NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 7

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

The local wool sales are now proceeding, having commenced in the The Wool north last month, and will Market. shortly be held in Otago.

The prices obtained at the last sale were considerably higher than at the first of the series, and it is anticipated that at the coining sales latest prices will' foe fully maintained. This is good news for farmers and pastoralists, and the best advice they can receive is to sell as much of their clips as possible in the local markets. The prices are so much better than were anticipated that it is too risky to refuse to sell -locally at prevailing rates, as there is always the chance of the market falling suddenly when prices are at a. fairly satisfactory level. Many woolgrowers had cause to regret not selling their clips locally last year, as those who shipped' had to take prices much below

what were obtained in New Zealand, especi-

ally at the earlier sales of the 6eaion. Farmers should accept a profitable price for their wool when offered, as it i? imprudent not to do so, nor can they afford to speculate unless they are doing business in a large waj - . Sheep-farmers and pastoralists with large .slips probably find that it pays them best to ship their wool every year, as they come out all right in the long run. The farmer also with a smaller clip who 6ells locally each year finds that, taken over a number of years, he has disposed of hi 3 wool to the best advantage ; and as prices go at the j>resent time, the best advico to farmers is to sell locally.

Towards the successful management of orchards and fruit cultivaLime for tion -lime, according to best Orchard and authorities, plays a very Frnit Cnlture. important part. "In a soil ■which is deficient in this

necessary constituent, th<? effect of other measures which may be adopted to increass the fertility of the soil can do little lasting good/ Lime is in the first place an essential plant feed, affording nourishment to the trees, though experiments haye shown that there is a considerable variation in tho lime requirements for different* trees. . The apple tree makes a greater demand on the lime in the soil than the pear tree. The stone fruit trees, especially cherry trees, require liberal supplies of lime, and where this constituent is lacking the trees do not stand a fair chance of yielding a satisfactory crop. Lime induces a sound, strong growth, the trees develop good roots, a solid growth, and greater power to resist the attacks of disease. By a judicious application of lime, trees which have been poor and weak in appearance have been "noticed to quickly snow a satisfactory growth and development. Apart from the direct influence on the soil,, lime is known to exercise indirect beneficial action by loosening and improving heavy, cold, clay soils. It breaks up the soil, makes it lighter, more poTous, and easier to work. encourages the chemical decomposition of the 6oil, and liberates inert constituents which become available as plant food. Probably the best way of applying limo is in the form of ground quicklime. Its action is more energetic and quicker than the milder forma of lime, and. it is especi<»Jly suitable for heavy, cold lands. Farmers who have orchards or who cultivate

Urnit should see that the coil is well suppliecT with lime, and if it Jias not this ingredient they should not hesitate to apply a. good dressing, and thereafter repeat the dressing in smaller quantities every few years.

A competition was held this year in Scotland" by the Kirriemuir Difi-PctaU-rrflwiDK trict Agricultural Society CoaipetitUa. for handsome prizes given by the Potash Syndicate for the beet crop of potatoes grown with any kind of dung, manure, or fertiliser, to tho •ompeting plot, along with kainit or other

potash salts; and adjoining the competing plot there had to be at least a quarter cf an acre treated in precisely the same way, except that to it no kainit or other potash 6alts had been applied. Three acres were grown with potash and a quarter -acre without it. Two judges were appointed, and the results per imperial acre were as follows: — I

No. 1 had an easy win for the first prize with a very" heavy crop of Up-to-Date potatoes, with a 29-inch drill, on black loam over clay, with a sunny aspect. Tho treatment was 12 tons of farmyard manure, 3c* t superphosphate, and 3cwt kainit salt applied in drill. No. 2 won second honours ■with a heavy crop of Up-to-Dates on black loam over clay, with warm exposure, drill 26in wide; the manuring being 14 tons of farmyard manure, 4cwt superphosphate, lewt of sulphate of ammonia, and 2cwt of sulphate of potash. No. 3 had third prize for a very close and big crop of Up-to-Dates, a littta checked by early^ frost, .grown on 28-inch drills on black loam over pan, with a sunny exposure ; the treatment being 12 tons of farmyard manure, scwt of potato manure, and l^cwt of sulphate of potash. No. 4 came into fourth place with a fine crop of Up-to-Dates on free land, with a 28-inch drill, the treatment being 12 tons of farmyard manure, 3cwt of potato manure, and 7cwt of kainit salt. . Disease ,waa scarcely visible on any of the farms inspected. According to the Pastoraliste' Review, Canada has thrown open 30 Land million, aores of land for Settlement selection at 12s 6d' per In Canada. acre, and the rush of ap- ■ plications is described as "phenomenal." Holders of homesteads of ' not more than 160 acres were permitted to double their holdings, and nearly every ' settler availed himself of the advantage. ' Tho 30 million acres thrown open are in Alberta, and Saskatchewan, and were formerly hold to railway grants, but havo i reverted to the Government, all the grants having been satisfied. The receipts from ; thp sale of this land are to be devoted to building the Hudson Bay railway to Port Churchill, a length of 500 miles, at a cost of three million sterling. It is also re-poi-ted that the value of this year's wheat c.-op in Western Canada may be placed at about £18,000,000, as compared with £10,000.000 last year, £12,000.000 in 1906, , and £10,400,000 in 1905. The basis for tho estimate regarding the 1908 yield is tho t opinion given by the secretary of the •■ North-wc-st Grain Dealers' Association that the production for the season is 107 million bushels. The average quality 'of the crop is said to be much better than that of last • year, supsrior to that of 1906, and as good ' a<; that of 1905. The yield in 1907 was 77 < million bushels; in 1906, 101 million 1 bushels; and in 1905, 80 million bushels. AGRICOLA. j '

'lot No. 1 'lot No. 2 'lot No. 3 h ".ot No. 4 'lot No. 5 'lot No. 6 With potash. Without. Tons. Owt. Tons. Cwt. ... 15 7 .. 13 10 .. 14 0 .. 10 4 .. 12 12 .. 10 6 ..12 9 .. 8 15 ..9 8 .. 6 0 .. 7 15 .. 6 5