THE FARM.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 935, 31 January 1890, Page 18

THE FARM.

OPERATIONS FOR FEBRUARY. NORTHERN DISTRICTS. February is a favourite m nth to which to put off f irm work that can wait until more pressing matters are put through. Thus, although harvest work is mostly over, and the ground is too hot and dry for autumn cropping, there is a heap of put off work to get through. Some of the jobs which will now be crying out for attention are the ploughing up of all stubbles that have been left, cleaning all ditches and water courses out,’ collecting manure, fencing and mending fences, repairing and painting all implements and outbuildings, putting all harness and horse-gear in order, waging war on all briars and late seeding weeds, ploughing uplands and summer fallowing to kill sorrel. The dry weather is of great assistance to the farmer in his efforta to kill sorrel with the scarifier. Stacks. —These should be thatched at once, if not already done, for however dry the season sudden rain may come on at any time. Potatoes. —Your potatoes will require attention now, particularly where the subsoil is retentive clay, for if heavy rain is followed by intense heat, the leaves being dead, the tubers, are exposed to the steaming heat, and very often rot. Draining is the oest cure, but the drain does not always act quick enough. High banking and rolling after they lie down is best for both this and the fly. Get them up as soon as they are ripe, but not before ; the skin mast be well set first. Potatoes are very apt to go wrong this month if not properly managed. Pits should be gob ready for storing this crop. These should be so construe ed as to be perfectly dry and water-tight, but at the same time cool. The thatching must be such as to keep out the heat of the sun. Roots.— Any Btubble laud that is ready, if the soil be moderately rich and light, may bo scarified and harrowed and sown broadcast with White Stone turnips, harrowed again, rolled, and then left for a crop. A little suitableartificialfertilizer will give the young plants a good start. The success of the crop will depend a good deal on the weather, but even if the turuip3 never come to much as roots they will make a nice bit of green tops which will be useful for lamb 3 in early spring. Some farmers prefer sowing just before rain while others think just after ram the best time; the nature of the land and the amount of rain has a great deal to do with this question. If the weather should be showery mangolds pulled up in singling may be used to fill up gaps in the rows. Any mangolds or carrots of the earlier sown crops that show signs of running to seed should be pulled up and given to the pigs. Grass Lands.— When rain comes after a continuance of hot dry weather there is generally seen a wonderful quick growth of autumn grass, the land being so warm that it acts something like a hot bed. Aftermath should not be too heavily stocked. Lambs and drafted ewes, and fattening stock should graze them sufficiently to keep the food short but not bare. . As we Baid last year, nothing is worse for pastures than to expose the grass roots to scorching sun day after day. Brush harrow to scatter cattle droppings. Keep your paddocks clear of noxious weeds by prevent* ing their seeding. If it be true that we have got some patches of Canadian thistles in the North Island it behoves all farmers to be watchful and energetic lest this terrible vegetable pest should get a firm foothold on our farms. The weed is known to be growing in some Southern Districts; now is the time to take steps for stamping it out while the evil is young and comparatively weak. No conscientious agriculturist would fail to do his utmost to eradicate SHch a scourge to farmers as the Canadian thistle,

Winter Forage Crops. —The land may bo got ready for these for early sowing in March. Cape Barley is a capital crop to sow for winter green stuff, and might with advantage be sown instead of oats for this purpose. Vetches < r tares also make a splendid forage crop ; from the end of next month to May is the beat time to sow winter vetches. Next to clover, vetches may be reckom-d a most nutritious food for all kinds of stock. Clean wheat stubble will suit well for this crop. Manure well with farmyard manure if possible, say about ton caitloads per acre ; then plough from four to five inchei deep, harrow fine, and drill in the seed at the rate of about three bushels per acre. Fallows. —lt might lie worth while to sow part of your fallow land with mustard to plough iu for narley in the spring. This is some imes done, iu the old country with good reß-.iltt, Bare fallows will r-quire ploughing and hairowi g again if foni with weeds. Live Stock. —The same gone al management as last mouth will he required. See that the 3toek 13 well watered, p.articul-uly dairy cattle, wir-ch ought as .well to have some Bh< L ered place lo go to in the heat of the day, otherwise the butter is apt to be of inferior quality. If you h ive shelteied paddocks and eaily giass you (an put the rams to the owes for early Jamb-, otherwise next montn is time enough. Dairy. —lt is to be hoped that dairy farmers have provided themselves, as we have so often advised, with plenty of summer green forage. In a dry seas n a good paddock of green maize or cabbages is invaluable to anyone with a dairy herd. This month and last are usually very trying months for buttermakers. Your dairy ought to be thickly thatched with a verandah all round, and plenty of ventilation on all sides, and the floor and roof as well, and it is au improvement to add a little saltpetre in the hot months to the usual modicum of salt, which in winter in half an ounce to tho pound, and in hot months may be even increased to one ounce iu tho pound. If due attention is not paid to the temperature of dairy buildings and cheese rooms trouble and failure will result. The curd will be rich and soft. The whey will not be got out properly and the cheese will crack and heave. Rich cheese when well made should not heave more than poor cheese. Arboriculture. Continne to prepare land for forest plantations. Next month evergreens may be transplanted, and the ground should be ready for them. Cuttings of laurel, holly, pirvet and yew may be put in if tho weather be not too dry.

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS. Stacking. —This is an important part of harvest work, as upon its being well done depends in a great measure the sample of grain you will have to Bend to maiket. Many otherwise well saved crops have been abao lutely ruined by bad and careless stacking. A farmer, if he is competent for the work, should himself supervise the building of his stacks, or employ for the job only the most trustworthy of his hands. If a stack is well built it will keep out a great deal of rain even before it is thatched, but by all means thatch at the earliest moment possible after the building of a stack is finished, of course, allowing time for the proper settling of tho stack. The great point about the stack, properly built to keep out wet, is to have it well filled up in the centre. The top should have a somewhat rounded outline after it has settled down, so that the water may run over it and drop off the outside edges ns quickly as possible. Many stacks might be described as patent rain-catehere, so ingeniously have builders contrived to allow as little rain aB possible to run off before it has had time to soak into the heart of the stack. To avoid the risk of having your stack burnt, through the stubble by any means being set on fire, plough several furrows round the stackyard a sufficient distance from it to prevent the burning Btubble from setting alight to the stacks. Grain is much improved in quality by remaining in stack for some time before threshing, but unless it »s quite safe from wet while it waits it must be threshed out at onoe. Thus treated the unseasoned grain is soft and damp, and unfit to be shipped for a long voyage. With regard to the proper stage of ripeness at which to commence cutting the several cereal crops a good deal on the subject will be found in our last month’s instructions for the Northern Districts. Buckwheat. —This crop should be ready to out about the middle of the mouth The time to begin is when the greater part of the blossoms have ripened their seed. It is a tedious crop to harvest, especially if the weather is not very fine and dry. It has to be moved several times to get it properly oured, and this must be done gently so as not to shake out the seed. It is best stacked in a long narrow rick built with a tunnel through it to give plenty of ventilation. Root Crops. —Another horsehoeing the beginning of this month will benefit the turnips. The earliest oleared stubbles, if the soil is sufficiently light and rich, may bo scarified and harrowed, and then sown broadcast with White Stone turnips, and again harrowed and rolled. This will furnish useful feed for young lambs in tho spring, whether it is much of a crop or not. Pull up any seeding carrots among the mangolds, carrots or parsnips, and keep these crops as clear of weeds as possible, in spite of the harvest work taking up attention. Early potatoes will be ready for lifting this month, and Bhould not remain in the ground after they are ripe • See that the weeds do not get ahead among such orops as mangolds and carrots while attention is taken up with har* vest vork. Pasture. —Avoid overstocking paddocks, especially in suoh a dry season as the present. If the grass is eaten off too closely it will suffer by exposure of its roots to the burning sun, and theu early frost may still further destroy its vitality. The best way to avoid too close grazing is to shift the stock frequently from paddock to paddock, giving each a rest in turn. Stubbles and Fallows.— lf harvest operations are got over early it gives time to sow a batch crop in Borne districts, as recommended for Northern Districts. Stubbles may be

sown with White Stone turnips as early ns possible this month. Rye and rape may also be sown on stubble ground, which should be scarified, and where necessary ploughed as soon as ever the grain crop is removed. Where the lauds will not be sown until the spring, they must be harrowed or scarified to bury the shed grain and weed seeds so that they may spring up and be gob rid of by grazing or otherwise instead of fouling next year’s crop. Where much grain is shed and harrowed in it will furnish the farmer with some very useful grazing for ewes and lambs in early spring, and thus not be entirely lost to him. A sowing of winter tares may he made next month on clean wheat stubble, for which the land shou'd be got ready. If no manure is used the land must be naturally rich. A clayey loam suits this crop well. (See instructions for Northern Districts.) Where the frosts are severe leaving the surface of the land as rough as possible after sowing is a protection to the young plants during the winter, If no manure is used now some fertilizer should he sown on the crop in the early spring. Mustard may also be sown upon fallow land this month, to be ploughed in for barley next spring. Rare summer fallows if they are clean, should he well scarified and harrowed to prepare them for being sown early next month with grass arid clover seeds. Live Stock. —The general management will be the same as last month. Whore sows have second litters these will now be putting in an appearance, and some ext;a attention must in such cases be given to the mothers. The ewes should now be drafted and judi-ciously-culled. The rich aftermath grass should be kept for the lambs and fattening sheop. For the owes intended for breeding next season good ordinary pasture will suffice, or they may, when convenient, have a run over the stubbles. The middle of next month will be soon enough to put the ewes to the rams.

AGRICULTURAL CROPS OF INDIA. Seeding in India is done either in autumn for forage crops, or in winter for grain, cotton and many other staples. The autumn crops sown in tho rains are sugar-cane, cotton, liemp (Cannibis saliva), rice, a number of kinds ; tho following grasses : Bajra (Penice Maria spicata), J->war or doura (Sorghum -mlgare), Kodon (Pa,9palmn frnmontaceum), raamiua (Eleusiue coracana), shamakh (Oplisinenu3 coracana), kangni (Panicum italicum), Chena (Panicum iniliaceum', indigo, tobacco, til (Sesamuin orientale), Singhsia, a water nut (Tropa bispimosa), Indian corn, ar.d the following species of pulse : Oor.l (Phaseolus radiatus), mothi (P. aconitifolius), moong (P. mango), urlias (Cajanas Indicus), louya (Dolichos Sinensis), also a variety of garden crops, and andowa, a eastor-oil plant (Iticiuus communis), are also planted. The winter crops are wheat, barley, oats, gram (Ciccr arietinum), garden crops, tobacco, melons, mussoor (Ervntn lens), linseed, lahi, (Sinapis glauea), ajwain (Ligustieum ajowan), sirson (Sinapis dichotoma) and mustard (Sinapis ramosa). Sugar caue is one of the most important crops. There are several varieties of it. The white and black pounda is grown in gardens and is used only for eating in the stalk, being sold in the waggons and at meals for about half a cent for a large stalk. The other kinds are raised for sugar and fchq stalks are thin and hard. The cotton Is the short staple, India variety (Gossypium Indicum), and produces about eighty pounds of cleaned cotton per acre. American seed has been sown bnt it does not thrive well. The Indian corn is a small eared flint kind, very inferior, and only averages about twenty bushels to the acre. From the til or sesame seed an excellent oil is made, used for food and burnloo in lamps, and the oil from the seeds of afigou and the large mustard is used fo,r the gatpe. purpose. The large mustard might be g goo/l qrop fpjr the United States. There are several vaijeties of wheat, passer! gs red and white, bearded and heard legs, having from thirty to thirtyeight grains to the ear. Most of the wheat is of the foft or starchy kind. The bran is very delicate and is never bolted by the natives. The average yield is seventeen bushels per acre. Gram or chick pea is the next important crop after wheat, and is the chief food for horses. The grain is the size of a pea, but shaped like a sheep’s head, hence its botanical name, and of a yellowbrown colour. It is also largely eaten by the natives In various ways, chiefly after being parchefl in hot lard, vyhen it Is quite palatable. In tips form it is carried by the labourers with them to the fields for a midday lunch. parched, it is also used m confectionery, sometimes flavoured with cayenne pepper.—L. L. Houser, Bareilly, India.

THE HOMESTEADS OF ENGLAND. THE ROYAL FARMS AT WINDSOR. (agricultural gazette.), There are few farms more picturesque in the, months of May and June than those several occupations comprising the Royal farms at Windsor- At the tipae yyhen the late Mr J Chalmers Morton wrote his account of ‘. The Prince Consort’s Farms ’ in the Agricultural Gazette (republished in an amplified form by Messrs Longman in 1833) fo,us or five occupations were included in the Royal farms. Among these the Flemish Farm, greatly improved by high farming, will no doubt be visited in the show week by many agriculturists who may wish to see how the Queen’s steward, Mr Tait, eonduots his business, and who may desire besides to inspect one of the best homesteads in the country, with the fine herd of Herefords reposing, as we found them, on rich pasturage, in grass fields studded with nolple oaks and hawthorns. We may hope, too, that privileged visitors may find the forty handsome West Highland cattle at home, just where we saw them in May, in a deep, nan.planted hollow such as Shakespeare’s fairies might have held their midnight revels in. They will notice too the well-kept appearance of the farm and the good crops, the wheat which warm weather and the niagic of a nitrate' dressing arte at this moment saving—for it was turning yellow from too much wet on heavy land; the (napgel wel} farmed and well hoed j the view

of the Great Park and the sole remaining tower of Cranbourne Lodge, a hunting seat bnilt in the reign of Charles 11. We have pleasure in pointing out, too, that the true principles of planting for effect have been, observed, since a grove of very yonne trees, compared with the adjacent oaks, has been planted very properly on the highest ground of the Flemish Farm. How often it is overlooked, even in planting solely for effect, that hills are made higher in appearance when planted at the top. and fliafc in the planting of hollows they are filled up and the land made more level. Everything on the Flemish Farm is, in fact, worthy of the Queen, except the soil, which ougnt to have been a great deal better, being much too heavy, which shows that Dame Nature is no respecter of persons, even when they are Royal. Another pleasing thing on the Flemish farm is the employment of women. Owing to the gang system and to certain abuses that need not now be mentioned, almost every pen employed in writing upon farming—except that of John Grey, of Dilston, and a few others —was engaged in abuse of the employment of women in field work, which i=, in fact-, precisely what their health often needs. It was pleasing to recognise that the first lady in the land allows her sex to please themselves in this respect. A number of women worked together in one field. But in that particular field where the mangolds were being hoed so well, several men were engaged by task, each having his own portion of the field, while among them a woman worked on her own bit, bravely and by the piece too, evidently, for though thirty gentlemen entered the field she did not once look up. She was the observed of all observers, and admired by all for her diligence ar d skill, and she remained from first to last insensible to the flattery of the general glance. The Flemish Farm lies close adjoining the showyard on higher ground, some distance to the rieht of the Long Walk when travelling away from the castle towards the statue on Snow Hill, and a good long mile from headquarters, which ■we take to be Mr Tait’s house at the Shaw Farm, close to the high road leading from the Long Walk to Windsor.

The Norfolk farm is now merged in the Great Park, and has ceased to exist as a aepa-ato occupation. It lay about two miles beyond the Flemish Farm across the parks further from Windsor. Mr Morton described three other farms, the Shaw Farm, Home Farm, and Dairy Farm, but these farms comprising 850 acres of pasture and 150 of arable, are all contiguous, and as the whole of the land, except tne arable (which is on the further side of the high road just named), lies beneath the windows of the castle—so far as is possible in so large an area —a stranger would probably regard these farms in the light of one home farm having several homesteads bearing different namas. This portion of the land held in hand by the Queen, together with the beautiful grounds of Frogmore and the Royal Gardens, may be desevibed roughly as having the Thames on three sides (for the river winds hero considerably), and the Long Walk on tho other. About three square l miles are thus enclosed. The castle stands on high vround at the end of the Long Walk, with the town of Windsor abutting close upon it. Opposite the, town, and beneath those windows from which the eye of Royalty may he supposed most frequently to look forth, fie the best feeding pastures of the park, enriched as a landscape with stately trees. A little further distant, on the south side of the castle, is the Dairy Homestead, including an admirable cowhouse, a magnificent dairy, and an aviary. Then, still proceeding from the castle, yon reach the Shaw Homestead apd the high read to Windsor, with a lodge and gate quite two miles from the Onsfcle. Roughly speaking, this promontory of grass and shrubbery, and its royal residence and its share of a river not yet surpassed for beauty or for fame, is about two and a half miles long by a mile wide.

The Great Park, lying right and left of the Long Walk, has been muebjimproved, as well as the several farms, since the Prince Consort became their occupier about forty years ago. Till then the Royal farms were ill-equipped with buildings, and undrained. The pastures generally were rough and sedgy, or covered with gorse, and brambles, and the ploughed fields were ep. cumbered with unsightly hedges. The farm buildings of qn estate generally form a fair test of the condition of its agriculture and it will be found almost invariably that, when the buildings are indifferent, the live stock are so, too. Previous to the new era in the agriculture of the Royal farms which the Prince Consort inaugurated, the farm buildings were of a very primitive kind. But the buildings and the farming were both destined to be greatly altered. The parks and farms were drained, new roads formed, rushes and other rough weeds were mown repeatedly every year, and a large tract of inferior pasture was by such measures substantially improved. Another timely operation then took place—the land was fertilised by the use of various dressings, such as bone-dust and oil-cake, administered by the medium of West Highland cattle fed upon the ground and each receiving 41b of cake daily. At the same time another manure more potent than all the rest, was, for the first time since the deluge, introduced in the agriculture of Windsor Park. We noticed the carrying on to the land of the same kind of manure the other day, on the occasion of one of our visits to Windsor and the showyard. Smart Clydesdale horses in harness stamped with the letters V.R. and the crown were engaged in hauling this same substance, which has for forty years past proved the potent agent of fertjljty in the Royal farming. In ordinary parlanoe the stuff is known as muck, and even in the extraordinary farming which is presided over by the Queen’s steward, Mr Tait, nothing has been discovered which can beat mnek in the improvement of rushy pastures, or of other poor grass whether in grass or arable.

NUGGETS. Many a man may double his physical; capacity by strengthening his mind somewhat. Without cleanliness In the dairy, all efforts

to produce the best butter or cheese are vain. Generally, he who sells hay from his farm pays a high rate of interest for the money he gets. For the nutrition of live stock and the conservation of soil fertility, grass is the world’s royal crop. Excessive growth or fattening is at a great expense of food. Better a continuous good growth, and no cramming stages. The man who buys good a' finals and gives them scrub feed, ought, to be consistent, nob to hoist his umbrella in a rain-storm. The farmer must have a long bank account who can afford to breed immature animals, or to keep animals for the shambles after they approach maturity.