ON THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13453, 1 June 1907, Page 9

ON THE LAND.

' THE FIRST SCIENTIFIC FARMER. The first really scientific farmer history , gives any record of was Jethro Tall, an Englishman, born in 1680. A writer in the New York American gives tho following account'of this man and his work:— ' wrote, and laboured in tho .cause of agri- > culture between the..--years 1630-1740. He claimed that, since it was from tho soil that plants mainly derived their nourishment, tho finer tho condition of tho soil the bettor' would bo the results to tho v farmer. A groat hobby with Tull was the thorough pulverisation of tho soil. He claimed that it was from the fine earth, not from the hard clods, that tho plant got tho nutrition it needed to make it productive. Ho also insisted upon deep ploughing, to give moisture to the plant's roots, and upon frequency of cultivation, to keep tho surface open to tho influence of tho rays of tho sun. hi a word, it was (ho Englishman who first strove to impress upon men's winds 10 idea that farming was a science, and that in order to got good crop 3 agriculture needed to be carried on upon scientific principles. Tull, furthermore, believed that there was no reason why agriculture, should bo carried on almost wholly by brut© strength. Ho believed in saving as much -of man's labour and strength as possible, and ho set himself to the task of finding ways and moans of doing farm . work that should bo an improvement upon the old muscle-wearying methods. His thinking look shape in the invention of a horse hoc, a grain drill, and a threshingmachine—not much of a threshing-machine, it is true, as compared with those of to-day. but still a great improvement upon the oldtimo flail. Tho, impetus given to scientific . farming by lull started the movement which has sinco been taken up with enthusiasm by scientists throughout the . world." SPREADING CLOVER. It, has been noticed that pastures become well clothed with grass and clover through the way seeds germinate in the droppings of' tho animals. Tho question has been asked as to whether it will pay to feed such seeds to cattle, with the object of improving tho pastures, and tho following report, from Mr. E. Simpson Hill, field officer Victorian Agricultural Department, boars on the point: —-'Mr. Young's land at Longwarry,, Gippsland, is on the poorer soil of tho swamp fringe. II: method is to sprinkle a handful of mixed clover seed (White Dutch, Cow Grass, and Alsyke) amongst - tho chaff ho feed- to his milking cows. He does not harrow the droppings about in the paddock, but just lets them lie. Tho result is that ho has a fine growth of clover all over his paddocks where none grew before,-and where he has even tried to get it to start by hand-sowing, but failed. He attributes the success to the action of the cow's stomach up in the seeds, which are partly germinated, and to the plant food which is immediately available upon complete germination. Ho thinks but few seed are lost in the chewing of the cud, is well satisfied with his experiment, and believes it to be the best way of sowing clover on almost any soil." ' RIGOURS OF CANADA. ' . The losses of cattle- and sheep in the United States and Canada during the past ,very severe winter have aroused tho American Humane .Association to a protest ; : against tho lack of protection for animals on the ranges in severo weather, suggesting legislation to render providing of shelters compulsory. Tho president of the association declares that the case was particularly bad in an area covering 140,000 .pjaro miles east of the Rocky Mountains and in Alberta Province, just over tho Canadian border. Estimates of experienced stock-raisers,' it ,is said, put- the loss at no less than 75 per cent, of the cattle in ; tbeso tracts of country, while a loss of 40 J ■ per cent, in a" flock of • 30,000 ' sheep is reported. As. to shelter, it is hardly prac- ' icablo to provide it for the immense and •tattered herds of cattle on the ranges, Hid, if it were provided, tho animals could not bo half gathered into it . when a great fall of snow occurs suddenly. Besides, it is from starvation rather than low temperature that animals die. and, if anything should bo compulsory, it should be a supply of stored food to keep the animals for a sufficient period of tho winter. >-. ■

'"{:■' SUFFOLK V. CLYDESDALE. ; " Weighty Horse" is the nom do plume of a well-known horse-breeder, for whom we can vouch, and wo recommend his suggestions in tho .following letter to all farmers interested in raising good stock: — "In your issue of May 2, 'Modern Times' has made some very sensible remarks on tho subject of the best draught horse, and how to encourage tho breeding of him. His argument re tho Suffolk Punch is in accordance with my own views. "Sir Albert Muntz says that the weight of tho coin goes with the weight of the horse,": and that is what wo farmers want. With. regard to the importations of Shire stallions by the Government, they havo been rather a failure, , partly, I think, because the horses themselves have not been up to tho mark, especially in size, with perhaps the exception of Danger Signal. My idea has always boon that if they '.touched them at all they should have been high-class ones, such as lead at the London Shiro Horse Show. About three years ago, among several quotations I received, was £1500 for Loekinge Forest King. Of course, such a price to'me was ridiculous, but it ■ would not be so to the Government or a strong Draught Horse Society. This horse was afterwards sold, at what price I am unablo to say. Last season ho served 105 mares. Tho present owner has refused £1500 profit, and already £1200 as a retainer, offered by a horse-breeding society, has likewise been rejected. Lockingo Forest King has at the lato London Shire Horse Show topped tho list of winning sires. 1 trust ' Modern Times" idea, ro forming a, Draught Horse Society in one or more districts in tho Auckland Province may take on. Supposing a group of farmers would combine,, and . subscribe 80 mares; with an equal sum on each marc to purchase a Shiro stallion of the best quality, to cost landed here, say, £800 to £1000, I, for one, would "subacribo five marcs—£so to £62 10s. . Ho would then he paid for the first year, and afterwards 'We would get our mares served at £2 apiece, as the cost of travelling, keep for the year, and insurance would come to about £160. Probably, if carefully gone about, a real good young horse could bo procured at from £500 to £600. Just one word about guarantees. Guarantees and low-class horses (entires) will steadily ruin our horses, both light and heavy, throughout New Zealand.BASIC SLAG. Basic slag, sometimes called "Thomas' slag," "Thomas' slag meal," or "odourless phosphate," is a by-product in tho manufacture of iron and steel from pig iron containing phosphorus. It contains from IS; to 20 per cent, of phosphoric acid, in a »orm differing slightly from tho phosphates winch havo been discussed. Tho insoluble Phosphates of lime in phosphate rock or hone contain thrco parts of lime with one fart of phosphoric acid. In basic slag there ar <> four parts of lime combined with one part of phosphoric acid. , This material is • Jusolublo in pure water, but .soluble to a considerable extent tin water containing carbonic acid gas. Tho value of this ma- • wntl as a fertiliser depends upon its composition and fineness of division. The finer , >fr in ground the more quickly will it beanie available. From the results of numerous experiments it has been found that this material has a high degree of avail>hty, about equal to one-half that of a soluble phosphate. Its action on some SOl 's is undoubtedly moro favourable than on others. The soils on which it will havo ■le most marked effect aro those containin a large quantities of organic matter and l )0 °r in lime. Tho acids in the soil will .tend to render moro available its phosphoric acid, mid as it contains a large percentage of free lime it will perform a double inaction ii, tho soil. It will therefore Prove a valuable fertilising material for u « on low, swampy land* and toils that •*"> inclined to bo acid.

. BREVITIES. Brood mares in foal should have exercise and liberal feed, with good quarters. All kinds of stock thrive best with a good variety of feed. Porfect health cannot bo expected on a diet that will produce only bono and muscle, and the same is equally true of a fat-forming ration. Old customs die hard, and horsebrerders think that a docked tail gives neatness and finish to the' appearance of a hunter or hack. Docking, however, is very much a question of custom. In England they arc already getting used to fox terriers with long tails. . / Thorough cultivation will enable the surface air and moisture, warmed.by the heat of tho sun, to penetrate around all the soil particles, and it will enable the roots of the plants with greater ease to penetrate and take up the plant food which has been mado soluble. Body or grain in butter includes texture, grain, and amount of moisture. Texture of butter is shown by its ability to stand up or keep its condition at a " high temperature. This desirable quality may bo destroyed by employing too high a temperature during the entire process of manufacture. Farmers should ascertain by experiments on small plots of their farms whether their soil is in need of potash, and if there is .any doubt on the subject they should not. fail to give their crops the advantage of moderate dressings, and this is especially the case with potatoes, mangolds, pastures, and grass lands. Bones ground to a fine meal are suitable for tho permanent improvement of grass lands, but are too slow in action for general purposes. If. is better to apply them after they have been treated with acid. ■ Good honomeal contains about 4j< to 5 per cent, pf ' ammonia, and 45 to 50 per cent, of phosphate. The farmer should bo a specialist. This requires preparation. Education counts for as much as experience in the preparation for profitable farming.' Two years of special work is 'more valuable than 20 or 25 years of the ordinary farm experience. Young farmers should get both the school training and experience. Itchen Daisy 3rd, a Guernsey cow bred in England, has just completed a notable record in milk and butter production. For the year ending September 30 last she gavo a total of 13,686.81b of milk, averaging 5.24 per cent, butter-fat, and yielding a total of 714.11b of fat. She has recently been sold for £800, tho largest price ever paid for a Guernsey now. , The Goldsmiths' Companyone of the wealthiest of the London guildshas given £10,000 to tho Lawes Agricultural Trust (Rothamsted Experimental Station) to be devoted to research in connection with the soil. The gift is to be known as the Goldsmiths' Company fund for soil investigation. A note of warning is required in regard to thecondition of much of our milk and cream delivered at the factories, as many of tho worst defects in our cheese and butter ard rf due to faulty conditions existing at the fountain head, the dairy farm, it being due to either dirty method of milking, injudicious feeding,- dirty utensils, or delay in delivery of cream.

As an instance of the prolific breeding character of the Southdown Mr. Samuel Davids, of Whitemare, Tasmania, reports that four of his pure ewes have given an increase of ten lamb 3, two producing triplets, and the other two twins. With due provision of the extra fodder that the ewes with these, large increases demand, all the lambs arc thriving splendidly and giving promise of developing into big-carcascd sheep.

Tho successful farmer .is not the one who works 'his farm for all it is worth, getting the most out of it and putting little or nothing back, but rather is ; he successful who gives oach field its required food, its careful cultivation, and, in due order, its resting spell; and this is none the less true of the farm dwellers; everyone should have his time of rest and recreation after the stress of wearisome toil and care.

Many a man gives nearly all his i energy and time to his farm,;reclaiming: thjs waste "laces, building larger barns and remodeling his dwelling, hurrying, striving attain ono ambition after another; . but what shall it profit, a man if he gain the most beautiful farm on earth and lose the delight of helping his fellowmcn and misses tho enlargement of soul and tho broadening impulses which come from the social side of living.

Sheep, as well as other farm stock, love a greater variety of feed than, they usually get;, but sheep, especially',-, are fond of change and variety, even unto apparent fickleness. They adapt themselves quickly to a change of conditions, and no matter, how luxuriant the pasture they will leave it daily and frequently to nip the sprouts and eat the weeds. Thus, by changing them to different fields, and especially by turning the lambs into the cornfields after harvest, they will thrivo and wax fat.

Until dairymen generally are encouraged (not, forced) to recognise the necessity of delivering their creams early and in good condition, both summer and winter, there cannot bo much improvement in the duality of our dairy products. Dairymen having a, small quantity of croam, and situated r < long distance from the factory, cannot, ?ais Mr. Suter, be expected to deliver every second day; but still they must not expect their aged, stale, and poorer-condi'ion-od cream to command the same value as that of the dairyman who delivers early and in good condition.

The whole question of milk care is simple and can. bo put on a page of notepaper. Feed generously; keep cows clean, cowhouse whitewashed, air free from dust; use care in milking, strain through sterilised cheesecloth, put into clean receptables, cool at once to 40deg. Where milk is manufactured the next day into butter or cheese if cooled at once to 55deg. no ' onbbj will follow. On the other hand, if bacteria get in through the usual cowhouse contamination or foul pails, cans, or strainers, and high temperatures follow, thero will bo plenty of animal odour or heat, and pushing air through won't save it

A Nebraska dairyman says he once tested the milk of a cow after she was suffering the excitement of being chased about. Tho Babcock tester showed 2.3 per cent, of butter-fat; tho next morning the test showed 4.1 per cent.; and in a week, when she had regained her wonted state of mind, she tested 6 per cent. Farmers who allow a dog to rush and worry the cows, because they do not move quito as fast as suits their driver, can study this fact with profit. Tho matter of cleanliness in the dairying business is suggested tho moment wo think of milk and milking. Whole volumes have been written about the necessity of everything being clean about milk, because that fluid is so impressionable, not alone to tastes imparted to it by filth in solid and liquid forms, but to odours as well, coming into it through tho air. Cleanliness begins, therefore, in tho milking-shod, and is continued through tho entire history of the milk.