Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 1891, 1 May 1890, Page 6

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

The tubers should be quite ripe by this time, and therefore the sooner they rotnto are taken up the better. I do Lifting. not mean to say that they will not keep in the ground, for, barring injury from frost or excessive rain, they will keep in the ground better than anywhere elae until the spring. But it is? because the winter is approaching and frosts are becoming stronger every day that the lifting should not; be delayed longer than can possibly be avoided after the crop ia mature. In a wet showery season the potato orop is longer in ripening, and care must be taken that the tubers are net disturbed too soon. This year, however, has been so dry that they have in some cases put on a second growth after the showers last month, but when that happens the orop is seldom worth lifting. Last year a great many farmers delayed taking up the crop until the month of June, and the severe frosts during that month completely ruined what were caught-by them in the ground. If the frosts do not happen to do any damage the land gets Hodden and sticky late in the year bo that it is almost impossible to dig them in heavy land. When potatoes are dug under such circumstances many are left unpicked on acoount of the difficulty of distinguishing them when loaded with sticky soil, various potato lifters have been patented, but though very expeditious they do not keep the potatees so well together as a good forker oan. They are often turned out with an ordinary plough minus the coulter and share, but even then many are bruised and rendered unfit for storing. Owing to the unfavourable nature of the past season for the potato crops in many localities they are likely to be worth keeping for higher priceß later in the year, but at anything like a fairly payable price there is much to be said in favour of selling at once, especially as in many cases the quality and condition is euch as to render it a difficult matter to keep them through the winter without a large percentage beiogßpoiled. It is a good rule with regard to any producebut more especially with such perishable things as potatoes—to sell as soon as possible when the market is good and the quality bad. By holding on, the market may droop and a bad sample be quite unsaleable. I see that in the northern districts as high as £2 is being given at country stations and that growers'position ib considered strong. There is a good deal of judgment tq< quired in sorting the crop for the market. There ib nothing like making the sample as nearly uniform in size as possible, as a well selected bulk takes the eye and sells much better. If they are not properly sorted by the farmer tha merchant has it done, and he. of course makes allowance ior this m the pnea Kiven. For example, it spoil* the look of a famSle to have a few very large and coarse potatoes mixed through the lot; they give an uneven and badly assorted appearance to the lo? whichlalwayfiT tends to lower the buyer's idea of its value. Cattle are so very low in price just now that few farmers pay much attention Rcnring to the breeding and rearing of cniycs. such stock. But there is no doubt that the time will come again when cattle will be good property, and those who have the foresight to breed up a number of good bullocks may find themselves well paid for their trouble ere long. If we breed at all we nhovild try and breed animate worth rearing and worth somettang when reared. When cattle are cheap people are apt to think the young calves are not worth any trouble, and therefore tho wretohed, stunted, and pot-bellied things that are Been about the homesteads. The system of feeding generally adopted by farmera is not by any means calculated to rear calves wtfh profit and credit to the farmer. ' When brought up on the pail they Bhould be fed three times a day for the firßt few weeks, receiving a quart at each meal

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during the first week and increasing to four quarts a day. For the first three weeks they should have new milk, and in the fourth week two quarts of skim milk may be added to the four of new milk, making six quarts a day at the end of the first month. After that the new milk may be gradually reduced by substituting oatmeal or linseed meal until at the end ef the second month it is doing without any new milk, but getting plenty of meal and skim milk, with of course a nice bite of grass whenever it likes to nibble. At three months it can do without any milk, but should still have oatmeal, baanmeal, and bran. It does not so much matter, however, what it has so long as it grows and thrives upon it. I know that the large quantity of new milk I have mentioned will cause some dairy farmerß to exclaim that the milk is worth more than the calf. Very likely so, but if it is not worth while to rear a calf properly it is not worth rearing at all, and had better be knocked on the head when dropped. Graziers and breeders at Home who understand their business never let a beast that is intended for beef lose its calf fat, that is, they keep the calf fat from its birth, and as it grows it is never allowed to lose flesh until disposed of. An animal that is stunted in its infancy never makes so good a beast, no matter how it is afterwards fed, as one that iB fat and thriving from the first day of its life. Claves that are dropped during the autumn and winter require especial. care and good feeding, or they will never be worth anything, and on that account it is not desirable to have many winter oalyes, as the large quantity of milk they require is a very important consideration when grass ia Boarce. When all the milk ia sent to a faotory, summer calves get nothing but the separator milk, but they do much better upon that than upon sour skimmed milk 24 or 36 hour's old, Summer calves may be kept fairly well on plenty of sweet separated milk with a little oatmeal or linseed meal once a day. Scores of calves, however, can be seen throughout tbe country that look as if they bad to get their milk out of the duck pond or the creek judging from their wretched half starved appearance. There is no doubt but that if cows are to be kept in milk during the coming winter Food Be aßon they will require a conrorCows. aiderable addition to the poor bite that the pastures will afford. As mangels are not nearly bo generally grown as they should be, and green crops will not turn out very well on account of the drought, it is to be supposed that turnipa or hay or chopped straw will be largely used as an auxiliary to the bare pastures. The great objection to turnips as food for milch cows is their tendency to spoil the flavour of the butter, unless ppecially prepared beforehand. I do not think it is generally known that if the turnips are pulped or chopped very fine and slightly fermented by being mixed with chaff, brar, or meal for 24 hours before given to the cows no bad result will follow their ÜBe. Until late years it was considered necessary to cook or stoam the food for stalled beasts and cows, but that idea iB rapidly going out of fashion, and fermentation is being adopted instead of cooking, The object of cooking was to render food more easily digested, and also to make it go as far as possible under the impression that it was more nourishing when so treated. Farmers at Home are now beginning to substitute fermentation for boiling or steaming, and they find that by bo doing they save a large expenditure in plant, fuel, and labour, and obtain just as good results. It stands to reason, I think, that ruminant animals do not require artificial assistance to digestion, as Nature has provided them with a " cudding " process which corrects any imperfect mastication. By the simple operation of slightly fermenting the food the best results are gained from a given quantity without any undue labour or expense. Pulped or ohopped turnips mixsd with hay or straw ohaff and bran or meal and left together in a heap a day or two before ÜBing makes a nourishing and palatable food, and, as I have said, prevents the turnips from spoiling the butter. The hay or straw need not be cut into shorter lengths than 2in or 3in— just to enable it to be mixed with the other food and lie close enough together to cause heat, and therefore fermentation. Each day's feed requires to be mixed the \ day before and left in a box, tub, or on the floor. The labour of chopping the hay is more than saved in the prevention of waste, for when cut and mixed with the turnips every mouthful is eaten instead of being messed about and trampled under foot, as is generally the case when long hay is fed to cows. It is well worth the farmers' while to expend a little labour in greatly economising the available supply of winter fodder. Steeped wheat has excellent milk-produoing qualities, and now that wheat is stecpea bo cheap it may pay well to wutat. utilise the seconds wheat in assisting to increase tbe flow of milk during winter. Bran is supposed to make milk, but it is poor milk — deficient in cream and butter fats ; but split or whole wheat, well steeped, will produce much and rich milk. About 101b of dry wheat will when steeped fill a large bucket, and mixed with another bucketful of chaff makes two good feeds for a cow, and will be found to answer as well as mangels. There is some difficulty in steeping wheat in the depth of winter when the frosts are very severe, for cold water, if not actually at freezing point, will not cause wheat to Bwell as it would in moderately warm water. The feest way is to put the wheat into a wooden tub, pour boiling water on it and cover with bags or ohaff so that the cold air cannot get to the water. Put a bushel of dry wheat into a half hogshead tub, put in sufficient water to allow for swelling and cover with something until the wheat is sufficiently steeped, draw off the water through a hole near the bottom, then mix with the wheat an equal bulk, or perhaps rather more, of chaff, and leave the wnole to ferment for 24 hours before feeding the cows. Colonial farmers are, as a rule, too prone to despise the minor sources of inKgg*, Fruit, come on the farm. They think «n«i ' bo little of the profits derivable poultry. from little things that these are almost entirply neglected, but as exceptions go to prova tbe rule, the case renoe'ei in tbn w»k*iMpn district ia tba Witnsns of <Iv. 10th in; i, show-, wba 4 . c.n bo c-oce in a -rvAl wiiv by making t.ho meat of the HfcMe jV-tr/P. Without m-OriDp a c-pecialty of fru^t •• f iv y P^uikli may bo n>ada by *t-n PK,5e of fruit, :»nd in tbf cn-a of plmcs and si pis- the procPfdf" am ae:ir]y nil c-e;>r proii-., f r the f. mount of labour m fending tho trees '« very trifling. ' With regard to eggs and poultry tlie" success or non-success of tho^e branches generally depends upon the interest and earn displayed by the "gnidwifo," and whethtr fhe has the necessary time to devote to them. I have great faith in the good results obtainable from the orchard and poultry yard, providirg the best sorts are produced. Good prticles are[always saleable, and it is as easy to fceep a good breed ef poultry as a mongrel usEortment of all sorts and sizes. First-class articles always command the best price curyeufc, and the secret of success lies in producing the beat of everything, and bo profiting by tbe

tendency on the part of the majority to be content with inferior grades, ranging from bad to middling. There are certain phrases that have by long custom become recognised as W GooV* having a distinct meaning, and Husbandry ? which often occur in legal and semi-legal documents. Such are the phrases, "In a husbandlike manner," "In a workmanlike manner," and though literally taken they may seem very vague and dangerous terms upon which to base a contract or agreement, yet they are commonly accepted in a legal sense as having a certain and definite meaning. A case involving this point came before an English court a short time ago. A farmer rented a field at a certain rent on the understanding that it was to be farmed in a proper and husbandlike manner, according to the custom of the country. It appears that the tenant took two white crops in succession, and that immediately before giving up possession, whioh act, the plaintiff contended, was in direct contravention of the conditions implied by the phrase " In a proper and husbandlike manner. " Damages were therefore claimed for injury done to the land, but the jury gave a verdict for tbe defendant. Tho judge in summing up said that the evidence aB to the prevailing custom was so conflicting that it was hard to say what meaning should be attached to the conditions guiding the tenant in his treatment of the field. Probably the jury was composed chiefly of tenant farmers, and they would not be likely to lean towards the landlord's side, but the judge upon application, gave permission for a new trial, so that the phrase may yet have a different interpretation put upon it. In a properly drawn up lease there would be no loopholes for disputes of the abovementioned kind for the number of white crops to be taken off within a certain period is generally specified, as well as other important matters respecting the proper management of the farm. But in the case of a small field the tenant, if an honest man, oould very woll be governed by the custom of the country, and taking a second grain crop aftor giving notice to leave was not just or fair to the landlord. I suspect that the next tenant of that field would be bound by conditions not quite so vague and elastic as those enjoyed by bis predecessor. We have heard of tbe patent naillesa horse shoe and unbreakable saddles, a Patent an( j the idea is an invention instool Coiinr. tended to improve the old Btraw-stuffed collar off the face of the earth. A firm has been established for the manufacture of a patent elastic steel horse collar, and as this article has been well advertised in all the leading Home papers they are returning the compliment by giving a halfcolumn description of the collar. The collar is really collar and hames combined, draught hooks being attached to the sides of the collar, which is similar in shape to the ordinary collar, but is opened at the bottom end by pressing a spring. Thin steel plates give it the necessary elasticity and relieve the jar to the shoulder in sudden jerks and heavy pulling. The collar is said to adapt itself to the shoulder, and thus the pressure is evenly distributed over the whole face of the collar. The Bide next to the shoulder is galvanised with zinc. It is claimed that it is much cooler, lighter, better fitting, and more convenient and durable than the heavy collar and harness now used. The advertisements state that the collar ia used by her Majesty's Government, the London Fire Brigade, and by buss companies, brewers, and others. It is also approved of by the Society for the Preventiop of Cruelty to Animals, and by eminent veterinary surgeons. Having only seen the collar on paper, I do not pretend to recommend it or to condemn it, but it must evidently be much lig) ter and convenient than the cumbrous leather collars and heavy hames now in use. No doubt there is much room for improvement in this reßpect, but this steel collar may be aB long in superseding the old plan as the nailleßs horseshoe in doing away with the hammer and nailß of the smithy. The new collar claims to be a pieventitive of sore shoulders, but I'm very dubious about that point, and should like to have a trial before being convinced. Ageiooi-a.