SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3034, 8 May 1912, Page 19

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(Fkom Oub Ows Coerespohdeitc.) Tho climatic conditions prevailing during the past week have been of

The Weather and the Kami.

a very wintry nature, and the prospects of an improvement in the immediate future a r o

not at pll rosy. There is not a great deal of crop out now, but still tho area uncut and in the stock is unusually large for this time of the year. Prior to tho breaking of the weather threshing was in full swing, and some magnificent yields of oats have been recorded. Many farmers report. over 100 bushels per acre, and in ono case, which I know to be authentic, 129 bushels of Garton oats were threshed. The best crops this year were grown on turnip land which had been oaten off early and was consequently sown before tho weather broke in the spring. Lea land has also threshed well in some cases, but stubble land did not come up to expectations. The quality of the oats is good, tho grain being well filled, but in some instances discolouration is noticeable. Wheat is a most disappointing crop in Southland ths year There was an abundance of straw, and the stuff headed up well, but the frosts which prevailed when the grass was in the “milky” stage was fatal, and the grain, in nearly every instance, is s'hrivelled up Crops which under favourable conditions would have threshed 60 bushels per acre are scarcely worth putting through tho mill. Farmers are now' turning their attention to the potato crop, and if a couple of w r eeks of good weather prevailed the digging of tho tubers would be practically completed. The yield is a good long way below the average, but there is a pronounced freedom from disease. Tho increased area will to some extent make up for the reduced yield as compared with former years, and there is good cause for believing that the aggregate quantity of potatoes marketed in Southland this year will not be far short of the quantity disposed of by growers in 1911 It will be remembered that last year tho price of potatoes was low throughout the season, and many growers held in anticipation of the rise which did not come. The result was that hundreds of tons of potatoes in Southland rotted in the pits. There is not much danger of that happening this season, and many growers are evincing a disposition to sell oil the forks, which they realise is worth from 15s to £1 per ton more than pitting. I have good reason for believing that a special steamer which tho Union Company is putting oh in a month's time to convoy a cargo of oats from Bluff to Melbourne will also have some large consignments of potatoes on board if it is possible to secure space

The open pasturage system, or paddockirg of pigs is profitable when

V's* In the t* ml dock.

economically linked with feeding on potatoes, cereals,

others available 6 tardy foods, or the by-products of the dairy; ample shelter, shade, and a good water supply ar<d useful ndjuncts. All young pigs do l>est on pasturage, provided they aro permitted to become accustomed to it from birth A young animal thrives better and develops frame and muscular energy to lay the foundation of a carcase, but can be readily fattoned in the sty at a lato r stage. Small paddocks have their disadvantages in several direction-!, excepting whoro special fodders or grasses are specially grown or cultivated. Pigs fed on grass in combination with other foods invariably provide a class of bacon o r pork with a distinctive palatable flavour and firm texture. Possibly the most serviceable grass for this purpose in out climate -s couch. Under favoursjMe conditions it provides all the elements tor miaintaining a healthy growth, and s highly relished by pigs of ail breeds and ages. The creeping stems run underground, and a fleshy, sweet, and nutritious, and afford good good for pigs. In fairly good seasons five to eight pigs may be grazed to the acre. After weaning thei« litters and be-ng served sows secure the best health conditions by openly grazing in sound paddocks until within a fortnight of farrowing again. It may be necessary to supplement this with other foods to keep them in normal condition. In feeding one of the most dangerous foes to the health of swine is constipation This is found to bo the forerunner of seven-eighths of all the swine ailments, and has to be guarded against with continued vigilance. Among the best preventives are plenty of clean, pure water and succulent laxative food. If through neglect the trouble gets very bad from 2oz to_3oz of Epsom salts once a day should be given until the trouble is rectified.

In some districts, even in Southland, building material 13 becoming

L’«*» of Concrete 0:1 the Farm.

very scarce, and this has tempted many farmers to

look round for a substitute, moro particularly for building and fencing purposes, and for many other purposes on tho farm. Iron and brick have long been used, and concrete is coming into notice ■tery’ rapidly Hollow building blocks arq now largely used for building and for surface foundations. There is the cinder

concrete, which is made by mixing cement mot tar and stono or gravel. The kind of gravel to be secured depends upon the character of the work in which it is to be used. In foundation work small stone or gravel, such as will pass through a ring two or three inches in diameter, may bo used to advantage In making moulded articles, such as fence posts and hollow building blocks, it is best to use stone or gravel that will pas-i through a half-inch screen. The strength of concrete is determined largely by the proportion of cement mortar and the aggregate. Posts may be strengthened by reinforcing with a wire laid in each comer of the post about an inch from the surface. 'The cost of a concrete post ' s vel " v small considering tha limo it will la3t. Anyone knowing how to mix concrete and make a mould can make concrete posts. In mixing concrete place the sand and cement together on a smooth surface or in a shallow box, and mix thoroughly while dry with shovels or hoes Then add the wate r and mix into a thick paste, then fill «he mould, and make as compact as possible by tamping. It should not bo used until a month has elapsed. The mould is made bv taking two smooth pieces of timber l£in thick and 6in wide and 6ft long and nailing a 6in strip across one end and a 4in strip across the other to get_ a Do«t tapering on two sides The best mixture for posts is one part cement, one part aggregate, and four parts sand.