ON THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13355, 8 December 1906, Page 5

ON THE LAND.

ESTIMATING AGE OF SHEEP. The order of appearance of the nipper* or incisors in sheep i? » fairly reliable method of telling their age. The aheap has <»»** permanent incisors, and these appear in regular order in supplanting the milk teeth. The milk teeth can always be told from the permanent incisors by the fact, that they are. narrower. The permanent incurs are broad and wide, and widened eonsiderably towards the top. The first or centra! pair of incisors appear when the sheep is slightly ever one year old. The next pair.-—thai t J , one on each side of the central pair—appear the following year, ami that is when the sheep is two years old; the third pair appear when the sheep is slightly over two years old, and the fourth pair when it is between four and five years old. This completes the number of incisors, and a coinploto set always indicates that the sheep is between four and five years old. High feedins; or forcing hastens the age indication', so that the variations are often unnoticcable, especially in show sheep, or those imported from Great Britain.

FEED A.\'l> MANURE. A* a result of experiments carried on at I lie Maine Agricultural Experiment Station if is claimed that- in reeding auimals or buying feed one is very likely to consider only the feeding or flesh-forming value of the feeds not taking into consideration their effect on the value of the manure produced. When more manure is needed than can be made and the supply has to lie frequently supplemented with commercial fertilisers. the purchase of high-priced feeds rich in fertilising: materials is oftentimes the most economical on account of the increased value of the manure they make. Another important factor is learned from the amount of fertilising elements in both the solid and liquid excrements. The larger part of the nitrogen, the most expensive element, and the most, potash are given eff in the urine, hence the importance of saving ail of this most valuable part of the manure. Not only are other elements found in large quantities in the liquid, but they are in much more available form than in the solid.

GREEN FOOL) FOR PIGS. To provide green food for pigs sow a patch of rye early in the autumn,.and as soon as large enough it can bo pastured. When growth ceases take off the pigs, but return them when growth begins in the spring. It grows rapidly and will usually keep ahead of the stock. It can be pastured until jointing begins. Medium red clover and timothy make excellent pasture. In recent years a mixture of field peas and oats has been tried with success. This bridges over the break between rye and clover, or takes the place of the clover, and is well liked. Of course, any combination of grassc? and legumes, which furnishes green nitrogenous food the greater part of the year, is to be desired.

MILKING HINTS. Milk may, and often docs, receive taints during the process of milking which cannot be removed by any subsequent treatment. The cowshed should not be cleaned out. while the cows are being milked, nor fodder disturbed at, this time. Feeding is best done either before or after milking. Dirty udders mast be washed or well wiped with a damp cloth before milking begins. The hands of the milker cannot be too clean, and should be washed or rinsed after milking each cow; the habit of dipping them into the milking pail or wetting them by milk from the udder cannot be too strongly condemned. The first jet or stream of milk from each teat should be allowed to fall on the ground. Milk from an inflamed udder or teat should be drawn into a separate vessel and fed to pigs. Milk from freshly-calved cows should not bo used in butter-making until it has assumed the character of ordinary milk Clean, quick milking is most important if the milking'capacity of the cow is to be maintained and the full yield of butter-fat obtained.

The milk from each cow should be strained directly it is milked through a fine wire strainer or four folds of muslin or straining cloth. This immediate straining is ..most important, as without it many particles of dirt would have become disseminated through the milk before it reaches the dairy. The milk should be removed from tho byre as quickly as possible.

PASSION FRUIT. Passion fruit grow so easily in tho northern parts of New Zealand, and are in such wide demand, that much more attention might bo given to their' cultivation. The vine thrives on different classes of soil, and thereis no other fruit which will give equal returns, but it must be well worked and manured. The situation must" be ono free from severe winter fronts. A frost may destroy a whole crop, and even kill the vine. In places where the soil is very sour aud deficient in lime it would bo advantageous to give the land at least lCcwt of good lime to the acre. In raising or purchasing young plants the seed should be taken from the very best fruit, which has been raised on strong, healthy vines. It. is unwise to risk starting a plantation with vines which may develop hereditary weakness. The trellis comprises 6ft bin posts, set to a depth of 18in, and about 24ft apart. Two wires, 6in apart, are fixed to the tops of the posts. At about 12ft distances the young vines are trained with single stems up the stakes until they reach the wires, when they are allowed to throw out from two to four leaders, which are trained to run either way on the wires. ,As the growth extends the main leaders and laterals are trained along the wires, and after tho second summer's growth masses of drooping foliage cover heavy crops of fruit. The passion vine is most productive during the second, third, and fourth seasons after planting. When it is four or five years of age it begins to weaken, and gradually die out. Manuring i- therefore essential to successful .production, and the growers who work on systematic lines with fertilisers are securing the largest profits. Liberal dressings •>( manure- must be used from the time of planting until the plants cease to be productive, as the stronger and more vigorous the vine the sooner it begins bearing, the better are the crops, and the life of the vine will be prolonged. Four different artificial fertilisers may be used, viz.:— Sulphate of ammonia, superphosphate, and potassium chloride. 2. Dried blood, anil tho same'two ingredients. 3. Nitrate of soda' and the same two ingredients. 4. Sulphate of ammonia, dried blood, superphosphate, sulphate of potash.

BREED AND STRAIN. It is now thoroughly understood that it is It is now thoroughly understood that it is the. strain, or 'pedigree, of the bird that counts, and not the breed. You can build up a laying strain out of practically any breed by careful selection and breeding only from the best layers. We all know this; but ' to the man who is thinking of going m for .some now'breed is rounded a note of warning. Don't choose a. breed that is- not fairly distributed unless you want to be put to the expense of importing fresh blood from time to time, and don't fix on any but a utility breed. The day has gone by for anything but utility birds, and it is not a bit of good trying to become known for anything else if money is what you are after. 1 you take up a breed which is handled bv other breeders you can alwav.s get a bird '«' keep up the .stamina, but if von take on something not in popular favour■ von will have to import fresh blood. If vou tike to do tins well and good, but vou can save time and get more quickly to the top if vou fix on a bird which can l>o found in other breeders yards, because other men will be developing it, and it will be possible to get new blood right on' the spot instead of importing bird-; and having to wait until they become acclimatised. If you are.bent on developing a- breed entirely new to the colony, and are able to keep on importing fresh blood, there may be some chance of getting hold of a good thing, but the average poultry-keeper—and these notes are addressed to him —would be well advised if he were to choose a strain of birds of which lie can always and easily procure fresh blood locally. Strain is all right, but see to it that the bird is in the bands of other New Zealand. breeders unless you want to become an importer ail by yourself. /?

AMERICAN TASTE IS CHEESE. Ofteesernakers hare long■, known ■ that the tuio of consumers of cheese was changing : from what It was 30 years; ago. ' To arrive at as clow a judgment an possible concern-. injr this change the Bureau of Animal In(jltwtry at Washington ind->s.ufed "the: follow. ifflg Experiment at; the market in that city;— Arrangements were made with a retail.'!. denier to sell three kinds of cheese aw.,-.;

experiment. One lot was under two wet?fc» of age and to all appearance had not broken clown in the least. Another lot had been ripened from the. I*v>p in it S-S-ck'gre,.) temperature and was well broken down, but almost without flavour. The third lot had been carried in the factory curing-room and then held in storage at <0 degrees for several mouths and had ;» pronounced flavour.

Tlie-e three cheese were exposed for sal** iii two different market,*, samples from ail three lots being placed -de by 'ide and customers asked to -elect. Thirty-eight customers s.e!e«ted the green ußCured cheese; 53 selected the mild, well -enred cheese, and 2:2 selected the cheese with the high favour.

} I; appears from this that a mild cheese, either cured or uneured, is now preferred i by most buyers.

I Taking the above a-, a guide i! is evident i that ft decided plurality of people waist a. i cheese tliar is cured but oiw> that is cared

to n mild Savour. They do not want raw card, which is particularly unheal I and indigestible. * .«> .

BREVITIES. Mr. Ernest .Short, of Parorangt, ha* ship* iwl 100 Roinney Marsh ram hoggets per *.*.. Mooraki for Victoria. The Corriedaie ram with which Messrs. Elisor Brothers (Mount rev) won the championship at. the Exhibition, Show was, shorn a few days ago, and his fleece weighed 22ib.

The recent heavy rain * in the Bay of Plenty, which have been followed by cob ,-istent warm weather, have had the desired effect of bringing feed ami all growing crop-* on at » great rate. -

The Kdendabj Dairy FiKitory ius about b» make a new departure inline manufacture of Stilton cheese for New Zealand and Australian consumption. The**- markets will be' tested with from 10 to 3.5 tons, and it i* hoped to open up a new nouroe of profit. i

Ho llongotoa Dairy Company is at present receiving over 6000 callous "of milk per day. The lowest tost is ,i.3 anil the high- (>-• 4.?. This supply is now higher tltim when the factory was in full swing last season. The output, of butter has already reached 44 boxes pes, 1 day. as against 43 "for the highest month last season.

When a man begins to estimate the ralne ol his herd by their individual excellence and not by number he is on ' the road to great improvement and profit. To judge a herd of cattle only as a lot is an error. for there are great differences. Koine will earn their living and a good profit, besides, while others are losing money for their owners every month.

Mr. K. .Short's (Waituna) .stud ram Record last year clipped 18211) of wool on November 27. This year the same .ram, shorn on November 16, clipped 20£lb of wool. Mr. Short has just sold two of the progeny til this ram to a North Island breeder for IQIJ guineas, and eight, other breeders, are wait-, ing for ram lambs by the same sire. The 100 guinea Romney ram owned by Mr. A. Harding. Ash hurst, was also clipped this" month, and registered 20ll» of wool.

In the course of a conversation on Wed- . nesday, Mr. .D. Cuddie, Government Dairy Commissioner, remarked that ii was very "■" noticeable that farmers; of an enlightened and progressive nature wero now taking ea.ro in the culling of their herds, and with ■ most l>enefieial results, financially. As* showing the folly of working in the old> style without testing the value of each "cow * he mentioned an instance where* a herd of 20 cows is yielding a greater profit than another herd of 40. Can fanners ask for any better argument in favour of culling their herds and keening only the best cows! , ",

The Department, of Agriculture has at present on the water a consignment of J 24. stud sheep from well-known English flock?. The shipment consists of a rain and five ewes of each of the following breeds: Southdowns, English and Border Leicester*, audi Ryeland, The English Leicester* and South-, down* will go to strengthen the flocks'ol ! those breeds already established af'Kuakura, the Government experimental farm in the Waikato; while the Border Lw'cesters will go to Moruohaki. It is probable the Ry«»land sheep will go to diflurtmt, part* of the South Inland "

Tho top" prices realised for halfbred, threo-quartorbrcd, and crossbred established records for Ghrisf.ohurch sales., The sales were attended by a larger number of. buyers from abroad than usual, and tho competition between Homo. Continental,; and! American buyers was koen for some line*, especially the descriptions mentioned.above. In this connection it may he- mentioned that the representative of a German firm of wool buyers has been in. South Canterbury buying wool off the shear?, ,and giving as" high as lid per lb for crossbred. • >

During last reason the Gleri-Oroua Dairy Company paid out £3856 for butterfat, at the rato of 10£ d per lb. . The company is now turning out close on two tons of butter per day. At Ashhursl; the total cheque for the month was £870. An idea of the value of the industry to this district may bo gathered from the'fact, that during the 13 years of its existence the New Zealand Dairy Union has paid out £687,973. Of this sum £615,403 went to suppliers for butter-fat, the balance being exjiendcd in wages, fuel, carting-, etc. For the last five or six years the union has been paying out at tho rate of close upon £70,000 per annum.

( The bullock with which Mesurs. W. R, Clarkson and Son won first honours in tho aged class for fat cattle at the Exhibition, Show has been sold to the Christelaureh Meat; Company, and when slaughtered and dressed weighed 18421b. The animal, 'a, purebred Shorthorn, was bred by Messrs. ilcHardy Bros., of Palmerston North, and had an unbeaten record. After winning as one of it peri of two as a three-year-old in 1903, at Palmerston North, he was purchased by bfc late owners, and was first as a four-year-old at. Christehurch in 1904, first in the aged class in 1905 and 190b, and also first at the Just Dunedin Winter Show.

The value of culling a herd by the mean* of the Babcoek test is very much underrated by the average dairyman. A farmer in the Stratford district thought he would test his ' herd, and keep a sample of milk from each-1 cow for 10 consecutive days, with the result; that the lowest gave 61b"butter-fat for the .* period, the highest 17ib. In another cade ; a man was about to sell 10 of hi:* cows, so-;*• he said, and was culling them out, when * friend dropped in and questioned the wis- -f dom of cußing without first testing. It was > agreed to delay the c tiling for a week. J During this time, a composite .tent was taken, when to the man's grea:: surprise he found"" he' was disposing of. his 10 best cows. The . - truth of the story is vouched for by a well- r"4known breeder of . Ayrshire* in the Ratapiko district. . i

The noxious weeds nuisance* has been..*, ; J cause of grave concent to many farmers in Taranaki of late year. Ragwort has ©a- A pecially been a great hindrance to the cultivation, and cleanness of the pastures on -* ? number'of farm.':. Various remedies have been tried at different times, but .so far :-i very few farmers have been successful in■.■'•' eradicating the weed when once it has appeared. The application of agricultural .salt ~ ha.i only given partial success, but it now i: appears that an effective remedy ,\ has been discovered: this is ordinary sheep dip in a powder form. Several ;; South Taranaki farmers state that' a sprink- i: ling of the powder on the leaves of the ' ragwort has the effect of destroying the "growth in a few days. It is easily applied., : all that, is wanted being an ordinary tin canister with a perforated ltd. ,--

The weights of greasy fleeces in the Can* torburv Agricultural and Pastoral Associa- - tion's * Merino cup competition are as follows:— 0. Coulter. 191b, liilb, 15|lb. I7ib, 15iih; T. Chapman, Hill), 15jib; Cul- - verden Estate, 151b, 141b, 131b, 17lb;, New;,.;H Zealand and Australian Land Company. 17lb, 16ilb. 17!b, lT|b: Gerard's executors, 18Jlb. 1621b, lrijlb, 13 Jib, 15£3b; A. W. Ruther- : V-S ford, 14Jib, 1441b, 131b, 16i!b; Elisor Bros',* ' lbslb. 181b, 17 a ib, Ibilb, lSjrb; Walter Mai-' " farlane, 14jlb. 141b; White Rock Es-'-Yy: tate, 14Jib, 14J!1\ 14|lb, The weights of. tfa* fleeces of hoggets designated for the coo»p«r ' tit ion of 1907 \vero as fellows: A. W. Ruth- '•:■'* erford, 2011b, 191b, )7<lb. iTJIb, -lBilb; Wal- ?; ter Maefarlane, l+Jlb. lilb, 17ib; Glen* of. Tekoa Estate, 10*1 llilb, 1211b; T. A. < Phillips, 14-Jlb, 14J1b., IjU!», lsilb, 13|lb; V: Gerard's executors, 19|lb. 18Jlb,- 19-ilb, ITilb. f iiOilb; Knsor Bros.. 17iU>, lTJtb, IBirb, 21 Jib, :221b; Culverdeu Estate. lOjlb, lojlb, OJtU lllb: C. Coulter, 15£lb, 15Jlb, MJlb, loi'ib, 15ilb; White Rock Estate,. '14 jib, 17Jtb, - Ifriib. ' " - -