FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11871, 24 January 1902, Page 7

FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND.

'■"'..:•'■■■'■ i'i«iiiiiiiCtn/iiiiiiin? ■::.;'.''.'.,■ [by ouc ENGLISH AGiacirLTirnAi- COHKESFONDENT.] HAILSHiUr, December 6, SIXTY YEARS' FARMING. These are not many men in the world /who could describe their experience of farming on their own account for sixty years. But this is what was done ; by Mr. Gibtr, a far? mer living/near 1 ; Glasgow, at the r&pent meeting of the . Glasgow and West of Scotland Agricultural Discussion Society. Mr. Gibb left school ■". at the age '; of twelve, and worked as a boy on a farm at a time when farm work was no sinecure. In 1841 he began farming on his own account, afid he had a good deal to say of the ; condition :of agriculture at: the -time; 'There: were few labour-saving implements or machines, and work, was arduous, while the working day was very long—sometimes fifteen hours. Labourers, even ■in Scotland, ; had only Is 6d . to 2s a day. Farmers in. many cases had meals with their men, who boarded in the farmhouses. The women spun flax and wool, which were sent to the weavers, and returned in various fabrics for clothing and j household use. Mr. Gibb has passed through periods of adeversity and * prosperity. He can recall the first attack of potato disease, and, of course, three visitations of cattle plague (rinderpest). When corn became too cheap to be profitable he hit upon the plan of growing timothy grass for hay and feed for his cows. In eight years he' never had less than three tons of hay per acre, and twice he had nearly four tons. He thinks farming is more pleasant, if less profitable, than it used to be. . SOME NEW POTATOES. At a meeting of tho East Sussex Farmers' Club a few. days ago Professor. Maiden, Principal of the Uckfield (Sussex)_ Agricultural College gave his experience in a trial of some of the newest strains; of potatoes against a few of the best of older varieties. He dressed the land with 10 tons of dung, 4cwt of superphosphate, and liewt/ of sulphate of ammonia per acre, and obtained the following yields per acre:—

Sir John Llewellyn lias came but well as a first early, while Sutton's Ninety-fold hasnot given as good results in Sussex as _in Lincolnshire. These are both new varieties. But the most striking success was with Evergood, an early main crop potato, and one of Findlay's recent productions. Findlay «: list price for this potato is £60 per ton, so that the crop raised at Uckfield, if sold at the. introducer's price, would be worth about £800 per acre. It can be bought, however, at £50 per ton. Of course, very few persons had as much as one acre of this novelty, and its price may be reduced by one-half or more next year. For his newest variety, Northern Star, Findlay asks £1120 per ton, or at that rate; but he has not. much of the variety to spare. It is probable that growers who raise a few acres or Evcrgood or Northern Star next BOasdfl will reap very handsome profits. - BASIC SUPERPHOSPHATE. This new manure has been mentioned in . previous letters. I have just received Sti analysis of some which I have obtained • for experimental purposes, as follows:— 'Soluble in solution (1 in 1000) of citric acid ... ... ... ... 93.60 Insoluble ... ... ...;.,....... 6.40 • -' -. 100.00 'Containing soluble lime ... ... .... 35.25 ' Containing soluble phosphoric acid ... 12.95 Containing' equal to phosphate of lime 28.27 The 35.25 . per cent, . of, lhno compares with 24 or 25 per cent, in ordinary superphosphate. Instead of the 13 to 15 per cent, of water which t.dinary superphosphate usually contains bsaic superphosphate contains only 3 to 4 per cent. This is a very satisfactory account <-f the new manure. ' FAT STOCK SHOWS* AND MARKETS.The season of fat stock shows is now in full swing. Those of Norwich, Birmingham, and the Scottish National have -. been held, ; and the Smithfield Club's show in London ' will be held next week. It ise possible that my report on the London Show will reach New Zealand as soon as this letter will arrive, as it will be sent by the 'Frisco mail, while these notes will travel via Italy. Itis not necessary, therefore, to give any of. the details at present known about the 3how;, ) which will-be a little larger than that of last year. The great Christmas markets will soon be held, and there is a good deal of anxiety among suppliers as to the weather. A frost puts many a pound into their pockets, while mild, and especially foggy weather, renders sales unprofitable. The fat/ stock markets have been dull lately, which' adds to the anxiety of holders of primeChristmas beasts, who have a good turn due to them this year, as they haw not. boon very fortunate in recent seasons.-

Gross Weight Ghats. Sound. Dis- -. : eased. Name. t. c. a- lb. p. c. p. ■ c. p. c. Hyatt's Ashleaf 5 15 0 7 11.82 90.50 9.49 Sir J. Llewellyn 6 0 2 13 3.88 98.73 1.26 Sutton's 90fold 5 12 3 24 4.21 96.14 3.85 Beauty of ... 6 15 3 23 2.68 '■■.:'■ .8.88 Hebron ... 6 15 3 23 2.6S 91.12 . 8.88 Elberon ... ... 2 16 0 21 not ascertained. Evergood ... 13 9 2 10 13.49 100.0 . 0 British Queen... 13 4 2 22 5.69 98.60 ■ 1.39 Pioneer ... ...13 4 0 1 3.27 96.99 3.99 Up-to-Date ... 12 6 0 4 6.94 93.o0 1.69 Empress Queen 10 11 1 9 .. 3.27 99.06 0 93 Charles Fiddler 12 13 3 11 2.19 98.87 1.12