OTAGO FARMERS' CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER.

Otago Witness, Issue 679, 3 December 1864, Page 4

OTAGO FARMERS' CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER.

The farmers during- the present month will find plenty of employment in hoeing potatoes, finishing the planting of that crop, sowing turnips, hoeing nnd weeding carrots, parsnips, mangolds, and turnips, making liny, saving grass seeds, breaking up new land, &c. When the early-sown turnips have put forth their second pairs of leaves, the horse-hoe should be sent in between the rows, and the spaces carefully cleared, and the cuttings out or " bunching" in the drills proceeded with, a9soon as the state of the weather will permit. This may be done by hand with a broad-bladed hoe, taking a cut of toihe Inches, and then leaving about three inches in the drill untouched all along its length ; or it may be done on the flat, by using the expanding horse hoe (Garrett's or Smith's) across the drills, with its tines set at the above distances, so as to Cut away any spaces t of nine inches, and pass the plants on the intermediate spaces of three inches wide. On the ridge, too, a recently-contrived machine . Garrett's) effects the same purpose by travelling along the ridge, and cutting out the plants at given' intervals, by means of a set of knives fixed spirally on a skeleton frame, to which a circular motion, at right angles to the line of draught, is communicated from the wheels ef the machine. By " bunching out " at an early period of their growth, the plants that are left to fttrnish the crop have^ greater exposure to air and light, assume a more vigorous growth, and in about ; a week's time are ready for the next operation— that of v singling.*' This is usually performed by adult labour, with a short-handled hoe, the superfluous plants being pushed from, rather than draw^n to the labourer in the process, care being taken to leave the best plants for (he crop. Too commonly, however, these two operations are done at the same time, and but little care bestowed upon them, [Whether by the regular laborer of the farm or by strangers at piece work. The plants nre out away indiscriminately, and frequently the one that is left has been injured by the hoe, and never afterwards recovers from its effects. To guard against this constant source of injury to the crop, children have been emSloyed to pull up the surplus plants with their ngeis, taking care that the most vigorous is left uninjured in the drill. In fixing the distance at which the plants should be left in the drills, if we take twelve inches as our average, on good soils we should perhaps give a little more, and on the poorer class of soils a little less. Say, nine inches for white turnips, and twelve inches for swedes. A uood remedy for the insect attacks to which this crop is subject, will be found in one bushel of white gas-ashe<, fresh from the gashouse; one bushel of lime from the kiln; six pounds of sulphur, and ten pounds of soot, well mixed together, nnd got to as fine a powder as possible, so that it may adhere to the young plant. It should be sprinkled on tbe plants very early in the morning, when the dew is on the leaf. X horse-hoe should be drawn between the rows to eradicate the weeds and keep the soil open. It is not advisable to throw the earth over the turnips unless just before winter, to protect them from the frost;. on the contrary, in wet weather the earth is more likely to cause the turnip to rot or to prevent it from obtaining ite full growth. Many crops are ruined by turning the earth ' towards the plants, instead of drawing it from

hem. In the cultivation of the potato, regard must always be had to the nature of the soil, and the quality of the potato ; for the tubers of some varieties have a tendency to push to the surface, while others tend into the earth, and therefore require a different treatment. Experiments have led to the inference diat in soil of a loose, porous quality, there is probably a greater produce by not affording any (or a very slight) moulding, but by digging instead between the rows. As long as earthing by the plough can be introduced without injury to the fibres, it may be useful in protecting the stems from the effects of storm in exposed, and from excessive wetness in low situations.

On soils and in districts suitable for the mangold, the weeds generally display great vigour of growth, nnd require to be as vigorously attacked. Later in the season, even when the plants have well advanced in growth, and the weed 9 have been destroyed, it is a good practice, should the surface be very dry nnd parched, to move and pulverize the<soil between the rows, drawing n little of it away from the plants, to allow them to swell. Carrots should be thinned in the rows to the distance of six inches or more, according to the richness and depth of the soil. Although the enrrot appears to draw its chief nourishment from its lower end, yet it is a great advantage to keep the ground stirred and light between the tows, for exceedingly minute horizontal fibres shoot out to | a convertible distance from the sides of the root, and tend much to incivase its size. 1 In the cutting of grass crops for the purpose of being converted into hay, His necessary that they be in the utmost suitable state of growth and maturity for affording the best nnd most nutrition fedder. With this view they should neither be cut too early or too late, as in the one case there will he considerable loss in the drying, and in the other a large per centage of the nourishing properties will have been expended. Graas, before it becomes in full flower. While the rich 'accharine juice is in part retained at the joints of the flower stems, is in the most proper condition for being cut down. A man will mow fr6m 1£ to If of an acre per day. A grass mowing machine, in average situations, will cut one acre per hour, or Eay ten acres per day. For a day, often hours, one man and a pair of horses ire required. We cannot too strongly impress upon farmers the importance of saving grass seeds. The cultivati n of grass crops is extending in this province, and those who do not require the seeds for their own Tise will find for them a ready Sale. This is the time for sowing buckwheat, and we would recommend it to our Otago farmers as a raluable.addition to their crops, especially those who have poor light soils. It Will thrive on the poorest natural description ot soils; it makes a most whclesome food ; to horses and all kinds of cattle.it may be given with advantage ; as a nianuringcrop it is invaluable, being ploughed in green ; poultry of all kinds eat it greedily and no food mukes them so productive as this grain does, while a small patch planted in the neighborhood of the homestead will, during the time of flowering, furnish a rich treat to the bees.