FARM NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1916, 10 August 1888, Page 7

FARM NOTES.

Rules for Milking at the CHEsninK Dairy; Institute. — Cows must not he hurried to and from the shippon. — Remove all dirt from the udder before sitting down to milk. — Wash your hands clean, and keep your nails cut short, — Be gentle, milk 'your cows dry, and as quickly as possible. — The milk from fresh calved cows must b§ kept

separate for. five days. — Bloody or clotted milk, and that from an ailing cow, must not be used, but at once reported to the dairyman. — No taking or noise allowed.

Home-made Fertiliser.— Ground blood, bone, and wood ashes will make a complete fertiliser for all crops, because the articles furnish respectively nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash, the principal elements of plant food, and the ones which give to all manures and fertilisers their chief value. The bone should be fine ground ; and if the fertiliser is to be immediately available to crops, should be partially dissolved with sulphuric acid or by composting some weeks with unleached wood ashes. 'Good dried blood will contain 121b of nitrogen in 1001b of the blood ; 1001b of pure fine ground bone will contain at least 31b of nitrogen and 221b of phosphoric acid ; 1001b unleached wood ashes will contain 21b of phosphoric acid and 61b of potash. For agood, complete phosphate for crops, a mixture, 1001b of which shall contain from 2£lb to 3lb of nitrogen, 81b to 101b of phosphoric acid,, and 31b to 51b of potash will be required. The best method for bringing bones to a> breakable condition is to make a strong lye of wood ashes, and keep the bones in it until t.hey are sufficiently softened. Wood ashes afo an excellent fertiliser for sweet potatoes, strawberries, and all fruit crops. Usually the bead way is to apply them broadcast and harrow them in ; or they can be sown in the rd w and cultivated in. With sweet potatoes _ the wood ashes can be applied in (the ridges before they are made, or broadcast- # They are not much of a protection against insects on fruit trees, except that they caase the trees to grow more vigorously, and thus render them able to resist the attacks oi the insects. The ashes left after burning wo^d consist simply of the mineral matter whic^ is contained in the wood. These ashes are composed mainly of lime, potash, phosphoric ! acid, and magnesia. Of course an equal weight of wood ashes is much more concentrated that the wood or sawdust alone. This explains why 1001b of ashes are much richer and of more value as a fertiliser than 1001b of sawdust, which may not produce more than 101b of ashes.

A Savage House. — A savage attack by an entire horse on its master is reported from Downham Market, near Lynn. The man was engaged .rolling a field with a team of horses, one of which was an entire. The horse suddenly made an attack on its companion, and, on the servant going to quiet them, the stallion knocked him down and crushed him under his feet. It next plucked with its teeth at the man's fingers, and tore three of them away, the hand being also lacerated. It then got the poor fellow's right arm into its mouth, and broke, crushed, and smashed it to a frighful extent just below the elbow, and ' likewise dislocated his shoulder. Another man, in trying to beat off the horse, had three of his ribs broken, and a lad, who likewise rendered assistance, had his arm broken and the sinews drawn out by the animal. The horse, which was 15 years old, had to be at once sh^ot. Feeding for Butter. — A correspondent of the Agricultural Gazette has made the following practical experiment : — Two cows, both a few weeks calved, were fed on hay and about lgal of bran each per day for two weeks, producing in that time 22Jlb butter. For other two weeks they got "the same quantity of bay and about lgal of ground oats instead of bran. For these two weeks the amount of butter was about 291b, in value 7s 7d on the two weeks' difference, bran costing 2s 6d per cwt, oats Gs. From this the experimentalist concludes — bran will pay the milk- seller, but oats the buttermaker.

Butter Churning and Making. — Miss Smithard delivered a lecture on this subject in Kirkby Lonsdale recently. The lecturer stated that the churning must begin slowly at first. In a few minutes the churn was to be stopped to let out the air, which, if allowed to remain, would affect the cream and make it sleepy. It was best for one person always to churn, as if a change was made the time would be altered, which would affect the butter. The time for churning was about 35 minutes — certainly not over 40 minutes. After churning 20 minutes it was a good plan to look at it. If it was broken, churn a little slower. When the butter came they should take away every particle of buttermilk/ The butter at this stage would be in a granulated state. It ought then to be washed with cold water, which would surround each fat globule and take away all the impurities, as well as harden the butter. It was well to wash in ihree separate waters. If salt was required to be added, mix it with a brine, and add it with the water last used. She was, however, against any salt being used at all. The butter was worth 4d a lb more in London market, and that was a consideration. The lecturer then gave a few practical hints on the keeping and feeding of cattle. In the first place it was imperative to keep the cattle clean and give them good wholesome food and water. It was a disgrace to this county that the foreigners could beat us in making butter. The great fault was in its not being uniform. The Normandy butter averaged 15d per lb the year round, and in London it was now selling at from Is 8d to 2s a lb. Butter without salt /would keep six weeks, and be perfectly fresh. If salt was used, about lib to every gallon of water should be put in. Never allow a finger to touch the butter, as this caused it to turn rancid. The great secret of good butter was to preserve the grain. ' It ought to have a crumbly appearance when taken from the churn.