs the cobtager of his Bleep, and makes the baby oiy in its oradle, that strips the strong man of hu vigour, that wipes the bloom from the oheoks of fair women, that hurnes humanity to the ohurobyard with bowed heada and bUediog feet. And the most pitiless ogro of all diseases , is the °ut l r ° ut^ loh Mr „ Bufiered and whioh Mother teigele Syrup cures—lndigc&tioD, dyspepsia. Kvm .without the velvrt, Health is the beat of thrones, and this great -amedy helps to keep yon seated safely and happily upon it,