NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.
The long spell of dry frosty weatillage ther which appears to have been opbbations. pretty general throughout this island during the month of July, broke up on the 7th inst. and the heavy rain has been succeeded by softer and more open weather, which will probably continue for a week or two, and prevent the recurrence of severe frosts. Ploughing and sowing were almost brought to a complete standstill in the upland districts for some weeks, but when the weather has again become settled, we may look for a few weeks of warm, genial weather, and as the sun is daily gaining altitude and strength, it will soon impart a little of its warmth to the soil, and cause the seeds and plants already sown to make a little progress after lying dormant, as it were, all through the cold weather. With settled weather there is some chance of the spring crops being sown in good time, and anybody who has had experience of this climate will agree that, generally speaking, the early-sown crops turn out the best. There have been exceptional seasons when the reverse has been the case, as, for instance, when the summer is very wet and brings on late crops to a good yield. All heavy and undrained lands are fearfully soft and boggy just now, owing to the rain and the frost, and until the soil settles and drains a little it is unwise to endeavour to get on with tillage operations. It is now that the advantages of drainage are seen, the surface being relieved of surplus moisture in a very short time after the rain ceases, while undrained land with a 6tifi! subsoil lies waterlogged for a much longer time. Next to a complete system of tile-drainage, which is too expensive to be carried out on a large scale, subsoiling is the most effective method of relieving the arable land of surface water, aiding its descent to a depth at which it will not interfere with the tillage work. It is within the power of every farmer of heavy land to improve the condition of the soil, and thereby increase its fertility, at a comparatively trifling expense, by means of | the subsoiler attachment provided with most of the ploughs used in Otago. In this connection a few remarks cockereix's anent this novel implement will patent not be out of place. I regret not draining having had an opportunity of seeplough. ing the underground draining plough, but have read the interesting discription of the plough and its work, given by the Southland contributor of the Witness in a recent issue. According to the account referred to, it forms drains in the most wholesale manner. It seems, however, to require great strength to draw it. and in small enclosures the 11 or 12 span of bullocks would not have much more than turning room. If the plough does as good work as is claimed for it (and I have no reason to doubt that it does, only as a practical farmer, I would like to see the implement working before forming an opinion) it will be ap. immense gain to cultivators of low-lying and heavy ■ land. The account of the operations of tho plough states rather vaguely that the plough works more efficiently in conjunction with a system of tile drains, but does not state at what distances apart the main tile drains should be made in order that the intervening spaces can be effectively drained by the feeders formed by the drain-plough. Of course I am well aware that;the number of drains required depends upon the character and contour of the land, but what amount of tile drains is saved by using the plough is a point which requires further elucidation. Supposing, for instance, that tile draing alone were required every 20 feet in order to ensure complete drainage, how many of these could be dispensed with by using the drainplough without decreasing the efficiency of the drainage ? But, apart from forming a system of complete drainage, I should imagine that the drain-plough would do good in relieving gullies and depressions of surface-water without disturbing tho surface of the ground. The tube drain would be, I should think, a good substitute for the open water-farrows tljat are necessary
in the depressions in a field of corn. In the same way grass lands would be benefitted by the drain-plough even if tile drains were dispensed with. But the efficiency of the plough is qualified somewhat by a statement in the report before-mentioned, which says, in speaking of the plough in conjunction with tile-drains, that " The ploughing can then be freely proceeded with, and unless in very stiff clay no further trouble is needed." Now the reservation that I have pub in italics amounts to damning the implement with faiat praise, for it is only in Btifl clay that underground drains are much required. If the plough requires 22 bullocks to draw it, I consider it should make its way through any kind of subsoil that is free from large 6tones, no matter how stiff or tenacious it may be. I wish it to be understood that in the above remarks I am only 1 asking for information and do not wish to bias anyone in forming an opinion of the plough ; for myself, I would not condemn any innovation in agricultural implements or machinery without seeing it at work and judging for myself as to its fitness to perform what is claimed for it. We have how arrived at the time FARM stock, of year when feed of all kinds is scarce, but this year, owing to the short supply of grass and fodder with which we began the winter, the pinch is worse than usua} / •with the stock of the farm. The few good crops of roots have disappeared unusually early, and during the few weeks that must elapse ere there is a spring in the, grass stock owners will be at their wit's end to know how to make the ■cant supply of feed keep the stock a few degrees above starvation point. The scarcity of feed that is being THE effects felt everywhere just now, is no (a of oyeb- doubt due to a great extent to the STOCKING, dryness of last summer, and the consequent failure or partial failure of root and fodder crops. The state of affairs, however, has been made much worse by the overstocked condition of the country ever since the beginning of the year, when the unusually good crop oMambs began to nibble the grass. Many farmers began the winter with more stock than they were well aware they could carry comfortably until September, but were very loth to dispose of the over plus at the extremely low rates that were ruling in the Autumn. Yet at this moment I doubt if there is one farmer who does not wish that he had given away or got rid of a portion of his flock in some manner, instead of having the whole flock half starved all through the winter. When sheep get low in condition at this time of the year they readily contract all kinds of diseases, and if they do not succumb they become so weak and impoverised in blood that they seldom fully recover their health and strength. Tha fleece, too, as one can easily imagine, suffers severely from the want of blood and tone in the sheep, and is so scanty, dead in colour, and weak in the staple that it is not worth one half as much as the wool of well nourished sheep. In the absence of a sufficiency of feeding roots aud grass, a great many have sheep with had recourse to this method of chaff, feeding sheep during tho time of shortest feed. It is at best a very expensive method of keeping sheep, but as a change of diet to sheep feeding off turnips, I think it is very beneficial to give them access to a few boxes of good sheaf chaff. They are very liable to get the wool of the neck full of tho chaff, which portion of the fleece will have to be removed at shearing time and classed as looks or pieces. As far as my observation goes I find that the ewes and the adult sheep take tho chaff greedily, but the hog&ets do not care so much about it, and scarcely go to it while there is the least nibble of grass. I have sesn a good many cures recommended for the lungworm, but I find that the surest preventive is good feed. Give the young 6heep plenty of good feed and. keep them in good condition and the lungworm will not do much damage. Agricola.
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Otago Witness, Issue 1813, 20 August 1886, Page 6
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1,468NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS. Otago Witness, Issue 1813, 20 August 1886, Page 6
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