WELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2671, 24 May 1905, Page 9

WELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(Fboh Ora Own Cobhispondent.)

We have had a good deal of rain the last

few days — nothing in th© The shape of floods, but just Weather. enough to make things

dirty. It is to be hoped it will clear up for a spell, for if we get heavy rains as early as this it makes the winter more severe, as when the land gets thoroughly soaked there is little chance of much growth, and feed in places is none too plentiful. Fortunately stock generally are in good nick, so they will be able to stand a bit of a squeeze. On the larm work will be nearly at a •standstill for some considerFarm a-ble time ; but there is Work. always plenty of work that -should be done, and on a. i well-managed farm a good large workshop is a, necessity, provided with a good kit of | tools; and_ every young man who intends to make his living on the land should learn how to use all idnds of tools, so that on a' wet day he can overhaul drays and harness and ail kinds of machinery, as it is wonderful the extra life that can be put into implements by going over them and tightening up all bolts, and replacing any that may be broken. If the trouble is taken to paint everything regularly the labour will be amply repaid, not to mention the little that it costs in material. The paint keeps bolts and nuts from rusting, so that when it is necessary to shift them the nut comes off easily, whereas if left without paint they get set hard on with rust, and very often the bolt is broken. It is lamentable to see the way valuable implements are left standing out in all weathers. Sometimes a drill or a reaper will be seen left against a fence in the paddock where last used, and even if they are taken into some kind of a shed they may often be seen used by the fowls for roosting on, and are covered inches deep with their droppings. Many farmers have an idea that a machine or implement constructed wholly of iron takes no" harm by being left exposed to the weather, but I consider that iron requires as much care as wood, as bolts very soon get •eaten up with rust, and a jolt makes them snap off, and when one bolt 'goes it weakens the whole machine. Is therefore pays to keep everything clean and tidy, and the pieasure of looking at them when clean is worth all the labour entailed in keeping them in good order. Everything tiaat is partly or wholly made ■of wood should have a, coat of paint every autumn. There is no great art in doing the necessary painting, as what little paint is required can be bought, ready mixed, in any colour desired. Harness also needs a good overhaul by receiving a thorough washing and then a dressing of oil. I am sorry to say that well-kept, harness on a farm is the exception. In the slack time, as at present, fences and hedges should be attended to. I am sorry to see so few farmers go in for live fences, gorse being the only thing grown to any extent. Berbeiry makes a good hedge if looked after for a few years, but few like the trouble of attending to it properly. Now that fencing timber is getting scarce, and dear, however, farmers will have to pay more " attention to live fences. Many have a great antipathy to gorse on account of its propensity to spreading ; hut it is easy to grow, and by giving a little attention to it regularly, trimming and grubbing any shoots that may appear, it makes a good fence, and also has the great advantage of giving good shelter. On the open downs country on a. bleak winter day it is a pleasure to see stock feeding in the lee of a gorse hedge instead of being exposed to the driving cold blast through a wire or fclab fence.

Arbour Day is approaching, but every day should be arbour day from Forestry. May to September, as different situations require different dates, according to the nature of the climate, and there can consequently be no hard-and-fast rule as to the date fixed for tree-planting. It behoves every landowner to see that he plants a few trees, and there can be no excuse on the score of plants not being available, as nurserymen are busy canvassing for orders, and are offering forest trees at a very cheap rate, while their catalogues give buyers a wide

range from which to select their favourite trees. I do not remember ever hearing *of so many fires on farms as has been Fires the case the last few months. None of them have been of any great magnitude — a few grain stacks in one place, a stable or woolshed in another ; still, taking them altogether, there must have been a considerable amount of property destroyed. Besides the money loss, the mysterious origin of most of the fires recorded has a disquieting effect, though I think people are too prone to suggest incendiarism. I am convinced that most fires are the resxilt of carelessness, pure and simple ; and looking round the ordinary run of farm steadings the idea occurs to me that it is a wonder there are not far more fires "than there are, as in many instances stables and sheds are to be seen littered sometimes 6in deep with chaff and dry inflammable dust, with men smoking-, and going about with naked lights, very often striking matches by the dozen, looking for something at night. I cannot understand such carelessness being tolerated, as for their own comfort it might be thought they would give the sheds a rake up now and again. The risk of fir-e is greatly enhanced by having sheds in such a slovenly state, as a match may be dropped in some deep corner of rubbish and start an incipient fire, -which may smoulder for hours before it gets a chance to be fanned into flames "by a gust of wind. I .suppose it is hardly possible to be immune from risk of ■fire, but a -great deal may be done in seeing that all stables and sheds are regularly swept up. Since the number of fires nad been on the increase farmers who have suffered are airing a grievance they have with the insurance companies, in that they will allow nothing for salvage. There does appear to be something wiong. As one farmer put it, he had his. shed burnt down, and in the shed was a machine insured for £20. The farmer got the machine out, and so saved it. Now, the machine was past its best, and will "shortly have to be replaced with a new one, so that if the farmer had allowed the old machine to be burned he would have got the £20, which would have gone a g-cod way towards the purchase of a new one. There is thus no encouragement to the honest man to save the property for the j sake of the insurance companies. There still appears to be an unsatisfied demand for farm land ; but Land dairying country is not so Hunger. much sought after, as the high prices ruling for sheep and wool are enhancing the value of purely pastoral country. A good many sales havo been effected this last month or two, but tha high price of stock makes it a serious iratter, as country that will carry two and a-half sheep to the acre takes over £2 an acre to rait the stock on it. However, there appears to be lots of money available for investment in sheep country, and it is to be hoped that sheep will continue to maintain their present prices, so that buyers may not; get too quick a set-back. ANTIQT7A OTIS.