NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3247, 7 June 1916, Page 10

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Hie plough should be kept moving, as there

Farm Work for June.

is nothing liko the winter weather for satisfactorily breaking down the stiff furrow. Land is generally

working up well—too well in places,—and the cultivation required is naturally much reduced; otherwise the soil will run together, to the disadvantage of the autumnsewn cereals. If autumn-sowing is pushed on with there is, perhaps, an opportunity of possible feeding down. Liming should be made the most of now. All potatoes shouid b',' out of the ground ere this, and best roots saved for eeed. Mangolds may bo pulled and stored when the lower leaves begin to turn. Carrots must be lifted and swedes, if stored, will be useful later on. After rains it is a good plan to chainharrow the grass paddocks \yhere droppings of manure are fairly thick. Drains should be sorted, and sheltersheds and plantations cleaned up. The planting of shelter trees and others may be now undertaken with advantage. All rubbish to be burnt and spread and gorse grubbed and old stackbottoms removed. Fences can now be attended to, and harness cleaned and dressed with neatsfoot oil, and imnlements overhauled. Working horses require good feeding; also young horses should net an extra bite of cats and chaff, while old horses, too, are worth a thought and given plenty oi time to eat their feed. The rams arc better taken away from the ewes after, say, eight weeks out, and all lame sheep looked to and treated. Pigs are worth all the v care and feed possible, and should have v plenty of straw, the styes kept clean and dry. Feed the milking cows especially well, and rug as opportunity offers, and so save the foodstuffs by keeping up the body warmth.

The following method of making small

Making Cheese for tlio Home.

cheese for home usa may be useful to a number of correspondents and others. II is

described by an Australian lady as satisfactory in supplying the table with a good and wholesome article: —For homo cheese-making on a small scale one usually has all the required implements on hsßcl. First, 1 well cleaned wash-boiler will answer for a vat. Take five quarts of milk foe each pound of cheese to be made —a 4-Jb or 51b cheese is about right for family use. Use all morning's milk if possible; if some evening's milk is used, be sure that ix, is sweet, and skim it, as a beginnei is ant to lose that cream. Put into the boiler and boat to 85dcg; remove from the stove and add the rennet. I use cheese rennet tablets, also cheese-colour tablets, which I buy at the dairy supply stores. The proper directions come with them, and, if followed, one cannot make a mistake about the amount of rennet to be used. But with the colour tablets one must use judgment, as some milk has more natural colour owing to different conditions, such as feed, seasons, and so forth, and some people like highly-coloured cheese, while others prefer it very pale. Add the rennet and colour tablets, previously dissolved in a little warm water, to the wanned milk; be sure to use a dairy thermometer, for there must be no guesswork about cheesemaking. Stir thoroughly and cover with a cloth; let stand fo l- 40 to 60 minutes, or until it becomes of a good thickness, and if the curd is broken the whey will at once ooze out. If on testing it has not reached this stage, let it stand a while longer. Now cut both ways with a long knife, clean to the bottom of the bqiler, about lin apart each way. Cover again and let remain for a short time. Soon the whey will which may be dropped off with a bowl, having first spread a cheese cloth over the curd. Dip off all the whey possible. Then take a sharp skimmer without a handle and stir and chop and turn the curd until it is quite fine. Do this as gently as possible.

for the- more gently it is handled all through the less cream will be liberated, and consequently the better will be the cheese, the whey should have a greenish cast and be nearly transparent, it it looks milky there has not been enougii rennet or not ei ougk heat; this cannot bo remedied tins time. One learns by experience about such things. Next place a clean wet cheese cloth ia u clothes basket, place the basket slanting in a Cub, dip the curd en the cloth, and let the whey drain off. Meanwhile, heat several'quarts ot whey to irOdeg and pour over -the curd. This will harden the curd and make it squeaky; work gently with the hand until the whey is oil'. Now it is ready for the salt. Cheese requires less salt in proportion than butter. Work tiie salt through and taste to see if it is salty enough. Now place the cheese hoop, which may be a wooden bucket or pack measure with the bottom our, on a clean board. Spread a wet cheese cloth in the hoop, thin dip in the curd; arrange the cloth over the top, then put on the cover, which should be a round board to lit in the hoop. A good home-made press is made by hanging a scantling to the wall 111 soiim convenient place 2it or 3ft from the floor. The hoop is placed under this, with an upright block of wood on the round hoard. Tin ;:mount of pressure is regulated by hanging a bucket containing stones or other heavy substances on the end of a lever. The pressure should be increased gradually. The cheese should remain in the press until evening; then take one and turn on a clean wet cheese cloth, trim oh all uneven edges, and put back into the press and leave until morning, lake out ot press, bondage it with cheese cloth, alter which rub it thoroughly with melted butter, and cure it in a warm, airy room. Turn and rub with a very little fresh butter every day for a week; alter that turn every second day and rub well without using any butter. It can be cut. when four weeks old, but ia better six or cigh" weeks. This differs according to taste, as some people proior it more green than others.

When renting a farm trust to no verbal

Renting a Farm.

lease. Lot it be *n writing, signed and scaled. Its stipulations then become commands, and can be enforced.

Let it be signed in duplicate, so that each paity may have an original Insert such covenants as to repairs, maimer of use/and in restraint of waste, as the circumstances call for, .as to particular stipulations. Examine leases drawn by those who have had long experience in renting farms, and adopt sucii as meet your caso. There should bo covenants against assigning and under-let-tmg. If the tenant is of doubtful lcsponsibility, make the rent payable in instalments. A covenant that the crops remain the lessor's till the lessee's contracts with him are fulfilled is valid against the lessee's creditors. In the ordinaly case of renting farms on shares, the courts will treat ttie crops as the joint property cf landlord and tenant, and thus protect the former's rights. Above all, be careful in selecting your tenant. There is more in the man than there is in the bend.—Harris and Meyer's "Food for Plants, 1905."

The fact that pigs may be castrated at

Cut Your Pigs Young.

any age with little risk is the reason often given for not performing the opera-

tion when the pigs are suckling. However, the loss due to putting off the operation too long is rather more risky than need be. The older the animal is the more difficult it is to handle, and the greater the less of blood and vitality. When the operation is deferred until weaning-time or later, the pigs lie about in a stiffened condition, lose their appetite, shrink in live weight, and it often takes a couple of weeks before they are all back again in normal condition and ready to make profitable gains. On the other hand, the pig that, is castrated when from four to six weeks old loses but little blood, and continues to nurse, scarcely noticing the operation.

As indicative of what is being done in tho

Practical Work in Agriculture.

way of agricultural education in Otago, reference must bo mode to the com-

mendable exhibit from the district high schools at Balclutha. Milton, Falmerston, Lawrence, Taponui, and Mosgiel at the Winter S-how last week. Within the limits of space allotted, a very comprehensive exhibit was staged, representing in a measure the lines along' which the practical work m agriculture is conducted in these schools. Features of the display worthy of note were the results of manuria! and variety tests with roots, fodder, crops, and grasses which have been made in the school experiment plots during the past season. The whole exhibit was effectively s« off by tho background of endemic, ornamental shrubs which had been propagated fiom cuttings. Striking evidence in support of the now woil-ctsablished principle that it is by no moans the soundest economy to depend solely upon the inherent resources o!: the soil was furnished in the- results shown of tho fertiliser tests with mangolds and swedes, tho increased returns from the manured over the vnmanurcd plots showing a very large margin of compensation for the cose of the fertiliser. It is work such as the above that is worthy of every encouragement by A. and P. Societies, as it is very evident that the boy who i.s early aware of the worth of good cultivation—specific manuring, etc., will be heard of later in farming circles. In tho class for collection of vegetables grown "n school grounds further interest would be incited if points were awarded, and a score-card attached to each exhibit, setting out points gained, etc., somewhat similar to classes for fruit. AGRICOLA. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. By Annicor.A. '' Interested."—T-hc King Island Mellilot has been grown in an experimental way by the Department of Agriculture, but with them it did not push its way to the front; but that may have been one result of tho siason. The writer has no knowledge of the riant, but believes in appearance it looks somewhat like lucerne, and is used foi ploughing under as green manure in seme localities. A Wairarapa settler told an Age representative that the shortage of farm labour was already hemp; acutely felt. He stated that on his own farm of 2000 ucres he had lost his ploughmen, his shepherds, and his general labourers, and all that now remained were a cook, an aged man, and a boy. Tho sheep returns for South Canterbury this year show a marked decrease as compared with last year. A number of prosecutions are pending against South Canterbury sheep-owners for exposing lice-infected: sheep for sale.