NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3040, 19 June 1912, Page 14

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

The information available in reference to

BokliAtft O.wr.

Bokhara clover, asked for by the contributor of the Apiary column last week in

the interest of beekeepers, 'l3 very meagre. The following particulars were obtained at the Winter Show, curiously enough not in any surreptitious way, but simply by transcribing the printed, label. Things have come to a pretty pass in this country under a so-called Liberal Government and a Prime Minister posing as the friend of the farmer. No representative of the press can look at one of the officers of the Department of Agriculture now without seriously risking the billet of such officer. The officers who are working in the public service at the public expense are muzzled to enable the Prime Minister to work off a highly technical speech every other night or so on some subject he knows very little about, and instead of getting the information first hand from the responsible head of the division, it filters through political sources. I do not know anyone else except the field instructor of the South Island who has experimented even in a small way with this clover. I have applied to him for further information in reference to tin's plant, but though the officer is the embodiment of courtesy. I am not sure whether I shall be supplied with the information or politely told to apply elsewhere—or, in other words, snubbed as the result of instructions from headquarters. Morton published in 1871 that Melilotus leucantha, vulgaris, alba, taurica, Siberian melilot, and Bokhara clover are the various names by which this plant is known. " It has erect racemes of flowers and deciduous petals, arid is a coarse, erect annual, very like common (yellow-flowered) melilot in herbage, but having white flowers. Some years since it was the subject of many trials as a forage plant, but has been found too watery when young, and too sticky when old. The flowers have been said to be peculiarly grateful to bees, an assertion for which

there is no foundation." In the re-vege-tating experiments at Earnscleugh the Canterbury Plains Bokhara clover is doing splendidly, and gives every indication, of being a valuable acquisition for that purpose. The Winter Show label said that Bokhara clover was a perennial, and annually affords a large amount of nutritious fodder, although, if not well stocked, it becomes bitter and unpalatable to stock. It luxuriates on dry, sandy soil, and, in fact, grows well in pure sand. Unlike lucerne, it comes into bearing at an early age, and there is no danger of it becoming.overgrown with weeds. The only procedure necessary to start a good melilot field is to plough the ground and sow fairly thickly at the rate of 201 b of seed to the acre. This will result at the end of the first ,year in a luxuriant and continuous growth.

One of the exhibits of the Department of Agriculture in the Winter

The Diseases of the fenedo.

Show showed the diseases affecting the turnip. Among others tnere were five varie-

ties showing !how clubroot or finger-and-toe disease developed in the root. This disease is caused by a slime fungus in the soil, which gains admission to the tissues of the plant by means of the young and delicate roots, and produces bunches of unmistakable" and characteristic swellings. These fungi become abundant and harmful as, soon as the soil is allowed to get acid, their activity being promoted by the use of acid manures like superphosphate or sulphate of ammonia. The dominant factor for growing a satisfactory crop of swedes is a good supply of quickly-acting phos-' phorio acid; hence a, dressing of superphosphate is indicated. The great rival to superphosphate is basic slag, which contains 40 per cent, of phosphate of lime and also a certain amount of free lime; hence it is particularly valuable on land subject to finger-and-toe, or on any ( land known to be deficient in hme. It is a non-acid manure, and adds lime to the ground,- whilJ superphophate takes it away. Slag should therefor© be selected whenever this disease makes its appearance even in a small way, or basic superphosphate might be tried, and it would probably succeed as well. The phosphates of slag are insoluble in water, but are rapidly converted in the ground, and are readily available for the plant. The important point to remember is that the organism responsible for the disease can only thrive in an acid soil, and if slag is not used, lime certainly should be. With its powerful basic action it, reduces the attacks of this fungus. From the Mark Lane Express we learn that another disease of the swede—viz., "cabbage-top,"—ap-pears under two forms —(1) the crimpled leaf and * (2) the many-necked. The crimpled leaf is due solely to the attack of the swede midge. Spraying—for is both troublesome and limited in its effect —and a plan of trapping them at the beginning of the season were tried. This was based on the fact that the midge, after wintering underground) in the old swede field, is compiled to migrate during the following year to find a : host plant in some other field. One or two rows of young swedes were prepared for them on the edge of the grain crop, which was to be worked up for this crop. And as these became thickly infested with the eggs the plants were destroyed by fire. When the eggs are laid the midge dies off. By this device the attack of the first brood which does the most damage was concentrated on the temporary crop,'and the-main crop protected. Many-neck in due to several distinct causes, one of which js the swede midge.

In addition to the certificates of merit issued by the Ota go A. and

The Certificate* Issued by the Otago A. and P. Society.

P. Society to the two farmers' bays belonging to Messrs Willocks and 1 Reid, eight other certificates were awarded to as many firms.

As the exhibits of these firms were of considerable value to farmers and pastoralists we propose to notice them separately. The outstanding features of the implement section this year were the automatic application of electricity to the lighting of premises and motor cars and to kitchen use, the less complicated hand-pieco for shearing machines, und a patent flexible steel core which enables tile connection to the hand-piece to be knotted up and continue to work. The perfecting of the air gas and lighting plants for farm use was also a noticeable feature this year, and the splendid exhibit of motor cars of various kinds, most of which had secured certificates on previous occasions, and therefore were not granted them at this show, brought them into line with the magnificent exhibits of several firms, the presence of which the society would like to have acknowledged. The certificates were therefore confined to new inventions or great improvement* on existing machinery. The judges used great discrimination, and granted very few certiflcates so so to make their possession valuable to those who obtained them.

One of the most ingenious contrivances brought to light at the

Electric Warn* for Motor Cor. by the Ford

Winter Show was the improved motor car electrie light equipment exhibited Motor Car Company. This

lieht secured also one of the society s certificates of merit, which, it may be stated, were this year exclusively confined to either new inventions or great improvements on existing machinery made during the vear. The light is derived from a dynamo which gives off a low-tension current The same current 13 carried through hiffh'-tension coils, which distribute their current to the engine. Therefore a current is available by which the driver can light un his cxr and at the same time the engine is deriving its current from the same source. One of the outfits which secured the commendation of the judges

Tlip Slmnlex Alrga* Machine.

was the Simplex air-gas machine. This compact plant seems to provide an efficient means of lighting

up farmhouses or any isolated building and consists of a carburettor, m which a Volatile oil like benzine or petrol is volatilised, and mixed in the proportion of 2 per cent, of petrol to 98 per cent, of air, and thence distributed to the various

lights. Ten 50 candle-power lights can bo run at the price of Id per hour, so that the supply is cheap enough. For the same light it is said that electricity at 4d per unit would cost 7£d; kerosene at lOd per gallon would cost 6d; acetylene, with carbide at 2d per lb, would cost sd; and coal gas at 5s per 1000 cubic feet would cost iSAd. Its safety may be gauged from the fact that unless issuing through gauge it will blow cut any match applied to one of the jets. The machine works automatically. Turning on the gas will start the maomne to work: turning it off will stop it. The mixing drum in the carburettor can take up any desired quantity of the petrol, and therefore supply any number of lights. It is actuated by winding up a weight attached by wire through a block and tackle to its pulley. When wound up by han<J spindle this weight takes 10 hours to reach the ground. The plant seems to involve very little knowledge of machinery, and demands little attention beyond keeping up the supply of petrol and winding up the weight. This outfit seems to solve the problem of supplying isolated farmhouses cheaply, and without much risk of danger. The amount of labour and housework involved in keeping the kerosene lamps in working order should induce farmers to patronise this new invention.

A certificate of merit was secured by Mr H. I. M. Ross for an ex-

Sky Tents hibit of sky-vents, loii-

and vents, air-pump ventilators, Chimney.cowls, and chimney cowls. Some

of these are coined, terms, but sufficiently expressive. The 6ky-vent is a combination of a skylight and a ventilator, fitted with a control fcr the regulation of the air current. It is a local invention, and effective for its purpose. The panes of glass are arranged on the louvre system, two sets of louvres being used, one underlying the other. The top set is arranged in tho reverse way in which it has been customary-to do so hitherto, the lower set facing the reverse way to the upper set. This arrangement prevents a down draught, and turns any water which is caught' by the top set of louvres and conveys it' on to the roof. Theso sky-vents have been well tested, and proved to be perfectly water and dust-proof. The k>uvents exhibited were made altogether of iron, and are similarly constructed to the Bky-vent. They are used for ordinary ventilation purposes on the ridges of buildings,and only project 6in to 9in above the roof. They arc designed to replace the old cumbrous style of ridge house-ventilator. The exhibit for which the certificate was given also included air-pump ventilators, designed on the louvre principle, but are circular in form, and suitable for the ventilation of all buildings, and may have valves attached to regulate the ventilators; and a number of chimney cowls of varied patterns, but all on the same principle, designed to stop down draught in chimneys in various locations. The plain skylight was of simple and strong construction, with a metal body, and provided with two gutters to carry off both water and condensation. Lister and Co received a .certificate for

Lister, Brnst in Lighting Plant.

the Lister Bruston automatic electric lighting set, which consisted of a 2\ h.p. oil engine, driving a

'dynamo along with a cabinet, with snatch board and accumulators, which automatically controlled the current. After switching on the light the engine starts work, and stops again automatically when the light is turned off. The engine may be used' for any power purpose, and afterwards attached to the dynamo, which may be at any distance from the house. This plant is capable of providing 60 12-candle-power lights. The same firm secured another certificate for air adjustable ringbearing for the bracket of the shearing inachine, which enables the machine to run tor the season with one oiling, and permits of the driving shaft being adjusted as to alignment to the extent of 3in or 4in in any direction. This power-sprayer for orchards was described last week. It also

The Bavs-n PonerSprajcr.

secured the society's certificate, and was inspected by a largo number of fruit-

{rrowers during the show. The Bave-u sprayer has been working some time in Commonwealth orchards, and the makers have splendid testimonials from Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania. It has also been introduced into the Nelson district. The power-sprayer is indispensablo to an orchard of any size, and can exert a much greater force than tho manual airpump. It throws a finer spray, covers more ground, and is much more easily directed, and therefore uses a smaller quantity of spraying material, and on that account is much cheaper. The force exerted is doable tJhat which the "best man can maintain, and its works at a cost fcr benzine of 1b 6d to 2s per day, when benzine can ho obtained for Is 4d per gallon. The engine requires very little experience to run it successfully, and almost no expert knowledge. It is mounted on a cart with two steel wheels, and a steel axle, and is sus-

pended on springs to do away with vibration.

Messrs, Turnbull and Jones secured the

Trrdty Cookers.

certificate of the society for several new electrical appliances, one of which is the Tricity cooker and >te

various accessories. It is arranged fc r connection to the city supply electrical mains, and a ease reported from Christchurch, in which a complete set was installed, the cost of current for one month was 7s Bd. This apparatus, in addition to cooking, can be used as a heater, drying clothes, etc. The exhibit also included electric tea and coffee pots with outlandish names, egg-boilers, and various electrical appliances. One advantage of using these is that stooping over a hot range is dispensed with. The current can be cut off when finished with. It is portable, and may be used in any room. No dirt accumulates, and no bad odours are generated. The heat of tho oven can also be automatically regulated to the required temperature, and therefore needs no attention, "and afternoon tea can be prepared where one sits in the drawing room. A penny's worth of electricity will keep alight 132 candle-power for one hour, cook 61b roast beef, toast 35 slices of bread, boil 6doz eggs or 9 pints of water, work a sewing machine 7 hours, saw 100 ft of timber, lift Htons 75ft in four minutes, b'ow a smith's fcrge for an hour and a-quarter, drive a washing machine for one hour, diive a ventilating fan for seven hours, clean 24 pairs of boots, cud five days' chaff for a horse, drive a dental engine for five hours, clean 1600 knives, blow a church organ for half an hour, charge a motor accummulator, knead 2£ sacks of flour, into dough, pum'p 35 gallons of water 24ft high, and lift a nerson 10 times to the top of a house So?t high. Messrs Wimpcnny Bros, secured one few certificates of merit

Engineer's Vice.

given at the Winter Show with an engineers' vico con-

structed with a swing attachment so as to grip a bar of iron or anything standing at an angle from the bench. The whole right ang'e could be turned with the complete machine to effect this purpose if necessary. In addition to that, the vice is fitted with an swivelling jaw, the advantage of which is to grip any tapered work of any kind without slipping. In other respects, it is manufactured in exactly the same way as any other vice. It is turned out by the firm at a fraction above the cost of the ordinary fixed vice, and should prove a useful article in any engineering shop or farm smithy. Tho Wolseley shearing machine was shown in motion at intervals

The Wolseley Sheariup Mn chine.

throughout the show, and the feature in reference to it was 'the improvement

effected in the hand-piece, the intricacy of this portion of the machine being much simplified by doing away with no fewer thiyi six working parts. Vibration has also been much reduced. The screwless joint has also been removed, an item which was at one time a great source of trouble. A notable feature of this slioar is the main brush, which runs the full length of the main spindle. The patent flexible tube is also new this year. It may be fitted at will to eitner the electric or friction-driven machines. They permit of almost any shed being utilised for the shearing machine. In the show the machines were electrically driven, and controlled by the Wolscley starter. This is absolutely automatic in its action, and allows the grinder attached to it to steadily increase its speed as soon as the current is switched on. The shearing machine is convertible into a horse-clipper or groomer if desired. AGRICOLA.