ON THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18088, 12 May 1922, Page 8

ON THE LAND.

TIMBER FOR DAIRYING.

The following clipping from a Vancouver paper shows something of the trado conditions which are growing up between Now Zealand and Canada, and also the necessity for the people of this country planting timber trees; which will replaco our native white pine in tho construction of boxes and cases for our exports of dairy pi oduce- i ' The New /Zealand buttei export trade necessitates a very large number of boxes for tho supply of which tho dairymen of that country arc looking to British Columbia. Mr. Hugh Dalton, secretary of the B.C. branch of tho Canadian Manufacturers' Association, has an enquiry from a. firm in Hamilton, New Zealand, for quotations on 600.000 boxes of one size, 1,000,000 boxes of another, an unspecified quantity of a third size, tho boxes to bo shipped in knockdown form. Steps arc being taken to get quotations supplied from box factories hero in tho hope of such a contract being secured for this city."

GRASSES FOR PAPER. The English Engineer says bamboos appear to be tho most promising souico of paper pulp in India and tho Far East, whilst in other countries largo grasses, many of which aro similar to bamboo in appearance, exist over extensive areas and could be used for the same purpose. In tho current number of tho Bulletin of the Imperial Institute a comprehensive account is given of these giant grasses. Preliminary trials have proved that many of them give a satisfactory yield of pulp, which produces good paper. In the case of tho so-called elephant grass of eastern tropical Africa, these results have been confirmed by largo scalo trials, and tho material has been used in L'ganda for Government printing paper, which is of excellent quality. Such grasses, by reason of their bulk, could not be exported to Europe at a profit, but it is suggested that they might bn employed locally for paper-making or for conversion into pulp for export. ■

VALUE OF POTASH. The Victorian Journal of Agriculture says all authorities agree that potash is essential for the mainter.anco of the soil's fertility, and, to show the justification for this agreement, and the serious results that will ensue by the removal of potash from fertilizing mixtures, the results of experimental plots of potatoes ■will be of interest. Using the ordinary fertilizing mixture without potash, a yield of only 2 tons 16 cwt. \yas obtained, as against- 8 to 10 tons per acre with potasn present. In experiments with mangel-wurzels by the addition of potash the total yield was increased from 12 to 29 tons, and the sugar yield from 0.797 ton to 2.223 tons. All soils,_ excepting volcanic and granitic in the virgin state, require potash. Plants which secrete quantities of sugar, starch, and other carbohydrates, such as beets, sorghum, potatoes, onions, maize, likewise the various kinds of fruits, require much potash for their development. Apart from the increased yields by the addition of potash, it is specially noteworthy that its presence imparts increased vigour to plants, and thus enables them to resist diseases to which they may be subject. We in Australia are drawing on the reserves of po'tash present in the soil, and it may, in some cases, be soma time before its loss is made manifest; but already in Queensland, where pineapples and bananas are grown, the: reserve is exhausted. Tn the fruit-growing districts of New South Wales, also, these crops are suffering from the lack of potash.

LUCERNE GROWING CAMPAIGN. Lucerne growing is making considerable progress in Canterbury largely owing ':o the encouragement given by the Canterbury District Lucerne Committee. This committee, which includes a number of enterprising business men, inaugurated a lucerne growing competition, providing prizs money lo the v&lue of £375, and not only provided prize money, but induced a number of public-spirited mon to establish lucerne plots in order to popularise the movement. The result has been that no less than 50 competitors have entered plots of from five {teres upwards, many of the plots being over ten acres. The plots are distributed all! over the proyince from Parnassus in the north to Timaru in the south, and there is great rivalry among the growers. In some cases the establishment of experimental plots has already proved so profitable that areas are rapidly being extended, and it may be said thai lucerne growing, encouraged in the first instance by a few city business men, is taking hold among the farming community and is likely to bc.come of immense value to Canterbury. Messrs. A. H. Wheeler and B. D. Steftens, members of the Fields Committee- in their latest report to the Lucerne Campaign Committee, state that at Banksiae two cuttings for hay, one in March and one in November, yielded a value of £7 7s to £11 4 S per acre. These gentlemen also declare that on certain areas of exception.illj' poor soil lucerne plots, even when badly started or neglected, have increased the productive capacity of the soil.

MISCELANEOUS ITEMS. Freight on agricultural products from Denmark lo English ports has been reduced 15 per cent. Census fignres show that the sheep flocks in U.S.A. decreased from 52,000,000 heads in 1910 to 35,000.000 head in 1920. _ Pigs demand very little of tho farmer; give them the simple life, fresh air, good food, and exercise, and they will repay you adequately. Tho food of the cow has tome effect on the churnability of cream. The more churnahle cream is tho more butter is obtainable from it. A ton of ground limestone brought 573 extra pounds of soy beans on an acre at tho Washington County, New York, Experimental Farms (U.S.A.). Greater efficiency, increasing tho yields of our acres, our and our herds, is of vital importance to a permanent and remunerative system of agriculturo. One of the reasoas for having the «oil sweet for raising lucerne is that the bacteria which live upon the roots of the plants will not survive in an acid soil. * Potatoes in some parts of Scotland sold at £2 10s to £3 per ton in November — leas than 4d per atone. But the retail prico in many districts was 8d to lOd per stono. Last year 153,031cwt., of fresh and 398,213cwt. of frozen pork were imported into England. The value of the imports of pork and bacon for that period is estimated at £45,232,517. Farmers in the Inverurie district of Aberdeenshire (Scotland) have arranged to shoe their own horses, and have secured premises for general blacksmith work in connection with agriculture. It is always a good thing with calves that aro being fattened to give them as much good focd as they will eat up with relish, and not to restrict, them alike to a hard and fast quantity. If profiteering means taking all you can get, ana giving as little as possible, how » about trie man who neglects h's buildings, who refuses to fertilize his paddocks, and who cuts his green timber without making provision for the future? Particular attention should be given *,o the value of exeraiso for li'ttle pigs after they are weaned A grass paddock for them is not absolutely necessary as it exercise more than grass which they m quire, not that a little grass would be injurious to them, but rather the reverse? A South African research chemist has issued a warning to sheep owners on the dangers which are liable to arise from the , mixing of so-called carbolic dips with untested mineral waters, some of which cc?. tain certain ingredients, which vhVn SSLaf l0 ™