NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1917, 17 August 1888, Page 7

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

In estimating the stock-carrying capacity of a field of turnips or pasture Sheep to the we reckon on so many to the Acre. acre, but if this could be carried out in its literal sense by putting so many sheep on each acre, and confining them upon it, the feed would seem to go much further and keep cleaner and fresher than when the stock roam in a body over the field. This is more applicable to sheep, because they are such dainty creatures and avoid foul feed. If an acre of good grass will carry five sheep, then of course it must necessarily follow that 100 acres of the same grass will keep 500 sheep. But it would not, because we have to allow for so much grass being damaged by the sheep treading on it, making tracks or paths through it, and fouling a large portion on which they camp in a body. It is in a case like thisj that theory and practice do not agree. It may be theoretically true that if one acre carries five sheep 100 acres will cany 500 sheep ; but the theory cannot be reduced to practice, unless we divide off every separate acre and confine five sheep thereon. This is practically impossible, and therefore, I say, theory and practice must part company. Five sheep enclosed on an acre of good grass do not look out of the way at all, and would get a good picking all the year round. The grass damaged by treading and camping would be very trifling, because they wouid not herd together to the same extent that larger mobs do. If we see 500 sheep in a 100-acre paddock of grass we think it is pretty heavy stocking. There is no doubt that the nearer we can make practice approach theory the more profit is made, as a rule, because the feed is economised and the sheep thrive much better. From this, then, it seems that the smaller the pasture fields the more good is obtained from the feed. That is my own impression, but of course other farmers may hold different opinions on the matter. However advantageous it may be to have small enclosures for grazing, The Size the fact must not be lost of sight of that these small Arable Fields, fields must come under the plough in the usual course of rotation — that is, assuming that we do not go in for permanent pastures to remain in grass for a long term of years; and, in my opinion, the disadvantages connected with cropping small fields much more than counterbalance the gain derived from grazing f i (j :ime. "Hu ... farmer knows how much moio r •pediLiou&l'y Ullage operations can be performed in one large field than in several smaller ones containing the same number of acres in the aggregate. On level ground I consider that the time occupied in ploughing, harrowing, and drilling, aIOO-acre Held is fully one-fourth less than the time rei quired to do the same- work in five fields containing 20 acres each. Besides the time lost in ploughing short lengths, there is the waste ground in the corners and around the margin to be considered, to say nothing of the small birds' perquisites at harvest time if gorse hedges surround the crop. On level land the farmer may divide his farm as he pleases ; but where the land is hilly he is entirely at the mercy of the natural configuration of the land, and must be careful not to lay off his fields on paper as has been done in the case of a good many roads in this colony, with the result that when the line is examined the road is found to lead up the side of a precipitous hill. In answer to the question, What constitutes the difference between winter Spring Wheat, and spring wheat ? it may be explained that the difference, according to the best agricultural authorities, is owing to the time of sowing, and not to any distinction as to variety. "We say that "habit is second nature," but in this case habit is nature, for it is nothing but the continued habit of sowing wheat in the spring that has changed the character of what was originally winter wheat. Wheat sown in the spring must always be the produce of wheat previously sown at that season, and in which the habit of early ripening has been established by its having been sown in tho spring for a number of years. It is apparent that as the blade of spring-sown wheat comes out of the ground at ti time when die sun's heat is pretty strong, it is drawn upward instead of tillering out over the surface as winter wheat does. Being, therefore, forced to its normal height in a comparatively slio v fc time, it is enabled to form the head and miture the grain as early as — indeed sometimes earli3r than — wheat that is sown three months before it. A recent issue of the Witness contained an extract from an American Reeling OS paper anent stringing or reelBarbed Wire, ing -oft barbed wire. The clipping referred to recommends a plan that I have followed for years in running out barbed wire, and I daresay the same method is not new to a good many farmers. The spool of wire revolves upon a crowbar stuck firmly in the ground, and a horse is hitched to the starting end of the wire, and walks away with' it with the greatest ease, whereas it is very hard work for a man, or even two, to drag the wire tbe length of tbe coil, especially if the ground be uneven and the barbs have to plough their way through every tussock or bit of rising ground inthe line. In removing temporary fences of wire it is often very convenient to make use of an old horse for dragging the wires to a fresh line instead of coiling it up and rolling it out again. A little gumption brought to bear upon small matters of this kind very often saves a great deal of unnecessary manual labour. A man with his wits about him can always contrive to lighten and lessen labour in various ways, while another is content to plod along in laborious and

roundabout methods of doing the same work. It is during this month that stock generally feel the pinch of short cornFarm Stock, mons, for feed does not grow to any appreciable extent until next month, and the winter supply often begins to fail about this time unless great care has been taken to provide against a deficiency of food until Nature provides a fresh supply of grass and green crops as spring advances. Knowing the number of stock to be kept and the available supply of turnips, chaff, and hay, it is a great error to be too lavish with the feed in the early part of the winter, so that the supply fails just when it is most required. The feed should be so regulated that there is sufficient to carry on well intoJSeptember ; for by feeding well during June and July, »md then being obliged to dock the allowance before the grass comes in, causes the stock to go back ■ very much, and to a great extent lose the benefit of the previous good feed. I have frequently seen hoggets put on the turnips too early in the winter for the roots to carry them on till the pinch is over, and they have consequently had a severe trial in tiding over the gap between the end of the roots and the beginning of grass. With fattening sheep it is not quite the same, as they may be sant to market when the feed is done. It is a debatable question whether it is better to give the roots to the hoggets or to fatten off wethers upon them. Thi3 depends entirely upon circumstances ; but there is no doubt that it pays well to keep the hoggets in good condition through the winter, as they make better sheep in the end and grow a much heavier fleece for the first shearing. They are much more liable to be carried off by lungworm, dysentery, and other diseases to which they are liable if allowed to get in low condition. With regard to the breeding ewes, it is an understood fact that it is not advisable to give, them roots at this time of the year. They should riot, however, be stinted of grass ; for if they get into a low, weak condition now a heavy mortality at lambing time will result. Crossbred ewes are nearby feeders, and greatly appreciate an occasional feed of chaffed sheaves, more particularly when the grass is under snow. In fact the farmers in the interior have had rather more snow lately than was good for the stock, and without a good stock of oat-sheaf to chaff or distribute over the snow the stock would be in a very bad way. There is matter for congratulation in the letter, of the British agriculRoariug tural correspondent ot the Horses. Witness. I refer to the reported cure of roaring horses by Dr Fleming. It is a well known fact that many horses, sound and good in other respects, are rendered comparatively useless by a faulty windpipe that obstructs the passage of air, and causes what is termed roaring. Koaring sometimes arises from a distorted larynx, caused by tight reining or by the injudicious practice of buckling straps tightly round the neck of crib-biters. Some authorities maintain that roaring is hereditary, and may be transmitted f^om sire or dam, while others bring conclusive evidence to prove that it is not so ; but to be on the safe side it is well not to breed from horses so affected. Roaring has hitherto been considered incurable, and many good horses have been condemned on that account ; but now that laryngotomy is likely to become an established fact this blemish will not be considered such a serious matter. In a recent lecture delivered by Professor Long some very interesting A Few Facts facts were brought to light About British showing what an extraDairyiug. ordinary position Britain holds at present in respect to dairy farming. For example, the lecturer stated that in Britain there were nine and a-quarter persons to every cow ; whereas in the small country of Denmark, with a population of not more than half that of Lone on, and which supplied England with immense quantities of butter, there were only two and a-quarter persons to each cow. In the year 1885 Britain bought 257,000,0001b of foreign butter, which would require 1,717,000 cows to produce. In the same year cheese was imported equal to the production of 488,000 cows, besides which margarine was also imported to the extent of 140,000,0001b. These importations altogether amounted to the produce of 3,000,000 of foreign cows ; therefore, allowing 15 cows to a farmer, the professor said Britain was actually supporting 200,000 foreign farmers whose wives andfamilies make up a foreign agricultural population of 1,000,000 people living upon British consumers. This astonishing news may have seemed rather sad to the professor's audience, but it is certainly encouraging to us to know that there is ample room for us to chip in with our little surplus of dairy products. Of course we at this side of the world are at a great disadvantage as compared with Denmark and France as regards distance, but we should be able to produce cheese and butter at a less cost, because of the lower value of our land' and the mildness of our climate in comparison with those of the countries mentioned. Aghicola.