NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3168, 2 December 1914, Page 14

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Turnip-sowing will be in full swing, and mangolds should be well

Work for through the ground by now. Isie Month. Whore there arc misses, it is as well to fill up tho gaps by transplanting field cabbage plants, or something of that nature, or sow some turnip seed. Land that has been lying, and is now being cross-ploughed should bo finished as soon as possible, and pains taken to thoroughly plough all tho land, as carelessness now will mean trouble later on and uneven crops. All land close up to the fences should be cultivated, and to ensure this all live fences should bo severely

trimmed on the side nearest the cultivated paddock. Unless every use is made of the ground when breaking up the land a considerable area is wasted on the headlands for some years; in fact, until the paddock is again sown down. Potatoes should have attention, and intercultivation given at intervals to all forage crops that are in drills wide enough to allow of the horse-hoe being used. Good use can be made of the harrows, during this particularly dry season, to make an effective job in killing bad patches of twitch, etc. All grazing land should have salt-licks placed in handy positions for stock. Mangolds, where far enough forward, should be thinned; and remember the saying in East Anglia, “No man should hoe his own turnips,’’ meaning that he ia not likely to thin them sufficiently. Those who are lucky enough to have hay to save should not allow the ripening to go too far if a palatable food is wanted. In taking off the skin of a sheep care should be taken not to cut the pelt in any way, as this lessens the value of the skin. They should be dried carefully. The trotters should be cut off and the skin thrown over a stick or other support, running down the centre of the back of the skin from nock to britch, the woolly side being underneath. Sheepskins should bo dried in the shade or under cover, as they are apt to dry too quickly in the sun, and the pelt gets hard and shrivelled, or are allowed to get green and mouldy in places through the edges ot the skin not being properly stretched when it has been hung up to dry. Dry skins are sold in the stores at so much per lb, so it is advisable to take every port.on of the skin off. Pelts are skins that have been taken off sheep a short time after shearing. Skin buyers buy the skins on the length and quality of the wool, also the state of the pelt as regards cuts, dampness, etc. is taken into consideration. In most cases the skins are roughly classed out, and weighed by the broker, who gives the buyer the average weight per skin of each lot offered at auction. To take crossbred skins for an example. The skins would be classed out into fine, medium, and coarse qualities, and set out in lots somewhat as follows:—Crossbred : Pelts, skins with wool up to lin in length; quarter-wools, skins with wool from lin to 2m in length; half-wools, skins with wool from 2in to in length; three-quarter-wools, skins with wool from 2£in to 3|in; full-wools, skins with wool over 3jin in length. Sheepskins are usually consigned to the broker, in bundles for sale; and should be securely fastened, and on no account should damp skins be placed in the bundle, as the damp skin will sweat and damage the skins nearest it. Dead skins (skins taken off sheep that have died in the paddock) are easily detected, as the veins i:i tho pelt are full of dried blood, through the sheep not having been bled at all. They are worth less money than a sound skin of tho same quality—ld to Tgd per lb less. Care should be taken to have tho bundles well labelled with the owner’s name and address. The machine under review was a two-speed twin Yale with Roger’s sidecar, and in its trial in America gave satisfaction. The box to carry the milkcar.s was constructed on the farm from boards 16in wide, with heavy pieces in the corners, being arranged at the bottom exactly as the passenger seat, or car, is; thus by the removing of but four bolts, which requires but a couple of minutes, the change from one to the other can be made. The car can be used to carry all sorts of produce, freight, packages, machinery, etc., and have also a rack for pigs, poultry, and calves—all of which can bo carried in a hurry over almost any kind of road. In carrying the milk a trip of nine miles was covered every evening in 50 minutes, that required two hours and a-half with a team, thus making a saving of two hours for one man and team each day. This alone would easily pay for the rig in less than a year, the cost of the upkeep being very small if one uses any care at all. The user was satisfied that it was the handiest machine on tho place, and that tho saving of time in the hundreds of different uses it can be put to makes it the cheapest machine for delivering purposes. It was found to keep the boys and girls on the farm, and with a machine with a two-speed attachment, heavy hauling can be done. He recommends a good side-car with a good box and box rack, and during the day many uses can be found for them. After hours, a change from box to regular car can be made, and away for a spin in the cool evenings. The best soiling crops should be grown on the best soils. Garden proluce can often be made a pccialty on a portion of a arm. If a farmer can find -imo to cultivate only one acre of a profitable crop, ho should not hesitate to undertake it. If by specially cultivating one acre he can produce from it as much value as from 20 acres in tho ordinary farming routine, ho should throw his energy into it. There is no reason why farmers should bo content to follow a beaten path simply because in tho past they pursued a certain method from which they do not like to deviate. It is admitted that some farms may not be adapted to the most profitable crops; but every farmer as far a« practicable should make a point of growing on his land those crops which will yield the most profit. The groat effort of many farmers nowadays is to save labour; but to economise in labour by avoiding profitable crops that require labour is not good policy, because it may bo said that it is the labour that sells, provided it has been put to a proper purpose. One might instance the high prices invariably paid for broccoli during winter and tho early spring. They arc planted out in ■wollmanured land after the early crop of potatoes are lifted, and in suitable localities are worth a trial. The question is often asked, Is there a prevention of milk fever? There are causes for milk fever, and if these causes are prevented milk fever is prevented. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The owner’s experience of a herd of SO cows is thgt tho most common causes arc leaving tho cow out in a storm, cold spring water, and^milking the udder dry for the first three or four days. When cows freshen give them tepid water to drink, and in no case lot them have cold spring water. Let them have succulent feed to keep the bowels loose. If there is a likelihood of a storm at freshening time, put them in the barn. Never milk the udder clean for at least three or four days, and leave two or three quarts _of milk in the udder. The cure by pumping air into the udder is evidence that the udder should not be entirely empty at first. The dairyman

Sheepskins,

Slfltor Cycle Miik Van.

Cultivate tlie Best-selling s Crops. { *

Preventing Milk Fever.

in question has had his cows freshen in warm weather for the last 20 years. In that time there was but one case of milk fever, and that was caused by the cow being out in a storm. If the rules given above are strictly adhered to, the danger of milk fever will bo reduced to a minimum. AGRICOLA. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. By Agricola “Dairymaid” asks: “(1) If it is more profitable to run the cream off thick, and nave less weight and a big test, or run it off thin and have more weight and a low test? (2) What amount of butter would a 39 test be? (3) Do you think 781 bof bream and 30 test per week from four cows would pay?” Answer: It is immaterial, es the matter which is most profitable Would depend largely on railage or cartage, etc. Thick cream would give you more skim-milk for your own use. A thin cream would entail more haulage. Thirty test would mean 301 b butter to every 1001 b of bream. The cows seem fair sorts. It should jiay, but, of course, that depends on cost of foodstuffs, grazing, cost of marketing, and ability of the supplier. “Subscriber” asks how to breed a mule? Either Jack-donkey-mare, or stallion-Jenny-donkey. The former is the usual way, as it requires considerable ingenuity to get a stallion to serve a donkey; but It is not an insuperable difficulty; and the latter cross when successful ranks higher in favour. “ Eltham ” asks what manure to use for ppple trees, on land of a light, sandy nature, which has been manured from the farm, for a number of years, and grows heavy crops of mangolds, clovers, and oats? Your land seems to be in great heart, but as an apple orchard will remove more fertility in 20 years than land under wheat, attention is essential so that exhaustion does not take place. Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus in that order are the elements necessary in orchard lands. However, your garden should at present be well equipped j in all three. I would suggest good cultiva- | tion. The gist of the business respecting i fertilisers is that the grower should experiment himself. The only general advice, perhaps. which could be given is that applications of potash, phosphoric acid should nearly always bo given to bearing fruit plants if the very best results are required; and it may be possible to supply nitrogen more cheaply by cover crops and tillage on most farms than by buying chemical manures, although in the nrosont instance the land appears well stocked.