GLEANINGS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6490, 9 April 1908, Page 3

GLEANINGS.

Mr Thos. A. Scarlett, a leading Edinburgh, potato propagator, is of opinion that Scotland has tho best potato teed in the world. There’s a Scots song Which says “I like to blaw my horn. A profit of .£232 ha® been made on the year's working _ of the Norwich Town Council’s municipal farm, which is run as a means of sewage disposal. Dairying is carried on, and stock and poultry are kept. The 'Teilding Star” says Mr E. Short, having decided to dispose of Ins freehold property at Waituna, will give the Government the first refusal. The estate comprises 5,500 acres, with nine houses upon it, and two woolsheds. It is reported that the French Government has authorised the American Beef Trust to construct large meat works at Havre, having a capacity of a thousand head per day. The meat* it is stated, will be retailed in the adjoining towns.

During the 14 days preceding January 10, 32,160 head of cattle from America: 1100 head from Canada*, 36,700 quarters of beef from America; 5200 head or sheep from America; and 450 head oi sheep from Canada were landed at British ports —mainly at Liverpool. Tho fault of many who accumulate a largo manure heap is that they roly too much on the quantity. The more concentrated the plant food in tho heap, the lower tho cost of spreading; hence quality should be maintained by not allowing of loss from rains or by overheating of tho heap. The Hereford bull Protector has just died in America at the ago of 10 /cars. Protector was bred by Mr A. E. Hughes, and seven years ago won a large number of . prizes in England. Five years ago he was sold to the Americans for «£I2OO,- and has made his mark as a sire in the New World, in addition to winning a great number of prizes at the principal shows. As with thoir confreres in Canada (says the 'Taranaki Herald I ’)* there is a disposition among pur dairy farmers ‘to desert the industry as soon as their finances are substantially improved, hut it is evident that there is a great future before ‘.he trade, and it is to bo hoped that with the aid of mechanical milkers tho industry will bo not only maintained, but steadily increased. A huge consignment of American farm machinery, according to a Renter’s telegram, will shortly be shipped to Europe. It 5e stated that six steamers have been chartered for the transport of the goods, and that others will be engaged shortly. Practically every steamer sailing within * the next four months will have a cargo of machinery, valued in the aggregate at .£5,000,000 sterling.

When people start talking of tho chances they have missed, tho chat becomes interesting. A few years ago (says the /‘Taranaki NowO * landowner wished to sell his suburban land, and offered it to one of his neighbours at .£l2 10s per acre. The offer was declined. T3io land -was sold at the amount asked, and since then has changed hands several times. A week ago the same land was offered to the man who * originally refused it. This time the price asked was tho moderate sum of .£B3 an acre. The neighbours said the sight of that man running after and kicking himself was heaps funnier than a Manx cat chasing its tail. At tho present time tho number of holding© between one acre and fivo acres in England is 81,000, and the number between five ■ acres and fifty acres is 166,000. That is to say that out of a total number of farm holdings of 343,000 in Great Britain,. 247,000 may be classed under the head of small holdings. These figures will doubtless surprise those people who have an idea that small holdings in that country are comparatively few in number. The average size of British farms is, indeed, only sixty-three acres.. Small holdings are now most numerous in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Lincolnshire, and the increases will continue to be more marked in those counties than in any others. Never allow the calf to get fat in. tho sense that the beef breeder would desire; keep it. in good, thrifty, growing condition, ’teach it to cat a maximum amount of roughness, such as clover hay and silage, and a minimum amount of grain; continue this method until within three or four months of cowhooi, then feed proper concentrates liberally so as to develop the milk-sec-reting organs for service after the birth of the calf. I prefer the heifer being about thirty months old before coming into milk. With proper kind of feed, care and regularity, in tho rearing of dairy cattle there will be overcome a vast amount of’ ignorance in breeding and the owners will receive profitable returns whether they understand the laws of mating and reproduction or not.