To Agriculturists.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 978, 28 November 1890, Page 20

To Agriculturists.

The Editor of the agricultural pages of the N .27. Mail will be very pleased to receive from his numerous readers any items of interest on matters pertaining to the farm, fiai-y, stockyard, orchard, garden, &c. There are probably many 'readers of the MAlii who have new ideas on some of the above subjects. Such ideas may be of great value and well worth publishing. Intending contributors will kindly remember to write on one side of tho paper only, and address all communications to Agricultural Editor, N.Z. Mail.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTSDubious (Upper Takaka). The article appeared in the Mail about a month ago. Look through your back numbers. o New Chum (Lower Hutt). —In this. Colony the best district for maize growing is north of Gisborne. There is some large cultivations of it near Opotiki, on the East Coast. Vintage (Hawera). —You should take a trip through the Wairarapa, and see for yourself tho vineyard planted by Mr Beetham, and you could then see if your soil and position resemble his. W A •M. (Waitara). —I am sorry we have not the back numbers of tbo Mail you require. The rapidly increasing demand for this paper renders it a difficult matter to keep back copies. _ . L.S. (Gisborne). Write to- Booth, Macdonald & Co., of Christchurch, for quotations.

TEE WELLINGTON SHOW. It was a bold stand that the promoters of the Wellington and Pastoral Association took when they announced some 18 months ago that in spite of all opposition they would hold a show ou the Hutt Park grounds and bolder still when they said to all and sundry that they not only intended to make the show an annual one, but would make the seooud superior to the first. When men of nerve and action make up their minds to do certain deeds it requires more than ordinary circumstances to daunt their resolves. The Society made a success of their first show, and beat the record by their second. It is true that the entries at Christchurch were larger. The ground was more accessible to townspeople, and the attendance was, as a matter of course, larger ; but in the opinion of those best qualified to judge, the exhibits on the Hutt Park were equal to the Christchurch exhibits—equal, in fact, to aay shown in aay part of the colony, and would be hard to beat in any part of the world. There is always a certain amount of j alousy among experts, and the jealousy of provincialism has not yet died out of the Colony. The Otago people naturally stick n P_ for fbeir own land, the Canterbury people think that their fat plains cannot be equalled, and the Wairarapa, Rangitikei, and Manawatu settlers fully believe that theirs is the veritable _ land of Promise. This very jealousy is the life and soul of agricultural and long may it flourish. This year breeders from Taieri in Otago to Taranaki in tha north weie showing cheek by jowl their fiue stock fat and sleek with growers from the Canterbury Plains, the valley of the Wairarapa, and the rich uplands of New Zealand s Rhineland, and the grand grazing ground of the West Coast.

The show of cattle was admitted by all visitors to be a grand one. Ths useful-nofc-to-be-excelled Ayrshires with their great dairy qualifications wore in extensive evidence, showing the popularity of this breed in many quarters. The animals exhibited were clean in their points, well fed, and well cared for. The purebred Shorthorns were a magnificent show—grand broadbacked beasts with heavy quarters, beef to the heels, indicating skilful selection, judicious breeding, liberal treatment, and rich pastures. AU the noted breeders were in force—the Bidwells, McMaster, Ross, Buchanan, Deans, and their show speaks volumes for their skill and enterprise. The Herefords were short in numbers'but grand in quality. One of the main features of the fihow was the splendid display of fat cattle —grand stately beasts, clean and healthylookiug not those oily masses of adipose matter, cake-fed and warm-stalled, shown at Smithfield and Bingley Hall—but heavy beasts, good in their Quarters, with deep necks, ‘trousery 1 legs, and thick tails ; such as one sees in tho flowery meads of Devonshire or on the rich uplands of tho Midlands, knee-deep in clover, the cattle fit for export, to gladden the eyes of the scarce beef-fed teeming thousands of England’s great metropolis.

. The backbone of New Zealand’s greatness is her nocks of sheep. Her wool and mutton is scarcely • equalled in any part of the world, and certainly not excelled. Naturally our local show wa3 strong in sheep. The great breeders sent their choicest specimens and the general all round quality was pronounced by experts to be one of the finest ever got together in the Worth Island. The popularity of the Romney Marsh breed was seen by the largo number ot entries Mr Matthews, of Featherston whose pride is his Romneys, exhibited one of the finest ‘fwo.tooth’ sheep in the show, and keen critics thought the ourled tips of tho fleeoe a slight something beyond the purebred Kent or Romney Marsh, but Mr Matthers claims that his are an ‘improved ’ breed. And if the exhibit in question was a fair specimen of his ‘ improvement ’ then he has done the State some aorvice by producing such fine animals. The particular exhibit was the centre of all attraction with its 201 b fleece, and, at least 7-inch staple. The Bryant Brother;, the Goulters, the Bid-

wells, and other well-known graziers - had splendid pens of the favoured Romneys, while in Lincolns Mr J. Raynor, of Taratahi, carried off the chrmpionship. For this class of sheep most of the big breeders competed. Grand animals were shown by suoh well, known names as Holmes, Chapman, the Goultets, Wilson, Baker, the Perrys, Hamilton, and others. The Featherston district stood ont distinct at the Shew as producing the finest Hampshires and Shropshires. Naturally mueh interest was taken in freezers, those important factors in our national wealth. The Bidwell Bros., Wheeler, Ingles, Garforth, BuchanaD, Lysaght, W ilson, Thatoher, StuokeyJ and McKenzie sent the pick of their flocks. To such excellence have these breeders raised their sheep that the judges had a terribly hard task before them. Each pen was a picture of perfection, and matured old Smithfield buyers would have been sadly puzzled to have pronounced final judgment upon the best exhibit. But still,.in all races some one must be first, and the selection fell in favour of five magnificent Shropshire Downs shown by Mr Lysaght. The show of dairy products was far too small, considering the districts drawn upon, butter being the only article fairly represented. The minor products of up country farms, the small things which turn in profit, were conspicuous by thoir absence—the honej 7 , the home-made pickles and wines, the agricultural and garden seeds—these which make important items at local shows in other parts of the world where there is more attention paid to developing capital out of the land were at the Hutt Paik not repre sented. Some day, perhaps, our people will learn that there i 3 profit in small things as well as in large. Taking the Show as a whole it refleots great credit upon all concerned, and upon such a foundation as the Association have now laid, the superstructure of the future should be an important one.

THE TURNIP FLY. One of the troubles of turnip culture is the fly pest. No sooner do the leaves of the tender young plant get green and juicy, when the fly by instinct seeks a dainty meal, and a riddled leaf is all that the farmer sees for his hours of work in turnip sowing. The name turnip fly is given to several insects destructive to turnips. It is often given to Altlca nemorum, also called turnip flea, from its skipping or leaping powers, but which is truly a very small beetle, with long and strong hind legs and ample wings, of a shining black colour, with two yellowish stripes down the wing cases and ochreous legs. It often commits great ravages in turnip fields whilst the turnips are very young. The female lays her eggs on the under side of the leaf, under the skin, making a tortuous gallery. Earmers sometimes steep the seeds of turnips in order to prevent the ravages of this insect, but no good can be thus done, as the eggs are not in the seed.

There is no real remedy to destroy the turnip fly. Old-fashioned farmers recommend a top dressing of soot and salt just about the time the fly is ready to settle. Auother old remedy is to scatter gas lime along the row of plants. The best means of evading the attacks of the fly are embodied in the ordinary rules of good cultivation. If a clean, fine, and moist seed bed is produced, and plenty of manure applied, the plant quickly appears and passes through its first stages into the rough leaf when it is comparatively safe.

INFLUENCE OF PURE STOCK. It is a curious and interesting study to note how long the influence of a pure stock will remain in a land even when it is subjected to many centuries of neglect and bad management. It is well known to those who have studied the subject that the breed of sheep which we call ‘ merinoes ’ was cultivated in the north of Africa by tho Carthaginians long before it was introduced into the south-west corner of Europe. Even at the present day there exist the evident descendants of the ancient fine wool breed of sheep in many parts of Northern Africa. Many persons who have resided in that part of the ‘ Dark Continent,' have mentioned breeds of fino-woo)led sheep kept by the wandering Arab tribes, which in the character of their wool, in their form, and in the shape of their horn, bear a striking resemblance to the merinoes. General Dumas, who resided for many years in Algeria, in his work, ‘ The Horses of the Sahara,’ says that one of these breeds of sheep produces extremely fine wool. In a late number of the Mark Lane Express there is a reference to the wool produced in Algeria, nearly all of which is from the flocks of the nomadic tribes, who wander over the face of the country. Tho writer states that between three and four million pounds of wool are annually sent from Algeria to France, where it is eagerly sought after. The sheep are said to possess all the hardy Qualities for which the merino has ever been celebrated. The writer says they ‘ can resist tho greatest extremes of heat and cold, of abundance and deficient pasturage. . . . They require to be watered every two or three days in summer. . . . They are not particular aoout the quality; they will drink what appears hardly better than liquid mud or water so brackish as to be unpotable even to the Arabs.’ The wool is said to be of a fine quality, ‘ and without any hairy appearance.’

FEEDING SWINE. When a young sow has farrowed and is in condition to feed and care for her pigs her rations must be liberal and of high quality. The following will be a fair provision for a sow with a litter of ten pigs', but none too much to keep her in good flesh :—Skim milk, 251 b; corn or barley meal, 21b; bran, lib ; peas and oats, ground, 31b ; a total of 311 b. lbi§ will give her about 7Jib of dry matter per day. If there is no skim milk to be had following (in either case carefully scald and feed in a slop state) three to four time 3 a day :—Corn or barley meal, 21b ; brail, -Sib ; peas and oats, 21b; oil meal,* 21b; making 81b. Cut clover and corn ensilage may be fed in the proportion of 21b of the former moistened, to 61b of the latter, or still

better, one of clover and three of ensilage mixed. These mixtures are merely suggestive, and not intended to bo rigidly adhered to, as the market prices of foods will vary much, in diffex-ent places. It is Very essential that the food of the sow should be well prepared to render it suitable for the young pigs. At 20 or 25 days old they take to eating with their dams, and if skim milk forms a part of the ration they will begin still earlier.' Remember that a sow at 12 months old will likely weigh 3401 b to 3601 b, and her maintenance and provision for a daily growth of 3lb to 41b a day in the litter demand liberal feed at this period. Sow’s milk is the richest of that from any farm animal, containing from 17 to 18 per cent of solids. It not only contains double the solids of skim milk from cows, but five times as much fat, and five and one-half times as much as separated milk. Tho mineral matter or bone growers will be onesixth to one-fifth greater, hence the urgency of full supplies of out fodder and grain to supply the phosphoric acid and lime. A young sow when properly fed provides in her milk a larger amount of dry matter for the growth of her young than a dairy cow three times her weight. Professor Manly Miles found by experiment that Essex pigs consumed 3jlb of milk each per day the first week nnd double that amount the second, if the demands of their growth were properly supplied. Such facts claim from pig-breeders great attention and careful observation to enable them to satisfy the requirements of tho sow suckling a large litter. No wonder the less observing men fail to rear largo litters when in too many cases they are unable to comprehend the power of [early growth in young pigs. Thei-e is no greater test of knowledge and sound judgment in the farmer than ability to understand and provide for the wants of plants and animals dui-ing the most critical period of early infancy. A great secret of success is centred here and no amount of food supplied during later growth will compensate for what is lost in the first three weeks.

PRODUCTION OF RAINFALL. The Evening Despatch—the evening edition of the Scotsman —gives tho following account of tho latest product of Yankee inventiveness : ‘ One of its singular features is that it has cost only 2000 dols., the amount of an appropriation by Congress to the forestry division of the Department of Agriculture 1 for experiments in the production of rainfall.’ By means of this sum it has been ascertained that nature's method of raining on the just and the unjust is antiquated, and can be vastly improved upon. In future, all that will be l-equired of the agriculturist, will be to set his rain apparatus in order, and go and enjoy himself. There ai-e certain preliminaries, of course, but the Forestry Department of the United States thinks they are of comparatively little consequence, and may be left to the hired boy or a lad. Tho first essential thing is to get the clouds together over the dry spot, and then blow them up. The precise method is still left in some little doubt, but that is of no great consequence—the result’s the thing. Anyhow, it is accomplished by means of a rain gun, and an arrangement of electric wires which catch and ‘locate’ the cloud. The advantages of this will be apparent to the meanest capacity. All agricultural grumbling and writing to the papers will cease, farming will become chiefly a thing of cloud catching, and a now and intensely interesting sport will be devised. After the necessary operations of the day, the thrifty farmer will open a gentle rain for the night (having previously fired some Paris green into the cloud, for the benefit of the bugs or other insects). The hearts of the rural ministers will rejoice at this news. There will be no longer any necessity for their praying for rain, which, when it comes, may prove the salvation of one farmer and the ruin of another. The rain gun and cloud catcher will leave nothing to chance, and the ministerial rain doctors will no longer be called upon to address perplexing appeals to Providence.’

PITH AND POINT. The farm is the farmer’s mirror.—lt is better to loan tools than to borrow them, —Don’t wait for the hogs and oattle to show you where are the weak places in the fence. —The remedy for pear blight is to cut off and burn every bit of the blighted part.—Some men’s crops are like some men’s fish—they get mighty big ones, but somehow they never bring them home. Peach trees will not thrive unless the soil about them be constantly cultivated.— The use of his good credit harms many a farmer more than a tax collector does.— Sow turnips in the corn for the pigs, and finally sow turnips most everywhere for the pigs and sheep.—Keep up your subscription to some good agricultural paper and the minister’s salary, even if the crops are short at both ends.—A few hundred bushels of saleable fruits and nuts annually would tend to solve the money problem on many farms.— It is not half go important that the parlour windows shine or the front door step glistens, as that the cellar wayß smells sweet and pure, and is clean. Try sowing crimson clover cn thin, sandy soil. —lt is a safe rule not to cish cheques or change large bills for strangers.—lf you would drive a big nail square through the lie that marriage is a failure, sharpen up the knives that the wife outs meat and bread with.—lf you really cannot afford a windmill pump, make a roof over the pump. Tbo well won’t be so deep if you pump in the shade.—Scrubs do us almost »s much hurt as trusts, and this is saying a great deal.—To prevent mould on top of glasces of jelly, lay a lump of paraffine on top of the hot jelly Jetting it melt and spread over it. No other covering is necessary.

The Agent General has communicated with the Government, advising them of the steps he is taking to obtain information with respect to phylloxera. Sir Dillon Bell states that he is endeavouring to put together in a handy form the opinions of leading experts on this pest, for the benefit of persons interested in vine-growing in New Zealand. He promises to forward this to tho Government at as early a date as possible.

| AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS." Agricultural land at Dean, in the Ballarat distriot, has been selling at £62 10s an sore. This is the highest price paid for land in that district.

Bacon may be kept for two years by placing it in a box and paokieg it in fine wood ashes. No insects will attack it, and if properly cured it wi.l not become rusty.

If the horse has good constitutional vigour and good digestion, the proper kind of food and oare will be all that is needed to make him a good horse. But without the formei food and care would not make him a pood horse.

At the Michigan Agricultural 'station potatoes raised from one eye for four seasons have averaged 115 bushels per acre; from two eyes, 160 ; ftoin three eyes, 170 j from half potatoes, 167 ; and from whole seed. 182.

An American paper gives the following method for destroying grasshoppers:— Strong muslin or oanvae, 3ft wide and Isft long, is Btretohed on a frame and oarried on a sled-like arrangement pulled by a'team of horses. The canvas slants back, and is kept thoroughly saturated with kerosene. As this moves along the hoppers rise and fly against it, and every one that touches the kerosene inatautly dies. One barrel of kerosene will cover 120 aores, and will kill any numbers of grasshoppers.

Says the Hawera Star :—A ourious instance of the very local character of mueh of the rainfall on the southern Bide of Egmont was afforded by an extremely heavy shower on Saturday, whioh was flooding the gutters at Milroy’s corner, in Manaia, and did not fall until some ten minutes afterwards at Lewis’ oorner, which is only the width of the Octagon away from Milroy’s. The shower, which lasted only ten minutes, registered two tons to tho aore, and was Dot felt at all at the cemetery, one mile off.

The seed of a globe turnip is exceedingly minute, not larger perhaps than th* twentieth part of an inoh in diameter ; and yet in the course of a few months this seed will be elaborated by the soil and the atmosphere into 27,000,000 of times its original bulk, and this in addition to a considerable bunch of leaves. Dr Desaguliers has made some experiments proving that, in an average condition, a turnip seed may increase its own weight 15 times a minute. By an actual experiment made on peat ground turnips have been found to increase by growth 15,990 times the weight of their seeds each day they stood upon it. ,

The Sydney Department of Agriculture is inviting a competition of spray pumps and insecticides. The trialß are to take place at a date hereafter to be fixed under the auspices of the department, and under the superintendence of a committee, consisting of Dr Fiasohi, Messrs P. F. Adams, E. Whitaker, C. Gambling. Dr Cobb, pathologist, and Mr A. S. Olliff, entomologist of the department. The competition is open to all the colonies, and in all probability some apparatus from America will be exhibited, in order that the committee may be enabled to choose the very best spraying machines and most servic3able spray solutions for use in orchards and gardens.

The Victorian Minister of Lands (Mr Dow) has received the following extraordinary letter from a Frfcnch butcher residing at Rambouillet :— ‘ Having seen in the papers that the Government have been wanting for a long time someone who could destroy the rabbitß, I beg to offer my services to the Government. This is the right way. Taking one heotare of land you sow quarter with parsley, whioh destroys the milk of the females, and therefore prevents them from nourishing their "young ones, whioh die of hunger. Secondly, sow a quarter hectare with mustard, whioh kills the rabbits. The rabbits are very fond of both parsley and mustard.’

That war Is opposed to agricultural prosperity no one doubts j but an agricultural chemist figures upon a direct loss of 10,000,0001 b of nitrogen annually to the country by the qjanufaoture of gunpowder. No doubt (says the Mark Lane Express) all this nitrogen is returned to the soil through the air, in which tho nitric acid produoed by the explosion of gunpowder is held temporarily until washed down by rains. But much of it is lost to the country at large, and most of it is gained at the vicinity where the powder is used. The diversion of so muoh nitrogen from agriculture as is used in all the armies of the world is however, a serious detriment beyond question.

For human food wheat outranks ill the other cereals. Its value for nourishing aliment exoeeds all other vegetable products. Tho amount of wheat produced last year in the United States was 500,000,000 bushels, valued at £70,200,000. More than 50 per cent of it was shipped out of the counties iu whioh it was raised, the remainder being used for seed and domestic purposes. In a meobanical way the cultivation of 40,000,000 aerea that produced the above amount necessitated the employment of a million or more men and teams, as many implements, and half as many mills and operatives to prepare it for the market -—all of which make wheat of the greatest importance. The manipulation of this cereal from the time it is put into the ground to,the time it comes on the table in the shape'of food gives work to a fiftieth of our entire population, and if the workmen on the implements for wheat culture and wheat preparation be included the number would be greatly increased. Ibe above figures, Bays th? Sydney Town and Country Journal, should be particularly instructive to the Australian, as iu our extensive areas of wheat lands there lies a mine of undeveloped wealth only awaiting the hand of man to turn into notion, and whioh is In itself sufficient to keep every able-bodied man in the community in full employment all the yeer round,

It is estimated that the area of open for settlement in the Wellinof j? w lrio ‘ ia 170,000 ncrel, “"%>■ considerable portion is rather rough couX, * Lhe. next Government land sale nii} Dt y> b t b,y b ° , held ‘wo months hJ ro ' when a block near Pahiatua i. likelv mt* cut up and offered. 6 y

A ciroular from Tipperarv scribes a forage plant new to CalifiS^ 8 ' The Caucasian Prickly Comfrev ~-> “ a forage crop, able to produce a hundred green food to the Irish acre a ~o f sufficient to keep ten cows for six month? 7 a proportionate number of any other kind of stock. A clear profit of £loo Gnru J \ f acre can be made by anyone who has pWted the crop for a couple of years and can fin* market for the sets from which the pWi‘ grown at a certain price.’ pmnt 19

The spread of rabbits in New South Wale, is becoming more alarming every dav o„ west the country is as bare.as the roads* R la impossible to estimate the damao« L “ Fastoralists have to buy forage and fArf horses to keep them alive. On many statiS the sheep are too poor to shear, and the static owners are at their wits’ end* to know wh to do. If measures are not taken by th* Government to assist the pastoraliats tt ! prevalence of the rabbits ruV to them this season as but little wool , expected. Already many stations have shifted and sold all their remaining stock Rabbits are now barking the scrub for food No one would believe the damage which is being done by the rodente, unless he could see for himself. “““

Ploughing under green crops is a method often resorted to in order to procure aa active humus and while the practice is good it should still be remembered that a far more satisfactory result is reached when the P la “ l “ «e allowed to reach maturity, wither and then be ploughed under. The advantages of this latter method may be summed no a. consisting in :-l. The circumstance that mature dried-up plants decay in the soil while green plants undergo a quick ferments! tion, thus losing a large portion of the carbonic acid, which no farmer can afford to lose, as it is an effective solvent in the underground laboratory of our fields. 2 Because a mature plant has elaborated much more plant food from both the soil and atmosphere than the half or partly grown plant, thus by its decay furnishing the soil with a larger amount of available or assimilable plant fcod.

At the great International Congress of Agriculture and Forestry, recently held at Vienna, there was appointed an Inter, national Vegetable Pathology Commission, to attend to all matters connected with the study of the diseases of plants and the best means for their prevention. The one great object of it is to form a federation, Including at least all the countries of Europe, for dealing with plant diseases, since it is becoming evident that many of tho diseases are of tho nature of epidemics and can only be effectually dealt with, if at all, by joint action. The seoretary oi that commission, Dr Paul Soraue*, direotor of the expeti. mental station at the Imperial Bornological Institute at Proskau, has asked Mr M'Alpine, the Government Pathologist of Victoria, to beoome a member of that commission. In this way Australia will be lepresented iu the great federation and brought into touch with the various movements for scientifically dealing with what threatens to become in these colonies thd bane of agriculture and horticulture.

The Taranaki Herald says:—The first direct shipment of frozen beef and mutton from this distriot, which will take plaoe next week, is causing a good deal of comment. The large oargo steamer Matatua, of the Shaw, Savill, aod Albion line, will arrive on Tuesday, and will anchor off the mouth of the Waitara river. The steamer is registered at 5000 tons, a- d is in charge of Captain MoDougall, The meat wili be taken out to her in a large punt, whioh will be towed I out by the tug Waitara. It is ex* peoted that- the loading will take two or three days at the least. The local agent of the steamer, Mr J. Giimonr, has received a telegram giving the date of the steamer’s arrival here, and also in. dicating that Captain Babot, the general supervisors of the steamers in the colony, will arrived by the Wanaka on Tuesday, from W ellington. A staff of workmen have been engaged for the work, and all other preparations made to ensure the shipment of meat being put on board as expeditiously as possible. Judging by the interest that is being taken in the matter, there will be a large orowd of visitors at Waitara on Toes* day next to witness the arrival of the first Direct boat in Taranaki waters.

During Wednesday and Thursday a e»la of Crown lands was held at the Land Board office. Twenty thousand acres of unsnrvoyed land in the Otamakapus-Pakihikura blook, near Hunterville, were thrown open for application, of which 13,774 acres were seleoted at a total price of £17,089 7s 6d. There were 31 selectors. Fonrteen forfeited miscellaneous sections comprising 3382 sores 2 roods 39 perches were offered for applies* tion, and nine sections comprising 2385 acres 15 perohes were taken up at an upset price of £lß4l Is lOd. Seven forfeited deferred payment seotions were offered at auction snd five of them, consisting ot 651 aores2roois 35 perches were sold, the price realised being £926 0s 7d. The balanoe of the Lena township was also offered at auction, end 15 sections, containing 4 aoros 10 P®*®* 3 ® 9 ’ were disposed of at a total price of £133 os. The number of selectors, area sold, » n prices realised under the various systems are aa follow :—Cash, 19 selectors, 1643 ® cr ®* / roods 34 perches, upset price £1164 2s oo; deferred payment, 12 selectors, 696 »or e> 36 perches, upset price £lO6l 9s 7d ; P® * petual lease, 29 selectors, 14,474 aores 3 ro 30 perches, prioe £17,764 2s lOd, Altoget 16,814£ aoros of laud were disposed o", • price realised being £19,989 14* IM*

fwwmew* B hr the ,totk ' lf y #tt nc f to • belief in en«l*g«.

n ii important that tho corn orib bo cleaned out and fumigated «o as to destroy i°n»si>t*. ®;

Professor Wilckens, of Vienna, has recently Wished some interesting observations upon ftn transmission of colour in horses. English nlnmushbreds, both sire and dam being of tbe colour, transmit their colour to tho offering in 586 cases out of 1000. When the brents are different in colour, that of the mother roost results. Bay is tho more fre- , colour, black the scarcest, and there are oSly about 190 black in each 1000.

An authority writes‘ I know of no preparation which can be positively depended on to remove warts on horses except such agents as cause them to slough out, and which leave a large wound which discharges, and is often ,] ow to heal. I have, however, used the following ointment with success in some cases. Powdered savin and powdered chloride of ammonia equal parts, mixed with sufficient lard or vaseline to form a stiff ointment. If this be applied daily it will in some cases cause the warts to disappear without producing a slough and soreness, and being easy of application, it is worth a trial.’

There is to my mind a bright side to farm life, and I would much rather write about it than the gloomy side of agricultural depression. Does not tho farmer mako a mistake when he fails to count as a legitimate part of the profit of the farm that which it contributes to the support and comfort, of his family ? It seems to me that thero is no other way in which an investment of four or five thousand dollars can be made to combine with perfect safety so large a return of comfort, and so certain support for tho family as by putting it into a farm.—Waldo Brown in Practical Farmer.

Growers of tomatoes will be sorry to hear that a destructive insect pest has appeared, which is very destructive to tho plant. A grower over at Northcofce found many of his plants greatly injurod, and on telling Mr Barber that gentleman brought over a plant to Mr Cheeseman, at tho Auckland Museum. After examination Mr Cheeseman found that the insect was alcurodes vaporarium, an insect which has been very injurious to tomatoes in tho United States, but which has not hitherto been noticed here. The insect bores in the leaf, and then turns into a small white fly. It must be dealt with by kerosene solution, applied with a syringe.

For a considerable period Rev. John Macpherson, of Findhorn, Scotland, has had a penchant for keeping goats, amongst his flock being a fierce billy goat, with horns upwards of two feet long. This brute used to go about batting and trampling on the inhabitants of the place, smashing furniture, and became quite a terror. Recently, however, a colonial merchant from New Zealand on holiday in the neighbourhood took the law into his own hands and shot the disturber of the village peace. Mr Macpherson brought an action against the gentleman, but the sheriff decided that as only one witness saw the accused shoot the goat, he could not legally convict him. The evidence for the defence proved that tho New Zealander had earned the lasting gratitude of the inhabitants of Findhorn.

Sin e the grain weevil attained distinction through the investigations of the Government of India, various experiments, says the Calcutta Englishman, have been made with the view of discovering how grain could best be protected from its ravages. Of the three ways of storing grain—in open pits, bags and heaps —weevils appear first in pits and last in open air heaps. Soft grains are attacked sooner than hard ones, but a piece of tow steeped in bisulphide of carbon will keep the insects away for a considerable period, and it has the merit of not damaging the grain for consumption. Some poisonous plants also deter weevih, and in Poona Mr Woodrow, of the College of Science, has made some successful experiments with sulphurous acid. When hermetically sealed with a preservative the grain can be kept for an indefinite period.

Ought hay to be given to the horse, then water, and afterwards oats ; or should hay and oats be given before drinking? Le Fermier says that practice agrees with theory, and recommends the first. Hygiene counsels drink to be given after a meal of fibrous and dry foods, which are difficult to digest, in ordor to dilute them and hasten their digestion. Water should not be given after groins possessing a, floury substance, whether tho latter be bruised, broken or Water does not stop long in. the stomach; it goes rapidly over pulpy matters, making them into fluid, and carrying them away before they nave been turned into chyme. This shows that the animal should take water before it receives the grain; also that cattle fed on rooked materials reduced to pulp ought to drink often, and but very little at a time.

med or permanent mangers as a general ™ e save time and labour in feeding stock. AH animals should have low mangers, °'“®rwis9 the muscles of the neck become •tiff or contracted by the non-use of natural ®xereiso. This is most readily observable !? Woe horses and stallions which are oonn.n “d in stalls. For such, a tub or box •nonld be need and removed from the stall after f. eding. But the speoial j Tj°bage of a movable feed trough is found 0 the ca9e of animals which have a discharge rotn the nostrils, as the soiled feed vessels wn be more readily and completely oleansed. wJ?* k”8 confined in the cities, whose •srltlng lives are spent in severe confinement , ® r * m P e d stalls with high hay.racks and wa-boxes, when from lameness or injury ra »ent in the country to pasture for revery or reonperation, suffer severe pain in .?• If this is not soon discovered, the “ returned to the owner in a half. 5 »ed condition, and the poor beast is a fit > an? u , r the woiety for tbe prevention of to animals.

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. . GOVERNMENT REPORT. ' : ' No. 4. Mr Newton King, President of the laranaki Chamber of Commerce, gave the following evidenoe 1 am a merchant dealing largely in butter. The difficulties we have to contend with are chiefly in the carriage of the butter—getting it to the oort of shipment. We have either had to send it by the sea or by the railway to Wellington, anu the last year’s results were in fact, disastrous altogether to the butter. Very few shipments turned out right. Shipping by the sea. we have to send it down by the train to the breakwater in non ventilated trucks. It sometimes remains there for many hours, and Is then put into the steamer and shipped wr Wellington. Then, again, its storage in Wellington is questionably bad. I oame down here specially last year to see about this question. I found one shipment particularly of Taranaki batter in one of the Harbour Board’s so called cool sheds. They had a skylight in the roof, and the butter was pnt exactly underneath, and was meltmgAn the sun. The man apologised, and to remedy this he put a black tarpaulin over the butter. Another case was a shipment of butter by the * Wanaka,’ which was spoiled. We were going to take the agent to the shipment that came down by the Takapuna'- on another occasion; I went down to the Takapuna myself in the morn, mg to sse it, and I found it was melting, evidently caused by the heat of the steamer’s hold. It proved to us that the shipping by the steamer was useless to a very great extent ; and that has driven us to tho railway. One of our objects is to get the freight reduced. AH the settlers up iu the Taranaki district think it very hard that flax—a commodity that measures about two and a half times as much a 3 butter—is charged very little more than one.half the rate, the rates being £2 8s and £1 8s per ton respectively. It has also been thought necessary by the dairy producers that some person here duly qualified should see that the butter is stowed in tbe ship in a proper condition. I may say that last year many of the lots that came down here intended foi shipment in certain ste-mers did not go, nor were the consignors aware of that for months afterwards. The butter was put in tbe Wellington shed, where it remained. It wou'd be quite impossible,' I think, for the trains to meet the steamers. For instance, we will siy that to-day those connected with the steamers telegraphed to us that a steamer is ready to receive a ship, ment of butter at a certain time. We get our special night-train to bring it down, and when we get it here we find that there has been a hitch in the interim, aud the batter cannot be put on board, and it geti heated, I have been informed by the Shaw-Savill agents that it is impossible at any time to say with certainty when the . stuff can be put on board any one particular ship. Special storage is. therefore absolutely necessary. I see no other remedy at all. If butter is once heated it is spoiled. It does not matter if it be for only ten minutes. If it reaches a oertain temperature all our trouble and care is wasted. The heat always liquifies the butter and destroys it. With regard to the question of the appointment of experts for the ossification of butter, I was desired most particularly by the meeting held at Stratford the other day to bring it before the Committee—the question of the Govern, ment appointing experts to classify tho batter, as is done on tho Continent, and in Ireland particularly. It is believed that it would stimnlate the makers to produoe a better article, and that no bad butter that now goes forward frozen would be put upon the London market with damaging effeot to the good article. We have found many shipments of good butter mixed np with inferior, thus depreciating the value of tho whole parcel. If these experts could be appointed it would also be of very great advantege in our intercolonial trade with Australia, for then the merchant or producer would have to sell his batter at a certain standard. At the present time, being a large producing district, we sell our batter as ‘prime’ free on board. This particular instanoe occurred to me last year : We sold a large parcel for Melbourne. We took expert certificates in Taranaki thnt the butter was prime. We put it on board, according to our contract, and it arrived in Melbourne on a falling market. They got experts there to prove that it was not prime, and our solicitors inform us that we have no remedy against them. This state of things is a loss of tens of thousands of pounds to us every year. The idea would be to brand the good butter as of first, second, and third rate quality. Llquification takes p!ace and the butter is ruined. I would not have contemplated grading at Taranaki, but at the final port of shipment. It would be, I suppose in a cool shed. There would be no danger if put from thero into the steamer. I am aware that this is a very important point in many ways, and it has occurred to me whether even grading in New Zealand at all was possible on that aeount, or whether it should not be graded by an expert when it reached London. It is a matter for the Committee to deal with, There is something to be said on both Bides, in this way ; that if batter happened to spoil going Home which was certified to here aip being of first, second, or third-rate quality, it would militate against the New Zealand experts. I may say that the butter-makers are strong on the point of grading. It would probably be a very good plan to adopt, at any rate for twelve months, until confidence was placed in the experts in New Zealand. I would not advocate grading In LondOD, but I think the point shoqld be considered. There is little difficulty with inspection in T ondon. In the London market the buyer I believe, does not question the grading at all. The Irish butter goes into the market, and is Bimply sold as first, seoond, or third class. Possibly the buyers never see the samples of any particu'ar line. It would be bought just as wheat or any other grain is purchased. I should say that grading should be tried in this oolony. The settlers would bo prepared to pay the cost of grading. Butter might keep thoroughly good for a month, and the same batter under tbe »ame circumstances

might not keep three months after its arrival in Loudon. I think it would be right enough when it landed iu England. The only question would be how long it would keep after landing. I have seen it kept in kegs twelve months. It was fairly good—as good as butter oould he. It would not be as good as when freah made. It gets staler in flavour. If it will keep in Taranaki for twelve months fairly good I assume that if we had cool vans from Taranaki to the port of shipment, a cool receptacle at the port here, then taken Home in a cool ohamber with a regular temperature that the bntter would be landed in London in a good marketable state. Once local grading beosme established I do not Bee -why it should not be as good as governmental inspection. There are no English bntter merchants here at present; they are all at Home. Ths object is to get the name or brand established in London. It is a very simple thing to get it established if there is sufficient quantity. With respect to the tuition of farmers, I may say that a great many farmers in New Zealand have not been brought up as farmers—a large percentage of them. There is a great lot of batter made of very inferior quality throughout New Zealand. I know it to my cost in onr own district. Others can bear me out in saying that a very large percentage of butter comes in in a condition that it should not. lf you take any one man and go to the trouble of explaining what should be done you will see that man gradually working up from very dirty cream looking stuff until it becomes good butter. That expense or loss falls entirely on tho merchant or farmer, and is not quick enough by any means. My own idea would be to have a man who would go round to the farmers, and stay in the Wairarapa, Taranaki, and other glaoes so many months, and make teaching visits to the farmers’ houses. The farmers would be glad to see him. He can teaoh them something ; if he cannot there would be no harm done." This plan has been adopted in Denmark and Ireland. Dairy inspectors have have been appointed by the New Zealand Government from time to time. In our district they look at the faofcorios, and go into stores and see ce.tain butter. They never go into the interior or pay visits lo the butter-making distriots. They visit a few persons in the towns who make good bntter, and where inspeotion is not so necessary! I would like to point ont the advantages to be derived from tuition both in tbe making of cheese and butter. I do not speak so much of cheese, beoauso nearly all the cheese is made by the factories, I consider that inspeotion of factories, although useful, is almost unnecessary, for the simple reason that at the factory the man must bo the man who can do the best work. If he does not he goes to the wall. It is not so with the small farmer. He has no money to expend, and does not know what to do. The question of tuition and inspection does not apply to the'large butter factories as it would do to the small farmers. With regard to packages, we have been using large and small kegs. The large kegs have been utterly discarded now, and will not be used any more. One hundred pound kegs are practically worthless for the London market. The general instruction from our London and provincial buyers is .to the effeot that 601 b totara kegs are about the best that can be sent. So far - as Fond’s boxe3 and other boxes are concerned, I am of opinion at the present time that our butter is not suitable for them. The merchants in London say that the very finest batters can be put in Fond’s boxes with advantage; but for the other kinds—the medium, or what we should call good in the colony, which has to go to the provinces—kegs are preferred. Hitherto wo have been packing off heavily salted butter, whioh, although, of inferior make, will keep fairly good. A different class of teaching is required in the making of fresh batter for export and sale in the London market. I would get a man as much as possible like the farmers themselves. I do not want what you would call a * big man.’ bat a man who will go round and explain the best method of batter-making to them. I do not want a school-teacher but a thorough expert in the business. I do not want a man to s»y to them, ‘Tour dairy is not fit for malting butter, but rather one who will make the best butter with the appliances available. I should call a man a first-class man who can make good butter and teach the making of good bntter. The process of teaching should be gradual. If night trains were established bj the Railway Department I believe the settlers would use them. There would be no difficulty in arranging parcels of 50 tons. The dairy industry of the Taranaki district is capable of indefinite extension. The land is particularly suited for it. The industry would increase if facilities are found for storage, for freight, aud carriage by the Railway Commissioners. It has been extended very much lately, and it will go on furthex and further. The sales this year have been very heavy indeed. In 1887 quoting from the annual report of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce—s 22 tons of butter were exported from the breakwater alone. In 1888, 1,306 tons were, exported ; and in 1889, 1,545 tons were exported. It is manufactured within the spring and summer months—within about five months. We do not go beyond January for London shipments. THE PHYLLOXERA. The San Franoisoo Bulletin says :—' Some short time ago a contemporary published the details concerning an interesting discovery alleged to have been made by Professor Felix Michel, a French scientist, of a remedy for phylloxera. It was stated that Professor Michel having experimented extensively has concluded that the only reliable remedy for the stubborn vine disease is composed cf sulphate of iron and water. Teats have demonstrated that not only will the wash cure the disease, but that its application results in themostmagioalrejuvenation of thevine. Tbe diaoovery purports to have been original with Professor Michel, and great results were predicted for the remedy in France, where it is now being extensively used. Jacob Sohram, manufacturer of the oelebrated Sohramsberg wines, whose vineyard id la the foothills west of St, Helena, Napa

Valley, in conversation with a Bulletin reporter, recently, said that he had known of and used sulphate of iron and Water in his vineyard for sixteen years, and that while, Professor Michel may have demonstrated the efficacy of the remedy he could hardly lay claim to having discovered it. Mr Sohram has been in the wine business at St. Helena for thirty years. " He went there in 1860 and located on the hills, then holding the theory that grapes grown on the thin, red lands of the elevated plains would be superior to those grown in the valley. He has 100 acres of vines, and now over 100,000 dols worth of wine in his cellars. He baa kept bis vines free frnn phylloxera and other diseases all these years by ths use of sulphate of iron. He briefly related how he managed, as follows : *My theory originally was that in all insect life around the vines should be destroyed, and that a person who would keep his vineyard healthy and productive must adopt an intelligent and effective system of manuring. The sulphate of iron, whioh is very deadly to all forms of inseot life, struck me years ago as the proper thing to use, and I long ago demonstrated that it is the cheapest and most effective remedy known. People used to laugh at me for this theory, just as they laughed at me for going into the hills back of St. Helena and put my vines in the heart of the forest, when I could have purohased all.the land I wanted in the valley for 70 dols 50 cents an acre.

‘ln the first place I disinfect all the manure I put on the vines, making of it a compost that contains nothing with life in it. In the spring before the vines bud, but after they have been pruned, I mix fifty gallons of water with ten pounds of sulphate of iron. 1 take a barrel and pour in a bucket of hot water to warm it. Then I throw in the sulphate of iron and add the balance of the water. I stir it to prevent the chemioal from crystallizing. I apply it with a sponge tied to the end of a stick, thoroughly swabbing the vine and allowing some of the liquid to sink in around the roots. The mixture will prevent mildew and make weak vines strong. It is the most wonderful stimulant I ever saw, and a 3 it is very oheap, there is no reason why everybody should not usa it. None should ba used while the vines are in leaf, as it will burn the leaves all up. During the past sixteen years, while vineyards all round me have bean affected with phylloxera, mine has bean perfectly healthy, owing to the use of this mixture. Ido not think its efficacy oan be longer controverted.’ THE EFFECT OF SOIL IN MILK. Recently it was pointed ont that the spread of the dairy industry all over the country proved that it could be carried on successfully independently of soil and climate, and that no oue need be deterred from the keeping of cows by natural situation so long as as bis markets, labour, and cattle supply were satisfactory. At the same time, how. ever, there is not the slightest doubt that soil has an immense influence in modifying the character of the milk and its products, and although so far the manner of this modification is a mystery to us, and is manifested only by its results. Tho influence, of course, must ba transmitted through the food and driuk of the animals, as these depend for their characters very much on the nature of the soil where they are found. We know that, as a rule, the geological strata disintegrate into earthly material, forming the basis of soils peculiar to each, and that the natural vegetation growing on the surface is very much influenced by the nature of these surface accumulations. Thus certain plants predominate in certain districts, entirely independent of climatic contingencies ; while the same species take on different characters according to the nature of the land where they grow. The water which our cows drink, again, takes characteristics from tho soil and rock through which it has percolated, being ‘soft’in one legion, 'hard’ in another, and ‘ mineral ’ in a third. These, or cognate matters, appear to determine the nature of the milk in some way wh'ch we cannot explain, whioh an analysis does not account for, but whioh is perfectly well known to practical dairy farmers. Take one of the points in cheesemakiug. In a recent volume of the Royal Agricultural Society of England’s Journal, Mr George Gibbons points out, in his article on Oheddar cheesemakiug, that milk from gravel or clay soil requires to be scalded in cooking the curd to a higher temperature than in the case of milk from the mountain limestone or from sandstone. In an anonymous essay on cheesemaking published in Gloucestershire about eight months ago, and reviewed at the time in the Agricultural Gazette, a similar statement is made, but actual figures are given. It is there stated that milk from sand, gravel, or stone formations requires a temperature of 104 deg. to 106 deg. Fah., but from clay or olay with gravel the heat must be raised to JlO deg. or 112 deg., a differenoe of six degrees, which is apparently due to the soil or the underlying formations, Mr Gibbons farther poiuts out that where the cows drink soft water the temperature of soaldicg must be higher than where the water is hard. These se6m to be two definite and notioeable cases of difference, but between them or beyond them there may be others of a similar nature, if practical workers only knew how to observe, experiment, and note such matters.