RURAL TOPICS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1664, 20 January 1904, Page 28

RURAL TOPICS

(By “Ajor.”)

HINTS FROM THE CHEMISTRY OF,

AGRICULTURE.

Were we to assert that, by providing Crops with plant food from external sources over and above the supplies already in the soil, material diminution in omr lands’ productive powers might be expected to ensue, farmers of the olid) school might naturally be expected to give such an assertion an emphatic deSiial. Nevertheless there is more in'the Statement than -appears -on the face thereof. An authority on that-subject hesitates not to say that if an abundance of one essential element is forthcoming, and others equally necessary occur in inadequate 'amount only, the more active growth engendered by the plentiful constituent will! runavoilably orcate a heavy demand upon the soil’s reserve Stores of those lees-freely supplied. In plain language, if nitrate of soda —a salt too frequently condemned os causing land exhaustion —be lavishly employed) withouffc corresponding additions of wnan©ver tnay be required , the copious dressing of nitrogen in this particularly available condition must, in consequence greatly stimulating growth, tend to deprive the soil of-phosphoric acid, potash, efbo., but it is only-a reckless and unwise application of this salt that has liaised that prejudice against artificial manure, which is a matter for regret, because when properly dealt with, nitrate proves invaluable. Hence it is erroneops to suppose .that any mammal Constituent, whether presented in the form of. artificials or not, couldi ever as a result of inherent properties induce soil impoverishment, yet when highly concentrated substances have been applied {upon unscientific principles, the existence of such a supposition is not altogether surprising. - Manifestly, however, the blame for any ill effects must fee attributed solely to the cultivator’s failure to apprehend the true nature of the fertilisers and. of course, omitting to observe necessary precautions tv ten applying them. Agriculturalist® will do well, therefore, to remember, that attempts to feefl crops, regardless of their peculiar requirements or the soil’s ability to meet'them, with material furnishing ©no or two particular elements alone,, merely because they may happen to be at the time the cheapest, cannot posBibly result in satisfactorily nourishing them;-for this can only be achieved by providing suitable proportions of every indispensiblo component jin sufficiently easily assimilable proportions In such eases lands could never become deprived of their natural fertility, and the thoughtful worker would largely benefit.

JERSEY VERSUS SHORTHORNS. JVom a careful study of dairy cattle during the last seven'years the writer ia enabled to make the following comparisons between the Jersey and Shorthorn, a comparison which farmers will doubtless become interested in. If we take for instance the milk tests, it will bo found generally, • that while the Shorthorn gives near]'" one hundred per bent, more milk, those of the Jersey strain yield a much larger percentage of butter-fat. We know of a cavse where a dozen of the fawn-coloured cows gave over 21b of • butter each for the day’s t>J ptnilking, while others yielded, “das VIJ much as 21b 3oz. their ayeyage milkinpr having been about, 401 b. The Shorthorns, whilst giving iq. some casiesy-o.ver 70]b of ro lk. rarely give

more than 2lb of butter. At a recent trial held at an English show, the Jerseys took all the prizes in two classes, the one being for cows Under 9001 b in weight, and the other for cows over 9001 b. As showing how cows of the same breed greatly differ, we know of cases where it required 411 b of milk from Sliorbhokiis to make one pound of butter, while in other cases Shorthorns gave milk.as rich.as .that, of the average Jersey, only 181 b going to the pound of butter. However, the richest Jersey milk yielded one potund' of butter to 131 bof milk. Dairymen from Gisborne where the grazing lands are rich and the climate genial, also s/upplies valuable information respecting milk tests from the Jersey. The average tests from country suppliers was from 3-9 to 5 per cent., and from the dairy farms nearer the town the tests from the pure-bred Jereey reached as high as 6 per cent., the average being 4.8 per cent. The admirers of Jerseys, when purchasing animals of this breed, make a point of securing heifers in preference to Lilly matured cows, a 3 i't is freely admitted the younger cattle do not so readily feel the, change and can, 'therefore, the more easily adapt themselves to the newer conditions. The Jersey being a thinskinned animal nalburally thrives in warm equable climates and the North Island .is certainly not too severe for those delicate fawns. Now as regards tlxe Shorthorns, it goes without saying that they are much larger cattle, they give more milk than that of the Jersey, will thrive under sternfer conditions, such as a colder climate and on rougher feed. And more than all; they are more profitable from a flesh supplying point of view," when as is v frequently the case where the milk supply lessens so as to became unprofitable to dairy farmers* and the cows fattened up, are sold do the butcher. Of course in such a contingency as this, perhaps the Hereford cows are better still, for you may go on milking the Hereford, for perhaps half a dozen years,' and then fiatten them up readily enough for the meat market.But on the subject of our article, the general opinion among North Island dairy farmers appears to be largely in favour of the Jersey cow as a dairy iue r or in. supplying-the largest profit in gutterfat, and butter-f at is what has made the fortunes of scores of our dairy farmers.