ON THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14478, 19 September 1910, Page 3

ON THE LAND.

GRASS LAND TREATMENT. On this subject a Scottish agriculturist writes:— Tho United Kingdom has been blessed by Nature in the matter of its grass lands. The moist climate is favourable) to the,growth of herbage; the soils, speaking generally, are naturally fertile, and our farmers in prosperous bygone years, when they were making money, treated their lands with liberality; crushed bones, limo, marl, compost, farmyard manure, were applied with no unstinted hand, and to this circumstance, as much as to tho skill of our breeders, may be attributed the excellence of our British stock. If this reputation is to be maintained we must take care that the high feeding qualities of our hay and pastures are also kept up. It is to be deplored that in recent years, owing- to hard times, much of the grass lands of tho country have been badly treated. Farmers have had a hard struggle to keep their heads above water; impoverished themselves, they have allowed their grass lands to become impoverished also. Tho consequenco is seen in tho extended area of worn-out grass lands, which are now in urgent need of a course of judicious and liberal treatment. The question is now as to the* remedy: —

With regard to tho nature of tho treatment, it is generally agreed that hay lands and pastures should receive every fourth or fifth year a dressing of farmyard manure or compost to maintain tho humus in the soil; this ensures tho regular bacterial action which forms one of the sources of fertility. In tho intervening years.it is desirable to give a dressing of phosphate of limeeither superphosphate or Thomas's phosphate, according to the nature of the land—and potash. Tho addition of a little artificial nitrogen is a question to be care-, fully considered. For a hay crop it is often desirable, as its action increases the bulk, but for pasture lands such an addition is seldom necessary. Tho two mineral fertilisers, phosphate and potash, will tend to develop tho clovers, and, as all farmers know, the clovers are useful servants collecting nitrogen freo of cost from the air. While most agricultural experts recommend tho application every few years of farmyard manure to grass lands, it may be noted that this view does not always find favour. For instance, an agricultural scientist in France condemns the use of farmyard manure for such purposes. In his opinion such splendid material can be applied with greater advantage to arablo land. What, he asks, is its action on grass. In tho first place, a considerable proportion of the valuablo nitrogen in the manure evaporates into the air in the form of carbonate of ammonia, and is thus lost to the soil. In the second place, the manure produces hay or pasturo of inferior character, yielding poor nourishment. Farmyard manure represents a nitrogenous application, with little potash and less phosphate of lime, whereas it is tho two latter constituents that are most essential for tho production of a rich herbage, and tho professor points out, that the liberal use of phosphate and i potash by stimulating tho growth of the ! clovers enables tho plants to get all the nitrogen they require from the atmosphere. Ho therefore advises farmers to keep their 1 farmyard manure for their root and potato crops, and to apply to their pastures noth- ! ing but phosphatie and potassic fertilisers. According to his experience tho best results have been obtained from the following dressings per acre:—l. On soils containing plenty of lime, 4cwt of superphosphate and 2cwt muriate of potash. 2. On clay soils, Bcwfc of Thomas's phosphate and 2cwt muriate of potash. Tho muriate of potash can, if desired, bo replaced by sulphate of potash, which is often preferable for spring application, but is a trifle dearer. The most suitable time to apply the fertilisers is in the autumn, especially to the second type of land, although the superphosphate and potash can be also applied in the spring with great advantage. HUNGARIAN HORSE-BREEDING. The Hungarian Government owns four studs. The best known, at Jvisber, produces English thoroughbreds and half-breeds. Sixteen stallions are located at Kisber; the thoroughbreds are leased to private breeders. The Government stud at Babolna produces only horses of Orient descent, thoroughbred Arabians and half-breeds. In tho official distribution seven thoroughbred Arabian stallions arc given, and six halfbred Arabians, but some days ago the stud suffered a great loss by the death of O'Bajan, the senior of the seven thoroughbred sires. Tho third stud of tho Government, the largest of all, is at Mczohegyes, with seven thoroughbred stallions and four half-breeds. Besides theso there is a Gidran stallion (of Oriental origin crossed with English blood) and five Nonius stallions, whoso ancestor was a stallion imported 90 years ago from Normandy. Th© fourth stud of the Government is located at Fogoras, with nine stallions of Lipizzan blood. The Lipizzans are a cross of Spanish, Italian, and Arabian horses, originally bred at Lipizza, a stud on the Adriatic shores of Austria. Besides theso studs the Hungarian Government owns tour large stalI lion depots at Szekesfehervar, Nagykoros, Debreczen, and Sepsi St. Gyorgy. The inmates of these depots are only stallions, there being 238 thoroughbred stallions, 1552 half-bred sires. 57 thoroughbred Arabians, 306 half-bred Arabians, 570 Nonius stallions, 202 Gidran horses, and 171 Lipizzan stallions. ARGENTINE COMPETITION. Tlio proposed Argentine trade with England is discussed in the latest number of the Breeders' Gazette, Chicago. Tho writer, having remarked that British consumers of beef aro beginning to feel tho effects of a decreaso in the American supply, and are clamouring for the reopening of the Argentine live cattle trade, proceeds:—"ln common with most of those who find the ' beef trust' a convenient scapegoat for all that goes wrong in this business, our British friends seem to be blissfully ignorant of the fact that the supply of fat cattle in this country is short, at the present time mainly localise of the disinclination of the farmers of the Middle West to run the risks involved in feeding exceptionally high-priced grain. It is tho opinion of the Liverpool and Birmingham Chambers of Commerce that the only way to check the Chicago packers from getting full control, of the business at Buenos Ayres is to open British ports to Argentine cattle, the contention being made that their exclusion is no longer necessary on the ground of disease. It is furthermore argued that the dressed meat trade benefits no British industry, exoept the cold storage and distributing agents. It is asserted that when the live cattle are landed the work of slaughtering and manipulating the various by-products tends to employ British labour and benefits various important lines of trade. More than this, there is a well-under-stood preference on the part of a considerable proportion of the English butchers for slaughtering their own cattle. Freshlykilled beef is more attractive for windowdressing purposes than the chilled or frozen article." MIXED FARMING. Diversified farming is the most interesting and, as a rule, the most profitable. If a farmer has some live stock, grows feed enough to support them, has some milk to sell or supplies cream to a factory or cheese factory, has an orchard, grows potatoes to sell, and has a good field of either hay or grain every year, he can hardly help making money if ho will stay at homo and attend to his own business. All these different kinds of work require especial study to got the best results. The breeding of one particular, kind of live stock is a life study in itself, but that is no reason why a man should not carry on different lines of study at the same time, just as his own boys do in school. If the father studies, it is a groat encouragement to tho boys, and it won't hurt him to dip in a little, even in later years. The time is coming when successful farmers will be honoured and appreciated above any other class of citizens..

THE COW'S UDDER. The simplo assertion that the strippings are the best of the milk will be emphasised bv .something in the way of reason for it. To begin with, the secretion of tho milk in a' cow's storage department is a mystery not yet fully understood. As is the case in all such mysterious processes of Nature, there are experts who have the explanation ready and glib-tongued in giving it. But tho fact romains, they know very little about it. It is wisely speculated that the process is not very unlike blood-making, with the difference that the red corpuscles of the blood are replaced by white corpuscles of fat. and tho change may take place_ in the milk gland. The udder is full of veins and vessels engaged in the work of selecting milk material and making milk of what is conveyed to them by the digestive processes , and from the circulatory system. The milk stored in the bag begins to separate at once, and thus the first drawing is what may be termed the skim; the sti ippings are tho cream. CATTLE IN NEW GUINEA. Fifteen years ago an attempt was made to breed Australian cattle in German New Guinea, and tho enterprise was successful, until Queensland tick was imported, which killed off tho few herds that existed. Several experiments have lately been carried on with Australian cattle, but without any success, as the ticks attack them, they suffer from red water, and die within six or eight weeks. The only cattle that seem to endure tho climate and withstand the attack of the Australian tick are an inferior kind imported from Java. Experts are at present trying what they can do by crossing theso Java cows with Siam and Bengali bulls. The cross of these seem to be fairly sturdy animals. Still, tho opinion is expressed that the colony never can be a great cattle-raising country. Experiments in breeding Australian horses and also in crossing Australian with Java ponies have been made, but without very satisfactory result... Hor=e-breeding will never be a success, according to one authority, in German New Guinea. Australian merino crossbred sheep have been tried there without success. They suffer from foot-rot, caused by the great humidity of the climate. Experiments are at present being carried < nt with sheep from .Java, which, so far, seem to have met with some success, ailncugh tho flesh of such sheep is of very inferior quality, and will never be esteemed as good table meat. GUERNSEY CATTLE. For many years (writes a contributor to the Farmer and Stockbreeder) the Guernsey cattle have been treated with but scant consideration by dairy-farmers in this country. Often questions arc raised as to the origin of the breed. The Jersey, the Guernsey, and the Alderney are each the so-called native" breed of the various islands, from which they take their name; but their is little doubt but that they have all descended from a common stocknamely, the cattle of Brittany and Normandy, more particularly the latter. The marked differences to be noted between the Guernsey and the Jersey arc probably explained by the fact that for some time after Jersey bad closed her ports to the importation of alien cattle blood, the port of Guernsey remained open. It was probably at this time that the blood and characteristic features of other breeds were mingled with those of the Guernsey cattle, or else it is that the latter type of milch cows have been bred to suit different conditions of climate, natural surroundings, etc. Perhaps, under the circumstances, we ought to favour tho latter supposition, for tho varying conditions existent in Jersey and Guernsey are well known to all who havo visited these islands. In the former the climate is less rigorous than in Guernsey, and the latter island consists of only 16,000 acres of land and rocky surfaces. Naturally',7thcn, the cattle have been bred with a view to greater hardiness and strength of constitution. Furthermore, Guernsey breeders have aimed at utility dairy cattle rather than " fancy" types, where beauty is more sought after than utility. Their principal —namely, tho breeding of cattle and the raising of dairy producehas few the past century stimulated the people of this little island to careful selection in tho perpetuation of their native dairy stock. The result is that the latter have increased in size, gained an earlier maturity, and developed an improved and fuller lacteal system. The claims of tho Guernsey with regard to butter-making are well known. This maximum of butter production has been aimed at all along by the breeders and fanciers of tho Guernsey. The foregoing facts ' easily explain theso cattle and also the rich golden markings on the skin and the distinctive colour of the milk and butter. Of course, these goldcn-hued markings are not to be found in every specimen of tho breed, but they constitute a typical feature. In some cases one may como across a wide range of colours, varying from light red to lemon and orange fawn, almost all having a considerable admixture of white.

BREVITIES. • Producers who have used it speak highly of the value of sugar-beet'as a cow fodder.

Complaints as to the knocking about of empty cans on the railways are frequent.

Good food and salt are remedies for sheep infested with worms of any description.

If your heifers come from an early-ma-turing breed you may breed from them early.

If tho calves are being fed on skimmed milk the generous hand will not skim too deeply. ......

Where it is practicable tho milking should be done under cover and under conditions of cleanliness.

A good ewe " educated" as a milker will yield as much as six quarts a day of milk richer than goats'.

Breed is not the result of food; and good blood, with the power of transmitting it, is not to be measured by fat.

It is an admitted fact that the management of the herd has much effect on the milking powers of tho animals.

Lady Phyllis, the pick of the Jersey herd of Lady Rothschild, was sold at the distribution of the stock for 205 guineas.

. On 10 acres of sorghum under irrigation a Victorian dairyman kept 40 cows all through autumn and summer in full profit.

Most cream immediately after separation is in, condition to make good butter; tho sooner all cream gets to the factory the bettor*.

When the cow is nearly at the end of her term look after her. She may want a help, and will be grateful for a little attention.

Separator skim milk as a pig food has just about one-fourth the value of good corn in putting weight on.

The value of skim-milk for young stock is considerable if given to the right kind of animals in tho right way.

Tho values of hemp and tow exported from the Dominion during the first fortnight of August, were £17,817 and £625, respectively.

Statistics of tho foreign commerce of the United States for Mav, state that 6364- tons of Manila, valued at. 724.506 dollars; 7718 tons of sisal, valued at 837.650 dollars; and 359 tons of New Zealand hemp, valued at 44,609 dollars, were imported.

Some writers write very confusedly. For instance, an eastern exchange uses the words protein and nitrogen, first one and then the other, until the ordinary reader would think that they are different elements. In truth, nitrogen is the basic element, and protein is one of tho forms of nitrogen, so in effect protein is nitrogen. In the same way ammonia is one of the forms of nitrogen, and in its effects on vegetation ammonia is nitrogen.

The day of the agriculturist, appears to havo arrived, for we find even the universities providing the travelling man off the land for a time with facilities for educating himself such as were never dreamed of by his grandfather. Sydney University, realising that in tho shearing sheds of the country there aro at the time when tho wool crop is being harvested numbers of men whose usual business is farming, has arranged for the delivery of a course of lee-, turos on agriculture, veterinary science, and methods of treatment for common complaints of stock and farm hygiene.