NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2273, 23 September 1897, Page 5

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

I notice from an article in the Scottish Farmer that there is quite a trade iv old Tinned horses between England and Me«t. Btlgiun), the purpose to which they are devoted being the preparation of tinned meat. At a meeting of the Belgian Chamber of liepre&entativep a member railed attention to tho fact that no fewer than 6000 horses had been enteredduring thecourse of the year, aud afterwards killed and converted in to tinned meat. As a good portion of this tinned meat finds its way into England, tfee consuming public cannot ba too catetul about the brand of tinned meat they purchase. While tinned horse fl^eh might nob be to objectionable amungsk the poorest continental classes, it would hardly be appreciated by EDglish follw, no matter how poor they might be. I do not know whether or uob. by any possibility, tinned meate prepared in Belgium find their way to this eouutry, but for rojtelf I should alwajs be very chary of an article of the kind of foreign manufacture. For New Zealandersit is a good plan to keep to the article of local manufacture, as then we can be certain thab we ate eating good wholesome meat, and nob a mixture of which superonnuated catt horse forms a component parb. Some of our New Zealand firme, I know, ute none bub the very besb of meat for tiuning, and I suppose all of them do likewiee, bo that we are perfectly safe in using tinned meat of New Zealand manufacture. And if once the Belgian pracbice became knowu iv Eoglaud thete would soon spring up a good detuaad for the pure, wholesome article manufactured in this colony. The practice of Belgium ia only thab of oth*r continental countiiee, and who knows but tba-t a great deal of the tinned meat imported into Britain may be a mixture of horse fleeh ? To Englishmen the thought is particularly disgusting, and the practice only requires to become generally known to bar foreign tiuced meats altogetLer, and to create a widespread demand for colonial tiuned meat*.

At one time it was anticipated that chemistry would do a great deal more for Chemistry agriculture than actual practice at the has realised. If; is related of a Farm. farmer of 30 or 40 years ago that

he 6aid to his seivant one day, " John, the day is not far distant when I will be able to take out *s much manure in my vest pocket as will do an acre." "Well," replied John, " wbeu you sre able to do that I will briDg all the crop home m my coat pocket." While the farmer cannot exactly get his manures reduced to such a concentrated form, yet the chemical manures are couGiderably less, bulky than most natural mannreF, excepting tfcc best guanos. In dry climates guancn assume a .very concentrated form, so that lewt of first-class guano is equal in nmnuria! value to several toiH of the best farmyard niaDure. Bub although the chemist has not succeeded in making manures in the shape of concentrated essences, jefc he hss done much to make pleasant the pa(.h of the farmer. For one thing, hard intractable lime compounds are made iuto soluble phosphates, while many waste products which were fcraaerly thrown away into rubb : sh heaps ace now utilised. Oue of the most striking examples of this is the utilising of the. tlag tfom the iron smelting furnace-?. From time immemorial this substance was allowed to be unused, till a chemist found by analjses that bisic slag was very rich in phosphorus, and therefore ought to possess a good manurial value. The fact was no sooner made known than machinery was planned to reduce the bard intractable slag to a. fine powder, and its valusas a manure was tuirly established From that day henceforth basic slug h£is been in the market as a manure. The dream, of the farmer has almost come to be realised iv the discovery of nitragen, which is a conci<iti-ftted solution of the soil in which legumines grow luxuriantly, coutaining millions of the bacteria in every cubic inch, with which to sprinkle the soil destined to grow o.her legumines. It' it is practicable to grow clover where clover w ?uld not grow before by merely sprinkling the wellprepared soil with nitragen, then the chemist his made a loDg move in the direction of the farmer's idea of carrying the manure for an acre in bis pocket. The knowledge of plants and plant-food given to the farmer by the cliemieb is of great advantage, and wbile a former need not b<j a chemist to understand these things an outline knowledge of the subject is of great value. The farmer who is able to read intelligently of the grest discoveries of the day and to pub them into practice manifestly possesses a great advantage over his fellows who cling to the old rule-of-thumb methods.

A practical farmer, writing to the Scottish

Farmer, calls attention to the Changes in changes in farm practice*mongst Farm the dairy-farmers of Scotland. Practice. In the course of a letter convey-

ing a lot of most valuable information the writer shows that the practice is to reduce root-growing to a minimum, and to grow & quantity of hay instead. Some of the figures which I will quote are instructive, and ought to show us that in New Zealand we have not as yet brought out a tithe of the productiveness of the laud. Oue farmer with a holding 93 acres in extent kept 60 head of cattle, of which 30 to 36 were iv milk all the year round. Yet this dairy-farmer has grown no roots For five years. Other farmers of the same locality baTe followed the same pmctice with profit. Before this can be done of course the land has to be brought; into a state of high productiveness by judicious cultivation before

ifc ia laid down iv grast. The figures quoted »how what can be done on a small farm provided the land is good, or, what is the next best thing, incJe rich by proper cultivation and manure, for it must alwr.ys be borne in miud that the richest Boil will become poor if cropped too long or grassed too severely without the aH of manure. These Soo(t : .«h dairy-firmers fetd their cows mainly ou li<iy «.ud oil cake daring the winter, and in spring time »U the Oung is carted on to the grass lauds, which ar« thereby kept in good heart. The writer referred lo favours timothy grass for hay, as>it yi«lds a good crop fora long time without deteriorating. A field of 20 acre*, which bus been cut for .'jay for ten years consecutively, produced an average of 55 to 60 toos, and ssems to be increasing in balk rather thnn deteriorating. Wbile. thers might be some reason for our practic-*of iurnipgrowing to bring the soil into gocd condition, etill we ought to consider the wisdom of reducing th-j root crop in favour of hay. The progress of the dairy industry denoandi that d-ury cows should be fed on something else than turnips, which taint the milk and ra*ke the butter unfit for table. The turnip break *hould be reduced from year to year, aad a piece of the best land should be devoted to th'j growth of grass for hay.

Potatoes, like pigs, are a very nncertaiu ccvm- ' moriity as regards prices. Tue > A Few Hint* demand being ci-nfiued to bbi J oh Potato- colomesisconsequentlyratherragroning. stricted and fluctuating, ai-.d the price must nl«o Wnctuacf. accord- I ing to the demand. The excessive dryness of ; l*sfc puaimer in some of the Urge potatoproducing did'jricts cau'-ei a good ra»uy grow«'v« [ ta thir.k that there would be & shoi-l o.o.» ya an average, and thst it would be gos .-1 ;,o ! icy to hold them for better prices 'han »vi>rts ci,tr/:'t/ in the autumn. I'm *ftai-i, Lovsevf.r, thdV those hopes havo, so fiMf, prove-* dclue'v-- v».>f' that there art! plsniy of tubers to keet. ns^Oitig till the nev.- crop comes in. >V'bit«i tti-^rc is nothing .more profitable tfcao ft grcd wip of poiato^s at a gooji piice, ii it CdcHsU to prfc in a large «.rta becw.ise \«ric*s hsp& d xo l.c g^od at planting timo. Voitfx-tr ca.ni. r t bo gtnwn s^tiaff.c'-.oiily witht at f *vovir*ble "oi i siud seasou and liberal treat raea l iv "in's u'atifr vf. tillage and manure. I tbiok f bc ro cawi'>u be any question that if it pays to gr< p0t '.6009 at all it pays besfc, c to adciit every m^nsi'ie likfly to ensure a good ::rop. The labour mi-oKpd ii the tame for a ligli* crop «s h beav> -.•if, wit s i tLc f xception ot HJf.sng iud atoiing, ic«i if fa expenditure of a few •Hilluvs ccr a" <■ in ■sui*--able manures will incr'.a^e *.Ij« yield *"Aterf<*lh , it must be well '"oitb wfc:'*-. za npj'ly r/ffic'Piii. mnuure. Potash manure.-: sre c^oi-.nlisl to this cruy, and anises *■ l.trg^ oivsaiag of farmyard manure ->as >ecu ploughed under in the%,u(umu tte h/. ( t plsv i?'f* '..-s-.i lei'tfliser? at the time of planting. K^»iv 5 \t> a s-iit<»ble manure, and is also t. ccesq» o»i-: mi<:.i!ftl «-ijyerphosphates are also beneficial iv B^ 'h« c 'i! abounds in liir>e. id wlurh '-:>pt; '•hoy cas. ! c dispensed with Having ..•.C' r A.-' o the groiritf and fcipet'did oti.iufcj ;n munuret. it i j a pity to spoil the crcn by pulci..g :>: > irif'f:iior *ets. Th«> best a.lvice I can give-, g»-f'_ered ftxra 'on^ flxperience, ia to plant goo 1 seed of goo-i varieties and plant it whole. It U-v. bn-i: «'c.* .-jsti-fcei l ov«r aiir-. over «gaiu that rued: i.r-.-"'^ •'• wK'it potatoes arc th<i best for r. edfMM! ,>\ > i» l:->:v,~ sized I mean nets of frc>r : '-^o* t: jg. z ji weight. I am aware ttaab upii'iv'Cfr d;JI'-- > on ; these poiuts, tixly say 'v: '< jj>ri,wcr« should foliotv whatever \A -t- thr;> lr d gi7ts btGt resu'fc?. O&e thing is quito <;£ :t»i», *K>l ; J.fcab i« that >«>'- Uv.iri /iiU-jf'/rt 3t.-j3, vN.im, aid friable. A stiff ■ .-n»v (/ C f^ u ed wi'l .u-t >;:'o» a nevu tuber ».t hi <V cut, !....■! lr- it » '-i> t)u'i>»f #.t\-rty Bf^d a.nd Üboor to say uotiMug if tiift use of « he land Nev. and good siits '.te easily obtainable nowadays. »nd it -s agouti time to abaudou the ola Derwet<-s io tt."oue af suptricr soi'ts such as the Bruce, Mignum bonum. .'micatcr, main cop. Bu'tua'a abuiidtuce, &o. A fo.w months ago I drew atteni; >a io the danger of feeding horses with Potatoes potatoes, and mentioned a case ?.s reported in Home pipers in Horse Feed, which one farmer lost 11 horses in a few days. The cause of the fatalities was inquired iulo by the best qualiSed vet?., and the decision was that a liberal ratio.i of potatoes was to blame. I now recur to the subject in order to notice what appears to be a similar case in the North Island of this colony. A farmer th e re wrote to a local paper stating that he had just lost two horses in a very eudden manner, and as he had been feeding them rather liberally upon potatoes he wanted to kiow whether it was probable thab the fatal results were due to them. The reply was to the effect that dealh was probably due : to modification following upon inflammation of j the bowelp, and that the inflammation was most probably caused by acute indigtstion from the potatoes found in the horses' stomach when examined. It is pretty generally known among farmers that potatoes, raw or cooked, are not a suitable food for werking horses ; but, for my port, I was not aware that so much danger was attached to the u?e of them as horse feed. From the report given by the veterinary ! su/gfc«n? of the Royal College who made I jiost mortems upon the horses lost by j the English farmer mentioned in a prej viouß note on this subject, it would appear that tbere is more danger to be apprehended from the use of old potatoes than any others, though that idea may be based upon insufficient evidence. Potatoes have a cooling and relaxing ; effect, but carrots are a good substitute in that respect. Bullocks fatten well upon potatoes

mixed with chaff or hay, smd there is no risk whatever in giving them to cattle or calves, ia moderation of ooarae. I have said that potatoes j are not; good for working horses, but I do uob { me«ii to nay that- they ahould be avoided alto- ; freiJacr. Mixed with chaff, a. few pounds per I day estinof. do an', harm ; the mischief is caused ( hy giviug too ci*ny at once «.nd alone. A | moderate allowance is very good for young j h<>rrea and for stud horaea. For these last they I are thought fco be UHf.ful in pubtiuga nice bloom 1 on tlwir co*te. Potatoes are good bone-former*, ■ ahU onthp.t cccouat are recommended for young ! horses. About. 6UI per day, mixed with Rh*Jf r ■ bran, an'r-'K-t^t i» a Casual ; ow<inc;-. . Every daiiy-farmer know?, or ftw^u'-l J ■»« v. j that a good milch -^v.' ivu-.i, Faulty have a goo.il u<ld«r — '.h*.fci-, a a {.'Adam. • udder that itt large ?,nd toorny, and also h«.nge down well iv tha : forp w c. An » rale the odder cf th<- ordinary ! cow '.-■ ii>ueh fuller and tower iwhind 6iun in ■ fronr;, sa«J the gieater p*;!i of tba milk comes | fvc.'ta flia ba, k quartets of Ihe udder. Instead , nf '.\u< front- teats hangin£ »• low -Jown ?.t the I hind o*ts tti'Sy are «o toueli higher thai the | «d«*?r fecTOH to terminate with the fraut line of ! tha Jfars. J-,4 order '•> obtain «^me definite ia- : formation regarding tb?. conn*-o'.>inn between the "■ rlfM .'t ni:.'lr *»d tiiß cs-jtfo:ia*tion of the uddor, ' 65 diC -rior!; avn. redrew! /ling several types of | nailer,. %r.«^ avilksJ \.xtvac supervision and the i-Mults .-tirWcrt'y noisO. Xiie general yield f com Ihe back teatu was f«-«nd to be 16£ pet cent. 1 ■:)<:« >;r khan vh»t fi-om the front teats. Thiri £«*»<-. of the <:ows having very defective uldere *« to 'hApe "core found to flivo a <]jffer<-n<!« of ', &7 p."*- pf i!t. bstw^en yield f'Otn hick *;id fwo*; . 'e&fr-i. ".hile in the cast, of niuo cr»WB with well- ' shared I'd^iru t,b»i <?iff'?rcu<-.e was o&ly * yr.c : l cenc. ,Fro.,) tbr> for fcuing its may be gat'i^red ' that ihe cow has an. inferior udder and that tbe d>!e»-t ".^ usufcUy ia'the fronn part. : ; Therefoto *t ic Advlawble to pay pctxae Attention ' lo !.his matter iv breeding and eekchng d&ir/ : i c>jww. No oiafclvr how g;«o<s tts bull may be, a ' 1 cow with a fault;- uckU.-i* .rt^y *«?« to repm1 dnoe the fime' ?o h«? !wf« calysß. Oj: 1 eour*i? it i« a wp.'l-k.:o vn Tacb thivy aay pa.tica1 j l\r portion ..f -jid si-iviii.l cao bft improved by '■ nieanfl if piric! atttafcitvu ie breeding and selec- ! t;o»>, and via it; is t-firt*i:- C!ia ( ' aww «"tth a we)l1 | hung and Itr^, .-j.ivicr will give v large yiell o? " ! m!lk, it beco:vie« » ww-ter of importance t;-. >>b- ! tain cows with «"-th udders. A cow <v<f,h aft ' ! it.fei.-KV' udder tyv.y ft, : »e mi'k of gojd qr.aJJny, ■' bufc sho ar."«i .-^cei :.v,: .v, «j..v.lit>, therefo^-i-he ' ! dairymsn should reject; uph a one, ao letter how got d ?'-ie svity ba i-.i -taer iesp«ot«. The woof o< the pudding ifc iv the eat?ug, and so <.hsr jifld from a cow is a surer guide to her litne-sj'-a- the dairy tCau »!1 the oatw.-ud sigua o.io i> ;li -aMous cf a good milker. As, Uowerer, I a rr-ac : i».l teet of -v. cow's performance ai » n;-:ikrtr ja.uofc ftlwa^B be obtained before nur--i '•><.?>.,!,, ,t; :•? Docefc3t>.ry to be guided by external hV,,o?»iuni..'s hi a great moaaure. The udder , anrl laitk glaudc »si<3 pretty sure to give the mo&t 't-liable iafcfxati'hn in the matter of ou*i- , ward Mftua. Beaide* boiuft largo, and hanging . *v.V' und tounJ, w : th the front part a« low f>s 1 tfcf the udde: should in no casa !)« - Icshj. Tte teaLa should be wide apart, and *.hu* »how a gc.il breadth of uddai-, and ihe e.~coodti7j or dasmy teats Bb"ald' not oe absent. A r-.i-w a Urge nod wdl-shapo>l udder ih«t 5s n'^t Reshr ncast bs a gco-1 tailkts 1 though shfi ;uay bs d-flaient Ju other poir.ts Ut»t>essi».-y to sach a «.b.*raer«. Oa the Dibit? ha^d, a e;>>^ may be ijerfect ij ftU v>t'ift; out- '■ •0.a.nl iiir.'Hfttions of a large muker, 'out i F U'ck- ?»» Ir n'sr» md sh»pe of v ider the cannot b» : Mooaj-n rxidwd »» ? dr-:»*y oov. .\il ! - attd cr&em ocea«ionh 'itcoiac s'criagy,- ' , ropy, or glutinous, and thoic is • Striagy - a diversity o'i ojiinion au to 'the i fii'.lfe. oaue«i of - this peculiar condi- ! tioa. The most recent theory,* j is that tb^ cause in to b«s found in the feeding of i\-e cows, aud fehafc the food indirectly I caust'i i.h« trouble by chunging the nature of i ! ths btotcri* in the dung, from which the milk . ' i« i ?ecolftt:ed during the operation of milkitig. i I There in no doubt tha l ; certain bacteria are the • | direct cause of the stringiness, bufc the origin i ] of these is nob known for caruiiu, though it is ' considered that they are due to infectioa fro«a i I filth of aome kind it) connection with milking ■ shedo or-utensil?. ft is said to be very difficult to kill the bacillus, and nothing bufc the most > 6ctuijulous cleanliness will gex rid of fa. A • Swiss professor has said thai the bacillus of i stringy milk is commoner ia Norway and i Switzerland than in any other country cf : Europe. At a dairy cDDferance so Bei-ae th.a professor allowed samples of milk, all from one i pure source 12 hours before ; each sample had ■ I been inoculated with a d'ffercnt culciv»tioa nt •■ some bacillus caasmg trouble in tha dairy. : The professor dipped his pt-ncil 5u the milk into ; which a cultivation of this b.ieillus had been • added, and the pencil lifted * long string of milk i nearly 2ffc loDg. Warm weather is favourable ; to the production of the stringy milk baccillus, especially moisture aud heat. We all • k&ow how cow yaids, piggeries, &«., stink dur- ! • ing hot weathpr immediatt7!y after a raiu —that in, when the draiuagu is b*d atsd the stugnanb , water, aar ?hr.rged with filth, -patrifiea and feiiers ii in the iuinmnr heat. This, mud and w&ter ia ' ; spUthed over the cows' bellies and udders, ■ I dries and falls into the pail, and the infection ' is comp'.ete throughout the whole establishment. ■ The mischief does not always appear in the shape of strinfy milk, bub it is easy to account • for all the ills that dairy products are liable to ; under such microbe-breeding conditions, Tha • bacillus which ii supposed to be the principal i cause of striney milk has been known to retoia

its vitality from March to September iv * sample of milk which had beeu inocuUted with it, bo that it i» long-lived as well as hard to destroy--