SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1967, 5 November 1891, Page 7

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(Feom Oub Own Ookbespondbnt.) the weathejt and aoeiodltubal mattbbs. The weather baa not been (Unfavourable, on the whole, during the past month, although it has been somewhat windy and cold. Bain did not fall frequently, but there was enough during the firßt week of the month to flood the riverß and streams for the first time this year, and a considerable quantity of rain fell one day the week before last also. All that fell was required, however, for the soil had become so hard during the previous month that it was very difficult to work, and it was again becoming too hard when the rain came. On the first oooasion the air was \ery cold, and a considerable number of lambs were lost, the loss, especially to those who had little experience, with sheep (as too many have had this year, through giving up dairying) being considerable. It cannot be too widely known that a drenching rain with a moderately cold atmosphere is muoh more trying to very young lambs than showers of sleet and snow if there is a sufficient time elapsing between the Bhowers for them to become dry. But since that first week i the weather has not been at all trying, and tha lossjamong the late flocks has been very small.

Some farmers keep a small area of rough land in Ha | natural state for sheltering sheep m rough weather, and it ia fonnd that such shelter is sufficient in anything but exceptionally severe weather' By planting treea around a few acres of rough ground (as some have been doing tbisyear) the loss of lambs will be reduced to a minimum. liambing, as I said in my last letter, was considerably earlier in the majority of oases, and this was a fortunate circumstance in view of the faot that the weather changed afterwards for the worse. The oat crop is looking well, as is the wheat also on suitable Boils, The majority finished ■owing oats oarly in the month, although there site a few here and there sowing up to date. Boiling and ploughing for turnips and grass now keeps the farmer bußily engaged. Both turnips and grass should be sown before the end of the year, but if it is difficult to have them both sown in time it is better to be too late with the grass, aa in the latter case rt is only a question of waiting for a orop. In the case of turnips it is different, for, unlike the grass, we cannot have a Becond and a thira year's growth. A very large area will be *own broadcast with turnips, principally newly-ploughed leys, but also stubble. Nc one will go to the expense of drilling a large area of land that will produce a mpderatelyffood orop of turnips sown broadcast. But as much of our land has produced many crops, and is consequently in a weedy state, many of us must perforce grow the turnips m drills. A number who have large areas of clean land to «ow with turnips this year have invested in r. and D. Dunoan's spoon* feed drill machines, which ensure the required number of seeds at the required depth and with greater economy in manure. . . .... The mention of manure brings to mind the faot that farmers are discussing the relative merits of the various kinds advertised. No one will deny that stockyard manure is moon ■nperior to the best of artificial, but no one has enough of this, and everyone has therefore «n interest in the artificial. Some manures are recommended and others condemned, and many farmers hesitate in choosing. Published testimonials should not receive too much ore* denoe, even if they appear over the names of men of known probity. These testimonials are too often given after one season's experience, and the excellence of the crop may not have been due altogether to the use of the manure. Aa an illustration, I may mention that a Southland farmer sowed a quantity of bonoduat last year in a lea paddook, and had too little to finish. The turnips were good over the whole paddook, but better on the portion which had no bonedust applied. Ido not know whether the unmanured portion was more fertile or not— it is probable it was— but if the farmer had bad a sufficient quantity of bonedust to do the wholep # »ddock hemigbt have civen a good testimonial in all good faith, we hearagood deal about the importance of having the manures analysed in order that the purchaser may not be defrauded, but bo far there appears to be some difficulties in the way. Apropos of this, I noticed a good suggestion lately in a paper published in the North Island. It was to test manures by trial nlotsi The writer had pegged off plots 7yds by 6yds. This was 42 square yar,dj^and bore almost the same relation to an aote aB lib bore i to .a hundredweight. On one of these plots lib would.represent lewt per acre. I believe very few farmers would go to the trouble of making amall trial plote, but it would not give much troublelo mark off a few aores, or half aoresj *t the side of a paddock, and use a given Quantity of manure of variouß kindß separately «i some cases, and mixed in others. One might in this way form a pretty good idea of tbejMrt manure for a particular soil } as the effeots would be Been at the same time in the same •oil, under the same atmospbeno influences. For the convenience ofany who are not familiar with deoimals, I append hereto the length of plots of ground at a given number of feet in breadth :— Breadth 31f 6, length 31 chains 26ft (nearly>=l acre „ 18ft „ 36 „ 4«t „ -1 „ , 16ft „ 44 „ 2ft „ -?1 „, „ 12ft „ 65 „ „ =1 it The harrow or sawing machine will mark the. breadth, and an acre can be ascertained without any loss of time by simply paoing after the barrow or sowing machine. GENERAL, The threshing of oats kept in stack since harvest has not as yet commenced, aB farmers are too busy with the work of the season. Many of those who bad stored in the grain ■tores have been selling lately, although some, are still holding on, hoping against hope that the price will improve, waiting to see what effeot Russian affaire will have on the London market. A number who have stored on the farms are selling also. As a rule there is a loss in keeping oata in the grain stores, although the majority who stored this year have made from Id to 2d per bushel by adopting this course. A farmer who requires an advance should never store, as, apart from the risk of a drop in prices, there is a danger of yielding to the persuasions or advice of an unscrupulous dealer, if one is any way involved. A farmer Bhould beware of borrowing for Bpaculative Eurposes. Good feed oate are at present sold ere for 1b 4d, net cash, which is about ljd or 2d per bushel more than could be netted by selling in Dnnedin, according to laßfc week's quotations. Dunedin buyers are finding this out for themselves, and some of the largest firms are starting agencies in Southland, and others are communicating with farmers offering prices for oats shipped at the Bluff. It is only during the last two years or so that better prioea could be received for oats shipped at the nearest tort. Competition is very keen here now. A number of farmers who started keeping iheep this year bad considerable losses. Some loßt old broken-mouthed ewes which they had bought by putting them on inferior pasture ; others had losses,' principally among lambß, through keeping/tberewes too long on turnips. There were others who lost very few, even of broken-mouthed Bheep, by keeping them on good grass of two years' growth,' and by feeding liberally with oaten ohaff instead of turnips. Sheep get so much turnips now that it is no wonder they beoomiT broken-mouthed at an early age. Some farmers sow some swede turnips among the softer varieties, but this is a mistake. This description of turnip is too hard for sheep unless it ia cut up with a maohine. Last year I sowed the purple-top Aberdeen, the green-top Aberdeen, and the purple top mammoth (which is even softer than the other two) mixed, and I intend to do the same this year. A few years ago I sowed a few drills of the Devonshire greystone. It ia a soft turnip and suitable, I think, for eating off early.