JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1264, 21 May 1896, Page 7

JOTTINGS.

In his annual report to the Victorian Minister of Agriculture, Mr D. "Wilson, the chief dairy expert, makes the following remarks on “ fishy butter " : Complaints frequently reach us from England about what is termed “fishy" butter, or as we torm it here “ cheesy" butter. These complaints are most frequent when the butter market is glutted. There are several causes, the principal of which, however, are Neglecting to aerate the milk when pastures are rank and strong tasting weeds abundant. Accepting from suppliers milk that is partly sour, or perhaps just “ on the turn," separating the cream from that milk, and churning it into butter. Churning cream at too high a temperature, and neglecting to air the churn during the operation. Working, salting and packing the butter at too high a temperature, frequently 80deg and 90deg, whereas this work should never be attempted when the temperature is over GOdeg.

The official Journal issued by the British Board of Trade states that the enormous increase in the quantity of butter produced by the Danes is largely due to cheapness of fodder. Of late years, says the Journal, cheap quantities of rye and barley—the latter especially from Denmark and the Black Sea—have been imported into Denmark, and these cereals havo mostly been used for fodder, thus very greatly increasing the production of butter.

For some years past a diseaso. of a peculiar character has periodically visited the Brighton district, Victoria, and has been very fatal in its effect. The symptoms in all cases develop within a few days or weeks after calving. The bones soften so rapidly that the ribs aro often broken in the act of lying down, and the vertebrae can bo cut through from head to tail with a knife. The animals affected show very fow signs of pain, but often develop gases under the skin, and dio in about two weeks after showing the first symptoms. Mr A. E. Callow, G.M.V.C., first drew attention to the unknown character of the diseaeo, and has closely investigated the last case. He is of opinion that the disease has been the cause of many deaths which have hitherto been attributed to pleuro-pneumonia and anthrax. The blood has been subjected to microscopical examination, but no germ likely to cause the diseaso has yet been discovered. It is supposed that the diseaso is of septic origin.

A writer in the Melbourne Leader is evidently of opinion that tho prico of mustard seed is manipulated by a ring of merchants to the detriment of the producer. The policy of forcing down prices by mutual agreement amongst manufacturers, if it exists, says the Leader, is short sighted, and likely to lead to the absolute abandonment of mustard growing, as farmers will not persist in cultivating a crop for which there is only a limited local demand, and a price dependent upon what two or three metropolitnn firms decido to offer. Mustard, while it demands a fairly rich soil and a humid climate, is not a difficult crop to grow. An averago yield is a cwt por acre, but when tho expense of cultivation, threshing, cleaning and carriage is taken into consideration, tho present price of from £l6 to i'lß per ton is not sufficient remuneration for tho grower, nor is it as much as the manufacturer can afford to pay. When the yiold falls bolow five cwt per acre, as is frequently tho case in individual instances, tho gross monetary return is almost wholly absorbed by the expenses. More generous treatment by manufacturers might well bo extended to this industry.

The Sydney Daily Teleyraph predicts an early improvement in the tallow market. “The matter," it says, “is one of very considerable significance, because last year the gross exports from this colony alone must in value have approached a million and a-hclf sterling." Trices, it is alleged have been kept down by speculators, but the present outlook is that of a shortage of supply, while “ consumption of Australian tallow has increased rapidly in Europe in the past few years." Sydney lately has been shipping less than half the quantity shipped in the same peiiod last year. “Tho necessity for restocking the stations must during the present year have the effect of keeping both sheep and cattle on the runs, and consequently tho prospects of the tallow market have completely changed."

n An Old 'Un " writes in the Melbourne Leader “ I do not approve of single judges, for I think that ninety-nine men out of every hundred have prejudices or fads about sheep in wool, and therefore three or two are always better than one. The same thing applies to horses, but not to such an extent. I know that objection has been made to bachelors judging horses when ridden by the fair sex, as some people say they look more at the rider than the horse, but I never heard of them being objected to for judging sheep." “ An Old ’Un" in the foregoing gives ample proof in himself of his fad theory, and is at the same time illogical. If one judge has fads, then three judges must multiply the number of fads by three, and therefore it is better to minimise the number i of fads by adhering to tho single judge system. _ ;

This formula for a keroseno emulsion

experimented with on delicate plants with highly satisfactory results: —Two parts kerosene, one part slightly sour milk. together until a union of milk and oil results. When they unite a white, jelly-like substance will be secured, which will mix readily with water. Dilute this jelly with eighteen or twenty times its quantity of water, and shower the plants thoroughly. Soft-leaved plants, like begonias, primroses and gloxinias, are frequently injured by it, if applied in the strength advised above; therefore it is well to dilute the application by using at least thirty parts of water to one of the jelly.

A further report on the same subject states: —Of twenty-seven cows,aged from six to fifteen years, which have been spayed, the results were: First, an increase of milk in cows of six or eight years; second, constant supply in those above that ago; third, the milk is richer than in the ordinary cow, and consequently yields more butter; fourth, the butter is always of a yellow colour, and has a taste and flavour superior to that of a cow not spayed. The cow should not be operated upon until her lactativc powers are fully developed—say at the age of six, and about forty days after calving, when she will, it is said, continue the same flow of nr'lk as long as the owner chooses to keep her, food and other things being equal.

A good old remedy for lice on horses or cattle (writes Coleman's Rural World) is to boil a pint of lard, or any kind of grease, with a quart of water, and when partly cooled add a pint of kerosene. This will do it every time.

Writing in the English paper Farm, Fidd and Fireside, “Agricola" has the following to say to a correspondent who had asked him for information as to farming in the colonies: —Half a dozen hard-working young farmer friends of mine went out to New' Zealand some years ago, and have all done well. From what I glean from them the man who emigrates must be able to turn his hand to many things, so as to take whatever work may come ; then, if ho is industrious he may soon get on. But tho hours made by English farm labourers would be no good in New Zealand, where, as often as not, th 9 day’s work extends over fifteen or eighteen hours, and then the pay is liberal. Can you shear well, and are you competent to work mowing and reaping machines, and do rough fencing? Men that can do such work aro in request, when less skilled men lie idle. It you know no one in the country, just go straight out and you will be well received by English emigrant farmers if they see that you make yourself useful, and are not a loafer. Tho farmers always welcome heartily newcomers from the Old Country, and interest themselves to advise tho latter how to go on. Such a man as you appear to be is just tho sort to emigrate. Emigrating to other countries than New Zealand is risky.

At the beginning of winter apply a coating of crude petroleum to the tools and implements on tho farm. It costs but little, preserves the wood, and assists in preventing tho iron from rusting.

Tho following is an American method of blacking harness The harness is first soaked in warm water and soapsuds, and then blacked with material raado of extract of logwood and bichromate of potash, an ounce each, pulverised finely, with which is put two quarts of boiling rain water. This may be kept indefinitely. After the blacking has been absorbed the regular oiling may be applied. After tho harness is dry it may be wiped with a woollen cloth.

Mr Charlton, V.S., in a letter to tho Lyttelton Times, expresses tho opinion that if the Dunedin Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals sots about the to'al abolition of the practice of dehorning cattlo it will land itself in a sea of trouble, diminish its popularity, limit its usefulness, and eventually suffer defeat. Unfortunately, ho says, the operation is sometimes performed unskilfully,* and is then associated with needless pain, and had the committee confined itself to the prevention of this it would he keeping well within its legitimate province, and deserve the support of all ; but tho operation properly performed is not cruelty technical nor legal, nor is it contemujjited in the letter or spirit of the Cruelty to .Tfrimals Arts. Tho slight pain attendant on dehorning sinks into absolute insignificance before the torture and damage caused by horns in stock and saleyards, and in transit by rail and sea ; whilst its legality has been affirmed by such authorities as Lord., McLaren, Traynor, Wellwood, Kvllaehy, and tho Lord Justice Clark in the’ Justiciary Appeal Court of Scotland.

New Zealand has great possibilities as a fruit-growing country. Mr Palmer says that last season ho saw eight tons of grapes taken off ono acre of land and sold for wine making, at Id per lb, which meant about £72 per acre. Ono grower near Whangarei, Auckland, told him he had 14 tons to tho acre last year.

Ferrets and weasels are, according to the Advocate, becoming far too plentiful throughout the Taieri. Weasels have been captured in Mosgiel, and on tho hills surrounding the Taieri Plain ferrets are becoming very numerous. A rabbiter near Harvey’s flat caught two weasels and five ferrets in his traps one morning, and scarcely a day passes that he does not trap a ferret or two.