NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2902, 27 October 1909, Page 5

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

When latei* on in the season creen crops begin to come in. such as Enni'a?* »eron<J clovers, late wtches, Halting-, meadow aftermaths, broken (yrass on over-rank pastures, and such like, tt is expedient for dairy-far-imrs and oHwts to-mafe" enrilape, and rroro especially «hould rhis op-era fion be carri-wl on so '<w.n as the hay-making season is over Ktvsilage may be ma>de at any tinra ulipn th<> ueosaiary material can bs foutod; bPjf\ vrhf-n rua<!e i-s a most valuable acquisition to Uie winter fodder stores. There

is still among farmers a certain prejudice against making this useful feed, and with a determination worthy of a better cuise they still continue to run along tho )kl {rroove, notwithstanding the fact t'.iat moi'.3rii abd new discoveries are made which alone may enable them to compete with their fellow-men who are more progressive and more enlightened. Th«a stack method < f making enoilag© is a good on-e. The fctacke should ha built on bare, sound, level ground, and no bottom be u^2c'. The material should, be drawn awl stacked as "ast ■r.3 out, but it is all the bett€C that it shcuJd r.ot be ovar-wet, otherwise it is rather inconvenient to handle — not that moisture spoils tho ensilage, but rather the other way about. Th© stack should be built up quito perpendicular in the walls, the rcof wolf made, and a week should b2 allowed in building, so as to give the maberiaJ tiir.e to settle, and then, if covered witA coil, say lft thick, or plenty of short straw,, the -waste wijl be very little; the- extsui of the loss, of course, varies with the manner in which the ensilage is made. With properlymad<3 ensilage tb2 loss will not be great ; in an ill-made stack the greater part of the contenrs may be ruinsd. It is srtUl an open question -whether the varidus changes which the mass of green stuff* undergoes vs due tc the activity of certain fermentation, en- whethar'the changes aa - e due to other pros^ssss, which eontinu© £0 long as the plant oells li\e. E-ecent investigations point to the probabilitj' that the latter explanation is the correct one. Tho wonder is that farmers do not go in for en-«!ag*-ma.kin-g much n-.cre than thej new do. In this province in part-'eufcr there is every paar an abundance of grc«n fodcler giovrn upon most farms, a great d-sal ci w4iicn ii allowed to go to 'waste. It 'Bay be urged that the making of ensilage is not g^r.-cirally understood, o. that ths facilities ttT^ not av.-vikbl© on many farms, but thU is not .1 sound argument; bocausa it is ro difficult matter to get the directions, «-u>d, what is cf the most importance, but little expense* . rd trifliag appHane^« •>•*» necessary. It is well known ;.-,.- v^etable natter or humus improves most soils. s,n It at least improves those 1 mpr<wem»Bt soils that are somewhat run -) H«nin». down by ec-ctincous graJngiowing. Wherever pa.r-tialiy-decayed manure or rcots are foupd /1 the soil, moisture is generally present, i:tl such material also -permits a ft*e oiTcution of air. The rea! value of this coVi:tipn of th« toil is explained by tb? folv.ing fa2t6: — In order to grow and tJirivd - ants mu*t have fpofl ia a soluble fcr;n 11 contact with thoir roots. 'Plant focd is ■i.ide soluble by the decomposition -cf oranic matter aij.l the <list.ribution of mineral latKr. Dis:n:egrat:on cf mineral mattei- < akl'Sd very considerably by the acids vrm-od by decomposition of vegetable mat- ■ r. Dceo.jipcsition of organic matter in r.a soil takes ptaca as ths result of trw of bactrria, and th« bacteria which. -Mu'er plant fcod available can act only :. rh? prc-j^r.-ce cf cir ar.<l nicinui*. Hence ' ■ ncoEssity of etf-ce ua.'ly (nainraining that ("iiion of tha soil which l »elp> to regulate I.? supply of air and moisture. A soil is ~)< inejLiiau-s-tiblc s>o ioi:g as a gocd phj*si<i! cc":lition is maintainrd, but it h as- - :rrcd ar.J amply nio-.ed that a soil in . cd physical condition remains produeHv* : uch iong-ai - than <'-o:s a soil in peer co.sd:a.i*d maJntainini, a <jood pl;ji.- ■' OTHdicion of tho soil is the most pr^r-t'- :'. way known 01 liberating artd 1. i,i.ing -• of tho -vast s.-ores cf jrinccci: plar.t foci in the ground. Ths <e=-c-iitiak i-s. <■- !■}• lo 3:-3^;->in^ ci;e avei^go soil in good , .ljsicaJ condition c«t; to avo:c en c-xc^* water, b-- drainage, if neoc-sar>. e ltd ; to mainta.!- 1 0 rcifonable supply f ■;.ab:o matter. Heavy soils net-* 4 \c?ebl? matter t-o open them v and ai'ow '•-> air to circul.ito, aixl 'rght soils -iced ■ vjeiabls matter ro hold the ooislure s ■] cheel the leuo'iing. and ail foils noori •etabls matter a^ a ;k of easily a\uil- ■'■■' p'ani. fcod. Vegetable m-ati-er is vsrd r.p in a "soi! on whi.ih g.-ain cultivated eiors are grown, and is ir.ov.. • ;iV a.VJcd io the sol by applying barr.ur<l maniiiv an>d yroiving gra?s fropj», nui\ this diroet.'on rl'3 ] rac-ric? of greeii n;a-•u-it.g, if mjw gen^raib/ adopted, will 'ppiy tha hunit-.i io noi^wary or t'.? irn-c-jmont cf so:! goncially. '-^eluded In th^ lat«-t ;i.r'" i cs f-om the 3la.i!'3 Acricnhui al KM)-* ■- ; f'Jisratijir a ' nwvst Station 15 a', irr.^i- ' .dOrr!:a>il e-uiicr njrTt r, n cvc> v 1 culture. nit r. ic\ '' <!••- ■oristra'e v h.i. on \-.- -.X :e tv ruu'- . ..» 3 ci :> 2 3-b:-..rT j; -'ap^city of .-iii '/Iti ir>-et---,-l creirtul by '.119 .ipphoition of '< iK\. fi ••.•etn:il wo: !v \< ;■> 'I rv g>- _ on fo. a iia'nljor of vj i-, a:.d is > ■•>» • ;E.rdc<i. so far z- the- 11 c oT *' ,t:!:~ >- >•- .c-crnpd, as omplot.'-d. Tha roj)^ 1 ' - it-rs th/u the 7'~,:\\ of lie ol>-"r\a"i .ii~ :rin-g t-h-s ia s t -a on q;:ii.j cot.'ir.u- ! ; onciusions pr-^\ ioiitly arrived at: '" rl"!ur l"!u rirct of tr?a,tn.c-!it thi-~ oioh.-.ifj 1- . isible a-, fsr a-. th-> crchaid fa'i L .-• "v, aiid froiH-th-> i.i'.'s.tle one ha'f-.nii." <li--rant. :h » d '>"ei'. : L ;•'" - enn i-i-a'h'lj Ki-di-.linsu.ohc! \~ ; r-^a-^u of diiicri-sicf- of colour «".t.i' -> /Ciir of foi mm* On ti >■' plot-s fro^n '.v. cl nitrogen -h.t» Ixtm* v.iihheld there i> now a cW-idiK 1 l.tel: of colour and a weak growth inJicuti-. c of

neglect : while on tho plois recoiving nitrogen, wh.ithor alone oi in combination, a \ igorous growth and cecp greeii foliage are evident. On this pxrtiejlar hillside, nitrogen is the one thing lacking: potash and phosphoric acid, eithpi ilcne or in combination, giving no b-r.c. results than are found with ?he check trees. The plot rec-eivina; all thrco cleriients. however, is decidedly the b"st in tii-e lot. although, if theivj is &ny diffo«-.TiC'3 in thf soil, this is the pocre>r cornei of the cr^hard." The report mentions -that the woik in this orchard has c'eaiiy bhown that it is -wholly pracrieable to take an old, unprofitaWe, rapklly-d-oßcn-erating apple 'rehai-d. and, in -spite ot thi-oc unusually ss\ere wititeis. Nt close intor\als- (1) io bring that crehtw-J j'lto a pi-ofi'.'tblo bjarirg condition: (2) t>j ioTrs Baldwin trjt= by proper feeding, to prc-ducc fiuit e\rry 3 car, instead of on automate je*r-; (3) f-o produce profitable crops of fr:i ; t by the a'rl cf '"'chemicalr '" only,- in connection with in^eHigent •cuirure, pninn:? and sprax ing. It has -further b?en shown- (i| That all expenditures for fertilisers, unless theaa fertilisers contain some nitrosr~n, is an absolute wast< of moncj ; (5) that, apparently, the excessive a-e of nifrogen, in the abSQiios of potash or phosphoric acid, or both, is distinctly injurious to th° fruit ; and (6) as a corollary to tho o her points, that the bc-vt results are obijinfd from a complete. \ve!!-br.la.nce.l fpr f i'i-pr, rather than from ar execr-rive u-e )f any one 3loment. A petitio has ah-eady t?on prr.s?ntc-d by the iiiember r ci tha Bay Onr of l«'and containing no UnprodMriire le than sgnatures of Xatire Lands. s ?tt'^is cf th.* distiicis north cf Aucklar.c'. urging that a Native Lmd Court should sit in each county, an I that when any particular bock of lard i« under <-on=xle:-ation the court should f-it conrinuously until tlie different owners are defin d. * Th" opinion of the p&titionercr. it fe>?ms. is that fftcr the qusstion of tho owitp-rsbip h.as been set-tied the Nativ-r? thculd be allowed to dispose of their land by sale or lease. From this it wou'd appear that the farmers in the North fs'and ai\o fully d«te.rmirved to use every endi£a.vour to get the largo areas of Native lands which are at present imreproducfr^e settled. Tho mernb-'r fcr Croua, in a speech in the House recently, -urged that the Native lands must bs thrown op-=>n with th.-> 'ea^t no-sibla delay, be-ause the pcoule of the Dominion were jfPtting tked of spending miilioa icffcer million of bo-row^d money for (he purpose of improving- land thai l\as not reproductive. The Native laud must hz mad-3 to bear its own fchtjre. and 1 nothing oV;? vrou!d Fvti->"v the «eiiie - >s anci people of this Dominion The specLer furrhor mentioned thnt thoiv wc-e millions of ac! as of Xativo land which =hould be maiW protluctive. A*- the preifnt time, Rlufopc-ans ar-» not alow.-> \ o hold baeu large a^as from •ettir-n-'orii ov\ cu'tivation aiT the -.nwe law should - f-!y apply to th M;iori. -ror.' a ?)-i!Iy as iiu larter are d^iro-i-; of na^injf lhe tifjps, fit'od. Th- -w.« spaak^r said h • was of opinion t.r.at tha Coveriinient wou'd find it a \ery difficult task to bring «*ov%n a r'a.tis'aciorv biJl to con^-oli-late all tho>>' Niii".e land measures whicr hud b?-n w-iirhcd in the balance an'l fo'iixl >vanti<in- ai 'I a< a remet'v tha^ tht! N\iti\p D ;)artrn°nt -hou!d b? Abo i-h-ci. and thai Ih • Micri l»-'t ! , ?hou't' be n!acci u'>c!^>i t-'i.- I -.p-cl IJoarHs Thrsi b.^a'fis wr>r'» co .si 'cv/prl c?>nM? of admini^-' 1 ! ma (Vv.n !i - d 1 -. ai><> si'i'^iv rli=>v 'vrre '<i rr t ]r t»v.t tr > <l;a' ".'th f 'i" ot' 1 - r< iV >-'i r \ c cMvrriTC 1 of th? y*.*:. &i.kl tie mcni>-»- f<. • 0> ?'n, «t «<)u\J '>' a tr ! "i'l 'ay foi X> \> Z^ilapd wh"ii the Native D.-.i 1 . rPi.' \ '=; v.-i]""-" 4 . eiit of cxi-t r 'iic > A.! !r>j.'rh ih^ <->r- '.""-^it o f f lic N'citiM 1 <«!'!-» dons t>o' -o 'lir-cfh affect th s^fi'-r^ o' i'--» Sou 1; T^-imc!. '.fii 1 thp ben 'fibril <H'" vr t (.f a-p f v iditis^ment of th> X.it ye !;t d ''ifiicul'x . v ni'ch is causing o r '<rh aiivie'^ t-o t! - p settlors of ih-» North T'land. fa>i"ot fa; l xo {-oxicC'i ii-'Jir -c' '\ . from on? e;:d -jf New Zt?.-\! hm! to t'-c ot!'-->--

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