AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18708, 14 May 1924, Page 14

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

The . manure on farms varies according to the quality of the raw materials (foods) from which it is produced.

The value of pigs exported from the United Kingdom for breeding purposes during 1922, amounted to £6685.

An active campaign is being waged in England for practical and scientific inquiry into the cause and possible cure of distemper in dogs.

It has been strikingly demonstrated that good dairy sires will double the milk and butter-fat production of an inferior herd in two generations.

At Mark .Lane recently, English malting barley has been firmly held. Superior samples continue in limited supply, and prices are unaltered at 9s to 13s 9d per bushel.

The present market for oats is exceedingly keep throughout the Dominion, due to stocks being considerably under the requirements to carry on until the next harvest.

The whole business of farming is a process of taking risks, and the man who is not imbued with some spirit of adventure had better seek an occupation that is less speculative. '

Supplies of Canadian bats are being landed fairly regularly at Auckland, at a landed cost at that port, somewhat less than that asked for grain imported from the South Island.

In England British large black stud pigs are becoming more popular than ever. At a recent sale in England 67 head realised a total of £2081. One breeder paid the big price of 210 guineas for a young boar. .Maize is one of the few lines of produce that will not be affected by any railway strike, as much of this crop is grown in the Bay of Plenty, and is delivered by steamer from the East Coast ports.

When cream is stored or ripened at too high a temperature,' the resulting butter is often soft and spongy. This keeping the cream at too high a temperature makes it practically impossible to produce a nice grain in the butter, and it will generally contain too much water.

The value of pig products imported into the United Kingdom in 1922 was as —Bacon, £35,530.534; hams. £8,585,366; pork, £3,309,738; lard, £7,653,751. In this year there were 2,298,936 pigs in England and Wales, according to statistics given in. the Pig.

The stallion should display masculine character in, head and neck, otherwise he lacks character. There are so many finely-bred stallions nowadays that one can understand the breeder's belief in an occasional cross of rough type of horse in order to correct the tendency to effiminacy. ,

One of the worst of so called hereditary diseases is. shivering. It is a brain or spinal ■' trouble, resembling in certain' .phases .the chorea of. the dog. It is. generally, manifest in heavy 'horses and is developed during the first three, years at grass. Its cause is not known," and post-mortem examination reveals 'no lesions. ' - - •' i : - . ~

A recent' report from the United- States shows that the farmers in the State of Oregon havo, in the last five years, added., one ton of. hay per acre to their lucerne harvest by the application ,of sulphur to the soil at the rate of 801b. per acre, Moreover, the increase in yield from one application extends into the following three or four years. ,

As far. back as 1731, a man : named William Ellis found that manure could best; be kept, in a covered pit or cistern. Until the invention of the modern litter carrier and manure , spreader, no other material changes had been made in the methods. of handling • farm • manures for nearly two centuries. Unfortunately farmers have been slow to adopt the Ellis system.

In one American county, where there are approximately 14,000 acres under lucerne, .mors .than twp-thirds of which have been treated with sulphur, it has been found that the application practically doubles the yield throughout the country. Another important fact is that the increased protein content of lucerne fertilised with sulphur more than pays the cost of the fertiliser used.

Taranaki farmers along the sea-coast, between Patea and Opunake> are perturbed over the loss of many of .their swede crops.. Upon no less than five adjoining farms, so sudden was the attack of rot that fully 50 per cent. of the bulbs .were gone before stock were put on to clear up the. paddocks, and in. consequence, there will be a marked shortage of winter feed in this particular locality.

In selecting a brood sow look for an animal broad between the eyes and snout. The ears should be medium in size and j fine in texture, and the back strong, and j well arched. Hoofs should be short and j stand erect, leg* fairly , long, so that; the j udder will not drag on the ground. The ! under line should be long, hips broad, and j the body deep. A gentle disposition is ' important. A. nervous, high-strung sow is dear at any price. :

Anyone desirous of astonishing his neighbours with ino-i-f.'r vegetal>l" marrows or nnni'ikii.K should try the following plan, which is said to be. iipri'eci!',* effecf ive for prq.'li?a*ng'.i!ipijj ; r '-ot :i ;l ss jn'r .that will bold :> >o { i/'ri-r- rvr-f.-j of wot or. pO'i;' ' '•'»*(}(' I"'-ewiivri " "If- on half . pound fi r , 'rioist .-"'lar: •••'''• f'n- }•)*• ; 'to ('•lf, rr.,111 r! "... « ... ~f ''■* r n; - ..... ... thpn' ,— v > injr V;i.i"V. .h ; ... • •' >'-r. ■ t ■"l'tii'.ir'! the ■•'ieiii o' Hi<> i" v •• •* ' ' the fit her end "at i' l " bo! *•» of I'v ;•i. . and ' - '•>' n, • -iw 1 " -it will di'av 'h.. ~.vf-e.e.;e:i *vs.*.- into it.- ■