ON THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15613, 20 May 1914, Page 13

ON THE LAND.

■BRITISH FARM EXPORTS.

' ffteiNGr to a l< ,n ff drought, the crops in ißritish production and manufacture ex- • noriel amounts in tho aggregate to a con- ; i'Sißrablii sum., although taken individually Wh article© do not usually represent a, -." v erv extensive trade The various commodities included under tho hauling of corn, "Ijfiiin, iind llour. represent a total of ;%j 564,1165, while meat °* all kinds, ineluding live cattle for food, bacon, hams, poultry, and fame accounts for £1,23(1,000. '■■••Wool from British flocks was exported to .■(h« value of £1,753,648, while hides and nndroseitf skins accounted for £1,889,094. Perhaps the most nteresttng item in the I -exoort trade, from .an agricultural point of ; vview, in 'hat. which shows the sales of i hfew'iji animals *° the colonies and Jorei?u countries. The year 1913 witnessed "}.% great expansion in this export trade in animals. The values of exports of cattle, .. sheep, and 'lambs. , and swine, to other countries, foi breeding purposes were the !■ largest since separate records for such ani- ■ mals were list kept in 1908, and were . nearly one-half again the value in tho next'highest year, 1909. The increases in the- exports of rattle were mainly to Argentina and the United States.

RETI'RNS.FROM FARMS. \ correspondent of the Live Stock Journal England, writing in reference to the monetarv ret urns from small farms, says: T find that ruling the last three years my small farm of 45 .".ores las carried the folWLn" , head of stock: Seventeen dairy cows "five two-year-olds, five yearlings, five weaning calves, two horses, and two breeding jews. In the autumn of 1912 I purchased a few tegs for , winter grazing, but this is the only occasion on which I have tot she-'P since 1910. My land is all in m-s laid down about 25 years ago. 1 do wot breed all the pigs I require, but buy floras, Which are finished at about 20st per ,i<r,"as they are wanted. My cash rerelrits from this farm have been a? follows: In 1911. £500 13s; in 1912, £527 6s bd ; in 1915. £634 6s Id. 1913 my return from the 'sale of milk was in excess of. tnat of previous years. I do not use calf meals, hat rear my .calves on new milk in order that they may not lose their early ilesli and go on. The milk thus used is con eiderable. My young ritock make goc<. prices in consequence. I keep no cattle but, the best dairy Shorthorns. My eako ami meal bills amounted to just over £200 in 1913. I" my case the return per cow in 1913 was £38,' and the average? for the three years nearly £33 per cow."

CANADIAN DAIRYING. » An unexpected aspect of Canada's dairying resources is presented in the last annual report, by the Canadian Daily Com- • mission, which- calls attention to th.3 fact that while Canada _is ' producing more butter she is becoming yearly a heavier importer of that staple, 'in 1912 she sent abroad 42551b. while she imported 7,000,0001b. Nearly all of these imports were from New Zealand, and there is no immediate likelihood of a reduction in the volume of such imports. It is estimated that, Canadians are using £8.000,000 worth more of dairy produce than they ' did 10 years ago. In 1903 the western dairy provinces produced about 300,0001b of factory butter. Last year the production exceeded 4,000.0001b. Yet, while domestic requirements were 500,0001b in 1903, they were 20,000.0001b in 1912. _ The increased needs are due to a growing population, but in almost. equ"\l measure to the increasing use of sweet cream and ice cream. It is believed that the consunip- . tion of cream in these two forms in 1912 . was equal to 8,000,0001b of butter. < The Commissioner gives emphasis ' in this report to' the. need for a marked extension of ihe dairy industry, if Canada is to realise upon her,opportunities in that regard

FORAGE CROP. I The plants that may be safely relied on as forage in all parts of the colony are ■winter rye for late autumn and early i ' spring pasture, and a mixture of winter i wheat, cats, and barley for summer use. An easy way to provide a liberal supply of ! winter forage for all kinds of live stock is' to sow winter, rye in a crop of barley. Tho ground should be ploughed to a depth ■ . of at ' least five inches. It should be harrowed at /least three times or harrowed once and then rolled. The barley should be sown to a depth of about two and one-half inches. When the young crop has attained a height of about three inches it should be harrowed lengthwise, and winter rye should then be drilled crosswise amongst it at a depth of about one .inch. If the «>ii-bas been well packed as suggested above, the depths of the various drillings ran be easily regulated and the crop bo benefited by the extra cultivation giv3n to the ground by harrowing and crossdrilling. If the soil has not been well packed then there is danger of injuring the main crop by having tho harrows and the drill penetrate the ground below the barley roots and breaking their hold on tho sou. The winter rye will be held in check by the early crop, but, immediately after this has been harvested, it will make rapid growth until the weather turns cold. " can be pastured and then ploughed •.under or left to mature a crop of grain.

BUDDING SEED POTATOES.' 'Ike subjoined paper upon a subject of wtaderable' interest to potato-growers is <>>' Mr. Russell Kidd, of Invermav. Tasmania. Mr. Kidd says the old style of PlParag,potatoes intended for feed is tang superseded by a new one, to which ™o term "sprouting" has been applied, tor several reasons, he thinks, it would »<> better to describe the system by the WW •budding." This name is true as » wet, and avoids any confusion with another and most reprehensible practice • ™cb is also called "sprouting." •n this latter case, where costly seed potatoes of a new variety are being proMated, the potato is cut to its finest MBit, one eye to each set, and planted. V the plants grow, the sprouts from the . *-«m are nipped off and set in speciallyPrepared beds to strike and form secoudai". plants, on the underground stems of wnch secondary potatoes form, which posstss neither the vigor nor qualities of «• primaries. Many good quality and neavy-yielding potatoes have been' seri my weakened in this manner, and the ywppoißtinent felt in many Quarters at "•lures is; probably due to the unsucccss- •"' growers being unfortunate enough to 'Ft tiler seed from these secondary and • 15 J P. rodu cts. The meaning to 'be intended in this article by the terms .-Pouting or "adding" may be de•JWouts of_the -.growing plants. t'-i potato is originated from any one of : il?V l "«<le of .seeds which 'are to bo ' "Win the beny, or s ""^ ed "apple," fci£ft to ? hut Plant a seed and note ' 1 « habit of growth. The .seed is about X h I°/ an average pin head. Stem Ann v es gTOW "P and the roots crow ■ CU (,m the axis the underground ■ tivi t fpn ? g ' and ll is °" these that lirwi', None ever grow on ■ tithe, J \k ? tato ,s mere, - nu ex P™no. the'underground stem, and may no, thc , ° rm nf ll Jtril) g of «■ kruLrv, i 25 rt P° uto *»nt»in 9 the :V^S l eyes. Uhanumbero f lateral ' J'hen a plant develop., potatoes, it is ... 5tL\ S, ' per , tul ate - or throw one ; *U developed, when the energies of -CtaS- t f:;, (lm,e( U° fillin S the termed " sUrcb - 1 tu nourishment, principally J ■!*« obtained, and in all ' Mi on! " K £ Xlst there has been ' !' aW J ,»W d .P lMled in each case, '« JnSf b««l? rely propagation . ■■»«.;I bud, frora the underground tie" e buds I«£*« T hod of de >- el °?''ng ' A WW- th ? rcf ° re ECCl,re th best ' ' Hants' to I '• *h gTeater . "»n>ner of : -ttl*S!f m J h .° 3 '"¥ from each root. ' . «ote metnods have been tried, ■ i ?2 to laSl , )ear M ™6« »•■ ■ tuned;. tO -" 3 • 13cwfc per acre wa * ob- -\ ' *&p2!f 1 Proceeding is to mark V'NmR? Bron">K crop for seed, l: ;,v f .. l " upevci ? plant from this which

shows .1 white flower. Dig before the haulms have quite • died down, and whilst there is. still a. tinge /of: green in v them, nave-bunks arranged ho as: to give absolute protection from frost and wet. Have as much light and air !as possible.' Place the seed potatoes in the shelves *>f the bunk one'deep. When the buds are beginning to show well, turn them over, and no other treatment is necessary until planting, time. ,' Plant on the same day« the sets are cut,, or as soon ; after as circumstances permit.■ > • ■

By following this method it will be found that,the buds formed ,are not long and slender, but short, denim, full of colour and v sturdy enough to resist"fairly rough handling. In cutting a potato, always begin at the stem end and finish with the terminal or crown. The, question of cultivation is left to the discretion of the farmer, as soils and conditions are so variable that no fixed rule can bo . laid down. ■'■,'■'■■

MOTORS AND FARMING. The following is a quotation from a recent publication " Horse, Truck, and Tractor," epitomizing the basis on which tho tractor method'of fanning must rest. Tho farmer who is to succeed" to-day must run his farm on a business basis. Reduction of operating cost wjien attainable • without a reduction of efficiency is tho first thing that the farmer should give his attention to.- It means fanning at largest profits. _ J For the last five years the leading farm journals have given more or less space to educational matter concerning . farm tractors. Leading agricultural colleges and agricultural engineers after complete and exhaustive research into the economic side of the tractor usage have proved without question that the salvation the farm and the farmer rests upon time-saving farm machinery. Their deductions are based not upon conjecture or generalities, but specific facts. When iand was £5 an acre and when horses were £10 apiece, there was no urgent need for engines on the farm. Todav land has gone up until it touches £40. £60. and £80 an acre._ Even ordinary horses have advanced in price until £200 will only buy three or four. ■■ Farm labour is constantly growing . scarcer. Twenty-five horses hitched to gang plows necessitate the attention of five,men. One man on a tractor with an assistant on the plows behind will accomplish as much work.

A tractor will handle every operation on a grain farm from soil to market. % It will plow, disc, sow, harrow, harvest,"thresh, and haul the grain. It will combine two or more operations, with a great saving in power. In orchards the small tractor can be used to great advantage. It is built low-down and moves in the middle between rows of fruit trees, sparing the limbs. It will -pull a wagon heavily loaded with fruit from the orchard to the railway, a carload at a trip. It takes the place of many teams and men at time when the hand of man is 1 needed to strip the orchard of its yield. Both in the orchard and on the larger farm the tractor can be used to furnish stationary power for any kind of task.

In the cultivation Of larger tracts of land, no comparison can be drawn between tractor and horses. Here larger areas are cultivated in a, much-reduced time and cultivated much better. In every operation, the tractor save wages- Like all other useful machines the initial cost of the tractor seems comparatively large, but this cost is more than made up in the economies effected. In both extensire and intensive farming ' the tractor ' has demonstrated its great power for saving.

DRYING OFF COWS. There is a general agreement as to the desirability of allowing a cow a period of rest by drying off the milk during the closing days of gestation, but the question is: For how long? Within reason, the cow should be milked as long as possible, and especially is this the case with young heifers. This is called inculcating the milking habit, and the best experience goes to show that as the cow is treated one year she expects to be treated again. Further, the dairy-fanner needs to get the greatest amount of profit in the least possible lime, and at the minimum cost. -» rest Iran milking is, of course, for the benefit of the cow and of the yield after calving. In the case of a poor milker, there is no difficulty about fixing the period during vrnich she should be dry, as she simply goes dry herself, generally too soon for her owner, and some will take as much as thre* months' rest, or only.yield in response to, generous feeding a quantity of milk that does not pay expenses. An average cow in poor condition miiy be allowed two months in which to recruit her strength. If in fair condition the milking can bo continued until with a month of calving. If a cow is in very low condition, it is better to iesort to higher feeding than to dry off. Cows are known that have been treated thus for many years, sometimes being milked to within a month of calving, that have carried as good an appearance, and produced equally good calves, as those which run dry nearly three times as long. Six weeks 'may bo considered the average period during which a cow should be dry, unless the circumstances are exceptionalIt is, however, the extraordinary -milker that occasions most difficulty. There are some heavy milkers whose owners would often enough be willing to accord them a reasonable period of rest if there was a possibility of drying them off without having to take considerable trouble* and Tunning a' great risk. For these there seems nothing but " milking round," as it is called, and some of the mo6t experienced dairy-farmers admit, however much they would prefer a moderate rest, that, as far as immediate consequences are concerned, the animals do not appear any the worse, nor is the yield after allying materially affected. This .point is, perhaps, difficult to determine, because it is not possible to say. although the cow milks heavily,, of what she would have been capable had it been possible to accord her a month's rest. This much, however, seems certain, the risk of causing garget, or inflammation of tho udder, and the possible loss of one or more quarters, is too grave to be lightly incurred, and in such cases the practice of milking right up to the next calving is justifiable. In the cases of heifers, they should never be permitted to go dry early or the habit of ceasing the supply early may be perpetuated. This class of animal may be kept in milk oven when the yield falls below a profitable- quantity, as it is by persistently asking for more that the qualities of prolonged milking arc deve loped in the cows.

SALT FOR PIGS. The old idea, writes Professor Primrose McConncll in the Dairy, was that to give salt to pigs "was a very great mistake, and that it actually poisoned them by cans-, ing inflammation of the stomach followed by death. There 's no doubt that this sometimes did actually happen, bat Ave have got to know a little more about matters now-a-days, and cases of so-called poisoning were .simply those in which too much salt or saline bodies had been given. It is the custom,' for instance, to give pigs all the household swill, and on a large scale to get the refuse froin hotels and various other institutions for pi,a;-feod-ing. All this stuff has doubtless already had salt added, and if a little more salt is put in, it can be seen that this swill, which i 3 thus twice salted, becomes poisonous, and might therefore be set down by some people to be due to the small quantity of salt last added. But in the ordinary cater, no such contingency arises, and such foods as maize, middlings, and those which are usually fed to pige actually require as much salt as possible. Professor McDonnell at one time had. a good deal to do with the feeding of pigs, and was accustomed to flee their food regularly salted, i that food consisting principally of maize I meal, pea meal, and various other: by-pro-I ducts of corn mixed with whey from cheese making. Long ago the French Government made some trials to find oat the amount of salt required by the various domestic animals, and they found that the pig required an ounce-per head daily for evary hundred pounds of live weight. In this there ought to bo included the proportion of salt already naturally in vegetable foods, but after that is allowed for, it follows that a, certain quantity must be mixed with foods (not previously ssltcd in the cooking), to keep the animals in health. Of coarse, if household swill is to be used, and it must; ; be used somewhere then allowance must be made for' otherwise the actual giving of salt with food u the proper course to follow, ~ ■