NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2732, 18 July 1906, Page 5

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

The Scottish breeders of these horses will

probably be very indignant Origin of Ik* about the -statement reClydesdale cently made by an English Horse. professor to the effect that the Clydesdale is derived from the same 6ource, and is of the same breed, as the English Shire horse. He says that the history of both these breeds shows that their size and power is due in a great measure, if not entirely, to horses imported from Flanders. He says, also, that in the early days of the period in which the Scottish type was being formed, and prior to the formation of the dydeedale Horse Society, Scottish dealers were in England 1 buying up large numbers of heavy Shire mares to be bred from in the valley of the Clyde. He also said that, if further proof were wanted that the Clydesdales and Shires are of the same origin, it is to be found in the fact that the greatest stallion in the Clydesdale Stud Book, the horse of all others who made the greatest mark as a sire during the early day 6of the Clydesdale Horse Society, and a horse of. ell others to which breeders love to trace their stock, was a crossbred horse on both sides. This was Mr Lawrence Drew's famous Prince of Wales, whose sire, General, was by Sir Walter Scott, from a grey English mare, and whose dam, Darling, was by Samson, alias Logan's Twin, from an English grey mare. It is also important to notice that the dams of five or his most famous sires were English — viz., Prince of Altyxe. Hawkhead, Lord Douglas, St. Lawrence, and Prince of Avondale, all of them Glaskow Premium winners, a fact in itself which is sufficient to stamp their quality.

A "Bush Farmer" in the Orepuki district tells me that he considers Potato the potato blight has come Brvning. to this country to stay,

and that as the disease nae got into the soil potato growers will have to be prepared to fight it at any time. He asks me to tell him the best remedy — a very difficult question to answer in the face of all the conflicting- reports and opinions which have come from different parts of the colony since the blight appeared two years ago. Some growers say that they have saved their crops by spraying, while others aver that spraying did no good, and others, again, adopted neither preventive .nor curative measures, and yet obtained good crops. "Bush Farmer" himself says that he made inquiries in his own district, with puzzling results. One grower escaped the blight while crops on both sides of him were diseased, and all that he did waa to steep the seed before sowing in a 15 per cent, bluestone solution. A short distance from thi3 man there was a good crop of potatoes, which had not Been treated for blight at all. I do not think my querist is quite correct in saying that the blight has got into the hind, for I think tnat it is more a question of being in the air, seeing that it is the moist, muggy seasons that have accompanied (he a.ppearance of the blight. He refers to the old Irish plan of dusting the young plants with lime on a dewy morning, but I rhink that the bulk of the expert opinion available is in favour of spraying. I do not mean just spraying in a careless and perfunctory manner, but thorough spraying of both sides of the leaves with a first-cla^s sprayer -that leaves no portion of the plant unsprayed. There are a great many different fungicides in the market, and, like the sheep <fcp6, they are probably all effective i ( properly applied and sufficiently often to have the desired effect. The well-known Bordeaux mixture of lime, bluestone, and water has held its own in trials of different spraying fluids. "Bush Farmer' says he had no blight, while his next neighbour had, but he planted his 11 weeks earlier than hia neighbour did, and this, probably, accounts for his escape. It seems to me that early planting is the best safeguard. The blight does not appear till near the end of the summer, and I have found that my early potatoes have become matured before the blight does any mischief to the late ones, therefore I think we should give- more attention to the early and middle-early sorts and leave the Derwent3 and others late sorts alone.

I have just come across a report in an English paper of some trials made in potato-growing and spraying. British Queens, Challenge, and Up-to-Dates were planted at a time corresponding to the last week in October with us. Three months later they were all sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. There were a few patches of blight on the British Queens, but scarcely any on the Up-to-Dates. At anyrate, the result is said to confirm the experience of past years in England that spraying is undoubtedly beneficial in staving off the blight and giving the tubers a better chance to get to maturity. "With spraying there was never more than about 2owt of diseased potatoes to the acre, whereas no spraying resulted in about 15cwt or 17cwt per acre. The Bordeaux mixture to which I have referred is made up with 201b bluestone, 201b lime and) 40 gallons of water. "Bush Farmer" asks if a dressing of lime would benefit a patch of bush land which grew six tons o f potatoes per acre last year. He says it should have grown 20 tons, but does not proffer any reason why it did not. Busb land, as a rule, contains a lot of potash, and that is what potatoes chiefly require. If the soil is stiff some lime may improve it, but it certainly will not do

harm in any case. His best plan is to try for himself and see what lime will do on a small patch. If satisfactory, he can proceed with confidence next year. A light crop will not, of couree, take so much out of the land as a heavy one, but good farming consists of getting as big a yield as possible, and restoring the fertility when necessary. Like a wise man, "Bush Farmer" is bent on making a enug home and planting an orchard. He says he hae a few acres enclosed for fruit trees, and sheltered on all sides but the north, and wants me to tell him the best kind of shelter tree to plant on the north. If he shuts out the sun too much he will spoil his fruit, and I would not advise him to plant trees on the north side at all. A good high hedge of maerocarpa, laurel, matipo, or something of that sort will break the force of the wind without giving too much shade for the trees. By planting his trees in rows about 26ft apart he will be enabled to plough and cultivate the land between the trees vrithout disturbing the trees or their roots. He can then make use of the land for growing clover, cape barley, vetches, etc., for mowing for his cows, or he can use it for potatoes, mangles, or any kind of root crop. He must not try to work the plough so near to the trees that the swingle-trees scrape the bark, and as the trees get older he must allow more margin for tho spread of their roots. He tells me, also, that he has felled 30 acres of bush, to be sown down when burned, and would like to know what kind of seed to sow. His best plan is to notice what grasses do well on similar land in his district, and sow accordingly. I do not live in a bush district, and have had no experience of the sort, but I suppose he cannot go wrong in sowing plenty of ryegrass, cocksfoot, and red and white clover — say, 201b ryegrass, 101b cocksfoot, 21b» red clover, lib white clover, and lib of Timothy per acre. I f it is good cocksfoot country it would be better to sow more of that and omit the ryegrass. With regard to his query about mixing rape or turnip with the grass seeds, I cannot advise him unless he is going to graze it with sheep. These will not succeed unless the land i3ploughed; and' as he says it lias juet been felled I suppose the stumps will prevent the plough from doing much for come time. "Bush Farmer" apologises for sending in a batch of questions, but I may tell him that I am always glad to get queries, and very willing to answer them to the best of my ability; but I do not profess to fee infallible, nor can I undertake to advise people upon matters that are beyond the scope of my observation or experience.

I have a query from "Inquirer," South Canterbury, asking me to Cratching tell him the right time for

crutehing

breeding

This is a matter upon which opinions differ, though all sheep farmers agree as to the necessity of crutching at some time between autumn and spring. When the ewes ara crutched in May or June the wool taken off is clean, for the most part, and consequently is more saleable ; whereas much of the breech wool is dirty and daggy at ,a* later period, and unfit for marketing. For my part I usually crutch in May or June,, and 1 find that by clipping round the breech and well back round the udder the ewes are pretty right until the time for docking the lambs, at which time I again give them a trimming up and remove any tags of wool around the teats, as well as any dags on the breech. It is possible, of course, to crutch them a month before lambing if the flock is not large and the ewes are handled carefully ; but, as I have b-aid, less saleable* wool is then obtained in comparison, with earlier crutehing. I crutch all the lambs- soon after weaning, and those I keep through the winter arc dagged whenever necessary until shorn. If "Inquirer" has not crutched his ewes yet I would! advise him to do it this month, and dag any requiring it ac lamb-docking time, and he will find that they will then keep pretty right until shearing. AGRICOLA.