SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2975, 22 March 1911, Page 19

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The long-delayed rain arrived on Wednesday, and was general all over Southland. Up to Thursday morning at 9 o’clock 0.83 in had fallen, and it has rained at intervals since, so that one is safe in estimating the rainfall at fully an inch. At no period of the rainstorm was the temperature low, and as it is now above normal, turnip crops and pastures have taken a fresh lease of life. Of course, it is not to be expected that the rain which has just been experienced will fully compensate for the lack of moisture during the past two months. The bare pastures will not be benefited to a great extent, as in many cases the grass was literally burned up —beyond 1 all hope of recovery this season. The only hope in pasture of this nature is that the best of the grasses seeded sufficiently during December and January to ensure a replenishing of the pasture with young plants. Conditions at present prevailing are' certainly conducive to the brairding of grass, and the grass brairding now on pasture lands will be sufficiently advanced before the severe frosts set in to ensure their withstanding the “ lifting ” effects of Southland frosts. In rough pasture grass is coming away splendidly, but unless an exceptionally mild “ back-end ” is experienced there, will be but little feed for cattle. As the result of the scarcity of feed, stock of all kinds have become reduced in condition, which means that the wintering of them will fc© a difficult matter, and this, combined with the scarcity of turnips, makes one long for a mild winter of short duration. Threshing is now the order of the day, and whilst the oat crops are threshing well to the bulk, the yield per acre is below that of last year; and I venture to say that when the returns are compiled it will b© found that a third less grain has beet threshed as compared with last year. During the few months when the horse is worked the hardest many of the minor points of care and attention are often neglected. Only the best care and constrv.t- attention should b© given. Always se© that the collar is an exact fit for the horse. If it is not, make it fit, or get a now one. Don’t imagine for a moment that the horse’s neck will adjust itself to the collar. If the collar fits well there will be little trouble with sore shoulders. See that the hors© has a good currying every morning before he goes to work, and do p,ot get too busy to see that it is k&uC right. The dry sweat should be removed, as it closes the pores of the skin, and as for looks —well, I won’t mention it. See that all parts of the harness fit. The collar is not the only part in which a fit is necessary. I once saw a horse which had been worked with the belly-band so tight and trace so fixed that all the pull was given by this band. A swelling almost ts large as a man’s head had formed, all because the owner did not notice how the harness fitted the horse. The question of overwork is also ah important one as raf as

The Breaking of the Drought.

Cure of the Working Horse.

horse is concerned. Hundreds of horses are ruined by their owner or driver just trying to do a little too much. When you start out for the field in the morning aim to put in the number of hours that a sensible man would, and then do just what ycu can in that time without injuring your team. Keep your eyes upon them, and don't overdo it. Don't let the horse get too hot, but keep him cool, instead of cooling him after he gets hot. There is not as much in the sweating ae in the breathing; but watch both. It is the panting that hurts. While resting see that the horses stand with their heads to the wind. Go round to their heads and see that neither the mane nor anything e!se gets under the collar. Neglect of this is the cause of many a sore shoulder. See that the hames are kept buckled tight against the collar—in short, see that everything is all right. Act humanely to the horse, and all the stock, and do not inflict any unnecessary cruelty upon them. Cruelty is sin. " A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast."

Manners in harness or saddle horses are of the greatest importance, and one would naturally think would have considerable weight with judges in the show-ring. During the -past season I watched the judging of light horses pretty closely, and, so far as I have been able to follow it, it has appeared as if action was the great, if not the only, consideration. Now, action is a very important qualification, and a harness horse without action is like mustard without beef. But action is not everything. In some instances —a few only —I have seen the judges recognise this fact, and put a popular favourite back on account of some minor defect in joint or limb—for being worn, in fact. But I have never seen manners such a prominent qualification for a show-yard horse. Yet a horse cannot be a high-class harness beast without manners —indeed, manners are essential in every horse, except a racehorse, before he is entitled to rank in the first class. I am speaking, of course, of the finished article, which the show harness horse is supposed to be. It is necessary for a harness horse to stand perfectly still without anyone having hold of or standing at his head. He should start at a walk, not a fidgety amble, and when put into a trot should go at the pace his driver wants — slackening or sharpening his speed without being hauled at by the reins or hit with the whip. How many horses do we see in the show-ring that answer this description? What we most frequently see is a big ring of horses driven round the ring as hard as ever they can go. without losing their action. Then, when they are drawn up, a man immediately goes to the head of some of the horses. Occasionally we see a horse rear or make a bolt, or even kick, and I have seen horses that have reared, or kicked, or shied, awarded a prize! Some years ago an extremely important experiment was completed by a French scientist, since dead, who had been endeavouring to ascertain as conclusively as possible what actually constituted a model or perfect soil. Crops were grown with great diligence under various conditions, and the result was the conclusion that the best soil for agricultural crops —and they were produced during the experiments—was one consisting of equal parts of sandy, chalky (lime), clayey and peaty matter, not by weight, but by volume. It will be observed that the sand supplied the material which made the soil

Manners in Horses.

A Perfect Soil.

porous and mechanically adapted for its purpose. The peat provided the. organic matter, and the resulting humus, in addition_ to which it assists immensely in the retention of moisture at a time when moisture is most needed, and in the warming of the soil, as it gradually undergoes decomposition. The clay furnishes the retentive and substantial matter which gives a soil compactness and consistence, and which helps to consolidate and to provide a firm seed-bed, apart from which it also furnishes essential constituents of plant life. Again, the chalk (limestone) would provide the lime, which has so (many functions —more, perhaps, than any other constituents of the soil, and whioh would adapt it to the growth of- crops other than those which are commonly found upon the average farm.