SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2842, 2 September 1908, Page 8

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

IFsok Ova Own Cobreskhtorkt.) August 28. The rainfall this month has been moderate, the amount being at date of Tk* Weather writing a little over 2^in. and Little more than half that the Farm. quantity fell in the corresponding month of last year, and there was consequently -more tillage work performed in that month than in the one which is' passing away. In the early part of this month discing was being performed everywhere, but during the latter part,- when the rainfall was greater, the soil has been a little too wet for performing this op*eration. However, there need be. no uneasiness felt, as the ploughing is f&z advanced. Few iave little moi© to plough than a portion of that on which the turnip crop_ was produced. A large area will be sown, with oats thi6 season, but the payable price is not the only inducement to do co. The increase in acreage is indicative of a desire io make, the pastures more profitable by renewing them, and also an appreciation of the fact that straw is of considerable value for feeding sheep as well as cattle. Old pastures axe not profitable for fattening sheep, and the oat orop is the most suitable for taking off the newly broken -up lea. Hence an increase in the acreage of oats now may be taken to mean, an improvement of the pas- ; ture, and as a consequence more profitable I farming. It was different before the s-heep- , raising % and dairy-farming became .remunerative. Turnips ar© usually the second crop after oats; then the land is laid down , to grass with rape or soft' turnips, or with a white crop. But some farmers lay down to grass the second season with turnips, rape, and, in a few oases, rye. Old leas should not, however, be laid down (ill t<he third 1 season, as the undecayed weeds compete with the pasture seeds, and 1 the pasture is not in consquence as good as it should be. A few farmers have sown some oats, but in view of the unsettled state of the weather the seed would have been j better in the bags. The best time for sowing on the heavier soils here is about i the middle of September, as in the event of the season oeing late the seed will not then He too long dormant, and the soil is not likely to become caked after much Vain. But although the cowing should not be commenced as soon as the soil is ready there need 'be no time lost by those who use the drill for sowing, the seed, for the i seed bed can be well prepared before sowing, so that this operation can be performed in a short time when suitable conditions prevail, for some years the drill j has be«n gradually superseding the broad- i , cast seeders* The drill has two important j advantages — the s&ed is deposited at the i proper depth, which is about Bin, and a ; I small quantity of manure can be sown ' j witß beneficial results. A considerable number of farmers have been sowing with the drill for some years about lowt of manure, the effect of which has been to improve the yield sufficiently to more than repay the cost and to cause the crop to ripen earlier and more unifonmly. It would 1 be a waste of money to sow euoh a small quantity of manure broadcast, and ie would not pay to so_w sufficient in that way to increase the yield. There is not much wheat produced here when oats are remunerative, as wheat cannot be so successfully grown, and as it takes so much more plant food out of the soil. The soft varieties of turnips have not been of much value during the Turnips. month, as a large proportion of the coot had become dry and pith-like. A considerable quantity of the soft or white-fleshed varieties of turnips has been produced for some years, but some farmers intend to 6ow a smaller proportion *n future, as they find ! them beginning to decay in' July. They I certainly contain less nutriment than the yellow-fleshed varieties and the swedes, and J they do not ke9p so long, but they have compensating properties : they can be eaten in larger quantities, and are more easily grown, especially when th-e- &eed is sown late. The mistake that some farmers make is to sow the seod of the softer varieties too early in the season. They are some- t times sown in November for eating off in , May and June, by which time they have become overripe. They may be sown early for fattening lambs, though perhaps the harder sorts would do as well, but they are especially suitable for sowing any time in Janoiary, when it is sometimes too late for sowing -the harder 6orts. There is a considerable area of turnips still uneaten, and as the second growth of leaf is beginning now it is advisable to turn the sheep on the whole crop for a few days in order to stop this second growth, which, if allowed to continue long, reduces considerably the nutritive value of the crop. There were manj .addocks of food crop this season which were not hand-hoed. The cost of hand-hoeing has been obviated in many cases by the use of the combined double fidgers, which distribute the manure by means of two spouts and sow any desired quantity of seed. The practice adopted by a number of farmers is to plough the stubble early in winter with the digger plough, kill successive growths of weeds during the summer with discs, ' grubbers, and barrows, then, sow from 6oz to Boz on the raised' drill. The rest of the work is done with the horse hoe. Thus hand-hoeing is obviated and irom 12s to 15s an acre saved. Before the introduction of the double ridgers referred to the conditions in connection with hand-hoeing in I many places were becoming intolerable. I Indeed, some farmers thought they would have to give up growing turnips on the 'raised drill. No fanner now hesitates to buy any iniplemenf that will save labour, I even if it should only be used for a few I days or a few n ecks m the year.

? Sheep-owners have had varied experiences with sheep during the past She«p. winter. These animals hVv« v j j been wealthy where the\» had a good run off the turnips, especial!? where they had access at will t<Toaten straw or Italian hay. All desoriJtioSTS sheep need to have a good run off £rniw especially ewes and hoggets, and 2 much mortality appears the cause generally be ascribed to continuoustuS feeding. Ewes during July and i£3 S f°^ d £ Ot Hm^ *■* Gl * ht Sours S' cold days and hoggets are liable akTto the same disease fxom eating-too much soS conta "" n * .&» «?d when the turnips «" "~ covered with mud. Sand, in the case"? hoggets, appears to interfere with the peristaltic action of the bowels, so that inflammation follows. Among the sympfcvjs ol inflammation are periods of inactivity, during which the animal is dull ai.d net iaoiined to move when a .person approach**then a period of restlessness follows, dux- * ing which the animal runs, strike tkix belly with the hind feet, throws StfJaSj and rolls. It » seldom, however, iiafr an ' animal is noticed, during the whole or any period of the illness, so that all or any <$ these symptoms may be unnoted. A postmortem, however, reveais certain appear- ' anoea which indicate inflammation of the bowels— viz., reddish and greenish lines and patches on tht inside of the- intestines, *nd it may be that the bowels willbe found to be black. This, however, fe * only tho case when mortification has supervened. A few lambs have appeared m some places, but lambing will not be general on the arable farms till "tine middle * of September or a little later, and not till the middle of Octobei on some of the ntoral farms. The weather is often Durable for lambs in August, but as they begin to eat grass when a -month old 1 it » inadvisable to have a large increase ia the flocks long before October.