Farm and Garden.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 217, 6 November 1875, Page 21

Farm and Garden.

We noticed by Melbourne exchanges that Messrs. Robertson, of Colac, have purchased by private contract Mr. Richard Morton’s celebrated herd of shorthorn cattle. There were thirty-seven animals in the herd, and the price given was £27,000, or an average of £7BO a head. Most of the animals are Victorian bred, and the facts narrated speak wonders for the enterprise of breeders in Victoria. At the Wanganui agricultural and pastoral show, held on Thursday, Mr. George Hunter, M.H.R., took the following prizes :—Boar, first prize ; sow, second prize ; Enchanter, four months old bull calf, second prize ; Eclipse, fifteen months old bull, second prize; for Leicester ewe hoggets and Leicester ram hoggets, second prize ; Cotswold ewe hoggets, first prize ; Cotswold ram, first prize ; Southdown ram, first prize. The Lincolns exhibited by Mr. Hunter were considered of superior quality, but were too small, iu the opinion of the judges. Not only the largest, but, taken all in all, the best of the many shows yet held by the Highland and Agricultural Society opened on Glasgow Green on 27th July. The prize money, amounting to £2665, was £6OO above last year’s amount, which was in excess of the sum offered in any previous year. The entries of horses, of Avrshires, and of implements were the largest the society has yet recorded, and throughout every class in the yard there was, it is stated, great merit. The premier shorthorn bull prize was taken by Mr. A. Browne’s Duke of Aosta, and the leading draught stallion prize by Time of Day, owned by Mr. David Riddell, Kilbowie, Duntoclier. Time of Day was sold for 1500 gs. to Mr. March ant, of South Australia. Ic was estimated that 90,000 people visited the show during the four days. The agricultural statistics of Ireland for the year ending 30th July, 1875, show a total acreage under all crops of 5,331,655 acres, being an increase on the previous year of 62,651 acres. There were 161,321 acres under wheat ; oats, 1,499,371 ; barley, 233,747 ; here |and rye, 10,312 ; beans and peas, 11,647 ; potatoes, 900,277 ; turnips, 332,783 ; mangolds and beet, 43,274 ; cabbage, 34,874 ; carrots and other green crops, 37,184 ; and rape, 21,694 ; grasses, 10,431,176 acres respectively. Live stock ; Horses and mules, 547,676 ; asses, 179,742 ; cattle, 4,111,990 ; sheep, 4,245,15 S ; pigs’, 1,249,235 ; goats, 268,894 ; poultry, 12,055,768. The yield of the crops is not given. Elax gives a total acreage of 101,205, or a decrease compared with the previous year of 5702 acres. The returns of scutching mills show a total of 13S0, of which 1295 are iu Ulster, 25 in Leinster, 31 iu Munster, and 29 in Connaught.

In many places where furze has been planted alongside roads and dividing fences between fields, the furze has spread far over the land and road, to the injury of the carrying capacity of the paddock. When furze once obtains a firm rooting it is very difficult of eradication, and not unfrequently considerable sums of money and much labor are spent in clearing laud which lias become polluted with this very unsatisfactory hedge-plant. An American agricultural paper gives the following paragraph respecting this subject, which is worth readHg : —“ An intelligent bush farmer informs us that he has discovered an effectual way of treating furze brakes. Hitherto it has been the custom to grub the roots of the plants ; but it is found that by so doing you ensure a secession of several young plants for several succeeding years. The fact is that the surface of the earth under the brakes is thickly sewn with the seed of many summers, and the act of grubbing merely buries these seeds, which retain their vitality for years. Our informant cuts his furze in the spring, allows it to dry for a few weeks, and then burns it. The first rain that falls brings up a thick crop of young plants ; choosing a dry clay, he goes over this lightly with a hoe. In a few weeks a second crop makes its appearance ; this he treats in a similar way. Three hoeings he finds generally sufficient to effectually clear his land. By the old plan it cost him from £4O to £5(3 per annum to check the furze. Now ho does the work iu a satisfactory manner at a tithe of those sums.” The plan recommended can easily be tried, and it is one which is very likely to be successful. The j)rice of meat has increased considerably in England owing to the severely restrictive policy which, under the name of freetrade, the Government pursues as a rule in its commercial transactions, and much dissatisfaction has been created thereby. A deputation, accompanied by the Right Hon. R. Gurney, M.P., waited on the Duke of Richmond on the subject. It was urged that foot-and-moutli disease restrictions should be expunged from the existing regulations affecting the importation of foreign animals—among other reasons, because foot-and-mouth disease was

prevalent among cattle bred in the United Kingdom some years before foreign animals were allowed to be imported. Restrictions on importation, although rigorously enforced for mau y years, had proved to bo useless, and liad considerably increased the price of meat. It was generally believed to be au epidemic, a passing evil, and beyond control. References to the most eminent veterinary authorities would find them almost unanimously of opinion that the existing regulations should be withdrawn. At present foreign animals were subject at the place of lauding to regulations which were not applied to home-bred animals exposed for sale in any market of the United Kingdom. In the latter case the animals suffering from disease only were required to be slaughtered, while the remaining were allowed to go all over the country ; whereas iu the case of foreign animals, of one animal of any class was even slightly affected the whole of the cargo was ordered to be slaughtered, by which enormous loss was sustained by the importer ; and such difference in practice was unfair to the foreign trade, and oppressive upon the consumer. The Duke promised to lay the matter before his colleagues. Protecting Haystacks. —ln answer to a question, recently put through our columns, as to the best method of covering haystacks, Mr. H. W. Philips sends the following :—“ Lay on the ground battens or quartering at the distances apart of the length of the sheets of corrugated iron to be used. Bore holes in them so as to come to the corners where the two sheets overlap, and make holes in the iron to correspond with those in the battens. Drive in bolts to pass through the battens and iron, and screw on the nuts, which will keep the whole firm, and so proceed over the space required to cover one side of the stack. It can then be taken to pieces, and placed on the stack. It will of course last many years, and as the trusses are generally cut about the width of a sheet of iron one strip can be taken off at a time, leaving the rest of the stack protected. Should a ridge-cap be used it would be secured to the top row of bolts. The holes in the battens must not be too large, so that the bolts may be driven in firmly, and not drop out.” I he shorthorn mania shows no signs of abatement in America. The Chicago Journal's letter Waukegon, 111., says “ Hon. M. H. Cochrane, member of the Canadian Senate from the province of Quebec, and Simon Beattie, of Whitevaile, province of Ontario, have just purchased from George Murray, Racine, Wis., about one-half of his select herd of shorthorns. The purchase is said to be the largest in amount ever made at a private sale in this country, including in all fourteen head, among them six females of the celebrated Duchess tribe and eight females of other choice popular families. The price paid for the lot is not as yet made public, but must be in the vicinity of $100,900, for it is a well-understood fact that soon after the great New York Mills sales, held near Utica, N.Y., in September, a year ago,_ Mr. Murray, refused $15,000 each for the six Duchesses of Slawsondale, which are included in the purchase. The cattle will be shipped iu a day or so to Mr. Cochrane’s farm at Hillhurst, Canada. Peculiar interest will attach to this important sale from the fact that Mr. Cochrane has long been recognised as a leader of the * Booth ’ party in this country, owning,, perhaps, the most valuable herd of ‘ Booth cattle in the world. His purchase of the six pure Duchesses, which are regarded as par excellence of ‘ Bates ’ blood, together with the other females in which ‘ Bates ’ blood predominates, will undoubtedly be hailed by the ‘ Bates ’ men as a concession to their side. A letter from Racine, from a gentleman of standing, well known in this city, dated December 9th, in referring to this sale as given above, says : —‘ This is no humbug. The six cows and heifers Murray sold at $10,00(3 each were all the product of a heifer he bought of George N. Bedford, of Kentucky, five years ago, for S4OOO. She has had four heifer calves, aud, oue of these has a young heifer calf, making the six. The other eight head of shorthorns were of Murray’s own raising, but not of the Duchess blood—pretty good blood, however, to sell for $1250 a head, six months to three years old.’ ” A correspondent writing from Camden to the Sydney Morning Herald cautions the inhabitants of that district and the surrounding ones against the danger which attends the skinning of animals which have died of bloodpoisoning, by furnishing the following particulars of an inquest, which was held on the 15th October, before Mr. Palmer, the coroner, on the body of James Isaac New, then lying dead. Oliver Hinde, having been sworn, stated—The deceased on the morning of the 7th or Bth instant came to me, he having a milcli cow which died suddenly. I gave him permission to skin the animal, and at the same time I cautioned liim that it might lie dangerous, as I did not know what the cow died of. He held out both his hands to show me that he had no cuts or bruises to apprehend any danger, saying that be had skinned one of Battam’s some short time since, which died suddenly, and was buried in the garden ; be then commenced skinning the cow and left. Dr. Chisholm, sworn, stated—On Monday, the 13th, the deceased, James New, came to mo suffering from the effects of animal poison. The left arm was swollen with a sore on the front of the wrist. I told him he was suffering from the poison of a beast which had died of the Cumberland disease, and that ho was in a most critical position, from which he would have a hard struggle to depart. The next morning I saw him again. I saw a gland in the arm had become greatly enlarged, though the arm had been swollen. In the evening he complained of great pain in the abdomen. This morning I was sent for, as the pain had increased and he had passed no water. I passed the water and found the bladder empty, the kidneys not active. The other evidence was simply that of the wife of the deceased, who stated that her husband was 35 years of age, and went out of the house on the evening of the Bth to skin a dead cow, and two days after he complained of the speck on his arm being

painful. “We bathed the arm in warm water and put on bread poultices.” He then went to the doctor. He only complained of great pain. He continued to get worse, and died at 9 o’clock on the morning of the 15th.

AGRICULTURE IN ENGLAND. The latter part of July and the month of August have been distinguished by heavy and continued rains, rendering the British harvest one .of the wettest on record. The larger portion of the hay lias been severely damaged, and some altogether destroyed, while the cereal crops, besides being under the average in yield, are far below the usual mark in quality. It is estimated that tlie wheat crop will only be equal to about six months’ supply, so that half the year’s requirements, or about 45 millions of bushels, will require to be imported. The price of Australian wheat keeps steadily at from 7s. fid. to 7s. 9d. per bushel, and from the prospects of European and American markets promises to be higher. From a paper on grain published by an American company, and copied into the English press, some figures are given showing the relative wheat contributing positions of the various countries from which Great Britain draws her supplies. The latest dates are, however, not more recent than 1872, but they serve to show that a decrease is going on in the exporting power of some of the sources from which Britain used to look, such as America, while newer grain producing countries, such as Australia, are increasing. Of the chief sources of supply, the United States has fallen from 28,106,839 bushels of wheat, including flour exported to England in 1870, to 17,984,177 bushels in 1872, while British North America has fallen from 6,351,685 bushels to 4,026.716 bushels in the same period. France, on the other hand, has increased from two millions of bushels in 1870 to eight millions and a half in 1872 ; Russia, from nine millions and a quarter to 33 millions and a half ; Germany, from eight millions and a quarter to nine millions and a half ; Chili, from one million to three millions ; and Australia, from 172,000 to a little over a million. The chief shorthorn sales of the month were that of Lord Dunmore’s draft at Dunmore, Stirling, on 25th August, aud the late Mr. Torr’s herd on 2nd September. The mail having left on 3rd September, full particulars of the latter sale are not yet to hand. The former lot comprised five Red Roses and three of the Oxford family ; the Red Roses, originally bred by Mr. Robert Colling, trace to Rose of Sharon, bought by the Ohio Importing Company of Mr. Bates in 1834. Her granddaughter, Thames, afterwards passed into the possession of Mr. Abram Reniek, who, using bulls of the Whitaker and Bates blood, bred and exhibited this tribe, and his herd is now acknowledged to be one of the best in America. The Oxfords are the produce of two cows selected from Mr. Sheldon’s herd at Geneva, U.S.A., prior to its transference to Messrs. Walcott and Campbell, and these are directly descended from Oxford sth. Three heifers of this branch of the Oxford tribe were sold at the Dunmore sale, 1872, for 3070 guineas, and like these were bred on tlie farm. The bulls were headed by Duke of Connaught, a Younc Duchess bull, and Third Duke of HillhursL The following are the particulars :—Cows and Heifers.—Wild Eyes Duchess, red, by Ninth Grand Duke (19879), out of Wild Eyes 19th ; 480 gs. Revelry Bth, red and white, by Grand Duke 4th (19874), out of Red Rosette ; 115 gs. Wiusome Eyes 3rd, roan, by Fifth Duke of Wharfdale (26033), out of Winsome Eyes ; 330 gs. Red Rose of the Isles, red, by Airdrie (30365), out of Duchess 3rd ; 1950 gs. Lady Worcester sth, roan, by Third Duke of Claro (23729), out of Lady Worcester 2nd ; 620 gs. .Lady Louisa’s Duchess 3rd, red roan, by Cambridge Duke 3rd (23503), out of Lady Louisa’s Duchess Ist ; 105 gs. Lady Worcester 9th, red and white, by Third Duke of Claro (23729), out of Lady Worcester 2nd ; 440 gs. Water Flower, red and white, by Sixth Duke of Geneva (30959), out of Waterloo 38th ; 620 gs. Wild Rose, red and white, by Sixth Duke of Geneva (30959), out of Wild Eyes 26th ; 350 gs. Lady Mary Burdett, white, by Thorndalo Duke (27661), out of Lady Rose Burdett ; 115 gs. Fuchsia 12th, roan, by Duke of Albany, (25381), out of Fuchsia 10th ; 900 gs. Oxford Duchess 2nd, roan, by second Duke of Collingham (23730), out of Eleventh Lady of Oxford ; 1000 gs. Fuchsia 13th, roan, by Duke of Albany (25931), out of Fuchsia 9th ; 650 gs. Lady Worcester 11th, white, by Third Duke of Claro (23729), out of Lady Worcester 3rd ; 550 gs. Wild Eyebright, roan, by Sixth Duke of Geneva (30959), out of Wild Eyes Duchess ; 455 gs. Lady Worcester 12th, white, by Eighth Duke of Geneva (28390), out of Lady Worcester sth ; 555 gs. Marchioness of Oxford 3rd, white, by second Duke of Collingham (23730), out of Eighth Maid of Oxford ; 1810 gs. Gwendoline, roan, by Second Duke of Collingham (23730), out of Lady Geneva ; 210 gs. Revelry 12th, roan, by Marquis 3rd (31826), out of Revelry 9th; 125 gs. Red Rose of Balmoral, red, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Red Rose of Braernar ; 1280 gs. Sparkling Eyes, red and white, by Sixth J >uko of Geneva (30959), out of Wild Eyes Duchess ; 350 gs. Lady Worcester 13th, red and white, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Lady Worcester 9th ; 450 gs. Fuchsia Llth, roan, by Duke of Albany (25931), out of Fuchsia llth ; 360 gs. Revelry 13th, red, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Revelry 4th ; 110 gs. Water Lily, red, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Water Flower 520 gs. Hazel Eyes, roan, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Winsome Eyes 3rd ; 400 gs. Blythesome Eyes, rod, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Wild Eyes Duchess ; 605 gs. Lady Worcester 15th, red, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Lady Worcester 9th ; 360 gs. Matilda, red and white, by Airdrie Geneva, out of Melody ; 110 gs. Lady Worcester 14 th, roan, by Sixth Duke of Geneva, out of Clear Star ; 550 gs. Bulls : Duke of Connaught, roan, by Duke of Hill-* hurst (28401), out of Duchess 108th by Eighth

Duke of York (20409) ; 4500 gs. Third Duke of Hillhurst (130975), red, by Sixth Duke of Geneva (.30959), out of Duchess 101st by Fourth Duke of Thorndalc (17750) ; 13000, gs. Lord of Braemar, red, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Red Bose of Braemar, Mr. Busby, Australia ; 100 gs. Lord of the Forth, red and white, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Red Rose of the Forth, Canada ;70 gs. Second Marquis of Worcester, red, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Lady Worcester 3rd ; 150 gs. Marquis of Oxford, roan, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Eighth Maul of Oxford ; 300 gs. Finlarig, red, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Selina sth ; 175 gs. Scots Fusilier, roan, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Fuchsia 12th; 155 gs. Wild Chieftain, roan, by Third Duke of Hillhurst (30975), out of Wild Eyebright ; GO gs. 24,975 guineas were realised for 39 animals being an average of £G72 Bs. per head. THE USE OF MILK FOR HENS AND CHICKENS. Some time since the editor of an American periodical, the Poultr;/ World, called attention to the great success of a poultry-keeper who succeeded in obtaining a large number of eggs in winter. The writer maintained that the success depended entirely upon the use of skimmed milk, and describing the system pursued by this successful farmer, said : His fowls roost in a lean-to, which is not only on the north side of the barn, but is not especially tight either. The only chance they have for sun is free range out of doors, and the run of several long sheds, which, though facing the south, are unglazed, and entirely open on that side, and so high that the birds may be said to live day and night in an atmosphere nearly as cold as an open field. We mention these particulars to show that we are not to look to warm quarters for an explanation of the prolificness exhibited. We add, that they do not lay on account of being hatched extra early, but on the contrary, they came off in May. They commenced laying in October, and have been at it ever since, to the astonishment, if not the envy of the neighbors of the fortunate owner, who has been selling eggs for four months for 45c. per dozen and upwards. Not one particle of meat or scraps is given, and but the veriest trifle of vegetable food is fed, in the shape of a few boiled potatoes, about once a week. Abundance of grain is allowed, of various sorts, ground and uuground, but never cooked, and plenty of unburnt oyster shells, pounded, are at all times accessible. They have a pailful of skimmed milk every day, so that they can help themselves to ail they want, no other drink being provided. Now, there are other fowls, and plenty of them, on hundreds of farms, of just the same breed as those of our friend, and the same age, which are allowed just as good rations of grain, potatoes, and powdered oyster shells, and just about the same sort of buildings and range, that do not lay from October to February. Moreover, it is not during one exceptional season that this has been done, but, as we have said, it has occurred year after year. We are satisfied that it is the milk that accounts for it. Skimmed milk and the whites of eggs are very much alike, and, though the cream has been separated, undoubtedly the full allowance of Indian corn supplies the oily constituents of the yolks. Some farmers think they cannot afford to give milk to hens, but must save it for the pigs. But if skimmed milk is worth He. a quart to feed swine, as some claim, it is worth 3c. for poultry, if, by its use, winter eggs can be obtained, and sold at high prices. The sensible practice of this American farmer commends itself to all who will take the trouble to think on the conditions required for the preservation of poultry in high condition. The chickens were hatched in May, which in temperate countries may be considered the month most suitable to their welfare. In place of being confined in close foetid poultry houses, the birds roosted in the open air. Then they had unlimited range out of doors, supplying themselves with worms and insects ; no meat was given, or spiced condimental food, but grain was their staple diet ; and in the winter, when the absence of natural insect food lessens so largely the production of eggs, the milk supplied the nitrogenous materials required for their production. We commend the consideration of this extract to our readers. With regard to the food of chickens that will soon be making their appearance in every farmyard, wo would strongly recommend the use of milk, inasmuch as it contains every requisite to support a healthy and vigorous growth. Many feeders are content with giving the young birds bread crumbs and a hard-boiled egg chopped up ; this dries rapidly in the open air, and the birds refuse the angular horny fragments. If an egg is mixed with an equal bulk of new milk, and the whole is “ set ” by placing it in a slack oven or by the side of the fire for a few minutes, a soft, succulent custard is made, which combines all the nutritious principles of the milk and the egg, and on it the chickens feed with alacrity, and flourish accordingly.

FATTENINO FOWLS is a science which many people try to accomplish, and many fail. The producer's business is to present a plump, well-conditioned bird. The consumer wants to get well-fattened, good-flavored poultry on his table. The Journal of Chemistry gives the following method of fattening, the quickest known—it is hopeless to attempt to fatten chickens when they are at liberty ; every keeper of fowls should do his best to practically tost and adopt the best way of feeding to fatten. The simplicity of the mode here given commends it to the general attention—it is so easily tried, and may be cheaply adopted The housewife of every farmer should add one of these fattening fowlcoops to her menage, and she would always have a fowl ready for the table and for sale. To fatten twelve fowls at a time, provide a coop 3ft. long, lift, high, and lift, wide, made entirely of bars, no part solid—neither top, side, nor bottom. Some discretion must be used as to the size of the fowl to be put up, not

to cramp them. They do not want room ; the closer they are together the better, provided they can all stand up at the same time. Be careful in putting up those which have been accustomed to run together, or they will fight. If one is quarrelsome, remove it at once. Run a trough along the front of the coop for feeding. The food should be ground oats, and mixed with milk or water—milk preferred. It should be well soaked, forming a pulp as loose as possible ; feed four times a day. The first meal as soon after daylight as possible, then at intervals of four hours. Give as much at each meal as they will eat up clean ; when done, wipe out the trough, and supply a little gravel, which causes them to feed and thrive. After a fortnight of this treatment, they will be good fat fowls. When fat they should be killed, as otherwise, if kept after sufficiently fatted, they will lose flesh and go back. If five or six are taken out of the coop, the others must be confined in less space, which is easily done, as the only thing necessary to do is to have two or three pieces of wood to pass between the bars, so as to form a partition and make a compartment of any required size. If fasted without food or water for twelve or fifteen hours before killing, it will enable them to keep for some time after being killed, even in hot weather.

HEN LICE are a great source of trouble to fowl-keepers. As the summer heats increase the pests multiply, and the broods need constant looking after. It is a safeguard to put tobacco in the nests of the sitting hens. Refuse tobacco or old stems will answer the purpose. If lice are already in the hennery, make a strong decoction of tobacco, and apply it with a syringe all over the inner surface. Sulphur sprinkled in the nests and about the roots is also a good remedy. Insects do not like the smell of brimstone. Another remedy much used recently, and very easily applied, is kerosene oil. Strips of listing from a tailor’s shop are tacked upon the roosting poles, and these are saturated with the oil. The hens upon the poles get some of this oil upon their feathers, and wherever it touches it drives off the insects, or kills them. Carbolic acid is another cheap destroyer of insect-life. It is largely diluted with water, and applied to all parts of the house. If, in very old houses, one application is not sufficient, repeat it.