FARMING FACTS AND FANCIES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1774, 7 March 1906, Page 58

FARMING FACTS AND FANCIES

(Compiled by "Gleaneb.”) [ltems of interest to our country readers will be welcome. Communications to be addressed to “Gleaner/’ “-New Zealand Mail/’ Wellington.]

A proposal lias emanated from some of the North Canterbury sheep owners that a meat and wool competition should be held to determine the most profitable class of sheep. The idea is for each exhibitor to enter five wether hoggets of any orcss or breed, the whole of the sheep entered to be run together on some suitable; farm, from April until November, and then be exhibited at the metropolitan show. . After the show the sheep would be killed and the value, of each' ascertained for. the frozen meat export trade, with wool and other values taken into account. The proposal will be submitted to a general meeting of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association about the time of the annual ram fair. *** m • The Premier, dealing with the subject of agricultural education in his speech at Ashburton, expressed considerable sympathy with the principles and showed a: keen understanding of the position. H-'e said : “We. have Lincoln College wealthily endowed, but what is it doing? That college wanted to he brought up to up-to-date lines and popularised. It ought to be placed within the reach of every farmer’s and settler’s son in the colony. And the State ought to assist in establishing a training college at one of the Universities—probably Dunedin —for veterinary surgeons, so that in future they would i\ot have to be imported. In the future they might even be able to export veterinary surgeons to Australia and other countries. And the same with dairying exports; they ought not to have to send to Denmark and Canada. Further, he would like to see Schools of Agriculture established in the. country districts, so as te give the farmers’ children advantages similar to those enjoyed in the larger centres. As Minister of Education he should not rest until the farmers’ sons were able to test the soils, and teach their fathers what the various soils were best naturally fitted for. There was scope for considerable improvement in that respect, and it was one of the subjects he was thinking about; if they heard something next session and found further expenditure provided for, they would know then that that day they had been a slight glimpse into the vista of the future.

The heavy loss suffered by Queensland in the cyclonic demolition of the banana crop will fall heavily on the Chinese. For many, years the thrifty, grasping 'Asiatic has been persistent in his efforts to get his yellow hands on to the banana industry ill the north. To-day he practically owns it, and now, in tho far north’, he is working just as doggedly and almost as successfully, to rout the handicapped' white sugar-grower. A clever, tireless agriculturist, a' cunning trader, an employer of cheap labour, and a frugal, abstemious liver in latitudes where excess means early death, he is in the tropics the toughest of rivals.

At the Auckland Daily Conference the following resolution was carried: “That this meeting strongly urge upon the Government the appointment of inspectors and instructors to can'y on inspection of milk supplied to dairy factories, such tinst-ruictors to be trained and work undler the control of the Dairy Commissioner. ,r _

The Hon. T. Y. Duncan, Minister of Lands, has been in conference with the Qitago Land Board respecting the Waitaki Plains E'state, now known as Steward Settlement. It has been divided in 49 farms, varying from 50 to 1550 acres. The approximate rents will range from two shillings and ninepence to eight shillings and threepence per acre.

Rider Haggard’s prescription for staying the decay of British agriculture—-co-operation, equalisation of rates and some system of advancing money to deserving agriculturists.

Martinhorough settlers are anything but pleased that the Hauronga Reserve has been declared a “closed area” for deer shooting, during the coming season. The deer, it is stated, were increasing in. numbers at a,n astonishing rate, and are a source, of great annoyance and loss to settlers whose: properties adjoin the reserve. During the winter and spring months herds of deer, from 100 to 200 in number, continually raid tire properties.. They are not only heavy eaters, but snow the. greatest wisdom in selecting the-...choicest, pasture. They travel for miles to get to the best- feed and one settler estimat es that -where one deer was.grazing it would,he possible to run three sheep,

Unfortunately the.agricultural classes instituted at the Wellington Technical are not meeting' with wide pat-

romage. The classes are attended by six scholars in the daytime and by only ono in the evening. It seems a great pity to have Mr Davies, the Agricultural Instructor, taken from his principal work in tjie country-schools to attend to such a small number of city scholars.

A contemporary narrates the following :—Soane years ago a weak-minded man was sent some distance from the homestead to milk the cows. While he was on his way a heavy thunderstorm occurred, and there being no shelter near, he stripped himself naked!, tucked his clothes tightly into the milk-pail, turned it upside down, and sat upon it until the storm was over. Then he put on his dry clothes and went Chuckling along to finish his task.

A carious point about the Woedville Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s milking competition is that Mr J. Murray, Junior, the owner of the winning cow', thought so little of her as a heifer that he actually turned her out as not worth milking. It- was intended to fatten her for the butcher, but she was found to be again in calf and on coming in was so good a milker that she was restored to her place in the herd. In the competition referred lo she gave 251 b milk in the morning, with a 4.0 test, and in the evening 2711 b milk, with a 4.2 test, making 2.155 Lb butter fat for the day.

There can be no doubt that much of the increase in agricultural production which New Zealand can now boast is duo to the closer settlement of the land, largely of course brought about by the subdivision of private estates and partly by the action of the Government under the Lands for Settlement Act, says a contemporary. There can be no doubt that on the further growth of settlement depends the future prosperity of New Zealand, and everything that can be done should be done, to fix population on the soil, and give that population opportunity to develop its wealthyielding capacities.

However carefully the selection may be made, the value of a sire cannot bo proved or disproved until his stock begins to prove itself. To select a bad sire, which produces hard-skinned, tough milkers, that make poor use of the food they consume, is a serious misfortune to a dairy farmer, while breeders of other classes of stock also sutler losses by unfortunate mating, which can never be recovered. The sound view in such eases is that the first loss is the best, and the sooner a change is made the sooner will the losses cease.

, ■Speaking at a meeting of the Greenfield branch of the Farmers’ Union, the chairman said that through the district farmers co-operating to get their threshing and chaffcutting done, a collective saving of from £159 to £2OO would be effected; further, by a reduction in tho cost of binder twine brought about by the Otago Executive, the speaker had made a saving of £2 0s 6d on the quantity he required for his own use. * * * •

Quite a number of schools in Taranaki are endeavouring to advance agricultural science as much as possible 1 y putting corners of the grounds under cultivation. Manaia school lias quite an attractive garden, where the pupils have their allotted vegetable plots. Here the value of the various fertilisers are tested by systematically weighing an average sample of the different kinds of produce grown.

Small farrowing pens, about 6xß feet and four to five feet high in front, placed in the open lot, serve a good purpose for isolating the sows at the times of farrowing.

That destructive weed, pennyroyal, is spreading very fast in the district between Shannon and Levin. A Fitzherbert settler, who has recently paid a visit to the Horowhenua County, states that unless steps are taken to destroy the weed it will prove a serious matter for property owners.

A Martinhorough station-holder informed a representative of “Wairarapa Age” that wild pigs were becoming very numerous between Martmborough and the Coast. He gave one instance recently where, on a property of 3000 acres, no less than 400 pigs were destroyed in less than three months. He attributed the increase in pigs to the decrease in rabbits. When the rabbits were plentiful phosphorus was used most extensively to eradicate them and the result was that the pigs, being carnivorous animals, ate the dead rabbits and died from the effects of the phosphorous. Rabbits were being kept under by their natural enemies the stoats and weasels, and now one could travel for ndes through the coastal portion of the Eeatherston county without seeing a single rabbit.

In a letter to the Premier of Victoria, the Agent-General suggests that agricultural societies might be asked to make some arrangements to take in hand young men who come to Victoria from England to settle. His idea is that agricultural societies should communicate with the farmers iin their

respective districts, and ascertain whether they would be prepared to take one young man each on their farm for 12 months, stating the wage, which would, of course, include keep. This would enable the newcomers to gain some knowledge of farm life, and at the same time look around or make inquiries with the view of eventually taking up land. * « <9

A farming correspondent writes: “Now that the harvest is on, many farmers will doubtless be watching their horses to se’e that they do not eat the wheat out of the sheaves and stacks. Everyone knows the disastrous consequences of this, hut the danger does not come so much from the swelling cf the grain itself, as is commonly supposed, as from the gas generated from the grain in the animals’ stomachs. This gas is caused by acid properties in the grain, and may be easily and quickly dispelled as follows: —Take one-quarter of a pound (about a tablespoonful) cf carbonate of soda, dissolve »r. about a pint of water, and pour from a bottle or a horn down the horse’s throat Used on horses or cows that have eaten wheat, this treatment settles the i rouble almost at once, the soda neutralising the acid in the wheat, and preventing the- for matt on of gas. It is also very efficacious in of “clover blowing,” and troubles arising from animals outing too much green food.” * -* *

“Dairyman” writes to the “Southern Standard” stating that lie has had considerable difficulty in saving milking cows that have eaten tutu. The first attack. as a rule, can be warded off by bleeding and drenching the beast with water and kerosene or ammonia, but in case of a relapse this remedy will not do, as the animal is too far gone with heart spasms to make drenching or bleeding wise. The other night the writer lest a valuable beast in the case of a second attack through the want of an effective remedy, and it any farmer who had experience of the effects of the poison in the early days, when the weed was more plentiful, would communicate to us the remedies applied with success their publication would be a distinct help to many farmers. [I have known farmers who declared that new milk was a n-°vei'-failing cure for above. The milk should be administered in quantities of half a bucket for a cow and a pint bottle for a sheep.] * *

At. the warehouse of Messrs. Isaac Lancaster and Son, Bradlord, on 20th December, there was to be (seen a single fleece of wool weighing -391 b. This was shown in the grease from a Lincoln ram, one of the flock from which another ram was sold in the summer for 1000 guineas. Another ram fleece from the same flock weighed 311 b. Five stone of wool from two sheep is a fairly heavy fleece for such big sheep as Lincolns. * * *

The turnip fly has been very bad with the late sown crops on the West Coast (North Island), in some cases clearing whole paddocks. It is now -too late to resow apart from the expense of more manure, aud farmers are sowing barley and oats for winter feed. Last year in similar case some farmers tried sowing mustard, which did very well, and grew quickly, but was disappointing in carrying capacity. * *

It has been discovered that soap, plain, common washing soap, is a deadly poison to prairie dogs (.says the New York Sim”)* John F. Bvciun, a* fanner near Miltonville, had about 100 prairie dogs on hie farm, and started in to wipe them out. He used traps. After he had caught about thirty the rest got wise and would walk around his traps. Among the thirty was one that the trap didn’t injure, and he put it in a cage for a pet. By mistake his children fed the prairie dog in "the cage with a .small piece of common soap one day. Within five minutes the prairie dog was dead, Mr Braun decided to experiment, lie out a bas—of soap into small pieces, about the size of a walnut, and threw a few pieces into each hole in “dog town. ’ The next day there wasn’t a solitary prairie dog left to tell the story. All were dead. Ten cents worth of soap will clear a big farm of prairie dogs. The results, as shown by Mr Braun, eclipsed results from the dope which the agricultural college sends out to kill prairie dogs.

The following note is sounded by a writer in the “Southland Times Ww that the horse-breeding season is over, it might be as well if owners of stallions would consider the advisableness at starting their regular rounds a month later in the season. The present arrangement does not suit the average farmer, and it is not convenient for him to have his working mares served before November. The present system is a loss in two ways. It means a month’s travelling for next to nothing at the beginning of the season, and two or toree extra forced trips after the season is supposed to be over. As the amount of travelling has a lot to do with the number of foals left, and 1 the extra month’s travelling decreases the owner’s profits, the suggestion to start the season’s travelling on the Ist of November and finish about the middle of February, has a good deal to commend it.” (

At a meeting of the Nbrth Island branch of the New Zealand Slheep'Breeders’ Association it was made a recommendation to the meeting of North, and South Island members of the Association that they should take into consideration the question of exhibiting’fleeces at the International Exhibition at Christchurch, and to ascertain if sufficient support be forthcoming from members of the Association to be adequately represented.

Timothy grass is grown very extensively in America and some other countries, and it, o-f course, forms a part cf most grass mixtures sown in this country as well, though not sown here as a pure crop. The hay it produces is very heavy, and contains a large amount of nutriment in a small bulk, but if the grass has been allowed to stand until all tho flower spikes have appeared before it is cut the produce is very woody and hard. It makes a capital green food either by itself or mixed with clovers or clovers and grasses, and the hay, when made in good time, is greatly esteemed as a food for horses. Judging from its chemical analysis, timothy is most profitable when grown with other fodder plants.

The State Forestry Department might be allowed to establish an experimental orchard in this locality, says a Tapanui paper, as Tapanui is 1 acknowledged to be the most successful nursery in the colony for the production of forest trees. Where the latter will grow fruit will flourish, and the slope of the Blue Mountains alongside the State Nursery would grow fruit to perfection, as that particular stretch of country is almost immune from late injurious frosts, and the soil is adapted for most cf the fruits that thrive in Britain. If the nursery manager was authorised to plant a few acres of fruit, he, as an expert in the business, would soon be able to ascertain if the foothills of the mountain are adapted for orcharding; and I am certain that the experiment would be successful.

The crops in the Manawatu district have suffered in varying degrees from the recent wet weather. In all cases there will be a loss, but here and there farmers are to be met wii-o are hopeful that tlio damage sustained will not be found "to 1)9 ous when the threshing machine commences operations. Till then it is difficult to judge. One result of the lying out ill the wet is the discolouration of the crops, which means their unsuitability for chaff. There has 'been very keen disappointment among farmers, as their crops right up to tho time of stoolring promised phenomenal yields.

Some planks of the British agriculturists’ platform, as set out in the “Annual,” are the amendment of the Railway Freights Act, so as to prevent any preference being shown to importers over Home producers; practical education for country children; legislation against the sale of imported meat and poultry as English; State encouragement of wheat-growing; national grain reserves,, if established, to bo held by farmers; and the upkeep of high ways to he an Imperial and not a local burden. Very interesting is the comment on the education of the country children, which runs: “This recommendation is designed to arrest the depletion of rural districts, which is largely due to city teachers with city knowledge, giving rural children town ideas and a wish to earn their living in towns.”

There was an interesting display at Masteuton Show in connection with rural education —the exhibit of a number of photographs illustrating the admirable school garden with its experimental plots and well laid-out flower beds —at the Maurioeville West School. The exhibitor was Mr W. O. Davies, Instructor in Elementary Agriculture to the Wellington Education Board. Mr Davies was till recently headmaster of Maurieeville school. It is probable Mr Davies’s pictures will be seen again at Palmerston North Winter Show.

The N.Z. Dairy Commissioner states that during his travels through' Denmark, Argentina, and Ireland he was astonished to see the good condition in which the cows were brought out in the spring. In Taranaki, and sometimes in the South, the cows came out “skin poor” at calving time, and it took them four or five weeks to give their normal supply of milk. It would pay the farmers handsomely to go in for making stack ensilage, and it was strange it had not been gone in for before, considering the fine oat crops grown in that district'.