THE FARM

New Zealand Mail, Issue 844, 4 May 1888, Page 18

THE FARM

Operations for MayNORTHERN DISTRICTS. The month of May in North New Zealand is sometimes fine, but more often the weather breaks before the end of the month, and therefore farmers should bn prepared for the setting in of the winter rains any day. As long as the weather bolds up all work requiring dry weather should be pushed forward vigorously, such as the breaking up of land, laying down to grass, the putting m of many autumn sown crops, etc. Clean out ditches and watercourses that they may readily carry off the winter floods, and repair and make water tight outbuildings of all kinds. Wherever a gateway occurs in lowdying ground it is sure to be a slough of mud in the winter, unless properly formed and metalled now. Examine stacks to see that the thatching ia all right, and have the small water channels cut round them in good working order. Grass Sowing.—-There is still time to bow grass this month in the warmer districts, but last month would have been better. For surface sown grass in a bush clearing after a bnrn May is a better time than earlier, for yon must be pretty sure of rain shortly after sowing under such conditions. To surface sow grass seed, and have to wait weeks for rain afterwards, is simply to waste your seed and labor. Where early frosts are common it is better to wait until spring

nan to sow grass now, excopfe ia special filiations.

Green Forage. —lf you have neglected sowing your oats for green feed last month they will still do, but Cape barley would now do better, and many prefer wheat aS green stuff to either, and it certainly has the advantage of cutting several times and growing again. Tares and winter vetches (best with barley) also do for late sowing, and turnips for feeding off by sheep in spring are in plenty cf time this month, but on no account put off any of those things later. Plant out cow oabbages. Wheat Sowing. —Where it is intended to sow winter wheat it may be done this mouth. We believe in the advisability of winter sowing where the conditions are suitable; although in the North, Where the summer begins earlier and ends later than in the South, the benefit of winter sowing i 3 not so marked. Therefore if your land is not thoroughly well prepared wait for the spring by all means. In cold and wet land you do not gain any thing by winter sowing. Many experienced farmers are in favor of the early part of July, but a great deal depends on circumstances —the local climate, the wet or dry nature of the land, and manner of sowing and subsequent treatment of the crop. If the district is warm, and tho land to be used is dry and warm, and particularly volcanic—if you are going to sow broadcast, or drill in close, then sow in May and feed down twice with sheep when about four inches or a little more high. If you intend to drill in rows one foot apart, and horse hoe, spring is best, as the land is seldom fit to work in winter. A little coal tar mixed with the seed is said to prevent the birds from eating it. To guard against smut use the bluestone dressing (sulphate of copper), in the manner recommended in the instructions for Southern districts printed below." In using the tar pour half a pint or so on the heap and work it through; it will ‘ soon smear every grain, and it will not make it stick together unless you over-do it. If the land be in good heart and thoroughly cultivated, a bushel to a bushel and a quarter is enough seed to sow with the drill, for in good well worked soil the wheat will tiller and produce many heads to a root. The poorer the soil ana the less icultivation it has had the more seed you will require. As compared with broadcast sowing drilling in wheat has the advantage of requiring leas seed, because being put in and. covered at a proper uniform depth, every, seed, if is good, will germinate. The wheat also comes up of a \ uniform thickness, and the result is a more 'uniform sample of grain. Salt ia on many lands a most valuable manure for wheat. We should advise every wheat grower to test the effect of salt on his own land by using it on a portion of the crop and carefully noting the results. An experienced, farmer of the State of New York says he uses five bushels of salt per acre on his wheat, and he reckons he gets an extra bushel of wheat for every bushel of salt. A correspondent of the American Farmer describes as follows his method of applying salt to wheat lands, He mixes five bushels of salt with ten of airslaked lime, aud lets it stand three months,' turning it three times during that period. He then sows three bushels of the mixture per acre before the last harrowing. Salt, even a bushel to the acre, has a great effect in stiffening the straw/ aud thus helps to prevent the crops being laid by storms of wind and rain. Late Ripening Crops. —Maize and late potatoes not yet harvested ehould be gathered and housed this month. Hedges and Hitches. —When the rains come, plant out thorns for making live fences. Live Stock.— Whatever you do guard against lettiDg your live stock fall off in condition now. It will cost you in the end • twice as much to underfeed them as to keep them in thriving condition to meet the winter. Shelter on cold wet nights is a great help towards keeping them in flesh. Exposure destroys the beneficial effect of good feeding to a great extent. A large amount of the food consumed is utilized in merely keeping up the animal heat instead of putting on fleßh. Begin at once to supplement the failing pastures with roots and hay. Take care of your working horses especially, and never suppose a good stable is an extravagance. A chill may result in cramps pr inflammation of the bowels or lungs, and the loss of a valuable animal be the result. Hairy cows will require increased feeding and care. Do not make up your mind that no butter worth speaking of can be made in the winter. Winter butter, if good, will always pay, because it is difficult to produce, and only the best farmers will have it jfor Bale. Let the cows lie dry and warm at night, and provide them with some good hay to eat while they are under shelter. A supply of roots should be fed to themnigbtand morning, and every effort made to keep up the flow of milk, as well as its quality. It will soon be the time to kill for bacon ; keep the pigs well up to tho last with a little extra food. SOUTHERN DISTRICTS. The fine weather is likely to break up at any time this month ; therefore, make the most of it while it lasts. Wheat sowing is one of the most important operations this month. Potatoes have, in most cases, been harvested by this time and cleared off the land, and towards the end of the month some of the turnip land will be ready for sowing whore the crop has been removed or consumed on the land. Whatever ground is intended to be sown with wheat should now receive the seed. Land ploughed and prepared last month will only require a double stroke of the harrows before being sown. Tho proper quantity of seed per acre depends upon the time of sowing and the nature of the soil. Less seed por acre is required for autumn sown wheat than for spring sown; for drilled wheat than for that sown broadcast; and for rich than for poor soil. As compared with spring sown wheat that set at this time has time to tiller and make many stalks upon one root before tho warm weather brings it into ear and stops.the growth. The even depth at which the seed is buried by the use of the drill, and the evenness with which'the grain is distributed over tho surface of the field makes less seed necessary than for broadcast sowing, On poor land each grain of wheat will throw up fewer stalks, and therefore have fewer ears than on rich land ; therefore more

soed is necessary to make up the difference. From one or two bushels of seed per acre, acectrding to dlrciimstianoss, is the quantity to use. If the drill is UsSd, ds It always ought to be if possible* a bushel and a quartet is quite enough to sow oil godd land this season. If the land is rich even orie bushel Would be quite enough. Wheat shduld always be dressed with a bltiestone (Sulphate of copper) solution befdre boing sown, in order to destroy the sp'ords o'r germs of the fungus growth which prOdtioe ‘smut’ and ‘bunt’ at harvest time. Care must be taken to use good bluestone, which has not been adulterated with sulphate of iron, which is useless as a protection against smut. Care must also be taken to use the sulphate of copper solution too strong, for it has been proved that over a certain limit of strength the germindtiiig,. ptfwef of the seed wheat is very much affected; itnd n'Xav bo utterly destroyed. For each sack of wheat six ounces of bluestone Bhould be dissolved in a gallon of water and thrown over the grain as it lies on the board floor. The wheat should be stirred about aud turned so that every grain may be wotted. It will get dry and be ready for sowing in an hour or two, and it should be sown as soon as possible after it has dried. ,If the laud be somewhat moist at setting time it is an advantage, but it must not be wet enough to become ‘ podged ’by the horses’ feet. One double turn of the harrows will be required after the drill. Unless the land is well drained or naturally very dry, it will be needful to clean out water furrows after the harrowing, so as to drain the winter’s rain off quickly, Light lands should, after cultivation, be allowed to consolidate for two or three weeks before sowing.

Winter beans may be sown this month at the rate of not more than two bushels per acre. Farmyard manure, and as much of it as yon can give, is appreciated by this crop. The beans can be ploughed in with the manure, the manure being placed by the barrow in every second or third furrow of the plough ; the manure harrowed in, and then the ground ribbed over with shallow furrows about 18 inches apart. The seed is then sown in these furrows by the drillingmachine at a depth it could not place tho seed if the shallow furrows hod not been thus opened out. Beans .should follow wheat, or some other stubble crop. Barley may now be sown on warm land. On good mellow ground bushels per acre is sufficient seed at this time of the year. Grass and clover may well he sown with autumn barley, which protects the young gras3 during the winter. Autumn sown barley is reckoned the best for malting pur* poses.

Winter Tares or Vetches. —This is a crop not sufficiently appreciated by colonial farmers. It requires rich ground, and if sheltered so much the better. Manure and prepare the land as for beans. Drill in three bushels per acre in rows six inches apart. Sow iblittle winter rye or Cape barley among the tares.

Turnips, Mangolds and Carrots. Harvest all of them which are not intended to be consumed on the land where grown. Any root crops intended for storing should be carted off clay land • while the weather is dry for the sake of the horses and the soil.

Stubbles. —Finish ploughing such as ore intended to be winter fallowed. A good authority recommends leaving the last or * cleave ’ furrow of the ridge unploughed, especially on clay soils, becauso when tho plough is drawn by two horses walking abreaitthe last furrow cannot bo turned over unless the near side horse walko on the ploughed laud, thus poaching it more or less. Another advantage of leaving the last furrow fast is, that besides leaving the land moro level and in better shape for sub9equeq£ culI tivation, ia the spring cross-ploughing the ploughs run much clearer from passing through through these furrows, Tue winter frosts are capital cultivators, and now is the time by deep ploughing to put the land into a favorable condition lor being benefited by the action of frost and air. Carting out manure for top dressing fields should bo dono before tho ground gets soft. Ditches and Fences. Clean out and repair ditches and watercourses, and examine the outlets of drains to see that they are clear of all obstruction. Finish clipping and laying hedges, and' plant new hedges where desirable. Run a wire along the centre of young thorn hedges planted last season, about 18 inohes from the ground, and another 18 inches higher, either now or when the hedge grows taller. The object is to let the hedge plants grow round the wires, thus forming a very strong fence, and one very difficult to break through, especially if oue of the wires is barbed. Pastures —Those paddocks shut np for a rest after the summer heats can now bo stocked with the breeding ewes with their rams. The paddocks in which cattle have been running to fatten without sheep, should be stocked with sheep and store cattle to eat off the rough grass left from the summer growth. Brush-harrow paddocks to spread the cattle-droppiDgs, and destroy thistles, docks, and other weeds. Live stock. —Care and attention is par-, ticularly required at this season to keep your live stock in health and condition. There are apt to be rapid changes of temperature, which affect animals, especially those running out. Horses are changing their coats, and for a time are perfectly susceptible to colds and chills. There is still much hard work to be done by farm horses, and a full allowance of oats and chaff should be continued, and sliced carrots or Swedish turnips should be given daily. Dry cattle and yonng stock ahonld have an allowance of hay or good oaten straw a 9 the p stures fail, and cattle intended to bo stall fed should be placed in their wintor quarters aud fed on cut turnips and other roots. Straw or hay chaff, or whatever other dry food is chosen, must also be given. Dairy cows will require a larger run to gather their pasture from, and care must betaken to give them a change of grazing as often as possible. As the weather gets cold it will be better to keep them in at night, providing them with a supply of green fodder such as cabbages, maize, lucerne, etc., etc. Many of the cows that have calved some time will be going off in their milk rapidly now, and the cheese season will soon be pretty well over. Whoever continues to make cheese this month should remember to warm a small quantity of tbs

milk morning and evening to raise the whole to the proper temperature (about 90 deg F.) for receiving the rennet. Sheep should be folded this mouth on the turnips and rape, where they mayor may not receive a ration of oats* according to what they are being fed for ; arid When they are on rape they should be giVefl at portion of hay or other dry food daily. At tile present low pfideß tff oats we believe they could acaroely be more profitably utilized thari by being fed .to stock, stick as SfieCp and pigs. LaifibS should be fed on rape dr tufnips and halve access to shelter. In beginning to feed oats to lambs be careful not to give too much at first, say a quarter of a pint to. begin with up to half a pint per lamb. Store pigs tnay be fed in the yard or pig paddock on the inferior mangolds and carrots along with a little steamed bran and turnips as tho weather gets colder. Fattening pigs will do well on the small potatoes Steamed, and a daily allowance each of. from 51b to 71b of oktS or other grain according to size of animal. The Sdiva may go to the boar this month, which will briifg the first litters in September.