AGRICULTURE

Colonist, Volume XIII, Issue 1284, 14 January 1870, Page 4

AGRICULTURE

THE HARVEST IN OTAGO PROVINCE. A correspondent sends us the following ' —

The harvest in Otago will commence in the Oamaru district, shortly after the New Tear. The acreage under crop in Otago, 1868-69, as per Government returns, was 152,568 acres. The acreage for 1869-70 will be greater ; the official return* however, will not be made until February. Ample employment will thus be afforded to hundreds of hands for the next two or three months.

The following figures show the comparative acreage under ci'op in Otago and all New Zealand for 1868-69 (exclusive of the crops of the aboriginal natives) : — Ceop. Otago. New Zealand. Wheat 20,142 64,517 Barley and Oats... 43,425 100,483 Potatoes 3,033 11,557 Sown grasses 83,782 501,580 Other crops 2,186 8,878 Total acres... 152,568 687,015 IMPOETANT TO DAIRY KEEPERS. " Agricola," writing in the New Zealand Herald says:— All keepers of dairy stock will have observed that milkers (that is, the men or women) generally are in the habit of dipping their hands in the milk and rubbing the cow's udder with it, doing it repeatedly during the operation of milking, and so common is the practice that ho notice is taken of, or heed given to it. Now, I set this down as the great cause of sore teats. Ask any milkman why he does it, and what does he tell you ? In nine cases out of ten he says, "To soften tiie teats, sir!" My experience leads me to the opposite conclusion. Through this practice the teats become hard and dry, so that it is from necessity he wets them to " soften" them. To prevent sore teats; in the first place there must be an entire suspension of " wet-handed" milking. I know of farmers at home who will not have a " wet-handed" man or woman about the premises. Why is this ? Because they know the evils ot such a practice. In the next place, the milk must be pressed froai ! the teat with the fingers and the palm, and not with the thumb and forefinger, dragging the milk along the teat until it is " squirted" from it. That is not milking. I have never seen the cow yet that I was not able to milk without having to resort to either practice. A cow's teat, in a healthy condition, is as soft as the finest kid glove, and has a greasy or soapy feeling about it, which always bespeaks its natural condition, and which is also preventive of cracking and soreness. Destroy this condition, and sore teats will certainly result. For to cure sore teats, before milking, wash the teats clean with warm water and soap (using a flannel), from all dirt, matter, grease, or oil, and wipe them quite dry. Then milk with a " dry hand," and without " dragging." That done, wipe the teats again, and with a feather apply " liow's Embrocation," gently rolling the teats between the hands. This application softens the scab, making the teat mellow and supple, and quickly heais the sores, and, what is best of all, the flies won't touch it. As soon as the sores are well, discontinue the application, but adhere to the " dryhanded system," and there need be no fear of sore teats.