FARM AND GARDEN

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 83, 3 July 1928, Page 7

FARM AND GARDEN

Iti STRATFORD AND DSSTRSCT. (BY "ARARE") • At this tim c of the year it would pay all farmers to give some attention to this important plume of farming. What then are the various advantages that aviso from this work? Briefly, they may be summarised as follows: (1) Shelter for stork. It requires no elaboration to convince the farmer that stock exposed to cold biting winds cannot thrive as well as those living under more congenial conditions. Further, (luring the milking years cows produce only that which is over and above that required for nourishing their bodies and maintaining temperature. During a cold snap, more food is required to supply these two demands, and so the supply in consequence is depicted. (2) Shelter for Crops: This phase is frequently overlooked, but surely with a moment's though it is apparent that crops, this includes pasture, will do better if shetlered than if not. (3) Controlling Noxious Weeds: On most farms there are dirty little corners and depressions which can never he brought into arable land,

but are places where noxious weeds thrive and so are the means of incurring an annual expense for cutting and clearing. These are the places where shelter trees will thrive and do Well, and by their growth will ultimately choke out all growth underneath. (4) Supply of Fencing Timber and Firewood: Fencing timber and firewood are already big items on farms, with posts at £lO to £ls a 100, fencing becomes a costly, business. This can he very much reduced by growing on the farm trees that grow quickly and also produce timber that, lasts reasonably well in the land. (5) Improve Appearances: The general appearance of a farm is largely improved by the judicious placing of suitable shelter belts. When planting trees they should b e planted in rows about (5 to 8 feet apart, with C to S feet between trees. This is possibly to some a trifle thick, but. allows the farmer to cut out in a few year's poles as required without unduly /thinning the shelter. The best trees to plant now are pinus insignus, these grow quickly and if cattle are kept, out afford excellent shelter. Next to macrocar pa; this, while scarcely so quick; in growth is reasonably hardy and makes good fencing material and lirewood. The best results, in this district will be obtained from the planting of gums. I have often heard that gums will not thrive in this district: on further enquiry, the same mistake has always been made, namely, planting too early. It would be sheer folly to plant gums now, as they ar 0 in their early stage, very susceptible to frosts and particularly late frosts. Good results can be obtained by planting gums here in October and November, spaced as stated above. The varieties that, will give good results are: Macarthuri, Oblequa, Biminalis, Gim-

nii. and Regnams. These are all obtainable from the State Forestry Department at very reasonable rates, and should be ordered in trays. GARDEN. The time is now arriving for the turning of attention to the sowing of the first lots of early potatoes. Here we are faced with Mobson's choice; if w e plant early we may catch the frost; if we plant late, we certainly catch the blight

As was pointed out in hist • article, it is not advisable to use humus with the very earliest crops as the only manure, as it is too slow and belter results are obtained from artificial manures, such as referred to in ';> s '- article. Hero the point is to produce potatoes so that we may use them when new potatoes are the dearest, that is towards the end of No'vmheer. This can be done in most, cottage gardens in this town if sullicinet trouble is taken. The seed should be well sprouted. This is best done by placing the seed on a shallow tray with the rose end up. If they are 100 slow in showing sprouts, place the trays i" darkness, but immediately they begin to sprout place them in the ground so that good strong hardy sprouts will develop. It is better not to cut early seed as the "set" will decay soon enough; if, however, there are too many sprouts, i.e., 4 or 5, better results are obtained by cutting out 2 or 3, this will reduce the number of small potatoes under each root. These early potatoes may be planted during the second and third weeks of .July and for the last four years, following this practice. I have dug new potatoes in. Stratford, in the third week i n November. The varieties used have

l)oon Robin Adair, Sutton's Supremo and Barlv Rubicon, will) t'lie last.