NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3275, 20 December 1916, Page 10

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Thanks to the glorious weather experienced, and an inspired press, the

The Southland Show.

Southland A. and P. s Jubilee Show attracted to its well-appointed grounds a

loval crowd from the adjacent provinces as well as a fair number from farther north. The town people, too, helped in every way. Northern men wore well represented with breeding stock, which scored freely, and they should be well enough pleased with their successes. The parade of stock was well handled, the stewards being mounted, and thus facilitating this important feature of the larger shows. Generally the spectacular effect was of a high grade. The grouping and balancing of the various stock sections being first rate. Tho picturesque Holsteins and the Shorthorn cattle were well to the fore, while the Aldorneys and prize hacks, with the fine Clydesdale marcs, stood out well in the warm, still weather, forming a splendid picture from the lawn and gri*nd stand. A full account of tho Show appears elsewhere, but some features are more outstanding than others. Romney Marsh sheep were good throughout, while Border Leicester's were perhaps even better. Lincolns, although unchallenged, were very fair indeed: the Corriodalcs wore disappointing. also merinocs, tho latter being hard-looking. Fat stock sections were throughout very fair, though some of tho young stock, .being at a growing stage, had in places made growth, and had not put on meat to the best advantage. Nothing on tho ground equalled Dr M'Nab’s two-year-old heifer shown at tho Dunedin Show. The class for Holstein-JFriesian fat bullocks was of much interest, and elicited seven entries, a gratifying response, and likely to develop in the future. Fat lambs were not up to expectations, and those entered a year ago wore of bettor quality.. Tho pens of 10 two-tooths in most instances wore good, and certainly the competition was most praiseworthy. It is doubtful if a class for a bull, any ago (Shorthorn class), showing best milking qualities, is worth encouraging in its present form. What is wanted rather in these times is a bull with ancestors

having recorded performances, in conneo. lion with milk and butter-fat. Only two entries in the pig section were to be seen, and, as with other shows, this class requires enlivening. I'inally, the Southland Association should feel grateful to the implement manufacturers in Invercargill in putting up .such a line display of labour-saving machines. This section was in all respects first rate, and was an object-lesson to the manufacturers and the representatives of manufacturers of agricultural machinery from Otago, who were lucky enough to be present to witness the display.

Wh cn lucerne is introduced in a new loca- . litv -*it often haunens that

Inoculating Fields for Lucerne.

11 by oiisn iicipptMio Liidc one is uncertain about the lands being inoculated. Many prefer soil from a

field in which the legume Jins grown successfully. _ Such fields are rarely within easy driving distance, so that the matter of hauling becomes a serious item. If, for instance, 6001 b per acre—a big dressing, certainly—■ wore to be used on a 20-acre field, this would mean six tons of soil to be hauled. To obviate this expense and trouble the following plan has been adopted successfully by a farmer, and is recorded in an Australian paper. The year before he sows the whole field, ho inoculates a strip through tne centre, and sows this strip with lucerne The remainder of the field might be sown with wheat, oats, etc. If a good stand results he is sure inoculation has been successful, and the right bacteria is present in the soil covered by the strip. The following season he loads his distributer from the inoculated ftrip in the centre of the field, and then drives to the edge of the field and back, where he refills the machine and drives to the opposite side, continuing the operation until the whole field is covered. In locating the strip to be inoculated, the capacity of the distributer should bo taken into consideration, and the position of the strip so determined that the machine can be driven to the boundary and back to the source of supply without reloading.

Some simple means of cooling milk and cream, and keeping them so.

A Cooling Tank for Milk or Cream.

r is of use on every farm where, perhaps, it is not deemed necessary to provide on expensive cooler for a

u u UAjjciioi» v; I'-'i ui limited lot of milk. An American exchange describes'a cooler as used on the farm of S M. Raleigh, of Clyde, Kansas:—“Tho cooler is home-made, and it needs no ice ito keep it working effectively. It is 24m by 4Cin in size, inside measurements, about 2ft deep, and will hold six 4gal cream cans. The walls of the tank are Sin thick. The inside is lined with 2in timber. Outside of this is a dead-air space of 2in, then an outside wall of lin board covered with heavy tar roofing paper. A hinged cover is made to fit tho tank. This cooling tank is connected with the water supply from the drilled well, to which a windmill is attached. All the water for tho cattle that is pumped from this well is piped to this tank, tho inlet pipe entering at tho bottom. _ The outlet is near the top. When tho windmill is started tho cold water pumped is forced into the bottom of the tank, and displaces the warmer water. * Milk and cream keep in this tank when the thermometer registers 105 in tho shade. Tho owner of this farm installed this tank himself. Another tank, made in a similar way, has been in use on the same farm for 18 years, and is said to bo still serviceable.

The following is of interest and well worth trying, as one has not

Eradicating Insects and Fungi with Warm Water.

always on hand soft soap and the ordinary ingredients of a Wash for aphides, etc. According to a communication made to the French

Academy of Agriculture, warm water (at a temperature of 55-65 dog C.) has been successfully used in destroying insect and fungus parasites on cultivated plants, those insects and fungi investigated have proved much loss resistant than the plants on which they are parasitic. The burning of the teguments or external organs ot tlle parasites has been sufficient to kill them, while, on the other hand, only the surface cells of the plants have been temporarily affected and the plants have been unharmod‘ AGRICOLA.