AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1107, 19 May 1893, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS.

Mr Murphy, secretary of the Canterbury A. and P. Association, informs the Press that he saw a flock of martins, numbering fully a dozen, flitting about at New Brighton on Saturday last. The birds are supposed to have been blown to New Zealand, having been first noticed some weeks ago after a heavy gale of wind.

The North Otago Times says :—The local refrigerating works are almost full of mutton, without any immediate prospect of getting it shipped away. There are nearly 20,000 carcases in the works, and the killing is being slowed down. The Dunedin works are in a similar state. This is owing to the break down of the lonic and accidents to other steamers, which have put out of joint all the arrangements entered into for shipping.

Oats is the best grain to feed horses in good health. Barley is next best. For a steady diet corn is not wholesome, and, if fed alone for any length of time, is certain to produce ill effects from indigestion. Oats have about the right amount of nutritious and coarse matter to be healthful, while corn has a very large per cent of strong food. Old or enfeebled horses should be fed on ground food, a good mixture being four bushels of oats to one of corn. Twelve quarts per day of this ground mixture will prove a good feed for any horse while ploughing or doing other heavy farm work. Whole corn should be soaked in warm water for six hours bsfore feeding. Once a week give horses a feed of wheat bran. An occasional feed of potatoes, apples, or roots will prove beneficial, and the animals will relish the change of diet.

The conditions that are considered aunsoundness in the horse are :—Con traction of the foot; toe crack ; quarter crack ; flat, foot where the sole has dropped; pomace sole; founder or laminitis ; broken knee or callous from lepeated injury; any degree of defective sight; knee sprung; ringbone; windgalls if tender or causing lameness ; canker of the foot or frog ; curb; spavin of any kind; capped hocks; chronic rheumatism; thoroughpins; splints; spring halt; low hip; grease and cracked heels, if causing lameness; permanent enlargement of legs, or elephantiasis; weak back, knuckle; enlargement and soreness of tendons; heaves or defective wind; chronic cough ; crib-biting or wind-sucking ; surfeit; mange; glanders; strandles; any ailment,or sickness at time of purchase ; enlarged joints; enlargements about the limbs; sore -shoulders, or breast, or back from galls; wounds ; stiff hocks, or other joints.

The prices offered by the agricultural societies in Victoria for the eggs and heads of sparrows bring about the destruction of a large number of the birds, which are such a pest to farmers and orchardists. At a meeting of the Villiers and Heytesbury Agricultural Society, held lately, the secretary stated that the prizes offered had resulted in the destruction of 11,131 eggs and 2120 birds One individual accounted for no less than 3100 eggs and 1035 heads, another had sent in 2137 eggs, while two others had succeeded in obtaining 1733 and 1000 eggs respectively.

The indefatigable Mr Tallerman, whose name is intimately associated with the earlier efforts of introducing Australian meat into the United Kingdom, has formulated a somewhat imposing scheme for the establishment of an 'Agricultural and Industrial Union to Diminish the Supply of Foreign Farm Produce and Increase the Demand for Home Labour.' His scheme, so far as it has been explained, appears to be based on the co-operative pihv ciple, and as a preliminary step he is organising a conference of representatives of English public bodies, to be held at Derby or Crewe, for the purpose of best ascertaining how the agricultural classes can best be brought into communication with each other. At this conference experimental trials in connection with the disposal of live stock are to be made, five oxen and five sheep being slaughtered and cut up each day, in order to show the most profitable means of disposing of the meat and offal, especially the latter, The various modes of cooking meats are to be practically illustrated, and also the different methods of making bread. Mr Tallerman proposes also showing what may be done in the way of pre*

paring and packing butter; likewise in classing, grading, and packing poultry, eggs, vegetables, honey, and fruits. This is a large order, and Mr Tallerman will be a clever man if he can see his way to execute ifc; but great industries are seldom extended by holding conferences of individuals possessing neither business knowledge nor business experience.

Messrs Turnbull, Hobson and Co. of the Newport Freezing Works, Melbourne, write that 20,000 sheep and lambs, frozen by the Linde machine, and exported by the steamer Elderslie, wher,e landed in London in excellent condition, and they have telegraphic advices of the sale of the entire shipment at prices equal to those of New Zealand shipments—namely, merino lambs 4d, and merino sheep 3|d per lb. The plant consists of two duplicate Linde machines, each with a refrigerating capacity of sixty tons of ice per twenty-four hours, working with four patent disc air coolers on seven freezing rooms and fifteen cold storage rooms for dairy and general produce, and large railway lock. The market engineer certifies that one of these has, in addition to providing cold for market storage, been at work freezing 1100 carcases in forty-eight hours, with storage of 12,000 frozen sheep, and the work done has not yet tested the machine to its fullest capacity. The greatest consumption of fuel has been 3| tons of gasworkf coke for all steaming purposes, exclusive of electric lighting, per hours.

The Times lately published some interesting particulars on the decrease in values of sheep and cattle in the United Kingdom. The article states that on 4th June, 1890, cattle averaged Ll2 10s per head, and sheep 36s and 3d, and on the same date in 1892, the averages had declined,to L 8 and 21s 3d respectively. Tfie article concluded as follows :—' It will be seen that the drop in values since 1890 when they reached their maximum has been enormous, so great, in fact, that although we have 729,559 more cattle, and 1,975,623 more sheep, their value, if sold now, is L 64,369,196 less than in 1890. That is a large drop in two items of the capital invested in iho farms of the United Kingdom.'

Mr J. Sterling Morton will hold the portfolio of Secretary of Agriculture in the Cleveland Cabinet of the United States of America. He has been a farmer all his life, and has lived on the same farm, just ontside of Nebraska City, for twenty-five years, during twenty of which he has been connected with the State Board of Agriculture. He was born in the town of Adams, Jefferson County, and is sixty years old. His farm, known as Arbor Lodge, is half a mile square, and his residence to-day is said to be in marked contrast to the log cabin in which he first lived when he went to Nebraska. He issued the Nebraska City News —the first newspaper published in the State. He has been Territorial Governor oi the State, and Acting-Governor in 1886. He is said to be ' sound on the tariff and the money question, and although he is not wealthy he can go into the Cabinet.' He raised last year 1575 bushels of corn on a twenty-acre lot,

and ' stumped the State for Cleveland between times.' He is said to be ' a typical Western farmer and business man.'

Several years ago M. Pasteur demonstrated that the germs of anthrax might be brought to the service through the agency of earth worms. Thus the disease might reappear in cattle or -dieep long after it was thought that all danger of infection had passed by, owing to the grass becoming contaminated by the wormcastings. It appears that this is not the only danger to be apprehended from the action of earth-worms. From the Live Stock Journal we learn that MM. Lortet and Despeignes state that worms may also bring to the surface the germs of tuberculosis. From experiments made with flower-pots they found that guinea pigs inoculated with castings from infected mould gave rise to tuberculosis. They therefore conclude that worms may bring to the surface of the soil, with the products of their digestion, bacteria which have preserved all their virulent properties intact. There is, however, a much greater probability that anthrax may be spread through the agency of earthworms than that tuberculosis may be propagated in a similar manner. The danger in the latter case is not generally regarded as serious.

The last intercolonial conference on rust in wheat, held at Adelaide, decided upon issuing a set of questions upon the subject, as in previous years, in order to obtain from farmers the result of their personal observations. Only twenty-six farmers have replied, the smallness of the number being probably due to the fact that the season of 1892 was exceptionall free from rust in most parts of the colony. The result of the observations made discloses no new facts, and raises no new theories, the weight of testimony being that plenty of moisture in winter and a dry period for maturing the grain operate against the appearance of the disease.

Even rabbits s&em in some instances to be aiding in the direction of settling the people on the land in Victoria. Some time ago (says the Melbourne Leader) a board was appointed to inquire into the question whether rabbits were being kept down on certain mallee blocks situated near Swan Hill. The board, after careful investigation, found that no satisfactory measures had been taken towards destroying the pest, and on its recommendation the Minister of Lands ordered some of the blocks to be forfeited for non-fulfilment of the conditions of the lease. The Minister is now considering the expediency of throwing open for selection one of these blocks, consisting of forty-five square miles, and previously occupied by Mr Buchanan.

An American paper, referring to warts on horses' tars and eyelids, says : —These can easily be tied off by means of a piece of strong silk thread, taking two turns to form the knot instead of one. J3y this method the knot wil not slip on tying the second knot. The knot should be made in the middle of the thread, long enough to draw tightly. When tied, cut the ends of

the silk near enough to the knot &o as not to annoy the wart.

Sheep farmers in France are returning to the pure merino breed for mutton as well as wool. They find that mutton sells at the same price, no matter what the breed, and that merino wool pays better than coarser breeds, both as to quality and quantity of fleece.

The North British Agriculturist reports an interesting operation peformed by Professor Williams on the first prize Ballindalloch polled bull Enthusiast. This bull was seriously ill with a tumour in the throat. The local veterinarian and a numberof veterinary experts were unanimous in affirming that the tumour was of a tuberculous nature, and it seemed as if the bull would have to be destroyed. Professor Williams, after careful inspection, came to the conclusion that the tumour was not of a tuberculous nature, but was a case of actinomycosis. The animal was removed to the new Veterinary College, where Professor Williams successfully removed the tumour. The difficulty of breathing was entirely removed, and the animal rapidly recovered.

A gentleman, writing from India to the American Farmer, gives some interesting particulars on wheat culture in India. Before sowing his wheat, he says, the Hindoo farmer consults a Brahmin, to fix the auspicious time. This being determined, ho appoints a man to do the first sowing, after which any one can dribble the seed, but not before. The farmer's wife, on giving out the seed, reserves a little, to which she adds more grain, and then distributes it to the officiating Brahmin, the ploughman and labourers. The average amount of seed for an acre is 150 pounds. The wheat is carefully weeded, the weeds serving as food for the people, and the grass as fodder for the cattle. In most places, the fields have to be watered, and this has to be done, usually, about three times ; first, after the seed germinates, when the seed is about to blossom, and the last when the wheat is in the ear. The average cost of watering, which is by different processes, is about 10s per acre. One thing is specially noticeable in the preparation for any kind of crop, and that is the number of ploughings. In the United States the farmer seldom ploughs his land more than oace, and sows his seed upon the unbroken clods. Here the farmers plough as often as possible, up to thirty times or more, going in every direction, until the soil is loose and thoroughly pulverised, like an ash heap. There must be something in this, as the soil is very poor, to enable them to raise, on an average, seventeen pushels to the acre. Agriculture in India, though pursued by this historic people for several thousand years, is still in its primitive stage. The results are surprising, and would be trebled or quadrupled were modern methods of cultivation introduced here.

Lord Onslow's bill for branding meat appears to us (Australian Pas fcoralists' Review) what the theologians call a ' counsel of perfection.' How can the process of branding be carried out % is a question to which the discussions in the English agricultural press

! give no answer that will pass muster. J The methods advocated are—(l) Surface brands on the principal cuts in a carcase with the ordinary metal implements ; (2) Writing on the surface with a harmless aniline dye; (3) Branding the principal bones. None of these proposals can commend themselves to the most superficial consideration. j*l surface brand could be easily removed, and to use hot irons on various parts of the carcasa would damage the flesh and render it unsightly. Aniline dye would soak into the meat and disfigure it. ,■ The aniline dye proposal is based on the fact that Kosher-killed meat for Jewish use is marked with a few small blue characters. But there is no object in removing the inscription in that case. One point worth noting is the proposal to brand all meat not grown in England as ' foreign.' This would never do. If it is practicable to brand at all, let the brands bear the brands of the country from which the carcase comes. But it is pretty certain that the whole matter will end in smoke.

Two years ago a resolution was carried in the South Australia House of Assembly affirming the desirableness of imparting a knowledge of agriculture to the boys attending the State schools. Two very useful primers on the subject have already been in use in the schools, but it was felt that a text-book dealing more with local conditions was required, and Professor Lawrie, cf the Agricultural College, is now engaged preparing a synopsis of what should be the basis of the teaching. It has now been recognised that in an agricultural country it is hardly the thing that even an elementary education should ignore some of the principles which underlie this important subject.

The Tasmanian correspondent of the Pastoralists' Review writes :—The saving that ' great events from little causes spring' was nearly being exemplified by an incident that occurred redently ' up north,' when the conversation carried on by some gentlemen in a railway carriage turned upon the prevalence of bot-fly in England. One gentleman mentioned the fact of having seen the bot in Tasmania, meaning the horse-bot. One of his hearers, misunderstanding this, shortly after attended a meeting of the Northern Agricultural Society, and made the statement that the sheep bot-fly was known to be in Tasmania, giving the original speaker as his authority. Upon this another member of the Society chipped in with the news that the fly had been particularly busy among his flocks this season, and that he had noticed a number of them struck. The everready newspaper reporter seize! upon these items with avidity, and a startling article appeared in print on the following morning to the effect that the sheep bot-fly was prevalent in Tasmania, and that this was well-known to a leading M.D., and that his opinion was supported by a large owner and breeder. Of course, considerable surprise and "uneasiness resulted, and immediate steps were taken by the Chief Inspector of Stock to get at the truth. The result proved that the sheep hot-fly was never alluded to at all, and that the comparatively harmless house-fly was spoken of in the one instance, and the horse-bot in the other. The papers

were requested to at once correct the report, and sheepowners resumed their wonted peace of mind. After the lengthy and troublesome business of procuring free access to the intercolonial markets with their stud sheep, it was only natural that considerable trepidation was felt by sheepowners until the matter was cleared up.