SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 6

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(Fbom Ova Agricultural Correspondent.) The weather has been very unfavourable during the month for the season's The Weather operations, and not the best for nml the crops and pasture. The the Farm, crops have a healthy appearance, bub tbe growth is slow, and if the weather does nob become warmer soon there will bs a lat3 harvest and moderate yields. The pasture is also backward in growth, and with the exception of lea one or two years old, it is far from carrying the number of animals that it usually feeds at this season of the year. The laying down to grass hai been hiudered, and many will not have young pasture for fattening lamb 3as early in the year as they had expected. Tbe sowing of swedes was commenced ab.ut the middle of the month, and now the sowing of the Eofter varieties is reseiviDg attention. This work is also hindered by frequent heavy showers of rain, and the soil is too wet for working, although the work is being carried on. A great deal of guano and artificial manure 3 have been purchased this season, and the number of farmers who depend on the natural fertility of the soil, combined with favourable weather, is every year becoming less, as the losa

of a crop of turnips seriously interftres with the profitable management of 6tock. Wherever the land is moderately free from sorrel the drilling machine is being used in preference to sowing on tbe raised drills, or the seeds are eowu broadcast.

It is in a season like this that the mistake of keeping land in grass too long The i$ brought forcibly before a Pasture. farmer's eye. Even on our good

soils four years is about the maximum period of profit, and more of tea after the third season it is necessary to plough the grass down. Still, some pastures are good for five 5 ears where the grass has bc.n laid down with exceptional care and on good soil. Pew manure the pas'ure, and it cmnot be expected to lasb many years. I Lave seen a few paddocks here which ab the end of 15 years grew a better Sivacd of grass than most pastures two or three years old, but in these cases the paddecks received the benefits of drainage from stables and stockyards. This goes to show, however, that it would in many cases be more profitable to manure the grass on hilly paddocks than to break up the lea ores in every four years or bo. A great deal of grass is lo3t every season by many owiDg to paddocks being too large, bub it is nob an easy matter to cb v ain the best results from grazing land without much watchful care. A profusion of flowers on the clovers i 3 not desirable, and a good sheep pasture should not have the grass loDg enough for cattle. It is seldom that a t paddock laid down to grass it fib for grazing ' btforo it is three months old, and after that period stock should nob be allowed to eat the grass very short nor be left on the pasture during wet weather. I!; may nob ba without interest to make a few remarks on the number of sheep and other animals which grazing land will carry, although this is a question that must depend for answer on the quantity and kind of grasses and clovers, as .well as on the state of the wfather. A discussion of the question will at lea'-t serve lo direct attention to the low annually incurred wherever the pasture is inferior to what the Hnd, with improved management, could produce. During some seasons I have hail threo crossbred ewes and three lamb 3 per acre on some paddocks of good pasture all summer, but some of the other paddocks would not carry that number of sheep. As no doubt mo:t forincrj know the carrying capacity of their farms, it may not be uninteresting to compare their experiences with the following extract from Professor Wallace's valuable woik on "Farm Live Stock" :—: — Sheep.— Two ewes with 2{ lambs (a fair crop) or 2J lambs (a good crop) are kept per acre on medium pasture iv summer. — , Bullocks. — One acre of good pasture, or ]} acres to ]J acres, according to quality, should keep ono fattening bullock all summer. Oae store animal might be fcufficient stock for oue acre of sacoacl quality land. Cows.— One cow cau be kept, summer and winter, on 2\ acres of superior dairy grass land, while three ucres of ordinary quality are necessary, and in a hilly dairy district up to five or six acres. Horsej.— One acre at least of good old pasture should be set asMe per horse. A somewhat similar esbimite and comparison is made in M'CjnneU'd " Agriculture NoteBook," as follows :—: — One acre of very good land will maintain 5 sheep, Ito 1J cattle, 2 horae3 ; one acre good average l.nd, 3 sheep, 1 cattle, 1 horse; 1 acre poor land, 2 sheep, \ cattle, i horse. A few farmers here and there, chiefly in the richer districts, are in the fortuMiscellnneDus. nate position of having a good deal of oats to sell, and the majority have bseu selling last week at 2s per bushel at the various sidings, as despite the unfavourable reports regarding the Australian crops it was considered risky to hold back long r. Present prices are causing a little excitement, and it is thought probable thht a good price will be obtained fur the incoming crop. Shearing was commenced a week or two since in a few placps, and if the weather would improve the work would soon be general. List harvest the pries ruling here for fat lambs was about 7s, and I am pleased to learn from some of those who had latnb3 frozen on their own account that the venture was most satisfactory, from 2s to 33 more haviug been netted.

I have not heard of maDy lorses of horeea from the presence of the bob fly grub tbi9 season, and I am not in a position to say whether many horse-owners tcok the precaution to destroy the eggs last staron or net. I was very careful to destroy tbe eggs of the fly last season with keroeene emultion, acd there have been no symptoms of il'ness shown by any of the horse 3 the whole eeason. It is not a great deal of trouble to wash tbe parts of the hone's coal on. which the fly deposits her eggs once or t.vice a week during the summer months, which nob only saves the hcvse from any trouble, but also tends to reduce the numbers of these pests, which drive horses nearly frantic during the summer months. Every farmer should obtain from the Stock department a copy of the second edition of the papej on the horse bot fly. The following extract from the paper may prove useful in the meantime: — "Woiking horEC3 should, after beiug groomed, be rubbed over with carbolised oil, ker.oae.ne emulsion, or other

substance obnoxious to flies. The best agent; for this is carbolic sheep dip — one part; of dip in aboub 20 of water. Where horses are kept in numbers the wash may be applied by yardiDg the animals and using a f pray ing machino with cyclone nozzle, such as is found in every well-mauaged orchard. The misblike spray will permeate the coats of the horses, and vthila its effects last no fl/ will attempt to deposit her eggs on them. One application per week will iv most c»se3 prove sufficient.'* It was reported that the flies were moltsbiug tor«es here aa early as the beginning of last December, but! their presence did not. coma uiv:er roy own observation till a few di v ya btfore Chri-tms.3.