ON THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13455, 6 April 1907, Page 9

ON THE LAND.

THE WOOL TRADE.

Speaking of th?' pro-poets of the wool trade the I'astoralists' Review says tliat the past year has been an eminently satisfactory 0110 to all those interested in the production and handling of Australasia's staple product. Broadly .speaking the season has been a bounteous one throughout Australia and New Zealand, though, of course, there are always some districts of this vast continent suffering from want of rain; still, with the exception of a few isolated districts, the rainfall lias been ample, herbage and water plentiful, the flocks have increased in a gratifying manner, and the wool clip will prove to be the biggest on record. Net only is the clip a good one as regards quantities, but also above the average of excellence. It is fortunate that commensurate with the production of a record clip, values should rulo at a high allround level. The wool exports of 1905-6 amounted to . 1.869,44-5 bales, valued at £25,237,507 net in Australasia: the one now being marketed is expected to exceed 2,000,000 hales, and should at present values (which seem likely to be maintained) until it is practically all sold) realise rather over than under £28.000.000 net in Australasia. When it is. realised that four years ago the production of wool from Australia had fallen to 1,306,942 bales, the truly marvellous recuperative powers of Australia are strikingly demonstrated. May the market continue, as at present until the end of the chapter, and Australasia will be enriched to the extent of close on £30,000,000.

TAKAXAKI SOIL ANALYSIS. Our Taranaki correspondent writes:—By the courtesy of Mr. K. I'. Webster, secretary to the Taranaki Agricultural Society. I am able to give some information contained in i lie report of Mr. B. C. Aston, chief chemist in the agricultural chemical laboratory (under the Department of Agriculture) in Wellington, to whom were -submitted several samples of soils taken from farms in various parts of Taranaki. The samples were submitted by the Taranaki Agricultural Society, and the valuable report should be well and closely read by farmers, in whose best interests the society is working. The chief chemist's "general remarks" make interesting reading. "These Taranaki soils," he writes, "are all so similar in character that I deemed it advisable to rake a composite sample of the whole number for the purpose of investigation. 'Ihey are all characterised by having more or less coarse sand and undecomposed rock particles. They should be very easily worked, being of a friable nature. The amount of clay in them is small. In treating these soils probably the only crops that will require extensive fertilising will be root crops. The particular kind of fertiliser best adapted to this purpose will probably be a mixture of bonedust and superphosphate, applied at the rate of 3cwt per acre. Most of the soils should grow cereals without any manure, containing as they do, a fair amount of nitrogen. Where the land has been exhausted by dairying it is found advisable to topdress : ba-ic slag should be the fertiliser applied. This should be used in one application in all amount sufficient i<> last for four years. The result will be an increased crop of clover, which will help the grass considerably after the first two years. A series of experiments of a composite soil'is being undertaken under the American basket method. From 'these the best return was obtained by a dressing of moist, wellrotted stable manure per acre. This shows the influence that the application of organic matter lias on the soil used for this crop. The soil contains certainly less than 5 per cent, of organic matter. Of course, it may not be practical to apply this particular form of manure, but it shows the necessity for experimenting in this direction with green manures, such as ploughing in mustard, rape, and leguminous crops (clovers, lucerne, etc.). The influence of superphosphate in such a small amount as 2001b pelaero shows a marked improvement on the uuinaniired plot. Slaked lime, at live rate of one ton per acre, also shows a considerable improvement. Carbonate of lime shows hardly any. Basic slag does not improve the return of rape much." FEEDING THE CALF. In a bulletin from the California (U.S.A.) Experiment Station it is held that the proper growth and development of • the calf is equally as important a> the care of the nil - grown cow. for good cows cannot be made of poorly-fed calves. The bulletin says: — "Whether the calf be destined for the dairy or for the shambles the true principle is to keep it in a thrifty, growing condition until (lie end is reached. It is not necessary that the calf bo fat—in fact, it. is better not to be so. The feed should !*> such as to produce bone and muscle to form a strong framework with which to produce milk or upon which to lay fat .in the time of maturity. The mother's miik, if it be not too rich in fat, furnishes the best food for the purpose, but in our commercial dairying butter-fat can be disposed of til a higher price if made into cheese or butter, and a sub.-titufe offered which is cheaper. If the calf is to be raise on skim-milk as the principal food, it should receive fresh whole milk for th.» first ten days or two weeks. Then substitute skim for whole milk, a little at first, and increase gradually until by the time the calf is three weeks old it may receive no whole milk whatever. As soon ,'i-s this substitution begins add a small handful of wheat middlings to the ration, and increase the quantity gradually as the skim-milk is incna-ed. Indue.} the calf to eat dry grain and hay as soon as possible, anil give tlx? milk simply as a drink. It will be remembered, that skim-milk i- highly nitrogenous, and to make it a perfect food requires the addition of carbonaceous material. Nothing supplies this any better than comment, but, owing to its high price, rolled barley may be used, mixing barley, wheat, bran, and middlings in equal parts, and feeding from one to two quarts per day by the time the calf is Iwo months oid. In the ease of feeding whey one may begin when the calf is about two weeks old by adding a little to the regular ration of whole milk and increasing the portion as suggested above with skim-milk, until the calf is a month old, when the milk may lie taken away entirely. Unlike skim-milk, whey is more largely carbonaceous, owing to the removal of the casein as well as the butterfat. Thus the grain ration should contain more protein l than for skim-milk, and for this reason some linseed oil cake should be added to the middlings as soon as the whey is fed. Whenever the calf can be induced to eat the grain dry give a mixture of two parts each of bran and middlings and one part of linseed meal. The calf develops a. stronger digestion if it can lie early induced to eat hay and its grain dry, and drink the milk or whey alone. The chief difficulties in feeding whey arise from permitting it to sour before feeding, and depending upon it as the sole food. While it may be possible to raise fairly good calves "on skimmilk alone, it should never be attempted with whey, because the latter contains only about two-thirds as much food substance as the former. Both should always be fed sweet. The amount of grain necessaiv de petids upon the quality of hay or pasture to which tiie calf has access. The hay should preferably be alfalfa.