Rural Notes.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14153, 12 March 1910, Page 3 (Supplement)

Rural Notes.

By Ivoradi,

'ALTFOKKIAN THISTLES,

•'DF Plough" in the "Herald of ■e -ini inst. claims that California!! thistle can be cleared more easily and cheaply than twitch and yarrow. As las as clearing the land is concerned'twitch is much more easily got rid of than yarrow, couch or Calilornian thistle, and of ad these Caliiornians uro "the most difticul't to deal with. "D.F. Plough's" plan of ploughing patches of Califormans tmv.e inches deep in January, foul inches deep in February, five inches m I\Larch and six in April may do all ho claim for it. He says the thistles will never bo heard of again. The regularity of the '.vork is a great thin" in all attempts to deal witii tho pi-st. As "D.F. plough" says nothings not even harvest itself, must be allowed to interfere with that work. 1 have seen patches of thistles ploughed several times a year with apparently very little damage to the weed, hut'the work was not done systematically A stated period for ploughing, :md an inch deeper each time may have quite a different ell'ect, and evidently "D.F. Plough" has found it effective. The plan is worthy of tual, and no doubt such trial will he made hv thistle worried farmers. , 'There is another way of clearing the weed which I would like to mention, cue that has been followed vid very good results. As D.J). ij. o1 '",- r,vs the cleaning of patches of Calif'li'ninnr. nm only be done conveniently and well while the land is in grass. The patches, then, should be ploughed rape'" If the latter plan is adopted, ami it is the better of tho two, the patches of thistles will have to be looted as soon as they show up uhich thev will very quickly do. if is sown with rape and groos in O c toUi the patches of thistles should be m evidence in November. Then they should be got at with a spring tmo cultivator, fitted with broad shares so that everything under the surface of tlio ground may be cut oft. care must be taken to see that all the thistles are included in the patches, and it is desirable therefore to keep well outside the thistles that are in" The grubbing should then be d<mc periodically all through the growing season and right into April. If the work can bo done once a week so much the better. The shorter tho time between each grubbing the better chance there is of the cleaning being successful. Nothing must prevent t!u" periodical grubbing being done. Ono season's work should practically kill the weed. Any odd plants that do come up afterwards can be killed with salt. Tho patches should be left bare while the paddock remains in grass. A lump of rock salt may bo put here and. there on some of tjjem when tho sheep will tramp them so hard that there will bo little chance of anything growing. Moreover the } i-.i-.r-> will camp a good deal on them. If the patches are small, say only a chain or two in diameter, it will be f-<s!or t<> grub than to plough them. To work a plough easily and quickly the patches must be several acres in extent at leaat. It is not- difficult to believe that if the thistles can be cut <>! i regularly and frequently under tho surface of tiie ground, thus giving them no chance to seo day-light, they wil] eventually giva up tho ghost.

Will others follow "D.F. Plough's" example and give their experiences With the thistle?

MANGELS FOR SHEEP.

In last Monday's "Herald" there appeared a "local" stating that an | Oamaru produce merchant is trying to : inculcate on the farmer tho advisability j <ji cowing mangels instead of turnips lor stock fattening. Ho points out that mangels are always a safe crop, while turnips suffer from tho ravages of drought and fly, and are often worth nothing. The last year or two farmers have jrown mangels more extensively than iiitherto, because turnips have got to 30 such an unreliable crop. But the practice is not extending a great deal, jxcept perhaps on the heavier land, because their profitable production inFolve3 a great deal of extra cultivation and labour, and because, snrly in the season, they are n n t as Euitablo for sheep as turnips. In;: fact if stock is fed on mango's befc-' ; they get properly ripe scouring will set in. It has also been found that sheep are more liable to go wrong on i mangels than on turnips, and it is eaid that this -applies particularly to wethers. To get the best out of mangels they should be pitted or stored, and then fed to after the chemical change in their food properties has taken place. They are therefore very useful for feeding to ewes in tho spring. They will keep right up to new year, and all lands of stock relish them during the spring. But nil ihis means tho expenditure of a groat ileal of labour, and it is only on comparatively small farms where such methods would bo adopted. But it is certainly a good plan to grow a certain quantity of mangels on all holdings, so that some roots may be available if the turnips turn out a failure. Cattle, both dairy, store, and fattening beasts do exceedingly well on mangels. But for sheep turnips rre preferable. This year they are doing better, so far, than for several seasons past. In tho local referred to, it is stated that mangels ara best pitted, and they should be nloughed out and left lying in the paddock for n week or so, when after cutting off the t-ons and cleaning cfF the dirt, they should be left in the pit for a month or two. Usually it is thought to be a mistake to cut the tops off, and the roots, because of "bleeding." The plan generally adopted is to twist the leaves off and shako the dirt out of tho roots. Mangels are usually pitted when tho leaves begin to turn yellow. This is often fairly late in the autumn, and it would be rather a dangerous plan to plough the ro:.t~. out and leave them lying on the ground for a week. A few frosts would damage them a good deal. The globe varieties are rather tender, and if they get frosted after being nulled they will deteriorate a good deal in the pit. especially when spring sets in. In pulling them for pitting it is a good plan to throw them into heaps, and cover these heaps with the shaws. They will then bo safe from frost for a few days, till they are carted. Where mangels are grown extensively they are often fed to sheep in a grass paddock. They are carted out, shaws and r'l, and deposited in small beans. After ly> : ng left for a few days to mature a little, the sheep are turned into the paddock. While mangels are splendid roots to prow, the drawback to their growth in ' : y quantity is their cost. They need fairly good land; they require' heavy mmuring; they must be hand thinned, ."nd generally require weeding whilo growing, because they do not come av.'iiy nearly so fast_ as turnips; also a good deal of labour is required in feeding them to the best advantage, al- . though they may be fed down like turnips.

BOYS ON THE FARM

With nil the efforts that are being made in our country State Schools, and in the Technical Schools to give a bias towards agricultural pursuits, there should bo more inducement for boys to look towards agriculture as a desirable purcuii, pather than »=

fall back upon when there is nothing else for it. Efforts like that being made at Wanganui to give youths going in for agriculture a wide, general and at the same time, a scientific training in a technical school, should do a great deal towards making agriculture a more attractive vocation to our brightest youths than it appears to be at present. Farmers should overcome some of their prejudices against scientific agriculture, and encourage their sons to take courses of instruction where these technical agricultural classes are instituted. "But it is not by this means only that r.o.'* 4 aro going to be induced to stay on the farms. They must bo given somo interest, end some independence, while they are there. If the matter that given them to interest themselves in, can also be made a means of a small independence, so much the better. Too often when a hoy goes on tho farm he starts in to do work that is rather a drudgery perhaps. He has to ask his parents for any little pocket monev he may require, and although he may be able to get all that he needs, or all that is good for him, for the asking. he may, if he is of an independent spirit, stick at the asking. He then naturally envies the town offico or messenger bov, whose work appears nleasant in comparison to his, whoso hours are probably shorter, and who has something each week ho qan call hi? own by right. In reality, the farm boy may bo the better off, but it does not seem so in his eyes. It is, thereforea good plan to give him so much money ! periodically for pocket money, or else lot him havo a few pigs, calves, lambs, ; or a little land for grain or potatoes that ho can call his own. Even a few i fruit trees may interest a boy, or a garden from which he may sell pro- . duce to tho house. He may be encouraged to go in for spraying, manuring cud so on. and thus to take advantage of scientific methods to help put some money into his pocket. And scrupulous care should be taken to secure to the boy whatever he has been led to believe is his own. Sometimes one sees a boy rearing pet lambs under the impression that he is to get the proceeds of their sale when they are fit for the butcher, or the freezing chamber. The lambs will be duh- sold, ; and the father thoughtlessly, or'other- ! wise, pockets tho proceeds. Tho inii'stice of the proceeding will probably | rankle in the real owner's thoughts, and if he is of a high spirited disposition, it may determine him to strike out on his own, and he may gravitate to the town j for preference. Boys should be given i something definite to work for, even |if they receive no direct wages. They ; should be given the opportunity of ntI tending sales so as to get an idea of I tho value and breeds of stock, and | should be encouraged to go int-o everv- | day matters cither by reading agriciil- ; t-nrnl boohs or papers, or by attending j technical classes, or both.

FBOZEN MEAT

Tho Hon. Mr Anstcy's severs stricmade at the farmers' inertin last &aiAirciay, v.-itk regard to erratic grading :.'.t tile freezing vi'orks, should be' made the subject of tho strictest inqniry. Probably the matter of graoing Trill never bo satisfactorily settled till Government graders are appointed as in the case of butter and cheese. And it seems oniy reasonable to that a grader would have a octter_ chance of doing Ids work satisfactorily if ho were thoroughly conversant with the requirements of the English markets. Presumably, however, tho grading here is me.-Jit to enable the best prices to he givun for the lambs tliat suit tho British consumer best. That was tho reason given last season for reducing the weight of the first grade lamb from 42 to" 3(j!bs, altnough many indignant farmers s-'w in it a trick to got the heavier weight iamb at a lower urine npv lb Ji r Anstcy's assertions "are almost eouiralent to charges «gainst the iseat* c«*n panics of dishonesty, or if not that, of ignorance, or carelessness. Whether they form the subject for further enquiry or not, the mcjoritv of farmers will agree that it is "not'at all likely that the directors and managers r f the companies are puiity of xr2*l rT.£*j*Ji. r *7l ci methods. sfast farmers leave the nicking of their lambs to exoerts employed by buyers, and generally sneaking." i these cases, the percentages of second quality is not great. unless the owner I desires it. It is in it difficult to believe th.at a farmer picking his own lambs may make mistakes.

_ There is a good deal in the contenthat stuff graded as second Quality here brings nearly as much at Horn-; as the first, grade. In sailing by the pound locally the producer finds tho price considerably reduced io him for the meat that has been ula-ed second grade. Farmers who have consigned on their own hnvo found that tile urico at Home is nearly tho 3ame for both at least that was the case last season, and that it paid them jxist about as well to shin so-eiu! quality stuff as it did first ouali.v meat. There can ba no other feeling

among producers, therefore, than the imiH-ession that buyers by tho pound locally, are making too much out o< second quality meat. If the price is nearly the same at Home as for first grade meat, farmers should get more for it here. From this aspect of the matter one can see that the temptation to grade as seconds is there, but it is difficult to bel ieve that first-class meat companies would lend themselves to actions of that sort. They have always welcomed the closest scrutiny by the producer.

JOTTINGS.

The weather for several days this week was very hot and drying. Late paddocks of grain that had suffered in stook from rainy aud catchy weather should have been put into fairly good condition by the hot winds that blew at times. A great many lambs are being bought on their feet in vards. both public and private, this year. The inclination seems to bo to accent the good prices that are being offered, per head, rather than to sell by the pound. Drover 7 in the "Otago Witness'' says: "Notwithstanding the position at present, I believe farmers will act wisely if they sell their sheep and lambs as they can get them ready at current prices and avoid any consigning. Although stocks of New Zealand mutton and lamb are light in London at present, a. time will shortly come when they will be heavy enough, and if a farmer gets tli9 prices now current lie need not grudge the buyer any profit he may make on liis purchases. I am glad to hear that up to the present most of the frozen mutton and lamb has been sold, and very little is going on consignment." " ° 1 here are those, however, who note that buying is both plentiful and keen, and who consider that it is worth while consigning Home on their own account m to secure for themselves buvers' profits. Some of them fell in lastseason, hut thev consider that things looiv more hopeful now. Mr Malot, chairman of the Christchurch Meat Company said at the annual meeting of his company the other day: "Whilst we cannot reasonably expect an immediate recurrence of permanent continuance of tho high level of values which obtained for Canterbury lar-ib in 100S, and which were such a marked feature of that season, there is, on the other hand, no necessity to apprehend continuation of the* deplorable conditions which obtained for a considerable portion of Inst- year." Most farmers will agree that *2OOI hj" of wheat nut into a full sized bag is worse to handle than 2-iOlbs. init fnto the same nag. Tilings are pointing to hav-'iirr a standard size for all-purposes, and the sack 46in. x 24-1 in. looks like the coming resrnlation size. If as "I?" suggests in Tuesday's "Herald," it were made comnv.lsory for farmers to use the smaller sack for wheat, and for millers to use the same bn<? for flour, the step to make all sry.'Ks n uniform size would not be a big one to take.