SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2205, 4 June 1896, Page 6

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(Fbom Ova Own Cobbespondent.) Seldom has the weather been so fine at this time of the year as it has been The Weather during the past month. There And has not been much rain, and of The Farm, frost it can almost ' be said to have been conspicuous by its absence. Ou one or two occasions snow fell on the mountain tops, but did not reach the lower levels. With such weather, which is more like that experienced in early spring, it follows that farm work has been pushed forward rapidly. Early and late farmers alike were favoured with good weather for (he threshing and the carting of tho grain, and now a large number are ploughing, the work having been commenced at the beginning of the month. It cannot be skid, however, that this work is general,

and some districts have no more thafr started. It seems highly probable that a much larger area will be ploughed for oats this se.asen than last. This is not altogether due to the payable prico now ruling for this ceteal, but to the fact that the severity of the weather last winter prevented the ploughing of as much lea as was intended. There is too much of such land lying too long in grass, and therefore uuremunerativo through the paucity of unsuitable grasses and , the lateness of the growth in spring. Lea is beiDg ploughed both for oats and turnips. Growing turnips on the lea, there is leas expense than where tho land requires to be drilled, and in some cases there is the additional inducement to grow turnips where the yield of oats would be low. I find that oats do well on lea that contains some per* centage of clover, but on land that has grown little clover, or where tho soil is bound by the roots of grasses, it is the better plan fco sow turnips instead of oats. The land is somefcimesi ploughed too deep, and the first crop is nob so good as the second. From four to five inches is the proper depth to plough either new land or lea. It is through plonghiug too deep thftb tho digger ploughs have come to be discarded by some of late years ; but this implement is now becoming more generally used here, and the results are satisfactory where care is taken to turn up only a little new soil every year. By deep ploughing the upper soil, which contains a certain proportion of animal and vegetable matter, modified by the action of worms and the ameliorating influences of .the atmosphere, is buried, and the crop suffers by being sown on the subsoil before it is oxidised for plant use. The subsoil should be brought up vory gradually—only a little each rotation— to mix with the upper soil. Tho cost of ploughing by contract here is, where the ploughing can be done in largo breako, from 4a 6d to 5s pc? acra with the ordinary double furrow, or 6s per acre with the digger plough.

Although fat lambs were scarce at the beginning of the season there was as Slock. large a number as usual avail-

abb before the close, which means that a consideritble percentage of the young stock has been disposed of for freezing. Ab the beginning of the season 9_ was received on the farms, bub towards the close many were sold at 10b and 10s 3d per head. There was a considerable number of buyers, and it was so easy to diipose of the lambs on the ground that but few lots were taken to tbe saleyards. Occasionally it is asserted that the prices are too high, but the experience of last season was such an eyeopener that reports of a discouraging nature are taken witna grain of salt. It is, oE course, owing to there being no monopoly hero that we have received satisfactory prices this season. Last year lambs were bought early at from 6a to 7s, but rather than t»ke these piices sc ms exported on their own aocount, and in some cases realised as high as 11s per head, which shows that enormous profits must have been made by those who bought at the price .mentioned above. The same thing would have occurred this seasou but for the existence of two companies, and it behoves all sheep-owners to study their interests more than they are doing, otherwise we may expect to see the price of fat sheep ruling very low. The Southland Frozen Meat Company have bad a very successful season, and its success is assured if the farmers stick to it. Young store sheep are in good demand. The price of cattle is not so satisfactory, except in the caoe of milk cows, which always command a good figure during the winter season.

Turnip 3 have improved considerably during the month, but the crop is under Winter the average. Good prices are Peed. offered, but there will not be a great deal to dispose of. Wethers have been put on at different times during the month, but ewts and hoggets are being kept off ai long as the fine weather continues wherever a shortage h feared. It may be pointed out that there is a danger in reserving the turnips too long— until the sheep begin to fall off in condition. In order to do well on such a watery diet as turnips, sheep or cattle do better when they are put on in fair condition. Better give ths stock a email portion of roots daily than keep them off too long. Tho cause of mortality among ewes in spring must sometimes be set down to their being put on turnips in low condition. Every farmer should endeavour to make an estimate of the number, of tons of turnips he has, and how long they will last the stock. By tailing and topping the turnips in a few drills in different parts of the paddocks-and weighing them, it is very easy to arrive at the probable number of tons. I hare made an estimate on more than ona occasion of the amount consumed by sheep feeding on turnips, but having the liberty oE running ovet pasture or stubble at will. Hoggets take about half a ton per hundred per day i an equal number of crossbred eyres an 4 hoggets 12cwt per day. I hare not experimented with wethers separately, bnt think they would require 14owt per hundred per day. Bw removing the sheep daily half the quantity would serre for a flook that was not being fattened. Cattle will take about 701b each or. turnips per day. Calves afttr being rre*ue4 are too often left to pick a living for themtelvna as best they may, and m»ny «« lost annual^

in consequence, while those that survive the winter are permanently stunted. A little oaten chafi along with turnips will enable them to get through the winter in good condition. Tney should be kept away from straw stacks, as the lees straw they eat the better. The potato crop was a very poor one this season, and it ie unlikely there Miscellaneous, will be sufficient for local requir> ments. The yield of honey is disappointingly low, and the cause is attributed to the bumble bee, ■which is believed to seriously lessen the honey supply of flowers. But in my opinion the cause ia more likely to be due to the bad season or to disease. A keen demand exists for youDg draught Horses, and it is likely to continue.