NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 8 March 1921, Page 8

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Tn a paper road by Mr Mead, of Auckland. recently, before the Now Zealand Society of Civil Engineers, on land settlement planning, he makes the following points:—(l) Demarcation of areas of land, with a view to their most suitable use: (2) a transport or roading scheme; (3) subdivision of areas into unit sections; and (4) the grouping of population into villages and towr.shins. Mr Mead summed up the evils of unplanned land settlement as —(1) Destruction of native resources through failure to recognise the natural qualities of different classes of land, and their proper utilisation;

(2) the excessive cost of transport resulting * ro J n the lack of inland communications j and (3) the hardships .mposed on pioneers by the erroneous location of settlement areas and the want of proper access thereto. Citing an illustration, he mentioned Central Otago, where alluvial areas were seleoted for sheep runs, and the native tussock burnt off. Rabbits followed the sheep, and the effect of fire and animal made a stony desert of what would, with irrigation and close cultivation, have supported many prosperous small farmers. To avoid blunders like this, he suggests that land settlement engineers should be fully recognised as railway, harbour, municipal, and mining engineers. They should have the training of a civil engineer, together with knowledge of agriculture, forestry, and geology. As New Zealand’s main markets were overseas, the first areas selected for settlement should be near seaports. As subsequent areas were opened up, they should be kept abreast of the advance of lines ,of communication into the interior. The settlement area should consist of 100 to 200 square miles, as a satisfactory planning unit.

Evils of the Present Land Settlement System.

ine following letter to the editor, which appeared recently in Farmer and Stockbreeder, explains itself:—“Sir, —ln response to many requests, will you allow me to answer through the medium of your valuable paper some of the questions I am continually being asked? There can be little doubt now that this 1920 Christmas has seen the top of the mighty pig boom, but with ordinary good sense and a cool head there is plenty of money still in pigs. If everyone begins to clear directly _ the prices do take a decided drop there will be a very great slump there is not the least doubt; but if everybody who has a herd of pigs will prepare now to plant some green food for them and get them on to the land, there need be no slump, but a steady good trade for all the coming summer. I give below a list of crops that we have grown for several years, when they sboqld be planted, quantity to plant, and when, with an ordinary season, they will be ready. By this, three important objects are attained. The pig is kept exceptionally healthy (and to-day, with nearly a foot of snow and the thermometer down to 18deg, registering 14deg of frost, they are playing about in the snow and barking at one another as if they were enjoying the harvest fields); the second object is, that a half ration of meal is saved, the pig is eating 101 b to 161 b of kale instead of the other half ration of meal; and the third object attained is that the land is cleaned and fatted for the next crop. One of the chief things with green-crop feeding will be to see pics do not get constipated. To obviate this a heavy ratio of albuminoids and oils must be fed, and we have found three to one of the former and seven to one—not too high—of the latter, and with this meal mixed to a consistency of sloppy porridge the pig s - do wonderfully well, and do not root; reduce the. protein and oil and they immediately begin to hunt underground for worms, etc.

All the above can be dibbled out, when plants are large enough, except the rape, which should be sown continually, and i£ it does not grow well, fold it off and sow again when you may expect a better crop. Allow, say, six months as difference between seasons in the two hemispheres.

Feeding pigs on Arable.

| The recent "break” in prices of fat stock causes one to think and speculate as to the future. There are few farmers who take an intelligent view of the situation but will admit that the outlook is none too bright. No one but the keenest of optimists could imagine that his prodi ets would make the returns of the past few years. The fact has to be grasped that in the Homeland the purchasing power of t lie people is not too good, and, of course, the industrial situation is ominous and docs not make for good farming. Unemployment bespeaks unrest, and no good will come till matters get back to normal. It may be that the control of meat at Home will be continued beyond 'he time it was anticipated it would be —beyond March 31, —and the market safeguarded for the benefit of Home farmers. Despite the fact that the herds of the United Kingdom have been depleted, it would seem that this is of small benefit to us. If low maximum prices are fixed and maintained, there is not much hope even of farmers trying consigning on their own account unless they can get "freight” charges reduced considerably. not increased, as has been jiroposed by ‘ the Overseas Shipowners’ Committee. These proposed rates, by the way, for present months are as follow: —Beef, pork, veal, boned beef, and sundries in crates, 1 15-16 d per lb net; mutton and tegs, lamb, sundries in bags, shoulders, legs, and pieces, 2 5T6d; rabbits, 184 s per ton mea6t net. ’These rates will also be applicable to the steamers to be allotted as the April group. These rates will not apply to c.i. sales already effected by freezing companies, which will be carried at following rates: Beef, ljd, plus 10 per cent. ; mutton and tegs, 1 gel, plus 10 per cent. ; lamb, 2d. plus 10 per cent. ; rabbits. 175 s per ton meast, plus 10 per cent. The contemplated rise equals Is per head rise on sheep and lambs, and as it hits both the freezing works and producers, they should commence to hustle and back up the North Islanders’ representatives. Producers should hammer away at getting the ‘‘control” at Homo removed and freights on meat reduced. Up to the present the writer has heard of no farmers’ organisation in Otago, Southland making a move in the matter. The charges for slaughtering, freezing, freight, exchange, etc., to-clav amount to about 4d per lb.

Looking Forward.

A successful experience of grazing lucerne in North Canterbury is sketched by Fields Instructor R. MacGillivray in a recent Journal of Agriculture. In the course of his remarks he says: “The experience of Mr James Heasley, ot Medbury, in North Canterbury, where grazing of lucerne baa been practised for five years, will be of great interest to farmers and pastoralists. Much of the land com-

prising Mr Heasley’s farm is dry and stony, and when the present owner took possession the carrying capacity was low, being less than one sheep to two acres. Mr Heasley purchased the farm in the belief and expectation that lucerne could be profitably established thereon, and he has not been disappointed. He acquired the farm in 1914, and immediately took preliminary steps towards laying down 23 acres in lucerne. The following year he laid down another area slightly larger than the first, and consisting of extremely light stony land. He has new altogether about 50 acres under lucerne, and intends to sow another area next spring, hoping to have at an early date from 80 to 100 acres under this crop. The seed has all been sown with a grain-drill through every coulter, and Mr Heasley is of opinion that from 71b to 81b per acre is a suitable seeding. One field was by mistake seeded at the rate of only 41b per acre. Such a seeding is manifestly too light; still, the area has given an im- : mense amount of grazing. This area has been down about five years, and it is the \ owner’s intention, when he gets other parts j of the farm under lucerne, to plough up the light-seeded area and resow at the rate of 81b per acre. The seed used was of the Marlborough variety, specially purchased at Blenheim It is of interest to know that the cost of laying down the whole area has been under £1 10s per acre. No arti- ' fieial fertilisers have been used, but the first area sown was limed with carbonate of lime at the very light race of half a ton per Acre. The remainder has not been limed, but&it. is Mr Heasley’s intention to top-dress with lime and to repeat the application at intervals. Cultivation of the stands has not as yet been attempted by Mr Heasley. The stony nature of much of the land makes it • difficult to stimulate growth in this way. The lucerne gives an almost unbroken succession of feed throughout the year, includ- : ing the winter season. Each area is gener- j ally given from three to seven days’ spell about once a month, as the land tends to get dirty with the heavy stocking. The death-rate among the sheep has been negligible— not so great as on grass paddocks. In 1914, when the present owner took charge, the farm consisted of 267 acres. Within a recent date he has purchased an adjoining 130 acres, but the greater portion of this block was either in crop or in preparation for same last season. The present carrying capacity of the farm as compared with that of six years ago must therefore be altogether restricted, to the original farm, which, with the exception of the portion in lucerne, is in substantially the same condition as when Mr Heasley took possession. He has sown down some paddocks with grass mixtures (ryegrass, cocksfoot, and clovers), but these have mostly gone out; so that any increase in stock carried can be almost entirely attributed to lucerne. For some considerable time past a block of 23 acres of lucerne has been continuously grazed by 500 sheep, or at the late of 22 sheep par acre. This number has now been reduced to 265, or llg sheep per acre, and the growth of lucerne is so strong that it is beyond the power of the sheep to keep it down. During the past season 1700 sheep were actually put away fat off the farm, all of which were purchased as stores, except 400 well-forward wethers, which were only topped off on the lucerne. Mr Heasley wintered 700 sheep, and it is his intention to increase this number greatly in the future by setting aside about 12 acres of his projected new area of lucerne for hay purposes. The lightest parts of Mr Heasley’s farm under lucerne are carrying as many or perhaps more stock than land valued at over £IOO per acre is doing under ordinary farming methods. Mr Heasley very correctly looks upon farming as a business proposition, and has kept careful records of his grazing and farming operations, and is in a position to state definitely what numbers of sheep have been purchased, grazed, and sold. Ilis property has been visited by farmers and others, tome from long distances, many of whom have beer. deeply impressed by the good use to which his light lands have been put and the possibilities of similar classes of lands in other districts being made profitable in like manner.” AGRICOEA. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. By Aoricola. A. D. M., Palmerston, desires to know the best time for sowing silver beet, so as to have it ready for the table in November. just possible to germinate the seed at once and grow it on through the winter if in at all a sheltered spot. It would, if not neglected, come away in the spring, and provide eutitng at the time desired ; or, if you could secure plants now and transplant into position, you could secure a succession of green stuff. “Constant Reader. Back-blocks,” writes: “I have a heifer been milking for three months, and for two months she has been giving a considerable amount of blood in her milk, not always from the same

teats. What is the matter?” ——You would be as well to call in the local inspector, as the continued blood in the milk suggests a tumour or tubercular trouble, while the milking process will prove a source of irritation. Failing obvious symptoms not mentioned which may be detected by inspector, only bacteriological examination of the milk will determine whether the trouble is as suggested. Specimens of the milk could be sent to laboratory, Wellington, for examination. “H. J. 8.,” Southbrook, sends wheathead for identification. It is growing freely among a crop of solid straw Tuscan, and is locally known as Tom Thumb. One of the red wheats, commonly classed under Tuscan varieties, and grown and known and appreciated by millers in South Canterbury and elsewhere a while ago as Tom Thumb, the name evidently given to it by the breeder.

Pasturing Lucerne.

Rotation ok Green Crops. j Will Sow •Seech Thin Ready feed 40 in per | Variety out to fold 7 rnths acre | to in old. lb. 1 in. Bays. March 4 Kohl Rahi 16 Oct. 00 March 8 j Marrow s;em ; Kale 30 Sept. 100 March 10 i Rape (broadc’std and n’t thinnd 8 wks 40 Juiie 4 | Colewort Cabj base 12 14 tvka 40 August 2 bushels of Tares mixed with 1 bushel of Winter Beans A pril 80