FARM GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4271, 22 July 1875, Page 2 (Supplement)

FARM GOSSIP.

[WUIITKN VOH TIIK "WtXKI.V SLWS. ] Is the Wekki.y Nkws of last Saturday appears a very sensible letter junior the signature «.f ' : Agricola." If there- were more settlers in Auckland entertaining the views which " A;,Tieola there expressed, there is no doubt n great change in the system of farming now in vogue would soon take place. It has been frequently stated in the Weekly Nkws that what is worth doing at all is worth doing well ; and there are few occupations in which neatness and c;ire are so conspicuous as in farming. The cultivation of the soil is not an occupation like goldmining, diamond hunting, or any other of the hazardous enterprises in which men occasionally engage, tempted by the chance of becoming suddenly rich by the fortunate discovery of a number of diamonds of extraordinary size and purity, or a patch of rich gold-hearing stutl" such as was found in the Caledonian G.ildmiiiuig Company's ground a few years ago. The careful practice of agriculture is more of the nature of a steady trade or a sound investment, rather than of a hazardous speculation. By careful cropping and the use of improved implements, so that the expenses may be reduced as much as possible, a steady and sure income will be obtained year by"year from the investment of a certain amount of capital in this direction ; but, unless in very exceptional times, no one engaged in agriculture need vxpect to make a fortune in a collide of years, or, it may be, in as many weeks. which is sometimes done by rash and venturesome .speculations. Hut while the careful agriculturist obtains upon an average of years a certain steady and fair return from the investment of his capital and labour, there is no doubt that much better results would be obtained if an investigating and experimental turn of mind more generally characterised those who adopt agriculture as their life occupation. Were there a do-.i-n such men in any district as those referred to in the extract which " Agiicoia " gives from the <,'«./,.„,/ A<!r< -i-fixii; who would join each year in carrying out a few small experiments previously agreed upon, which need not be expensive, a body of useful knowledge would soon be obtained which would be of more value to fanners than any text-book upon agriculture yet written. Although many have yet to learn the fact, it is nevertheless quite true what "Agricola"st.ites,that constantly cropping a paddock with sheep is not the way to turn that paddock to best advantage. To a certain extent it is the same with cattle and all other kinds of stock ; unless a paddock is considerably understocked, a constant cropping of the grass and herbage by either horned cattle or sheep, will, in the course of a few years/render the paddock much less productive than formerly. This experience has been abundantly realised in Australia, and on the runs in many of the southern provinces of New Zealand. "What is wanted for New Zealand is the adoption of some system or systems of mixed husbandry, in which the larger portion of the farm would be laid down in grass, but which would ensure a periodical cleaning of the ground by white aud root crops, thus enabling the farmer to renew his grass fields periodically. The system of rotation best adapted for each district is one subject to which agricultural societies might devote a good deal of attention, as it is most unlike-ly that any one system of crop rotation would l>e suitable alike for all parts of the colony, or even for all parte of the province of Auckland, seeing that this province extends over some five degrees of latitude, and has within it soils of every conceivable description. That judicious systems of rotation croppingand manuring best suited for the soil and climate of each district will yet be devised, I have no doubt whatever; and when that time comes, a similar success to that which has attended the efforts of the farmers referred to by tho ttciiuii'l AilrntL-rr will become the rnle, and not the exception, as at present.

To "Old Colonial:" Sir.--The iim in my orchard have lately been attacked l.y a blight which gives them an appearance a< though covered with soot, and very similar to that so •ointnou amount orange trees, dilt'i-ring only in one point, which is the al.st.-uee of small scales, not unlike barnacles, which are to he seen on orange trees. It is only within the last year thit I hzva noticed it. I have almost every variety of fruit trees, none of which seem to escape; it is more severe on peaches than any other land, many of the choicest of which are succumbing to its voracity. If you could kindly inform me of a remedy for this pest, I should feel ever grateful.—Yours, ire, O.K.

Since " blight "tirst begun to attack fruit trees, the remedies which have been prescribed are legion. Many of the remedies recommended are quite useless, and others have been found to have but a very limited useful application. The use of many of the so-called remedies hitherto has given anything but satisfactory results, so much so that gardeners and orchurdists are not troubling themselves so much about the discovery of a euro, which they despair of ever obtaining, as to the discovery of a stock upon which In graft tin: trees, which will render them blight-pro..f. '-<;.K."" does riot Htntu whether hi-; fruit trees have been grafted, and it so, on wh-.t kind of stocks, or whether t)uy are seedlings. Towards tin-end of l.i<t yi-ai tlieivapntand in the'/"/'/' .-i.-r'.-.-r/i;-i'/i !■■•!•; a London publication, a U-tter from Mr. (Jeorge Milioii, Benv Hill CJardens, V.'j.rwieksliirc, in whicli th<- use of the !u-l nc:ifsi' n.

as a one anil prevent! •■■ ■■: 1>! :;-f»:' "ll i'i-nii trees, was rcc»-iiiiiii:!id.-d. lie hpVi'iid the oil on the steins :i!i<! branches wish a siiiull biuwli, such ax i.s use. 1 for oiling harness, and found that it in.l only prevented and cured the blight, but that .t healed wounds in the balk of trees, anil proved a valuable protection against the birds in the spring, as they did not seem to like its glutinous and' biid-liine-lil;c nature. Another plan, which many have found beneficial, is to drive a few common iron nails into the trunks of the trees. The iron becomes uxidizud, and the circulation of the sap seems to carry a solution of the iron with it, which thus acts as a tonic to the tree, giving it more vigour, and enabling it to resist the attacks of blight. These two plans might be tried upon a portion of your trees, and the results carefully noted, and made known for the benefit of others, through the columns of the Wf.kki.v News.

On several occasions I have drawn attention to the absence of any provision l.y whicUtlic boys of Auckland settlers call receive technical instruction i" agriculture. If the Hoard of Education do nut feel inclined to place a knowledge of the rudiments of scientific apiculture within tlie reach of boys in country schools, steps ought to be Uikeii to impart such instruction at the f!rainni:ir School to thos(! who in:ty lie willing to envoi themselves as \m. pils. Formerly, instruction in systematic botany was given by Mr. Kirk. The knowledge of how best to render tin; cultivation of the soil profitable, is no less important than a knowledge of the classification and qualities of the plants which grow upon its surface. Steps have already been taken in South Australia to there provide for such a want as I have referred to. A commission has been appointed to report upon the best method of imparting technical knowledge of agriculture to the youths of that Colony. In Victoria a Department of Agriculture has been

formed, ami the intelligent secretary of tin; Department is doing much to explode old errors, and to establish there a more rational system of fanning than formerly prevailed." Other colonies will, no doubt, follow in the adoption of similar measures, and whoever is able to throw the greatest proportion of brain power into The cultivation of tin- soil will in the ewl be the most successful. If it is the duty of every man to try and leave the tvorld i bitter ' than he' found it, surely ' it is the duty of each settler to try to better qualify his sons for carrying «'i> the varied operations of the fa'rni than lie himself had been. Let technical instruction in agriculture be resolutely demanded, and it will hy-and-by be granted, and when that is obtained experimental farms or stations will probably soon follow. 1 inn afraid ii good many of the Highway Hoards at their annual meetings are over-stepping their powers. On the Ist of the present month the Fencing Act IS.->5, Amendment Act, 187-1, came into force in this Province, and many of the the chairmen of oM Hoards have specitietl the business to be transacted at the annual meetings to be the same as that of last year, while the Act referred to provides'that "fence-viewers" shall be appointed at the annual meeting of ratepayers. In many instances, it was omitted to'be stated in'the advertisuient calling the meeting, that the appointment of '•fence-viewers" was to be part of the business "f tin- annual meeting. Notwithstanding this omission, " fenceviewers "' have in several instances been appointed. I'nless the elected trustees be very cMvful, this little bit of irregularity may probr.Uy lead to 1 iwsuits and useless expense mid annoyance. On several occasions, attention has been drawn to the ravages made on the -rape vine by the I'lnjHa.r.;;, wt.ttn.r. It is well tint the Oovernmeiit have absolutely prohibited the introduction of grape vine cuttinus from any place beyond New Zetland Some think this is a hardship, •md consider that no harm would result from the introduction of -rape vine ciit-tin-'s from Hni.iin. Hut it now appears thai the desiructive /V,;,//0,,,.» has found a lodgment in Hritaiu. At ;■. recent meeting of the Entomological Society, held in London, a letter was read from Professor I'orel, of Lausanne, stating that the Phill:..;;;, rushttrir had made its appearance among some vines at Pregny, in the Canton of Geneva, which had been introduced from EuL'land, into the graperies of Baron Rothschild, and that the Ph<ilU.sna nistatris had been discovered in two of his "reen-houses, among vines planted in 18(i!>, sufficiently distant from each other to render it improbable that the insect could have communicated from the other ; and lie therefore concluded that the disease had been introduced in 1800 from the "rapeiies in England. He was anxious to ascertain whether the vine* in the En-dish graperies were less inlluenced bv the I'li'illiurni than those out of doors, but none of the members present were aware of the .recurrence of the insect out of doors, as it had hitherto appeared in greenhouses only. As it has been found m English greenhouses, it was evidently time to stop the introduction into New Zealand of grapevine cuttings, evenfrom the Homecountry, because once the insect were introduced, it would spread, and perhaps appear after many a day in some unexpected place, just as it had done in the of Baron Rothschild in Switzerland Lou" may the destructive little insect be kept far distant from New Zealand and Australia '. Oi.o Colonial.