NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3593, 23 January 1923, Page 10

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

doubt one might with advantage apply lime to the soil the whole year round; but, speaking generally, the autumn ana .. , , . early winter are the most suitable times. We have then an area of land ploughed and exposed to more or less “hard ’ weather conditions, with variable temperatures, which help in breaking up refractory soils. There is usually time then to cart out the lime and have it spread* Later on it can be well intermixed with the surface soil, . or, better still perhaps, give one application before ploughing, and a second dressing after the land is crossploughed. A good limey soil is a far better proposition to handle and subsequently seed to crops with artificial fertilisers than a too devout faith in the efficacy of, say, basic superphosphate. That nice soil texture so noticeable when a virgin soil is first handled cannot be achieved in a moment when one has to do with ordinary farm soil. The lime must have time to work its “wonders”—for wonders they are, -it the returns are to warrant the outlay. After all, the properties of lime are only slightly manurial; yet its application to land has often a more beneficial and profitable effect than dressing with manures, either natural or artificial. There are many' soils which need lime badly, and the effect of manuring on them is very similar to that of a bushei of raw potatoes placed before a hungry man with no means of cooking them. In. soils which are deficient in lime manures cannot act fully or beneficially, but when sufficient lime has been applied the benefits of manure, which have been given either before or after the liming, becomes more apparent. “The man does not live who can pick the good cows from the poor ones without ever making a mistake,” says Mr W. W. Swett, of the Missouri College of Agriculture. Even the best judges sometimes make a mistake. But there are certain points about the dairy cow which are almost always associated with high production. The udder should be deep, wide, and long, with good attachments. It should be evenly developed, level on the floor, and equipped with teats of good and uniform size, symmetrically placed. It should also be soft and pliable, indicating that it consists of secreting cells rather than flesh. A good set of milk veins indicates that the udder is well supplied with blood. Long, crooked milk veins entering large wells or openings through the body wall are usually associated with high production. A dairy cow cannot be a maximum and continuous producer unless she has a strong constitution. Vitality and strength of constitution are indicated by broad, open nostril, and a chest which is deep ancl broad. Feed capacity is essential. In order to produce * heavily a cow must consume large quantities of feed and water. A barrel which is long, broad, and deep indicates a large capacity and good production. A large cow nearly always has the advantage of production, provided she is not deficient in other pointsL Alertness in temperment is an asset, and a sluggish cow is seldom a high producer. Dairy temperament includes those characteristics which indicate that the cow’s feed is used for the production of milk rather than for body fat. Angularity, prominent points, lack of heaviness and flesh, and the presence of the triple wedges are good indications. duality refers to the handling or pliability of the hide, the refinement of bone, and the character of the animal, which cannot be described, but which have to be seen and thoroughly considered to be appreciated. The importance of good feet and legs is recognised by all, but many do not take the care they should of the colt’s feet. Carl W. Gay, in “Productive Horse Husbandry,” states that the relation between the direction of the colt's legs and the form of his feet is so close as to make the care of the latter a mosrfi important means of enhancing his usefulness in later years. In the first place, the natural attitude of the leg determines in. large part the form of the foot. But, on the other hand, the natural attitude of the leg may become altered to conform to an unnatural condition of the foot resulting from neglect. Therefore, if the natural attitude of the leg is correct, the natural form of the foot should be guarded in order to preserve the correct position of the leg. It is even possible, within certain limits, to so shape a colt’s foot as to induce correction of some defect in the position of the lega which existed at birth. For example, the horse which stands toe wide, nigger heeled, or splay footed, as it is commonly called, will have the inner wall of his foot much, shorter and more upright than the outer wall. The condition is probably due primarily to the position of the legs, the foot at birth appearing normal. If. however. the animal had been born with the legs straight, but for some reason during the first few months of his life the outer wall of his foot had been allowed to become longer than the inner wall, this unnatural form of the foot would tend to bring about a toe wide position of the logs, which were originally straight. Or. if the feet of a toe-wide eelt had been kept in proper form. Uiey would have influenced the toe-wide legs to assume a proper direction Numerous recipes are available for curing bacon, but the following can be recommended, while the present is a good time to attempt some home curing:—Clean rain water, 20 gallons; fine dairy salt, 501 b; brown sugar, 51b; saltpetre, 21b; allspice, jib. Dissolve the salt, sugar, and saltpetre in the water, and immerse the allspice tied up in a calico bag.

The Liming Season.

Buyi,ng Dairy Cows.

Care of Colts’ Feet.

A Pickle lor Bacon.

Boil for one hour and skim off any frothy matter rising -to the surface while boiling. Allow this solution to come down to the temperature of the curing room before placing in the pickling vat, barrel, or tub. This is sufficient for 5001 b of meat. The sides should be rubbed with salt for two days before being immersed in the pickle. It may be necessary to place sufficient weights 'on the sides to keep them immersed. If this is done see that clean pieces of hardwood are used, and soak them well in waste pickle before use. The time the meat is in pickle will be determined by the size of the sides, but usually it is three weeks. AGRICOLA. ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. By Agbicola. J. J., Mandeville, writes: “Can you tell me the crop to sow in a small section after lifting an early crop of potatoes, which will all be dug in a day or two. Last year I sowed crimson clover, but the docks beat it. Whatever I sow I intend to plough under in the spring before a crop of early potatoes. Thanking you in anticipation.” Your idea is, I suppose, to increase the content of organic matter in the soil. Sow vetches or tares in conjunction with a cereal -—winter barley, oats, or rye. It is not very material which is grown. Use, say, a mixture of one bushel of vetches with half a bushel of the others named, equalling a total seeding cf two and a-half bushels per acre. The cerals will support the vetches, and the whole form a valuable crop for turning in later. You say that you contemplate treating only a small area, so that the cost of a legume like vetches or peas should not deter one from, ploughing in this valuable nitrogen gatherer. Where frosts do not abound no doubt the ploughing in of mustard or rape might answer, but then you lack the legume, which is invaluable as a help in renovating soils. When the mixed crop is well grown roll and plough. Attach chain with weight to coulter so that weight trails in bottom of previous furrow. Plough in when plants are succulent. There has not been a great deal attempted in green manuring in this country, but crops after clover or trefoil invariably “do” well. No simpler green manure than crimson clover could well be adopted after potatoes. A fairly thick seeding on top of the potato ground, once roughly harrowed level and rolled, should answer quite well; but crimson clover, like lucerne, may require inoculated soil in order to rush it along. SHORTAGE OF BEEF. FREEZING WORKS CLOSING DOWN. .HAWERA, January 19. Two big freezing companies along the West Coast have been compelled to close down owing to the shortage of stock offering. In the first place the Wellington Meat Export Company’s large modern works at Kakariki, between Marton and Feilding, have suspended operations, and a rumour is current that the ownership has been transferred to big interests outside New Zealand. Mr Dixon (manager) has been transferred to Wellington, and Mr M'Fie (engineer) has gone to Ngahauranga. Quite a large number of hands have been affected, and owing to the shortage of stuff coming forward to other works and the liability to reduce rather than increase the staffs the excess labour cannot be absorbed. Then, again, at New Plymouth the Smart Road Works have been closed down. This is very serious for the working men, the wages bill alone being about £30,000 per annum. The sudden withdrawal of that amount of money from the wages fund of the district has made a great difference to the spending power of a considerable number of people in New Plymouth. Another very unfortunate circumstance is that many enterprising settlers

have been hit hard by the slump in the beef. A number of them, having faith in the enterprise, put money into it, and accepted financial responsibilities that they have since had to shoulder. Twelve of them have had to pay £3OOO each, and in some instances it has severely tried the finances of the unfortunate guarantors.