FARM AND STATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1921, 11 December 1890, Page 6

FARM AND STATION.

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS. The chief agricultural show of Otago has again

come and gone, and again narMergin 5 rowly missed being a huge Local failure. With good weather slums. and fairly good attendance,

nothing was lacking but exhibits, which showed a great decrease in the principal classes for stook. The association being unable, from want of support, to offer substantial prizes, could not expect to catalogue large entries in all classes, for despite all that ia said about exhibitors only being desirous of the honour and glory of carrying off prizea, it has been pretty plainly demonstrated that they go in for something besides honour and glory and pasteboard, or they would roll up better when the money prizes are absent. But why are there no money prizes aa in other central shows ? Why, beoauae the association is not in a position to give them. Why is it not able to give them 1 Why, because it does not receive sufficient support from the public, especially the farmers. Then why do not farmers support their metropolitan show better? They refrain partly from jealousy, but chiefly because they have to support their own little tin-pot shows, of which there is one in every farming district of Otago. The foregoing might be said to be a true aocount of the questions asked anent the show by a visitor from other lands, and the answers given by an offioial of the association. Although the number of exhibits has been lesa than that of previous yeara, that fact did not appear to affect the attendance of visitors from town and country. I think a great many people do not consider the entrieß in the least, but simply go to the ground for an outing because others go. to see the crowd and to be seen. Though the country Bhows are usually well patronised by the people in ,the immediate neighbourhood, tbe same people generally visit the main show also. If they did not do bo the muster of farming people would not bo very great, as there are so many looal shows throughout the country. It is the faot of there being too many local Bhows that acoounts for the financial shortcomings of bo many of them, and also of the big show. Muoh aB we appreciate the services rendered to agriculture by live stook and implement shows, we cannot deny that they have become too numerous, though we are not willing that our own pet looal show should be effeosd in order to diminish the number. It may be said, on the other hand, that we cannot have too muoh of a good thing, and with perfeot truth in this connection, if it were not the case that a great many of the societies find themselves embarrassed for want of funds. Local shows no doubt materially help in the " grading up " process amongst our live stock, but the advantages in that respect would be pretty nearly the same if two or more shows were merged in one, held in a good central position, and the funds would be greatly benefited, besides being able to give more substantial prizes. The amalgamation of existing Bhows would also tend to greater concentration of energy and effort on the part of all concerned, for there can be little life or influence for good in an impoverished institution, which the exhibitors and memb9rs do not or cannot support. Then, again, it mußt be borne in mind that every district is not equally well able to maintain its annual show, and such would do woll to join with a more flourishing one, and thereby increase the funds of the latter, and enable it to embrace a larger area with greater facilities for good results. Aa compared with Canterbury we have many more country shows, even allowing for the greater area of Otago. It muat in fairness be allowed, howevor, that tho Canterbury centres are .'more get-at-able than those in Otago. Canterbury has a main trunk lino as we have, but all the principal outlying districts are tapped by branch lines in such a way that travelling is easy, and the distances not very great. On tbe other hand some of our outlying districts are almost isolated, and communication with the principal towns \b not very convenient a3 regards transportation o£ atock. If I mistake not thorp are nearly a dozen local shows annually hold in Otago, which is mure than double tbe number in Canterbury, end that fact doubtless accounts ia a great measure for thß unmiEtakaable success of tha principal show in Canterbury and the flourishing condition of its funds. Verbum sap.

Tho Turnip Crop.

If turnipß are properly cultivated with a view to obtaining really good crops, barring bad weather, it is the most expensive to put in of all our crops, if the cost of hoein? end thinning ia included. Being, however, the staple support of the stock, it is of great importance and quite indispensable, or if it were not so the expense of production and uncertainty of success would keep down the area devoted to their production. As stock breeding increases, and the outside demand for fat nauttoQ expands, the probabilities are that turnips will not only be more extensively oul>

tivated, but also in a more thorough manner. The adaptability of the turnip to almost any kind of soil and climate i 8 a great faotor in its popularity in all parts of this colony ; it does equally well on the sandy plains of Canterbury and the stiff days of Otago and Southland, provided, of course, that the Boil is properly treated, acoording to its nature. The soil it loves is a friable loam, but it will grow and thrive upon any soil containing organio matter. The finest possible tilth is of great advantage, as it enables the small feeder roots anrfSfn *" dl '?lOti? l Otio *» « Search of food, and also more roadily to absorb and retain moisture. The presence of sufficient moisture is essential to the full development of the bulbs containing as they do about 90 per cent of water ; yet too much wet is ruinoua to the crop. The turnip has a wonderful power ol helping itself to the available store of plant food, and it ia the farmer's duty to see that the food it requirea ia placed within itu roach, and ia present in Buch a form that it is readily taken up by the plant.- Thus it is necessary Iff artificial manures are applied,, that they be drilled in immediate contact with the seod, bo that of, the comparatively small quantity of manure none will be outof thereaobof theroot* If farmyard or other bulky manure* areuaed a sufficient quantity must be applied to enrich the whole bulk of the aoil. Two hundredweight of superphosphate, bone dust, or guano will have a very appreoiable effeoton the orop when drilled m with the seed, but to sow the same KS22I broadcast would be the merest folly. 1 armors at Home have to go to much more expense in manuring their turnipa than ia the case with us. Tho supply of fertility originally present m our virgin soU has not been reduced to such an extent, but that a slight stimulant only ia required to bring all the conBtituentß of ,thia into action. As time goes on we shall probably find that more manure will be required to produoe equal resulta, until the time arrives when the soil will have to be dosed with as much manure as ia now the case in .Britain.

A Strong Dose.

A young English farmer recently wrote to a Home paper asking for information respeoting the right quantity of manures to apply to a crop of turnips. To his query uu uiu uwmer replies that a great deal depends upon the previous treatment of the land. If the land, he said, has been worked on the four-oourse rotation, and nothing sold off but oorn and meat, the lobs of phosphates is so trifling that 2cwt of superphosphates would replace all the phosphoric aoid " required to grow an average crop of turnips ; but if the land has been impoverished a liberal dose of 15 cartloads of good rotten dung would not be too muoh ; or half that quantity' together with ocwt superphosphate and bone meal. Another farmer say* that if no farmyard dung is used 6owt of superphosphate, and 2owt bone meal will not be too muoh. Now, according to these prescriptions the English Boil must need much moro stimulants than ours, or else the English farmers are not satisfied withwhat we consider good crops. At present prices in the colony guoh a dose of manure as the last quoted would cost about £2 per acre, and the orop would have to be something extraordinary to pay for that besides other expenses. The foregoing dressings of manure are, however, capped by another authority, who says that about 18 loads of well-made farmyard manure, followed by a dressing of from 4owt to 6owt of mineral superphosphate and bone meal, and l£owt of guano is liberal manuring, and calculated to produce a good Orop of turnips. Experience has taught (says the same anthority) that it is scarcely possible to over do the application of phosphates to the turnip crop, so far as the health and feeding value of roots are concerned ; but too liberal an application of nitrogenous manure unduly increase's the amount of tops, and retards the ripening of the bulbs, as well as increasing their liability to disease.

Froiltabl* Italiblt.

About two years ago a suggestion waa made by somebody in Southland that rabbit- farming could be made a profitable industry, but the idea was received on all hands with such scorn and ridioule that nothing further was heard of the Boheme. Recently the same idea has been broached in England by a certain Major Moranf-, who has written a pamphlet on "Profitable Rabbitfarming." The Hou. W. E Gladstone, in a speech made to a number of his tenantry in connection with a local show, is reported to have said that farmers pay too little attention to what he termed "detail farming "-r that is, the growing of fruit for salo and poultry farming. He also referred to Major Morant's scheme of rabbit- farm ing, which, he said, appeared to him to be a promising pursuit, notwithstanding the merriment which the mention of it evoked. The idea, he said, was to raise tame rabbits in enormous numbers, and feed them upon food which would otherwise be wasted. The tame rabbit, he said, give much more meat than the wild ones. After having received such honourable 'mention, who will dare to laugh at the idea again ? I sincerely commend it to all who consider themselves oompetent to manage a rabbit farm,

Koir Milk Is Had*.

We often sea advertisements of patent medicines containing in large print the words " For the blood is the life." Tbia statement is probably very true, but not more so than another which every dairyman should bear in mmd — viz., "The blood is the milk," and then he will be careful to treat, feed, water, and shelter hie cows go that they will have pure and healthy blood coursing in their veins. Professor Robertson, of Canada, has lately written an article under the same heading as this note, and I will endeavour to give the gist of his remarks. All the milk of the cow is made in a mysterious way, the process being carried on in two glands called the udder. One gland can be taken from the o' her without injuring the remaining one, as there is no organic or distinct division between the two quarters of eaoh gland. By means of a physiological operation, only as yet imperfectly understood by anybody, the milk in elaborated from the blood, which enters tha glands by two largo arteries, and alongaide these artariea runs a large vein and nervous cord. A large number of ducts arise from the milk cistern at the top of the teats, and Bpread through tfco udder. Ac a portion of the blood percolates or exudes through tha membrane that linos Ihcso ducts It becomes milk. There ara a groat raany tiny cells on the inside of these mi]k ducts. So fur.all are they that frcm 3000 to 5000 can lie within the length of an inch. Each cell grows a bud, and eaoh bud grows larger and larger until it becomes a globule, and these globules constitute the fat of the milk. These tiny globules trickle down inside the milk tubes and issue with the rest of the milk ; but falling slowly th6y come down last, and thus the Btrippings are the richest milk. The professor says there are about I.ooo,ooo,ooofatglobulesin a cubic inch of milk. We are bound to believe this, of course, but are not compelled to verify the statement by aotnal count. There is, however, I believe, a soientific way in which the globules can be accurately counted in a few hovuii

We know that milk does not ordinarily leak from a healthy cow, because the tube in the teat remains closed without any effort on the part of the cow, but at the top of the teat there is another valve over which the cow has gome control. If she likes to close this valve and thus hold the milk above, no effort on the part of the milker will cause it to flow. It is only annoyance or excitement whiob induces the cow to dose this valve, therefore chasing by dogs and kicking and other rough treatment can be resented by the cow, and the milk withheld for a considerable time.

An old English farmer say a that though he has been battling with weedaall The orisin his life he has failed to eradiof Weeds. cate fchem 0Q hiß farmi aai he wonders whore they all come from. This is also an important question with colonial farmers, for though it may be imagined that a new oonntry like this would enjoy an immunity from many of the worst of the British weed pests, such is not the case, for we are rapidly advancing in the number and variety of our weeds, and are already, to our sorrow, in the possession of most of the most noxious specimens extant. There is no room for wonderment as to the origin of weeds on any farm when we consider the many ways in which they may be introduced to a farm or a locality. First and foremost, then, we have not far to seek for a very fruitful source of weeds in the use of dirty and adulterated seeds. Many if not all of our British specimens have doubtless been imported in our grass and clover and turnip Beeds. This means of fouling the land may be prevented, or where prevention is too late may be overcome by strict attention to the purity of imported seeds, and by persistent efforts to eradicate weeds that have already been established. Farmyard and Bbeepyard manures are also accountable to a very great extent for the dissemination of weeds, especially the latter, for in my experience there are more weed seeds in a wheelbarrow-load of sbeepyard scrapings than in a cart load of ordinary Btable or stockyard manure. Wind is also the cause of the Bpread of weed seeds, such as thistles, dandelion, and capeweed, which are intended by Nature for such a means of transport. Then streams of running surface water carry weeds from our neighbours' farms ; dock seed and Yorkshire fog often take a trip to pastures new in this manner, and prevention in this case is not easy to prescribe. Seeds are also transported in the droppings of birds, in the fleeces of sheep, and the hair of cattle. Railway trains may also be suspeot6d of the distribution of undesirable members of the vegetable kingdom. For instance, is there not good cause to suspect that the colony of Californisn thistles established in the railway reserve at Stirling was couveyed thither by somepassing train containing straw or packing cases of Californian origin ? Threshing mills convey a terrible lot of rubbish from place to place and from farm to farm. AH the crannies and crevices in the mill are full of seeds of docks, sorrel, and hosts of other weeds ; these shake out as the mill bumps along over the fields and are thus sown in the track of . the mill wherever it goes. Considering then all the various ways in which a farm may be stocked with weeds there is little to wonder at in the fact that it is almost impossible for the most careful and painstaking farmer to cope with them all,

I extraot the following wise sawa from a long list given by an American wimt the who paper, the National Stockman : Dairyman Doth. He spsaketh gently to his kine, and they regard him with favour. He porath over tables of feeding values, and construotetb a ration mixed with common sense. He breedeth his kine to a ball that bath- his name entered in a book, and lo ! he findeth his herd increase in value. He hath a definite object in dairying, and he keepeth a certain breed of kine to accomplish it. He washetb his butter while it is in grains, and his customers complain not of having Btreaka in it. He wrappeth his butter in the paper called parchment, and eelleth his old shirts to the ragman. He toacheth not the butter with his naked hands, but handleth it with hands of wood. He readeth his papers diligently, and ptoreth in his mind all the good things he finds therein. He trieth new things that he bath read abont, and Bticketh to those that pan out well. He Baveth all of the manure carefully, but thinketh not that it will be of even value with the feed fed. He carrieth an original package of brains in his bead, and it guideth him to success in the dairy. Agbicola.