THE FARM

Southland Times, Issue 17655, 12 February 1916, Page 2

THE FARM

AGBICTTIiTUBA.Xa EVENTS POB THE WEEK ENDING rEBEUABT 19: —Saturday, February 12. — Horse sale, at Invercargill, by Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Htri, —Tuesday, February 15. Stock sale at Gore. Mr John Sullivan’s clearing sale at Frmedalo, Fairfax, by Messrs >l. K. Mills and Son. —Thursday, February 17.—* Stock sale at Riverton. —Friday, February IS.— Stock sale at Hiversdalc. Another week will see harvesting in full swing in the Rochiel district. Of the 30,000 dols. offered in cash prizes and plate at the recent annual National Horse Show in New York the highest individual winner was Judge W. H. Moore, so well known at Olympia, who bad fourteen honses entered. The Moore, entries have led the prize-list winners since 1000, hut this year's total is less than usual on account of the strong opposition they met with in the numerous classes. However, .1 urgeMoore established a precedent by winning all four championships for heavy harness horses, besides being placed in reserve in two of them. Mr Moore's entries gathered in 22 first prizes, throe seconds, and two thirds, and while defeated for the lOnodols. Alfred G. Vanderbilt Memorial Cup bis entries won the highest prize from the amateur driver's standpoint of the exhibition, which was the class for four-in-hand teams shown to a park coach. His great horses, Ford and Rady Seaton, were the * leaders, and Burgomaster and Mlcah on the wheels, making a superb outfit. Rady Seaton also captured the 500 dols. prize to be won outright, presented by the American Hackney Horse Society. Second in the number of blue ribbons won was Mr Charles E. Coxe, of Malvern, Pa., who won with hackneys shown to halter as well as in the harness classes, scoring eleven firsts, two seconds, and two th irds. Among the numerous splendid oat crops to be seen in the Mataura island district tills season, that of Mr Alexander Waters appears to he the best upstanding (writes "Our Own”). Some of the stalks reach well up to Oft. high, and the ears are well filled. 'Hiere is also an abundance of grass everywhere; hence dairying operations arc being well maintained.

The crops in the Methvcn district (says the Christchurch Press) are expected to yield as under; —Wheat, 20 to 25 bushels per acre; oats, 30 to 35 bushels.

A sheep race of novel and ingenious pattern, the conception of Mr Duncan Sutherland, installed at Omarama (says the Oamaru Mall). One side of the race carries vertical 3in. rollers at short intervals, and the other is adjustable, so that the width of the race may be altered to suit circumstances, the race narrows gradually from the entrance to the exit, where arc the familiar three way gates, and the advantage of the whole arrangement is that two sheep cannot jam at the, wide end, because the sheep on the, roller side always has the advantage of the other. The more the sheep on the plain side pushes the more the rollers help his competitor to keep ahead, and eventually to show him his tail. Sheep cannot damage each other in the race by crushing. The adjustable width permits of the advantages of the race being utilised whatever size of sheep is being handled.

Mr John Shaud, Benmore, obtained the excellent return of 60 per cent, of lambs fat off his ewes. Mr O. R. Shand, Centre Bush, obtained 50 per cent.

Professor Shaler points out that under savage life the undisturbed roots and stems of plants bound the soil to the rocks, and the average washing away in four of five centuries would not equal tlie inch that may be carried to the sea, from a modern ploughed field by a single rainstorm. To this latter-day waste must be added cropping that takes away soluble minerals faster than they are formed. The soil is thus being reduced both in quantity and finality, and the results are to bo seen in the lessened productiveness of lands in Italy, Greece, Spain, and most other parts of the world. The remedy to be sought is some means of preventing the loss of the soil at a greater rate than the decay of the rocks restores it, and the rational way of doing so with permanent effect is the application of farmvard manure, the ploughing under occasionally of green crops and the judicious employment of commeicial fertilisers. Nearly half of the dry matter in vegetation consists of the element carbon, and all of it is derived from the carbonic acid gas contained in the atmosphere.

For more than a month an average of 30 trucks of cattle have left the Oamarn district for the south each eek, ami sheer> arc being sent south in greater numbers.

The other day a Hobart citizen teceivcd from Sydney a small sample packet of an American chicken food. On opening it lie found it alive, with a tiny little dark beetle. This was submitted to the Tasmanian Government Microbiologist (Mr 11. M. Nicholls), win. dicntified the insect as the most destructive of the flower-beetles, a creature known to science as Tribal in m confusum. If this becomes established in houses it is liable to become a great pest. It q ill eat anything from red pepper or snuff upwards or downwards, and if it gets into a bag of flour or anything of the kind it soon spoils it, for it giA os it a teiy unpleasant taste and odour. At present it is apparently not known in Tasmania, and it is to be hoped it will not get established there. This was the only pest in this particular packet (says the Hobart Mercury), for nearly all the contents were swathed logethei t\ith the webs of one of the grain moths, probably the Mediterranean (lower molli. Mr Nicholls remarked that he had seen some of tho flower beetles, though not Tnbolinm confusum, in packets ol prcpaiod cereal foods from America. Anyone who noticed any of these little insects in a packet would do well to burn the lot, for the food was not like,l\ to ho good, while it would he a very .serious matter for householders, grocers, and millers if the beetles in question became established.

An exchange of landed property has been effected by Dir Thomas Short, l.i.p. settler Seaward Downs, and Air \\ illiam Smith,' sheep farmer, Waitahuna. With tlie approaching departure of Mr Short, the Sea wai'd I towns community will lose a fine thriftv family, tlie heads of which are among the most highly respected of any in that community. Mr Short will be missed, too, in JCdendale Methodist Circuit, in which church lie has held office for several years.

A Taranaki butter buyer is of opinion that the prices which the season’s cheese will realise will enable the factories which consigned to pay out from Is Td to Is !)d. The Taranaki Herald states that the ninth shipment of hnltor and cheese from New Plymouth this season was to he made last week, tlie Corinna talcing .SHOO crates of cheese and 10,998 boxes Of butter for transhipment to the Ihmei'ick. Tbis will be the most valuable shipment sent from New Plymouth so far, as tlie cheese should realise \ -Hi, anil on the Home market, and the butter £38,49:!, a total of £78,19:!. The total amount sent from New Plymouth is 81,237 boxes of butter and 39,007

crates of cheese, as compared with 17,274 boxes of butter from Patoa and 55,34(i crates of cheese.

Tlie action of the. .Minister for Internal Affairs in authorising the Crder-in-Conncil which excluded hawks from the list of birds that might he destroyed in New Zealand this year was referred to at the meeting of the executive of the Auckland Provincial Farmers’ Union on Friday last. Mr .1. H. Fisher wrote asking the executive to protest against the protection of hawks. He said that in the South Island the hawks had killed most of the game. Major Husk and other members of the executive described the action of the Department as “nonsense.” A resolution was passed to the effect that the Minister be informed that the farmers strenuously object to the protection of hawks.

Mr James Ila/.lctt, of South Hillcnd. has a most promising crop of Leader oats. He finds this seed has done splendidly. The crops in this district are expected to yield well. •

Mr 11. Adams, Menzics Ferry, has cut his crop, his being amongst the early ones.

“Kuriheka,” Colonel Nichols’ wellknown station, near Oamaru, is pardonably proud of its Moll of Honour, containing Uic names of fifty-five men who at different times have worked at

"Kuriheka," and who during the. past year have responded to the call to arms. Of this number, several have laid down their lives, while a big proportion have been reported sick or wounded. It is Colonel Nichols’ intention, as soon as the list is complete, to have the names inscribed on a brass ..tablet, which will servo as a permanent record, and should be a constant source of pride to future workers on the station.

Some lime ago (writes the Wyndham Fanner's correspondent from Fdtmdale) the settlers throughout this district were notified by the Agricultural Department to cut all weeds before their flowering period. As far as can be judged by the naked eye, this mandate lias been complied with in every instance save one —viz., the Agricultural Department itself. I refer to a .10-acre section of valuable laud that is for all practical purposes lying waste, as save for a couple of horses that have been

grazing on it throughout the summer, and the like, it is not in use, and at the present time is a mass of tansy in full bloom, with sufficient seed maturing to infest all adjoining land. Tansy is one of the worst weed menaces the dairy farmers have to combat: and as some of the landholders adjacent to this pestiferous allotment have paid at the rate of over £SO an acre (including improvements) for their holdings, they cannot afford to tolerate a scourge of noxious plant life nor the parties responsible for their unmolested growth.

The daily intake of milk at tile Mataura Dairy Factory is 5500 gallons.

A sample of oats of a rare character was to be seen in the Southland Farmers' Co-operative Association’s office in Don street, and speaks volumes in regard to the quality of the soil in Mr Robert Craig's farm at Myross. It is of the variety known as Black Tartar and the stem is no less than 6ft 4in in height, heavily headed. There is also a sample of clover, grown in the same paddock as the oats, this being 3ft 6in in length. The seed used was supplied by the Association and no fertilisers was employed. The crop is estimated to yield about 100 bushels to the acre.

During lus residence at Drummond Mr John Kennedy took a real live interest in matters for the welfare, of the district. Since he has been a resident of Fortification lie lias displayed that /.cal and energy, so charactesistic of him. Much credit is due to him for the general improvements in road facilities and other necessary advancements in the young and growing district of Fortification. It was chiefly to his untiring efforts that a school was recently established there. Xow postal and telegraph facilities have also been improved. All the farms in the locality, though only recently taken tin, give evidence of intelligent husbandry on the part of the owners.

A well-known Hawea farmer informed the Cromwell Argus that many acres of barley will yield TO bushels to the acre,, while 03 bushels in barley and wheat will he quite common.

The fertile l.ochiel district is looking a picture at present. The oat and turnip crops arc splendid, and tho former is expected to average fully TO bushels to the acre.

Some wheat crops in the Ashburton and Oamarn district threshed out at 11, IS, 23 and 21) bushels to the acre.

Tu conversation with several district farmers on Saturday last, an Knsign representative was informed that the small bird nuisance this season is very severe. Tho fast ripening crops (owing to the weather) afford easy prey for the birds and they arc making the most of their opportunity. The action of the County Council in not purchasing birds’ eggs and heads was severely commented upon by fanners, and it is considered that had the Council followed its previous years’ action in the matter tho small bird nuisance would have been greatly minimised.

It has often been suggested along the “West Goast tlml to see ideal lucerne growing one has to go to Marlborough. This, however, is a fallacy (says tho Ilangitikei correspondent of the. AVanganui Chronicle), for in no purl of the dominion could one see a more piolilic growth of lucerne than on the farm of All- J. McFarland, Aorangi. This field of lucerne is now in its second year, and is showing about twenty-four inches in length of stem, and very heavy. The field is a perfect picture, and to the farmers of Feildiug distinct in particular it should prove an admiiable and effective object lesson as to what can he accomplished by perseverance and scientific treatment.

In a previous issue, says the Winton Poconl, we referred to a crop of wheat on .Mr' n. Ross’s farm at IMpton, and the excellent promise of the yield off a paddock that has been almost continuously cropped for forty years. A\ e have now been shown some of the heads from this crop, which are live incites and well filled. The wheal is red straw and is just approaching the ripening stages.

Tlie improvement in tlie character oi poor grass land, brought about by application of basis slag, is now so well known ihat it need not be insisted on, lint it may lie pointed out that tlie indirect value of such improvement, in increasing the fertility of the land may now become an important factor, in view of the fact that considerable areas of such land may again come under tlie plough. This advantage formed the subject of Professor Somerville’s paper, read at tlie meeting of the British Association, in some trials made at Cockle I’ark, the ’’slagged” soil which l«as been longest under treatment produced—as compared witli "nnslagged soil—about 1 10 per cent, more oats, oil jiov coul. more muslavd (first ciop), i'* per cent, more mustard (second crop), and about -10 per cent, more wheat, the average increase from this station being d” per cent. Another set of _soiis showed an aggregate increase of fn per cent.; other two gave increases of 1:2 and 8 nor cent, respecli vel), while the fifth did not. respond consistently after the oat crop, which, however, was in-

created by 20 per cent. Adding 1 together all the four crops, and taking the average for the live soils, it was found that the increase was 2a per cent. It is therefore evident that the farters of production have been materially increased as a consequence of using basic slag on grass land.

MANDEYIFDF NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) The weather for the past month has been exceptionally warm at times, and, although we have been favoured with several good showers of rain, the soil had become very dry, so dry that grass and grain on light soils were showing clearly the want of moisture. However, the splendid rains during the last week have refreshened things everywhere. We practically escaped the various cloudbursting downpours experienced in sevo, ral places, since so far the rain has been of inestimable value. Grass is plentiful and consequently stock of all descriptions arc loolting well. Turnips (of which there has been a splendid strike) arc making rapid growth and with the land so warm, abundance of winter feed is almost assured.

The grain crops promise good yields, but on the whole eannot be classed as exceptionaJ, and indeed on some farms, earlier and heavier rain would have assisted in producing more straw. However, provided all is safely garnered in that is standing in the fields, the yields will be satisfactory.

Mr Edward Boult has a really nice crop of wheat, and as it is well passed the flowering or blossoming stage, so that the danger of frost is fairly remote. Mr Kobt. Miller lias finished cutting a very good crop of Garton oats, while Mi Roche will make a start to cut in two or three days. Cutting will be general in a fortnight.

Messrs Jas. Hargcst and Crombie Bros, have cut their respective paddocks of ryegrass, and -from general appearances the seed is very plump.

The present season has been a good one for producing bountiful crops of weeds, although some farmers go in for turnip thinning by manual labour, the expense of so doing prohibits a sheepfarmer from clearing out the weeds by tliis means, even if the labour were available.

Provided the turnips are only moderately thick, a very great improvement can be made in the doing away with the weeds, such as sorrel and yarr by putting on lambs before tite weed is far advanced, but should the yarr be allowed to advance to the flowering stage, lambs do not care so much for it, and there is also a risk of deaths, which is not so while the weed is young. However, the farmers of to-day have placed before them three very important implements, namely the double ridger, the turnip thinner, and'the double horse hoe. The ridger has been sufficiently long on the market to require no further comment, but the other two implements are of more recent date, but like the ridger are now a complete success, and judging by the number that has gone up the Waimea railway during the past six weeks, the sales must have been very large indeed. Like other centres the grain-growing farmers are informed by the threshing mill owners that they will be charged Is 6d per 100 bushels extra, viz., 7s Gd for oat threshing this year, and the same proportion for barley and wheat. Of course, all reasonable - minded people must allow' that it must cost more to run a plant now than in years gone by. Oil, belting, and general repairs are more expensive, but the matter of wages can not be fully considered, because the owner generally drives his own turnout, or should, if possible, do so. "While admitting that to grant them Is per 100 bushels extra would be a reasonable advance under present conditions, anything beyond that is certainly unwarranted, because where plants have been properly looked after and threshing attended to in a business-like way, the results have been remunerative in every case. And the writer could quote more than one instance where careful owners have become farmers after some few years at the threshing, etc., and are now in a fairly large way of doing.

The present indication as regards harvesters do not appear anything like so serious as was anticipated a few months ago. The failure of crops in the north will have made harvester more plentiful than would otherwise have been the case. Tho tvages per hour are expected to be somewhere about Is 3d. Provided the oat warket remains somewhere about 3s per bushel, on trucks, the producer no doubt will be able to meet tho increase cost of everything lie requires, and have a- margin, but should the price drop to anything below 2s Gd, then it will be a problem for him lo solve whether it would not have been just as well for him to have sold his seed and the extra chaff required, and also saved much wear, etc., of implements. The wool sales go to show that tho sheep man is lo have a good innings. The phenomenal prices will be the means of bringing a very large sum into our little dominion, and, if we had plenty of w'ool to supply neutral countries for their own private requirements, the money so obtained would be very acceptable, but on the other hand, while we have to retain practically tho whole of the wool for Britain and her Allies the question that must appeal to ns surely is: "is it not a fact that the enhanced prices given for wool is paid for by borrowed money obtained at a very high rate of interest, and further, would it not be much better for all if all our products and also wages remained at a normal rate. In other words, puchascd and controlled by tire Government during the duration of this awful war.”

A mailer of much importance to the residents of the township and surrounding district at the present time is the management of the wounded soldiers’ fund, and a meeting to form a liranch of the War Funds' Association is to be held shortly. One or more of the councillors will be invited to be present to address tlie gathering. It is to bo hoped the evening selected trill be fine. As far as I can Rather Tattcrsall’s fortune wheel did not turn out a. winning ticket for Mandeville in the groat Carnival Queen Art Union.

DRUMMOND NOT US. (From Our Own Correspondent). There is no one who has knowledge and experience of many seasons but who is ready to affirm that, if we ever bad a season equal to this for warm growing weather and exceptionally rapid growth, it is difficult to recall to mind and, certainly, it lias never been excelled. There lias never, I believe, been any season in the recollection of any in which turnips have brairded so well, and made such rapid growth. If we still have sufficient moisture to keep mildew or blight in check, the promise of abundant winter feed will never be more fully realised than the most sanguine would ever have dared to imagine. The same splendid prospects for turnips are so general that it will have its usual effect on the value of store stock. The abundance- of winter feed will create such a demand for stores that the margin in values between store and fat stock may possibly lie such a diminishing quantity as to make it impossible for tiie feeding and fattening of stock to be anything but a payable undertaking. There is still another remarkable feature among the many notable ones of the present season which is worthy of special attention. In most seasons by this date the pastures get much drier, and what is also known as the freshness of

the grass has disappeared, causing cows to fall off in milking, and other results ensue, which hold so strongly good as might without fail he expected in December. The fact that later grass crops, or those generally later in, are. now being cut shows this to he the case. We see a good deal in newspaper reports of exceptionally heavy crops. While there arc some excellent crops, it is only in highly favoured districts where they are generally good. The oat crops on lea ground in general arc not heavy, and in most localities are light. It is the turnip ground where the oats arc malting the biggest show. Theie have been seasons when the grain crops have shown to better advantage for a heavy yield. The annual holiday for the local schools to Colac was fixed for the ‘.Uh, and that day, of all the days of the year, the young people expect they are entitled to the best of weather conditions, and, if they do not have it. will not he slow in holding that they have not been just quite properly treated. Another function which is looked forward to with considerable interest by many is a garden party at Grcenlea, Drummond, where Mrs Mackintosh s geniality will he only one of the. many features which will form a source of delight to those who will take the advantage of having the pleasure of being highly entertained. This is, lam informed, to take place on Wednesday afternoon, Ist March. If it he true "that a thing of benutv is a joy for ever,” then wc may undoubtedly affirm, that those who do themselves the pleasure of attending this function will have experienced from their own personal observation that, if the above dictum is true to them personally, it must he intensely so to the lady who has enthusiastically and laboriously provided such a splendid horticultural display. It is expected that there will be a large turn out.