SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2057, 27 July 1893, Page 12

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(Fbom Odb Own Cobbespondent.) The weather has been much better during this • month than last. Little snow Tho Weather fell, and the frost was never And severe, while rain was neither The Farm, frequent nor heavy. The soil was consequently in very fair order, for ploughing, and last week a good deal of ridgy land was fit for harrowing. It will nofcj therefore, cause any surprise when it is stated that a very large aroa was ploughed during the mouth, and thatploughing is further advanced than usual. A very large area of lea has been ploughed for turnips, the practice of sowing oats on the lea having now gone out of fashion, as the oat crop usually proved unsatisfactory, while the turnip crop was good ; but if not, theland was prepared for an unusually heavy crop of oats the following year. There is now every inducement to break up lea of tener than heretofore, as both turnips and oats are becoming more payable crops than they have been. Stubble ploughing has also been pushed on, and aB the turnip crop will not hold out so long as usual, it seems, probable that the cereal crops will be sown in due time. Stubble land intended for turnips should very soon receive its first ploughing, if this has not been done some time ago, in order that the weeds may decay before the land requires to be ploughed again for turnips. A good deal of stubble land was drilled last year, and the land was thereby cleaned to a certain extent before it was laid down to grass. It has been found sufficient to give only two ploughings on our freer soils, but the portion that was earliest ploughed last year was got into better tilth, and the turnips were better. - Cross-ploughing is too seldom done in these days of high pressure, the usual method being to plough as much as possiblein one break, thearea being limited only by the conformation of the ground/ By ploughing across occasionally ' some new soil can be turned up without goiDg deeper. The sowing of oats will probably be commenced on the drier soils early in the last week of August, and on other descriptions of soil during' the first week of September, which is early enough to begin as a rule. But, as a matter of fact, any time during the month of September is reckoned a suitable time for sowing here— early in the month for the dry soils and the end of the month for wet land. If there are advantages derived from an early sowing in some seasons, there are disadvantages at other times. Plants as well as animals suffer under unfavourable conditions in the early stages, and soil alone will not make a plant grow. If the early part of spring should prove to be wet and cold, the later sown crops do better; but it may be remarked that the earlier sown crops have been the most satisfactory of late years, and that the later sown ran the risk of rust before harvest. Sparrowbill is now the oat principally grown here, the Sutherland having been Change of deteriorating for some years. Seed. 1 While a change of seed may be desirable occasionally, it has been found that on our best soils a change is not necessary for a number of years if the seed is dressed, every year, or every second year, and a portion sown oh clean land. How long one could keep the same seed on the farm I could not say, but' I have seen Sutherland oats kept for eight years. On poor land seed deteriorates very soon, however, and a change of seed is necessary every two or three years. I "have been told that wild oats have appeared among oats grown from good seed {on land broken up from lea 10 years, laid down, and the question has been asked : Has the seed deteriorated in one. year, or have the wild oats lived in the Boil all' that time P The question presents some difficulties, unless it be assumed that poor oats were fed v to the horses ploughing and harrowing the land. The custom here is to get a change, of seed once in four or five years, and sometimes oftener, from soils of a different description, usually from' a lighter sail and one favourable to promoting an early ripening, though some reverse this rule. In view of the rapid dissemination of weed seeds, if the seed has not been specially dressed, this should be done preparatory to sowing, with fanners, such as those recommended* by "Agricola'? last week. Very little wheat will be sown here this season owing to the low price. Barley also will probably be even more limited than usual, and, so far as this crop is concerned, farmers here are quite indifferent regarding the actions of the prohibitionists. The pasture is very poor, and efforts are being , - \ made to get the turnips to last Stock. * as long as possible by supplying both oatenand straw chaff. The latter is found, however, to be of little value, except for wethers which are kept constantly on. the turnips, as sheep do not eat much of the straw chaff unless they are underfed, or kept altogether on the turnips. .Those who have turnips in drills or broadcast ou new 4and are in the best position, for their roots are standing out well, and good prices have been obtained for crops of turnips in drills. In some cases £3 per acre has been paid, and I have heard of £3 5s per acre being given for an exceptionally good crop. Early lambing will probably not be so profitable as it was last year, as the grass will probably be poor till September. Lambing will not be general, however, till the end of that month. I have seen lambs which were dropped while the owes were feeding— daring the day only— on turnips doing very well, and I think some turnips or other succulent food is necessary for the ewes when they have lambs before there is sufficient pasture. Oaten chaff should be given more sparingly shortly before and after lambing, in case it should cause a deficiency of milk. Stock are in good condition. There .has been much inquiry for farms for Dome months past, and it is laud. not long after advertising a „ farm for sale that the seller finds a purchaser if he is reasonable in his expectations. A goodly number of farms have changed hands during the past two months. . Here and there the sellers took advantage of the liberty obtained to take a long holiday, but in most cases they disposed of their farms only to get a better or .a larger farm, or one which, from its situation, would bring them -greater advantages. ' Most of those in search of farms are either farmers or men who have had practical experience. Some who left for- the North Island a few years ago have not done well, and there is a greater amount of risk to those, who take up farms where the climate and soil is different from that in which they have had experience. We cannot grow wheat or potatoes on the first furrow here, and if we attempt to grow oats after one ploughing the crop is disappointing, as also are all succeeding crops of oats, for a few years afterwards at all events. Practical farmers, too, who have never broken up soil from the virgin state, or only one or two kinds of such soils, are apt to make mistakes. I have come across some farmers in quest of land who considered large snqw-grass tussooksan 'evidence of good agricultural soil. There. Is 'not much virgin land to be obtained nowadays, but, . if there were, I would give moif for ii, alter allowing for fences and

necessary buildings, than for improved land which had been laid down to grass after producing several crops. These remarks do not apply, however, to land that is costly to clear, but to land that can be ploughed after the I natural vegetation has been set on fire, and ! there has been a great deal of land settled upon in Southland which required no other clearing. I know one fertile district in Southland where a score or so of 200-acre sections in its native state and unfenced was bought from a I company on bills extending over some sor 6 years and which were paid in the time, although some of the settlers paid on an average from £140 to £150 a year— taking perhaps all but the first two years' payments out of the land, and in some cases in the form of oats, which it has been so much the fashion to decry as an unprofitable crop. The prices that have been paid for improved farms lately have ranged from £4 to £6 per acre— mostly the latter figure if the land was in a good district, and not more than 10 or 12 miles from a railway siding. Some places nearer the railway have fetched more, but it is to be hoped that such prices as are obtained in northern Otago or Canterbury may not be obtained^ here, otherwise too many farmers may be in the unfortunate position of many American farmers — compelled to pay a high rate of interest on a mortgage, and unable to return something to the land to keep up its fertility. A number of farmers sold their oats just as soon as they rose high General, enough to cover storeage, and others sold last month because the ground was so hard that any work but carting could not, owing to the frost, be attempted; but it is pleasing to be able to say that a larg§ number have been in a position to participate in the late rise in value, which is from, 4d to 5d a bushel more than could be obtained before winter. A considerable quantity of sparrowbills was sold'for Is 9d the week before last, but last week Is 9£d, and in some cases a little more, was being obtained, and Is lOd for milling oats. Potatoes are in very good demand ; a deal is beiDg brought down from the north. The minor products of the farm are also in good demand ; cheese 4^d, fresh butter Is, and .salt butter Bd. The Noxious Weeds Bill is not improving the position of the Government in the estimation of farmers ; some of whom think it is a bid for labour votes, inasmuch as it might tend to increase employment or break up large estates.

An apiculturist near Woodville expects to make £100 a year from the proceeds of his bees.

sheep ever bred by Messrs William Gibson and Sons, Scone, Tasmania. He-was disposed of to Mr C. B. Grubb, a well-known Tasmanian breeder. Another ram sold for- 300gs, and two others brought 250gs each. "In 1888 the top price was 300gs ; in 1889, 435g5 ; in 1890, which was a booming year, the top price was lOOOgs, and six sheep brought over 300gs each ; in 1891 the top price was 710gs; and 1892 scored 630g5." At the recent sales the prices of a number of rams ranged from 102gs to 180gs, while other highclass sheep brought up to 60gs. W. Gibson and Sons' consignment averaged £72 ; Thomas Gibson's, £54 ; W. A. Gatenby's, £43 ; James Gibson's, £31 ; T. Gatenby's, £31 ; J. B. Gibson's, £25 ; and C. B. Grubb's £22. The foregoing seven lots were Tasmanian bred. The following averages were made by New South Wales breeders.— The Collaro/ Company, £31 ; J, D. Cox, £22; R. Rouse, jun.,£l7; H. O. White, £12 ; and James Lee, £8. Mr Murphy, secretary of the Canterbury A. and F. Association, submitted specimens of the bot fly in Canterbury to Miss Ormerod, the English entomologist, and Professor Riley, of the United States Department of Agriculture. Both experts concurred in the decision that the fly is not the English one, but the nasalis, which is prevalent throughout Europe and America. Professor Riley thinks it probable that the sparrow is an active agent in the destruction of the larvae, though it is somewhat singular that in an examination of the stomachs of 500 no trace of the lams was discoyered, Mrf W. J. Harris, the fair trade delegate, contributes to the Melbourne Argus an article entitled " The Best Farm in the World," a portion of which is telegraphed by the correspondent of the Christchurch Press. Mr Harris characterises the best farm in the world as Mr John Grigg's, Longbeach, near Ashburton in Canterbury, and declares that " it is the best managed too." Mr Harris has a good deal to say about farming in New Zealand, which he says i 9 behind English farming. He believes that if the prices of wheat were to rise in England- so aa to allow the price of 4s per bushel to be paid in New Zealand (say about 40s a quarter in England) the farmer would quickly respond, and the country could with ease export 10 times what it does at present. The supply of mutton may easily overtake the demand. The climate of New Zealand is undoubtedly the most favourable in the world for the production of meat. "If any interference be made," he says, " with the laissezfaire system of political economy which English people still believe in it should be in the direction of removing some of our ruined farmers and their poor labourers to New Zealand ; but all who go must remember that the high wages mean hard work. A handy, steady workman can in five

basis of Mr Avery's calculations extended oyer seven months and five days of the last dairying season, commencing at the latter end of October and continuing until the end of May. The cows contributing during the season averaged 44 in number, and the gross proceeds for the season were as follows :— October, five days, £2 11s lOd; November, £24 16s 4d; December, £35 10s 6d ; January, £38 11s lOd; February, £31 93 6d; March, £33 5s 7d; April, £22 12s lOd ; May, £14 16s 7d ;— total, £203 15s. In addition to this amount the sale of calves for the season realised no less a sum than £67, and the proceeds from pigs totalled £?.9 ; the grand total being £290 15s— a very nice little sum for seven months' work. Mr Avery states that the proceeds from pigs could have been very considerably increased had he devoted an ordinary amount of attention to them, but as an auxiliary source of income he paid little heed to them. Should Mr Yecht's scheme for establishing pork factories become an accomplished fact the profits under this head should be swelled to a very great extent. Mr Avery's cows were grazed all the season on 100 acres of grass; and the whole of the work in connection with the dairying was carried out by members of his family. It may be interesting to mention that nearly the whole of the cows were first calf heifers. In speaking of calves Mr Avery gave a few hints of value in rearing. He considers the main thing is in the start. The calves should be fed with new milk for the first nine or ten days, and from that time until they are three weeks old they may be fed with half new and half separator milk ; after that they can be fed with separator milk, of which, however, double the quantity is required than of new milk. The success of Mr Avery's plan in this respect can be proved by the price calves sold by him have realised. The figures quoted above are absolutely authentic, and if necessary could have been given in greater detail."