THE FARM.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 907, 19 July 1889, Page 18

THE FARM.

MAINTAINING FERTILITYAs soon as the virgin soil of a new country has been exhausted of its origional fertility there arises anecessity for supplying those elements of whioh it has been deprived, otherwise the crops that the husbandman attempts to raise will no longer succeed. How to

maintain or restore fertility Is a problem in which the great majority of tho agriculturists of Australiaara to-day very deeplyinterested. There are thousands of acres being added annually to the already vaßt area which will no longer produce a profitable crop of wheat, and every year the facilities for leaving worn out paddocks to recuperate by nature’s remedy, termed fallowing, and flying off to new land are becoming more and more restricted. The time, in short, has arrived when the cultivator must confine hinself to the land he has unmercifully robbed, ond commence to farm more skilfully. Admitting that the land has been abused, as a great many wheat growing farmers are bound to do, the question naturally arises as to the best mean? of maintaining its productive, ness.

There a e various methods by which the fertility of the soil can be maintained, which inolude stock keeping, the use of artificial manures, and rotation in crops. In special cases and under cerlain circumstances it may pay the farmer best to adopt only one of these systems, but, speaking generally, a combination of the same is found to give the best results. Circumstances will also largely determine to what extent the stock is to be subservient to the crop, or the stock, so to speak, the master of the crop. As a rule in Victoria the stock is governed by the crop. It follows, therefore, that in the growing of crops the fertality of the land must bo maintained by applying uanure to the land direct, in conjunction with a rotation system of cropping. The farrowing practice pursued in many wheat growing districts may ba left out of the question altogether, as wherever that method is followed it is tolerably certain that the monetary returns are in th 3 aggregate very small per acre. At Kothamatead, Sir J. B. Lawea demonstrated that by the aid,of artificial manures cereals could be grown on the Bams land oontinuously for an ludefin'te number of years. But the great experimentalist did not po ve that that of wheat growing was the most profitable to adopt. He merely showed what the land was capable of doing under special treatment ; so long as wheat remained at 30s per quarter he could not possibly recommend the system, a 3 the cost of production would have swallowed far more than the profits. At any rate, the practice of continuous wheat growing never became general in England—even Mr. Prout, once a great advocate of the system, had to give it up—and it is not likely to do so, in this country, where manures are more expensive and the returns per acre considerably less. The plan which has been found to give the best results tho world over is by growing a succession of d fferent crops, by the aid, of manures and stock keeping, and the fundamental principle governing this result, as we shall endeavour to show, lies in the system or arrangement of the crops. Suppose the farmer to have a soil requiring, as most soils do, the application of mauure to render it fertile. He adds a good coating of manure, and then takes off, say, a crop of wheat. This crop will carry away the largest part of the phosphates that were added in the manure ; in most cases a second crop of the same kind would not therefore be so good, and a third still less. There yet remains 'however, from the manure considerable quantities of other substances which the grain crops do not so much require, such as potash and soda; with these a good root crop can be obtained, suoh as potatoes or mangels j after this there is probably 3till enough lime left to produce a good crop of grass, if seeded down with another grain crqp of a lighter oharactor than Wheat;. We perceive, then, that any good system oE rotation must be founded upon the principle that different classes of crops require different proportions of the various substances that are present iu most Boils, and in the numerous fertilisers which are applied for enriching them. Thus the crops may be made to succeed each other with the least possible injury to the Boil, and with the greatest economy to the manures. As we come to know more of the composition of the various crops, of the soils,"of the manures, we may expect to attain greater axactness in our calculations of the amount taken off during any single year, ot during an entire rotation. In each district the farmer, by careful observation and study, can after a time mark out the system of cropping and manuring best adapted to his peculiar soil and locality. AU plants more or less exhaust the soil, but not in the same degree nor in the game manner j hence, as different plants appropriate as well as furnish different substances, the rotation of crops has a powerful influence in retaining the fertility of the soil. If the same kind of plant is continued upon the same soil only a portion of the constituents of manure applied is used, while by a judi. oious rotation everything in the soil or in the manure suitable for '.vegetable food is taken up and appropriated by the crop.—Melbourne Leader, ‘GEY THIN I’THE SKIN-’ At a clipping this year a shepherd said to one of iny men, who was a Free Kirk Elder : —Jamie —‘Rob, how’s this sheep like a Free Kirk elder ?’ Rob—* A dinna ken.’ J,amie —‘Because she s gey tiff# i’ the* skin.’—r RT.G.D. • .

THE COLLIE UNDERSTOOD, A shepherd once, to prove tfye quiokness of his dog, who was lying before j.hq fire in tbs. house where we Were talking, said to rqe in" middle of a sentence conqSrning some, thing efse ; —‘ am thinking, sir, the cow is iq tha potatoes.’ Though he purposely laid no stress on these words, and said them in a quite unconcerned tone of voice, the. dog, who appeared to be asleep, immediately jumped up, and leaping through an open window scrambled up the turf roof of the house, from which he could see the potato field. He then (not seeing the cow there) ran and looked into the farmyard whexe she was, and finding that all was right, came back to the house. After a short' time tqe shepherd said the same again, and the dog repeated the outlook j 'out on the false alarm being a third time given, the dog got up, and, wagging hia tail, looked his master in the face with so comical an expression of interrogation, that he could not help laughing at him. On which, with a slight growl, he laid himself down in his small corner with an offended air, as if determined not to be made fun of again, -B. W,

A FRIEND, NOT A FOE. The large grayish masses of eggs an inch long and nearly half an inch in diameter which you found glued to the twigs of your fruit trees are those of the Mantis Carolina, an insect with many local names, such as camel cricket, devil’s riding horse, praying mantis, etc. Tho full-grown insect is two or more inches in length, with a rather long and slender body, and of a pale olive green colour. Their front legs are largo and powerful, for it is with these they grasp and hold the prey. When at rest the head and front part of the body is considerably elevated, the attitude no doubt suggesting some of the common names of this inseefc, although it is incapable of harming anyone, however frequently or roughly handled. This species of mant’B is a veritable friend of the farmer and fruit-grower, and its presence should bo encouraged because it feeds upon grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, of various kinds, and sometimes attacks the Colorado potato beetle. It is such a voracious cannibal that it will often devour its own kind when pressed for food. —Exchange.

CURING BA-CON IN BRINE. The following letter on curing bacon in brine is published in the Breeders’ Gazette : —' The most prevalent method of curing bacon by farmers, and the one I was taught when I was under the jurisdiction of paterfamilias, is that of dry salting. It is a satisfactory one most always, but certainly falls short of giving the best of meat that can be had. If the temperature is just right and you know when your bacon has salt enough to bear taking up and putting through the smoke, you may expect reasonably good bacon; bub the process I employ is that of brine salting. 1 know a good many people will turn away at this point and not read farther, because they cannot entertain any suggestion that means increased labour or preparation ; hut my plan is simple, efficient, and satisfactory. All you need is a watertight tank and a bucket or two of water to each bog ; then make a brine by the addition of salt until it will bear an egg up. Put in tbe sides as usual, It is not necessary to have the brine more than scarcely covering the meat, as the meat will settle, but it is a good idea to put a heavy weight on tbe top of the meat. At about the 15th day, if the weather is reasonably moderate, pour the brine off, take the sides ont and put back in different positions ; then pour the same brine over it again. About 10 days more and your meat will be ready to smoke. Use dry hardwood for smoking—not old chips, deal sawdust, rags, or anything to make smoke. After smoking has been sufficiently done wrap the hams and sides in paper. Then plaoo in small saeks made of good material, tie tightly, and put in a cool place. The secret of brine salting is this:—You have noticed that in dry salting there is always an accumulation of watery blood in the bottom of tbe vessel. This is what might be called juice from tbe meat, that should have remained in it rendering it tender and pleasant instead of dry and tasteless. In brine nothing esoapes and the brine penetrates every section. Its flavour is perfect ;it has a jucines3 and richness that is most agreeable to the taste. Try some of your bacon in tbe brine and you will be sure to adopt the plan,

THE VALUE OF ENSILAGEWe take the following guarantee of the value of ensilage from the Sydney Mail — Mr. Yeo, the well-known stock-breeder, of Mulgrave, brought into town a sample of ensilage from his pits. It appears that when the failure of the late maize crop was assured, Mr. Yeo purchased about 100 tons of cornstalks from various farms in the vicinity, and filled his silos. He urged other farmers in the district to follow suit, and pointed out to them the advantage of having a large supply for winter feed in store for stock, but they could not see their way olear to take the trouble. The result was that all the cornstalks excepting the 100 tons taken by Mr. Yeo, were destroyed, and now the farmers are in a bad way for winter feed. The ensilage from Mr. Yeo’s pits is sweet and nutritious, and has been under the earth for six months. The first pit was opened on Tuesday, and the oattle especially —well-bred animals to, used to the best of forage—ate the cornstalks greedily. In fact, so pleased were several farmers in the district with the result of Mr. Yeo’s experiment that they are end3avouring to secure portions of the contents of his pits. Mr. Yeo has now in stock sufficient feed to last over the year.

PICKLING SEED WHEAT. Dry pickling is sometimes practised in the wheat-growing districts, but tho most general system is that in which a liquid is used. The liquid, which is usually a solution of biueBtone, is generally put into a barrel or tub, and the seed wheat is dipped, into it bqt n,ot steeped, however, object beijng to bring every grain- into contact with the liquid as quickly as possible and take it out \yith thp least p.assihffi delay, tha.t the wheat dries rapidly. A handy method of dipping the grain was observed on a northern fariq jn Victoria. Two small bqgs capable, of containing about a bushel each had been,made. An iron ring about a foot in diameter was sewn into the mouth of the bags, so that they were easily filled and emptied- A rope handle was attached to these mouth-rins<s, and by means of a small block and tackle at the ceiling of the barn, the bags were raised or lowered. The small bags were filled with wheat, lowered into the liquid, and in about half a minute afterwards raised above the liquid to drain. 'VVhejutb.q grain had drained the bags easily tipped, so as to empty jiito tha large bags to be taken tq tha sowing field. Larger bags, containing, say, two bushels, could bo made and used in tho same way, but the farmer under -notice preferred the smaller bags, as securing the complete and quick witting of the grain. MUTTON FOR TABLE. The same breeding, feeding and care will produce a higher quality of mutton than of beef or pork. Bo|h bpef and pork tre coc^-

sionally from diseased animals, and human beings often contract scrofula and tuberculosis by partaking of them, while this appalling feature is never attributed to mutton. Mutton agrees with the digestive organs better than the other meats aud can be produced cheaper. Ten lambs can be grown in six months that will dress as much meat as a steer at two years of age. They will consume no hay or grain, simply pasture, but the steer has to bo pastured two seasons, fed hay two winters and grain one. The lambs consume no more grass than the steer does in his sec nc? summer and when sold they bring more money. In case of tbe lambs the money is returned in six months and the Bteer, in two years—a large gain in interest for the lambs. The first cost of the lambs is not so much as that of the steer, for their ewe mothers produce fleeces to pay their way and the steer’s mother has to be raised to at least two years of age without returning anything. In comparison with the cost of pork thers is not much difference, but it is in favour of the lambs. FOUL FOOT. When a cow or other cloven-footed animal is seen to lift its foot, stretch it out and shake it and endeavour to lick it, the foot should be examined without delay. When the cows stand at times in manure, this lodges between the hoofs, or some other matter may get there ; aud either acts as an irritant to the tenderer skin there. Vesicular eruption may then occur, with inflammation, and the skin peels off, with the result of suppuration and often ulceration. This disease is called ‘foot or hoof-ail,’ and is apt to cause trouble if neglected. In time the inflammation penetrates the foot, and the hoof may be loosened or drop off. The disease is more apt to occur with oattle that are out of condition and whose blood is thin and poor. Attention' should be given at once. The feet should be washed and carefully cleaned between the hoofs. The sore 3 should be dressed with some stimulating oleaginous mixture to excite healing and protect the raw surface from the air. A very good ointment is made of four parts of clean lard, one part each of Venice turpentine and spirits of turpentine, and one-half part of acetate of copper (verdigris). This may be spread upon a rag or lint, and put between the hoofs, whioh are then bound with a soft bandage passed between the hoofs and around them, and fastened above.—Exchange. WIREWORM: ITS REMEDYThe MarkLatie Express writes as follows : Of all farm pests, increasing as they seem to be, wireworms are, perhaps, the most destructive. Their ravages are not confined to cereals. Root and forage crops are also liable'to be injured by them. Indeed, there are few crops they do nob attack ; and one worm has been known to have destroyed as many as 20 stalks of corn in one place. Land that is broken up from gras3 and clover is, as a rule, most largely infested. The roots of such crops afford them protection from frost and birds. There they are supposed to deposit their eggs whilst the surfaoe is undisturbed. This accounts for the swarms of insects turned *up by the breaking of such land. The immediately sueeaeding crop of grain invariably suffers severely from the pernicious grubs. At one time no crop was grown for a year after the land was broken up in consequence of the presence of tbe insects, while valuable land was in many instances laid down to permanent grass purposely to avoid their depredations.

The pest may either be prevented or remedied. An elaborate process of paring and burning infested ground iq recommended where such is practical, as an effectual means of destroying both the grubs and their eggs. But that course can only be followed before the land is put under crop. We are more interested meantime in the treatment of intested crops. The Crosskill roller will assist materially in subduing the evil. It consolidates the land and thus renders the movements of the inseot less easy. The Crosskill roller is an indispensable implement ou all light land farms subject to wireworm, while it is also of much service on heavy land. The late Mr Mechi found it answer his purpose on both light and heavy soils ; he had unqualified faith in it as a means of exterminating wireworms. The points of the Croaßkill should be kept tolerably sharp. The deeper they penetrate the soil the surer the effect produced in arresting the ravages of the insects. tbe points are worn down, the land should be gone over twice—in opposite directions. After having thoroughly covered the land, either with the Crosskill or a very heavy clod-crusher, a dressing of common salt will complete the remedy. Six bushels, or about 3owt.,ofsalt per acre will dose the littje depredator into everlasting repose. If thought desirable, as pauoh as 4or qv?t. of salt may be given, with impqnity, thus rendering the wo.rk of execution more thorough. ‘ißolliqg qnd salt,’ says Mr Mecbj, a certain cure far wirewbrm.’ In preference to using salt alone, some farmers sow an admixture of nitrate of soda. This mixture is commended by Miss Ormerod, in the proportion of 1 cwt. of the nitrate of soda to 2 cwt. of salt. Experience has shown that the application of any stimulating manure suitable to the soil will be of service. Both soot and guano, for example, have been found a complete remedy for infested — the former being applied at thq rate of IQ. bushels per acre, and the gqqno at. the i;ate ot 2 cwt., but with regard to special applications there is mucJp. difference qf opinio#, arising partly, no doubt, from, diversify of circumstance— lqeality, conditiona of soil, and peviofl of infestation, etc.

SHEEP FOR PROFIT. ‘ Biuni ’ of the Australasian thus writes in sensible strain about sheep-keeping ; —To judge by the indifferent specimens of sheep frequently se6u iu the flouks of small proprietors one might fairly assume that a large number of Australian farmers are tender the impression that crossbred sheep are naturally illbred sheep. This is a great mistake, for there oqnqot be a greater waste of good pasture than' to'use it in fattening badlybred sheep. Inferior stock take longer t'q fatten than f'opcl stock, qnd wb.oq qtj last

they are fit for the butcher they are not worth nearly so much. An instance of the value of dealing with none but high-class sheep came under my notice lately. A person owning a small but exceedingly rich pastoral property in the West purchased a lot of three-quarter brod longwools early in Sep. tember last. . Tie shore them in November, when they yielded heavy fleeces that paid tbe interest of purchase money and agistment. These sheep have, been sent to market in lots every week, and of late they have realised from ISs. to 20s. per head, which will leave a very handsome profit. Had the purchaser bought the description of crossbred sheep one so often sees on farms or in unused lanes, he would not have made half the money ho cleared by securing high class sheep and paying a fair price for them. To bred crossbreds it is necessary that both sire and dam should be good specimens of their breeds.

I have ever had a leaning to the Down sheep for farmers’ use, as being more hardy and fertile than any other breed, the horned Dorsets perhaps excepted. As an illustration of their fertility, I may quote the lambing of the Duke ot 1 evonshijre’s flock of pure Shropshirea at Holker. The flock consisted of 370 ewes, of which 340 brought lambs, 10 were still to latnb, 13 ewes proved barren, 7 ewes cast their lambs, and 3 ewes died. From the 340 ewes there 526 healthy lambs. In another flock, that of Mr. Metge’s pedigreed Shropshirea, at Athlummy, the proportion of double lambs was very high, being over 70 per cent. The percentage'of twins in this case is as much as a fair lambing in Australia. For a great many year 3 English sheepowners have been in the habit of selecting twin ewes for the breeding flock in preference to others of equal quality, as the .old rhyming proverb tells—■ ‘Ewes yearly by twinning rich masters do make ; The lambs of such twinners for breoders go take.’

DISHORNING. Some faots aboutdiahorning are contributed by ‘ Brum ’ of the Australasian, who says ; ‘ In October last a prosecution was instituted by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals against a Norfolk farmer named Wyley for ill treating 32 exen by performing upon them the operation known as dishorning. Several veterinary surgeons gave evidence in support of the prosecution, that dishorning was cruel and unnecessary, that it was no benefit to the animal or to man, and that the effect said to be produced by it could be obtained in other ways. On t’another hand, it was shown by witnesses that though dishorning gave pain to the animal, it was highly beneficial, that it prevented the animals injuring each other by' goring, and that they grazed and fatted better and were completely altered in character. Tho justices dismissed the information, at tho same time expressing an opinion that the operation should be performed while the animals were young. The case was taken before the High Court of Queen’s Benoh and argued at considerable length. The judges unanimously arrived at the decision that dishorning was illegal, and reversed the decision of the magistrates. Oddly enough, there had been previous decisions in Scotland and Ireland, the effect of which was to render dishorning legal, on the grouud that its utility was far in excess of any pain inflicted. After this decision the prooess of dishorning cattle may be regarded as unlawful in England. I cannot help thinking that too much stress was laid on the cruelty of the operation. An American dairyman on one occasion dishorned his whole stock, and the result was that the cows ate quite as well, and there was scarcely any falling off in the milk after the operation.’ FEED THE HORSES. The feeding of horses is a very important subject, yet one that does not excite so muoh interest among farmers as it should do. Farmers sometimes forget that the horse is their best friend on the farm, and should never be stinted of food, especially when he is doing hard work ; yet, in spite of this being 30, they are so blind to the fact as grudgingly reduce the food on the slightest cessation of toil. They forget the horse, on getting an ‘ eaaie? time of it,’is building muscle and tissue, and in every way repairing himqelf for another * turn ’ of hard and the little extra quantity of fq.qs that he consumes during the easier time i 3 a decided gain and not a loss ; for by it he is kept up in proper condition, and is in better saleable form at any tirqq his owner may want to turn him intq money. It is also a faot that if foals qqd cctlta were better treated tha# they usually are, they would bring mqre money into their owner’s pocket in after years, not to speak of their adaptability for hard work of any kind after cofffipg to. maturity, ‘ Economy ’ is a great thing on a farm, but sometimes it is carried too far and becomes ‘ false economy,’ amounting even to extravagance ; and no farmer, we are sure, can afford to be extravagant in such matters. Too much cannot be said, about the proper treatment of all other kinds of stock, for unless animals are with an unsparing hand, they cajqapt be, expected to make any return fqy their fopd,—Australasian.

HOW TO QHOOSE A HEAVY DRAUGHT HORSE. A French Veterinarian (M. Minot), in his book ‘Appreciation of the Horse,’gives the following directions for the choice of heavy draught horses: The choice of a heavy draught horse is a great deal easier than of a racehorse ; yet it is important to know how to, distinguish the best, strongest, most endu.ring’, those who would feed well, those that are fiery, and those that are slow. The draught horse derives his power from several pauses—the development of those parts whioh constitute bulk, the energy of action, and the firmness and hardiness ~f its organs. The exterior characteristics of a good heavy draught horse are a large, deep chest, straight shoulders a. little inclined, fleshy, a thick body, yet too much belli", straight loin, tliq hindquarters a little depressed, thick through the thighs, and a long perineum. The horse that has a long perineuna. prolonged down from the anus, and thick short muscles of the thighs is a very Strong and good draught animal. The walk of a heavy draught horse is immaterial. There

are draught horses that are quick, and there are are those that are slow. The light, quick horses are good for farm work where the ground is light and even; the heavy, slow horses, with firm tread, are excellent for new, sticky ground, and on bad, uneven roads. A horse for drawing loads to be well formed ought to be high in front, having high and projecting withers, large chest, front legs strong and well spread apart, back and loins straight, hindquarters a little depressed, muscular, short in flank, large sinews. With such a shaps a draught horse is solid and able to resist all the knocks from uneveu roads and weight which presses upon it when going down a hill. To be too fiery is a fault in a horse drawing heavy loads on an uneven road. In this case a strong and slow horse is better ; it will resist fatigue more and do more service.

A PERFECT TYPE OF PIG. To furnish a typical guide to farmers as well as to breeders, a committee of experts was appointed at the American National Swinebreeders’ Convention to report on ‘ a general standard of excellence for a hog which shall best meet the requirements ot the market.’ The standard adopted represents a * perfect hog most profitable to tbe farmer and consumer,’ and is above or outside of all breeds. It save, ) Such a hog must have a short head, heavy jowl, and thick, short neck; ear small, thin, and tolerably erect, but it is not objectionable if it droops slightly forward. lie must be straight on the bottom from the neck back to flank, let well down to the knee in the brisket, and possess good, length from head to tail; back broad and slightly curved or arched from the shoulder to the setting on of the tail; riba rather barrel-shaped, tail small. The hams should be long from the back to the letting off at the loin, and be broad and full ; shoulders not so large, and yet sufficient to give a symmetry to the animal; h«ir smooth and evenly set on ; skin soft and elastic to the touch ; legs short and small, set under the body, and tha space between wide; a good depth between, the bottom and top of carcase. He must be possessed of a good, quiet disposition, and, as a general rule, should not weigh more than 3001 b or 4001 b gross at 12 to 18 months. Colour may be black. or white, or a mixture of the two. Such a hog will measure as many feet from th&. top of the head to the setting on of the tail aa he does in feet in length or aroun 1 the fc>ody„ and below the depth of the body will ba fourfifths of tha height.’

Ruminating, or chewing the end, is t&s process whereby the ruminant animals collect; their food, and with, little or no mastication when such food is perfectly soft and moist, as in grass, they form it into a bolus, and with little expenditure of saliva, pass it down the gullet into the paunch, which, when it. has become distended with a sufficient quantity, stimulates the animal to seek for r*sis and quiet, and he commonly lies down. Thee pauDch begins now to exert its extraordinary powers of separating a portion freon th© contained mass, and to return in into its mouth, where it undergoes a complete mastication ; being retained from falling out of the. mouth again by the numerous Papillae or roughness ou the tongue, which fere pointed backwards, and also by the ridges o£ the palate ; sufficiently ‘ masticated** and mixed with saliva, it is again passed down the: throat, but instead of entering the firsts stomach, the muscular gutter forms itselff into a tube, and carries it at once into the* third stomach, where having to undergo a, further change, it is pressed into the red bag (fourth stomach), to undergo a further solution by means of the gas trio fluid, preparatory to its being converted into nutriment under, the name of ohyle.