ON THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13480, 3 July 1907, Page 3

ON THE LAND.

• I NORTH VERSUS SOUTH. Is 1391 the capital value of land and its improvements in tho South Island was , £64,783.914; for the North Island, £57,441,115. In 1904 . the value for the; South Island was £80,871.354. whilst that of tho North Island was £101,924,877. In ; other words, the North Island during 13j rears had increased in value £44,483,762, against the South Island's £16,087,450. Inj, 1906 tho capital value of land and improve* l intents in the North Island was £124,751.914. and for tho .South Island £93,670,638. | |These figures are from the Government Year Book, and show in a .striking manner] how rapidly tho North Island is advancing', in comparison with the South. ! '" ® i DANISH DAIRYING INDUSTRY. j The following particulars of the Danish [butter trade in 1906 are. taken front a. re- | 'port by the Belgian Legation at Copon-j lhageii, reproduced in the Bulletin Com- j ; inertia! of January 26:—The exports of; j butter from Denmark in 1906 amounted to i [about 159.000,0001b, a.s compare!.' with J J 160.000.00011) in 1905 and 163.000,00011) inj 11904. This decline i-\ however, counter-1 [balanced by a notable increase in the ex- | ports of cream and fresh milk, amounting |to 4,500,0001b, as compared with 3,000,0001b j in 1905, tho value of tho imports has in- 1 created,, prices which were high in 1906 I having been raised auothcr the per cent. jin 1906. Nearly all the butter exported j from Danish ports is consigned to the United Kingdom; the consignments to Germany amounted to 3,000,0001b in 100? j and 5,000,0001b in 1905, but fell to j 2.000,0001b in 1906. On tin other hand, the exports of cream to Germany amounted! to 14,000,0001b, and of milk to 11,000,0001b. \

BRITISH DAIRY IMPORTS. The total import of butter into (neat ; Britain for the year 1906 was 216,919 ions, an iucrcaso of 9526 tons over tin- previous (year. The various countries from which I increases came, with the amounts, were: — i Russia, 7270 tons; Australia, 4777 ton*; United Slates, 3622 tons; Denmark, 2270 tons; New Zealand, 563 tons; ami d'eri many, with 216 tons. The following tic!creases came from the countries named:-— |Canada, 5001 tons; France, 1452 tons; Holland, 727 tons; Sweden, 270 tons; and various other countries combined, 1742 tons—total increase, 18.718 tons; total decrease, 9192 tons, leaving a net increase of 9526 tons. The total imports of cheese for the year 1906 were 131,939 tons, which shows an increase of 9304- tons (almost, identical with the increased imports of butter) on the. year 1905. livery source of supply except Franco bent more. The increases from, the various exporting countries were: Canada, 3355 tons; United Slates, 2908 tons (mostly Canadian cheese in transit); New Zealand. 2380 tons: Holland, 756 tons; and various oilier countries, 681 tons. The decrease from France amounted to 282 tons.

NATURE'S -METHODS. Nature's mode of manuring and preserving fertility of soil is by .spreading nearly everything on the surface, and Nature, in .most cases, is a safe guide. Leaves in forests are debited on the surface from year to year, preserving fertility, and causing giant trees to grow. Besides, a plentiful mulching preserves nitrogen and moisture about the. plants, as well as .securing from the bad effects of too much sun heat, and in winter .secures crops from much injury by freezing and leaving out or being blown there by spring winds. As to the value of mulching, the above observations by an American writer are, undoubtedly, correct, but for manuring the case is different:. Nature can all'ord to wait a million years while the forest leaves are fertilising the soil,; but the farmer must bring about, the same result in one season, and so he selects tin* constituent!! which, (.he land - requires, and buries them "in such a way that the roots of the piaut lie wishes to grow can have immediate, access to them. ' Nature's method's may be sure, bur. they are scarcely rapid enough for twentieth 'century farming. FAII.MINt; AND BUSINESS?

Farming is a business, and nowhere are close business principles more needed or show belter results when applied than on a farm, while neglect, in any department means wastes and leakages which,.with the closo competition, which is now a part of all business Life, means if nor. stopped hut one thing—that instead of being with the front of the procession, where there is much light and pleasure, you and yours must travel in the dust and" heat with the rank and file of those who do not maike the most of their opportunities.

GOOD CULTIVATION

There is no getting away from the necessity for good ploughing and thorough cultivation. It has to bo borne in mind that in order ro raise good crops we must sou that the soil is" properly prepared as a seed bed. The better prepared the condition of the soil, tho better chance has the crop of being a good one. Gardens produce relatively more than fields, chiefly because the small area of soil enables them to be mote worked, and the. condition of all cultivated laud should be made as nearly as possible to resemble that, of a garden. .FOAL WEANING. The most suitable way to wean a foal is to begin to keep him from his dam two or three hours daily, increasing the time till they are together from about nine p.m. till six a.m., finally parting them either some morning or some evening. A daily feed of crushed oats, mingled with a little chopped hay and bran, given to the foal a week ot two before weaning, will soon teach the foal to be independent of the mother, but care must he taken not to allow the mare to have access to the manger whilst tho foai is eating. She will probably eat, the feed herself. fore the foal is weaned it is important that it should have been handled. To get a foal haltered, taught to he led about, and to be able to handle it, lift its feet up, etc., without offering any resistance, is a work | that involves a certain amount of time, I but the time spent now is time saved when j the foal is old enough to be. broken in. i Again, if the foal moots with an accident or | falls a victim to some of the numerous ailments to which horseflesh is liable a foal ! which has been handled is far easier to doc- ; tor than one which has never been touched. I After the mare and foal have been finally [separated the foal may he kept in a loosebox". | out, of the hearing of other horses, if possible, for two 01 three cloys, and if, may I then be turned our in the daytime and j fetched up at night--. A foal's future deipends a great deal on how it i- treated during (he rir-t winter of its existence, thereI fore to do full justice it is essential that it should be liberally, but not lavishly, fed from weaning time till the time arrives the following spring to turn away into some luxuriant pasture for the summer. To keep : a foal on short, commons with the idea of ■ educing the cost .if the keep- i-, according to the old saying, penny wise and pound , foolish. Foals invariably do hesi when they have .company, and it two or three foals can live together .-."> much the better. Before jihoy are turned out in a morning they may June a feed of crushed oats, chopped hay, land bran. lie .-nine ration may be given [when they are brought i (1 again at night, | with the addition of an armful of whole I hay. _ An occasional linseed mash may also I Ik- given, as it is beneficial in keeping tllf : bowels open. Two or three pieces of rock salt in the manger for them to lick is also a good thing. I It. is also well to periodically halter tin | foals and lead them about, so as to keor | them handy and tractable. To winter foal.lon the lines suggested will, bar accident 01 illness, enable them to thrive in a manner that, cannot help but convince the ownei I that it is the cheapest- wav in the end to dc | them well. j After the mare has left the foal stepj must be taken to suppress the secretion oi milk, and with that object in view dry food and plenty of exercise may he given. A small Quantity of milk may be drawn away daily, and rubbing the udder with treacle has also been found beneficial. A dose ol physic will also hasten the process, but it should be withheld if possible, especially it . the mure, is iu foal.-

I PIGS ON CLOVER." i An American ©xcbango roys that brood |.(i'.•» can bo kept • all winter on nothing but second or third cutting!) of alfalfa hay, and that they will keep as fat as such sows ought to ho without » particle of grain. Wo notice that -almost always, when advice i.i given by agricultural professor?) or editor;, they apeak of giving a few- oars of corn a day or a. little middlings. None of these are necessary. A sow will cat thrt dry hay, if it is palatably [cured, and enough of it too, to keep in nice breeding condition. The corn is not needjed; indeed., wo helk-vo that wlwn a sow in j building the bodies of her nigs the more of; ■ protein and the less of carbohydrates in thfl [shape of corn sh« gets th<* stronger ami [more hkely to live will l» the pigs. Then, J again, tho sow will yield a good deal morn I milk. When she farrows she will not &> [feverish, and her system will l-> in much I better condition on the alfalfa hay ration* IWo urge one readers to try it, and see I for themselves what it, will do.

OVER-RIPENED CREAM. .When cream is ripe and stands t<» Jong before churning a large amount of acid is developed, which result? in coagulation oc tho casein. Tins becomes incorporated iff the butter, and appears in the form of; white specks, greatly injuring its appearance, and detracting from its keeping! qualities. The only remedy is to churl* before the cream reaches tins jx)int. An accurate met hod of determining just when to churn is to use Eomv acid test, such as» .Mann's test, or Forringtoii's test. 'Tho ordinary fanner, however, will not \mi the.-o, and consequently must lean; fro'oJ experience at what stago tho cream will make the best, butter.

WOOL PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION. Wo have frequently of late drawn attention to the fact that the consumption o£ wool is increasing at a greater rate than tho production, and the following figures* give .some idea, of the ditl'eretieo between the production and consumption of wooD in five leading countries in Europe* a tut (America :—United. Kingdom. production [135,000,0001b, consumption 437,000,0001b United .States. 295.000.0001b audi 537,000,0001b; Germany, 50,000,00011) anil .339,000.0001b; Fiance, 91.000,0001b audi 351,000,0001b: and Russia, 360,000,00011> and 580,000,0001b respectively. 'I'he> I world's wool production in, 1905 is given as 2,700,000.000)b. Australasia produced as much wool as Russia,' Great Britain, Germany, and Franco com* bined. '~ :

BREVITIES. Lime has a wonderful sweetening effect upon sour orchard land, 'jum, The Hawera Dairy Comrvanv proposes ta increase its capital from £500!) to £10,000. TJlo Inglewood Bacon Company secured; two first, prims in their two exhibits of:, two hams and two sides of bacon at the Palinorston .show. * : The export of frozen meat from Waiter* this season will constitute a record for the. i port-, and the quantity seems to have fully, | justified the enlargements ami improve* merits at. the freezing works. The flavour of the perfect cheese is duo to the pie.-ence of bacteria and various moulds. It will, therefore, be .seen thafj micro-organisms do not always constitute* enemies but, valuable friends and allies. A' large proportion of bacteria in milk is harmless to health. According to reports received from Liverpool this year's Canadian crop of apples amounts to only 500,000 barrels, or nearly, 700,000 less than that of last year; |>u0 the United .States protluotioil shows art increase, from 1,200,000 to 2,000,000 barrels, the bulk of the fruit being of high quality.". Dairy factories-iii liiglewood district, paid out for May milk as follows:—Mou. Dairyi Company, £1769 6s 9d, with a. tonus of id) per pound over .September to Maroh (inelusive) £1375 13s 3d: Maketawa Dairy Company. £178 is 8d; Waifui Dairy Coin* puny, £203 Is 9d: Leppercou Dairy Cornpuny, £291 0s Bd. Up lo tin. end of May about, 800. toils of .butter had been manufactured-this «oason at the lilt ham Butter Factory, aud it, is expected when the season closes at the< end of Juno (he total will have roue-bed* 810 tons, an appreciable increase over 715 tons made last, year. For May milk, £3156 8- 10d was paid to suppliers, as compared nidi £2131 bs 2d for .May, 1906.

Tlio original homo of the oodlin moth is not definitely known, bin it in supposed to bo south-eastern Europe, the homo of the apple, It. is now found in nearly all parts of. tilts ~world ; wherever the apple- is the ocellin moth is also. It. is widely diffused im North and South America, .South Africa, in New Zealand, and all part* of Australia. It; in said that, this insect is mentioned in a Roman treatise on agriculture published; 'over 2000 years ago. The. first, mention of jit in American books was fide in 1819.

Tu milk fats we have stearine, pa! mat me, oleon, butyrin, and several other oils. In its watery substance, called serum, wo have, potash, soda, lime, magnesia, iron, etc. Its* fats arc only* mechanically mixed, being simply very .small halls of fat suspended in its watery, constituents, and hindered from floating on its surface readily because of; tho other solids held in .solution, thus making it, an emulsion. These little bails of? fat are to small that, from eight to ten :'thousand of them will lie side by side in' one inch lineal measure.

In gathering apples, pears, ami other fruits growing on high trees tho ordinary ladder is found to be heavy and cumbrous, fir the Tyrol and some other parts off Europe a ladder is used which consists of a single shaft, through which the rungs pass, Tins form of ladder is provided with two, feet to prevent, if, sinking into the ground;! in some cases the shaft, is long, and th« top portion, without, rungs, rest* against) the houghs of the tree, and in oilier instances two pointed poles are fastened to tho main shaft, just above the lop of the " rung-, which form supports.

I Those, who arc wanting to start duck- I keeping should he careful not to purchase , for stock birds that have been to exhibitions ■ says an English writer. The harm of exhi- I ; binoii from the breeder'* point of view is j ; bad enough with hens, but with ducks it • lis practically fatal, especially in the case 06 : j [ducks that, are exhibited for their points im I } | size. Everyone knows thafducks are fed),- * up to the last extent, and fat; breeding stock; lof any kind is worthless. In tho case 06 I Indian Kuimcrs, which are shown for theirs * slender build and upright carriage, there is' I not the same objection, but even with their/' 5 it. is not good to breed from much ox- '" Inted stock. ■".'.' ' . i flees,, being so hardy and independent. ] and their young so quickly acquiring tho ) characteristic self-reliance, tho details of?" j management are very few; this fact should I I bo of itself sufficient" to recommend thorn to ! tho favourable attention of busy working i j farmers, who arc, generally indisposed to I j allow much time to the management o£ ! poultry of any description. Goes© do not i ■ need much looking after, and very seldom j sutler, from any disease; within certain • limits they do much better if left to their j ; own devices. Their breeding and rearing 1 is. therefore, much easier, and far !<«->- i > labour-compelling, than that of any other ; - class of feathered stock. ) ; ' r Professor Theobald, of England, in a re- 1 j cent lecture on "Woolly Aphis, or American Blight," said that most growers were I > acquainted with this pest of the orchard, 1 - where the aphis in its woolly form on the | > branches and stems of the apple trees was - a familiar object. In this "form it was ; ' tolerably easy of destruction by tho ap- ' • plication of kerosene emulsion "and other j washes. Some force* -was necessary in order ' thai, the insecticide might penetrate the. ' woolly covering that, protected the insect. [ 3 Many seemed to clear the pest aborei j " ground, but the next season found the. ' I aphis present again iu force. This was \ because tim insect existed on the trees in j , t an underground form on the roots, similar "to the phylloxera on the vine. It was j , found that tho insect, migrated to the root ] * in winter and came un again in the spring, j , and so distributed it-elf over the trees ) r again. It would be seen, therefore, that it j 3 was necessary to attack the insect at the I roots as well as above ground. He advocnt- • . cd the use of bisulphide of carbon for tho i , purpose. This should be injected round* I the ire,' stem, keeping the chemical clear of ' { any roots. About Joz should ho used hi j r each hole, and the hole bo slopped brink ! , with sod Distances of about 2ft from tho : i f j stem and 2ft apart were sufficient. This ! J would generate a heavy gas that would ' f P»rm<»to tho soil and kill all ij-j- 6ct life- ] with which ib came in contact * '