NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3117, 10 December 1913, Page 14

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

In addition to the impossibility of getting on with shearing on account of the showery weather, a rainy spring is always troublesome to the «uwwiu laiincr. Weeds grow apace, and if every opportunity to suppress them is not taken they take possession of the ground, they are encouraged by moist conditions of the soil, and may bo shifted from ono spot to' another by futiie attempts to get rid of them, but cannot be killed. If the crops are isolated and freed from the competition of words, they have every chance of succeeding if the ground is good enough to grow and mature them, but if the weeds get a good hold they monopolise the moisture in the ground by their vitality. In an ordinary season continued hoeing* keeps them down, but that cannot bo given this y *?, r " A . Stance at any of the pastures will provide evidence for those who can interpret it. Buttercups are abundant, and in their green state taint the milk of cows that eat them. They thrive best on damp and spongy ground. Some of the fields are a mass of perennial daisies, which bear evidence of poverty and exhaustion, due to the lack of aeration and sunlight as much as to want of plant food: while permanent grass fields seem to have developed bent grass, crested dogstail, and sweet vernal. These appear to be capable of living and thriving in soils which under adverse conditions will not support any other grasses. On cultivated ground which it has been impossible to clean well before sowing seeds, couch grass is beginning to bo troublesome. The yellow weed is rapidly overcoming the ' crops in some patches of land, but is more easily managed than the others in a year like this. Spraying can be accomplished when the ground is too wet for hoeing, and when light and air are admitted by shrivelling up the leaves of this weed the cereal crop rapidly recovers. The growing crops are* full of other weeds usually dealt with by the spade, such as thistles and docks, looking particularly vigorous, and on everv side there is evidence that if the present unfavourable conditions continue the weeds will have to be reckoned with seriously, and no chance should be lost to free the crops from their mastery. We know of other strong reasons for" keeping the soil well stirred around the plants which are sufficiently important to cause farmers to hoe their crops almost continuously when there are no weeds; but in this wretched season that is quite impossible, and it will have an unfortunate effect on the bulk of the crops. The appointment of an agriculturist bv tho Department of Agriculture, it should prove a step in the right direction if a good man is selected; but if an instructor had been appointed for every two counties tho cost would have been repaid many times over. The object is to reach the great, mass of farmers, and get them to adopt measures which would result in a greater return from their land. No single individual can cover the varying conditions which exist in this Dominion. If skilled men got to work in the various districts and demonstrated by means of progressive farmers that a* certain course, would pay handsomely, such object-lessons on neighbouring farms would do more than whole volumes of instruction from any other source. Pointed attention would have to be drawn on the ground to the result obtained. Once satisfied in that way that the change was the right thing, it "would be put into practice; but nr.t till then. What is wanted is more efficient dealing with existing crops. The writer noticed a farmer recently planting miserable rags of shrivelled-up potatoes like large marbles, all grown together, with straps which would lift two or three dozen of them at once. An endeavour was being made to get these through a planting machine without picking them over, and half of them were minced up by the discs. There was room there for an instructor. Many of the small farmers, particularly, who have taken up land without knowing much about it, would be grateful to be shown a barter way than they know anything about. As a rule farmers are conservative in their traditional practices, and have no faith in what they call new-fangled notions; but tho instructor would have no difficulty in picking up a large number of efficient colleagues to put in practice any susrerosted change. An American county adviser, writing to Iloarel's Dairyman, says: "I want to t'-)\ you, as T see it. the basic principles that are involved, and how we go at it. Mv outfit consists of a soil auger, a bottle of acid and some test paper, litmus paper. We go out over that farm, arid the first thing I try to show that farmer is the rotation that is noccsfurv under his system of farming. T believe the basic thing is production, as I sa'd, whether he is a dairyman or a man who feeds cattle or raises hoars or sells grain—that production is the basic thing that is back of It. And T say that part of it is the individual nroblem. ' Now, what is back of it' all? We go over the farm and T try to help hirn out of his rotation. The next thing '« to try and eliminate waste, and one big -waste on th« farm is the waste of the residue <-,f those crops that have been raised, whether it is straw or manure or the <"!ovnrs. Save those. That is the first problem. . . . The live stock farmer may food his crop, and he enn return that. Then lie can put on in addition to that the thincr* that increase the eron vields—and the State has been doincr tW—an'" "•« find that h" needs certain things. We find that more nitrogen is needi d for example. That is the first thinrr. We need more clovoi —in other words, alfalfa, soy benn« or cow peas. We co over field after field and test the soil. Tn order that clover can do its best tho soil must not be sour. With the tesf

A Weedy Season.

ir Host Rocpi tppointmiiit

papers wo go over the farm and point out ■which part of hiss field is sour and which noeds limestone, where he can get it, and •what it will cost. And we found out that much of our higher land needs phosphorus. Thfe has also been pointed out." So he continues explaining his methods of going to work. One result may be gathered. He says: "I want to tell you what the silo and better farming hag done in one instance in De Kalb County." A farm of 140 acres "was producing feed for two earloads of steers every year. That was about the average, and it had been doing that for years and years. When Mr Park got active cpnlrol of his father's land there he began to build up his soil, and he put up some silos. He has 47 acres of alfalfa. Ho has two silos. He fed 40 head of steers for three months; ho fed two carloads for three and • a-half months, and he fed 90 head of baby beef for almost seven months. And the feed for that 170 head of cattle ■was produced on the same farm that seven years ago produced feed for two carloads. The export figures would be raised by the appointment of good men demonstrating—not explaining—what could be done. We have the best authority for slating that the quantity of crorj grown in the Oamaru district this year will not bo nearly up to. the average area. Comparatively little crop has been got in, not because cereal production would prove unprofitable—for the land has been in excellent condition for working all the year,—but simply because farmers became disgusted two years ago with the labour troubles in harvesting and thrashing their crops, and have sown down a large area to grass. l\ed has been abundant, and fattening lambs and sheep has been profitable; but this cannot go on indefinitely. Labour leaders should noto the fact, however, that it can go on with every prospect of success for several years and return a good profit without any worry and distress over restrictive terms of employment. Ihe present price of wheat does not tempt any farmer to depart from a system which has proved profitable Two or three profits in a year can be obtained from grass land, while with wheat the risk of one good or bad crop is taken. It is not suggested that the return is equal to that obtained from a good crop of wheat, but that labourers are inclined to see one pomt of view only, and this sometimes makes their demands unreasonable. They are afflicted with a sort of astigmatism which prevents them from considering the farmers' position. Like the visitors to Tahuna Park, every one of whom saw a very different show, although each took the same course along the sheep and cattle pens and saw the same stock, no two of them were impressed in the same •way. The Ayrshire men have an eye for one class of "stock only ; Clydesdale horsebreeders never leave the heavy-horse ring till the judging is finished; sheep-breeders and shepherds can be found at any hour of the day round the sheep pens; while the ancient* mar iter sits in shelter in the corner of tho pavilion waiting till the weather

Bowing I'oTin tj tiIUSS.

clears, exchanging reminiscences with h:6 contemporaries, lie has not outlived his enthusiasm for some particular class of stock, but appreciates at its true value everything Jie sees —misses nothing, and occasionally drops a word of valuable advice to an enthusiastic beginner. If all visitors could appraise aright each class of stock in turn, fairer judgments would be formed. It is much the same with the labourer. His want of thrift necessitates a constant struggle to make ends meet which restricts his vision and makes him the easy dupe of the agitator. He becomes dissat.slicd with a rate of wages twice as great as ever he got in Great Britain. If he could only realise that more wheat would be grown and more labour provided if farmers could depend on getting it satisfactorily harvested he would think less about strikes and earn a harvest cheque that would carry him through a good part of the year. The opening sales of shorthorn cattle for the year are reported in the icottish porters, the feature if which was that the catrle were fubmitted to a tuberculin test before the sale and guaranteed not to have reacted, or sold as doubtful. This is the first time that some breeders on top of the tree have come into lino in this respect. In some of the noted herds local breeders purchased the calves in spite of their failure to pa*s the test. South American buyers were in evidence, and gave prices ranging up to 900 gs. This price was secured for a Oollynie calf. It is noteworthy that the Irish Department of Agriculture was the runner-up at that figure. "The best indication of values may be secured by quoting specific ca&es. Mr Duthie, of Oollynie, who is on top of the tree, and has in former yearn reached an average of £lO9 for 17 calves, this year made over £263 per head for 25. Captain Gordon's dispersal sale at Newton resulted in securing an average of £lls for 100 head, while 14 bull calves at Uppermijl made £34 15s without any sensational price*. These values seem to be justified by the phenomenal prices secured by consignments of noted breeders to South America At the recent sales at Buenos Aires Mr D. MacLennan's draft of 53 head averaged £765 each; £3600 was made twice for the fop lots, and more than half a dozen realised over £ll3O each. That ought, to be good business. Such prices should give local breeders nome encouragement to raise the quality of their herds and

The Scottish t Shorthorn Sales, c

make eom: attempt to secure a footing in a market where such possibilities exist. With imported seed it becomes so important to use the right strain that UCC36S or failure, even with ippro\cd methods of cultivation, hinge 3 largely on this point. Tho manager of Moumakahi has also pointed out that the herbage should not be cut in a young, succulent state, and that groat loss results from doing so during tho first year of growth. The following conclusions were drawn by him:—(l) 'lhat ail eight varieties experimented with suffer from being cut back in. spring when the foliage is immature; (2) that colonial and Hunter River varieties so far have given best results; (3) that the Peruvian and Arabian varieties promise well, notwithstanding tho effects of grazing. The system carried out at Moumahaki is as follows:—The first cut is made in late spring and converted into ensilage, because tho weather conditions at that time are unsuitable for anything else; there is plenty of feed at that time, and weeds which arc at their_ maximum growth havo no bad effect on ensilage as they would have on hay. Tho next matured growth makes an excellent sample of hay. There is a decided advantage in having a fodder crop that will last for years, but there are some essential points necessary to success. These have been frequently pointed out — good seed, a perfectly clean seed-bed, doijly-worked and well-manured ground, lime and inoculation. Regarding the growth of lucerne on clay ground, Dr Arbuckle, one of the most canablo and regular writers to tho American Sheep-breeder, gives his experience as follows:—"My little farm is in the bluegrass section of West Virginia. The top soil is heavy clay and this is underlaid with limestone. This land can, with good cultivation, be made to produce from 50 to 75 bushels per aero of corn. Wheat will produce from 18 to 25 bushels per acre. All clovers will grow well if proper preparation is made. . . . The two difficulties which we encounter in our section with alfalfa are, first, suitable soil, and second, the return of the bluegrass to choke out the alfalfa after the second or third year. Tho first condition can easily bo overcome by liberal treatment with ground limestone. The second by a plan that almost completely removes the bluegrass before the alfalfa i 3 seeded. The method that has commended itself to me is to select a well-drained piece of land showing considerable depth of soil, at least 4ft or sft, first plant in corn and cultivate clean, especially looking out for gross. Seed to rye after corn cutting. Turn the rye under in tho spring and seed to corn again, being even more careful to cultivate clean. About August 1 seel to crimson clover. Turn under the crimson clover in the spring after top-dressing hevily with stable manure. It might be better-to top-dress the year before and use basic slag and ammonia fertiliser on corn the last year. About May 15 two tons per acre of ground limestone is harrowed into the soii. After th's tho ground is harrowed every two weeks. Then some soil from a good alfalfa plot is broadcasted over the plot and harrowed in lightly, and finally tho plot is harrowed and dragged to prepare a perfect seed-bed and then seeded to alfalfa, 151 bto 1811) per acre. It is seeded two ways to ensure good cover. After seeding the seed in harrowed in ( ( tid a light drag or roller used to make surface smooth. . . . Once each year 400!b of basic slag is applied and after the third year a complete fertiliser is used once a year. " At the end of the fifth yea.r tho bluegrass, even under this plan, will have set in very strongly and the plot is ready to be ploughed up and put in corn again, and in the course of time will be ready after the same treatment for alfalfa. I think it would pay to apply one ton of ground limestone per acre each year after the third year. This seems an expensive method, but it. will require all of this, and perhaps more, to succeed in a climate and soil like mine. 'nr:d yet one fools well repaid when he sees from three to four tons per acre of tire alfalfa going into his barn each year for his sheep. No other feed can surpass it for a breeding Hock. Last year my little flock passed the severe West Virginia winter after a long drought in the fall without grain, and I never saw sheep in finer condition " AGRICOLA. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. By Agricola.. "Farmer" writes:—"Would vou kindly inform me whether Romnev Marsh or Green Globo turnip is tho better for fattening lambs? I have been in tho habit of putting tho lambs first on Green Globe, then on Romnev Marsh, and later on Purple Top. but I have been told that Romney Marsh is not a good fattening turnip, even tho white turnips being preferable to it." It is very much a matter of the time each variety is used. The white turnip is uped most successfully with young grass for lambfattening, ami there is nothing to touch the swedo for tegs or sheep. They all g 0 through three stages—viz., (1) the immature stage, in which green and purple top turnips aro quite as hard a« swedes; (2) a juicy, succulent stage, when they ?hou!d be used ; and (3) a fozy, spongy statre, when their feeding value is very much reduced. Your results with any particular variety will very largely depend on hitting tho right time for feeding them. The larger the swede grows the greater amount of nutritive value it possesses. With white and yellow turnips tho experience on this point has

stabl Vilng * Luctinj. i

been different. They have to bo used when they are sound and solid. The softness of the mature white turnip and tho amount of flesh-forming juico they possess when fed at the proper time makes them most suitable for lamb-fattening, although the lambs can eat and thrive on swedes perfectly well. There is such an enormous number of varieties that no farmer should have much difficulty in having turnips from tho end of January till November if ho wants them, and for every month there would be a variety which would bo better than tho others.