THE FARM.

Timaru Herald, Issue 170269, 14 July 1920, Page 4

THE FARM.

NOTES BY "KORADI.'

IS IT TOO GOOD?

No doubt when the change, in. the weather came at the- end' of June few anticipated that it would bo so soon followed by another line spell. Indeed tho conditions ai'o totally unseasonable for the time of the year, and farmers are now asking each other the question: "What is coming?" (N.B. This was written last week). It is many years since we had so good a run at this time of the year. We have seen the fine weather hold throughout practically the -whole of the spring. On the other hand some of the worst times we have had have been preceded by mild springlike conditions, resembling the present conditions, lasting into the second week in the month, when a break came that brought much rain ou the lowlands and heavy falls of snow in the hack country. Weather prophets are promising us a stormy time in July, and that might mean anything. One of the best features ot the present fine run is the way in which tie snow las cleared away from the hills -and the inland districts, giving any fresh snow that may come black ground to fall on. The dieep were at no time in difficulties, and beyond a few days of discomfort they had to put up with very little hardship. It; is seldom that the ranges are sis clear of snow at this time of the year as they are at present; indeed it must be difficult in some cases to keep th-a sheep from getting on the summer country, so free are the hills of snow. Down country the land is not too we* 1 to work even on the coldi chry flats. There is no water running, and for the, time being there was just the right quantity of rain. Of course we must get a great deal more before the hot weather comes, or we shall 'oe in trouble. But there is plenty of time. The absence of frosts is allowing team work to go on unhampered, and a good deal of lea land is being turned over for spring crop or for green feed and roots. In some cases the drill is stilt j going. On the colder country it is perhaps not advisable to go on sowing for a week or two, say till the end of the month, but on the warm downs and lighter land there is no reason why there should be any stoppage of the drill. The crops are coming away nicely in favoured situations, and since the rain there has been a rapid growth. On the flats, where the land is heavy, there is less movement, but the plants' are showing up fairly well, and should come away fast when the sun gets' a little more strength. That should not be very long now, seeing that the days are lengthening noticeably. In j' the evenings especially we have a good j deal more daylight than was the case a fortnight ago, and it will not be I long before the days will also stretch out in the mornings.

CHANGING THE CLOCK. By the way, the Government is -proposing to advance the clocks half an hour, in order that our time may be exactly twelve hours ahead of Greenwich. The proposition, though it will no doubt find favour with town residents," ond with those who have to manage electric power stations, will not receive a good hearing in the country districts. In the summer thera would be little objection to it, but then thera is no need for it as far as the farmers are concerned, and it has certain drawbacks at harvest) time owing to. heavy dews in the mornings at that, season of the year. But in the winter the alteration in the time will affect the farmers prejudicially, adding to their discomfort a good deal. Daylight will come, 'by the clock, half an'hour later than it does at present, and that means that the teams will be pulling out at about daybreak in the middle of winter, or perhaps a little earlier. As the clock is at present set the bestuse of what daylight there is at this time of the year is made, it being about equally divided between the morning and the evening. Further south the disadvantages of the: alteration will he greater than they are here. In the North Island there would probably be little objection to it except from the dairy farmers, and they are now a numerous band. It is quite possible, that the country members of Parliament will strongly object to the Government's proposal, and the Prime Minister may find a good deal of difficulty in getting the measure through when lie brings it down.

JULY WORK. The plough should be kept going as long as the weather and the ground are favoura'&le. For one thing the more ploughing that can be done now the less there will be to do in the rush of the spring work. Then there can be no doubt that for spring crops of any sort, grain, forage cro£s or roots, there is nothing like the winter ploughing. The land'is put into good order for working down in, the spring. It is sweetened, and is much easier to handle than when, turned over in the spring. It will be noticed that there are a good many grubs in the land that is being_ treated now witij the plough, and cultivation at this time of the year must interfere a good deal with th*ni. Their nests must be broken up..' and thieir food sirpply taken, from them. After the frosts the land becomes loose and friable, and the grass that is turned under has time to rot before the crop comes to maitiirity. Moreover the. action of 'the weather renders avsulable more of the plant food in -Hie soil than is the case^when the land is turned over in the spring Then early ploughing conserves the.moisture, and that is an important matter in this part of the Dominion, where the rainfall is •on the l'ght side. Thje best advice that;

one can give is io keep Ihe plough going solidly while the good weather lasts.

Drilling will be stopped for a, week or two on the heavy wet land, but on warm downs and flats there is no reason why-sowing should stop if the present good conditions continue. Of course if heavy rain comes damageto the seed is likely to result, but a* all seasons farmers have to take some risks, and no doubt some will prefer to get their crops in now, chancing wet weather, to leaving the work stand over for a time when the rain may stop sowing altogether or make it very late. There is some difficulty in getting suita'S'e manure for spring crops. No doubt superphosphate is absolutely the best and quickest manure we have for spring use. but it is almost, impossible to get it _at all, and the small quantity that is available is almost prohibitive in price. It is too clear to use at the rate of a hundredweight an acre. The only plan is to mix itwith, some other manures, considerable quantities of which are now beiug used by themselves. The crops are coming away well where these manures have been put in, but for spring use there is nothing like tho pure super. There is said to be now no supers coming from tho Commonwealth. At one time there was a report that a. shipment was coming over, but no doubl the rains that our neighbours have had of late have livened up the demand for fertilisers for use over there.

The present is a good time to get roots stored for the remainder of the winter, if this work has not already been. done. The dairy cattle need both hay and roots for a considerable time to come, and mangels and swedes are very suitable for lambing ewes in the spring. The worst time of the year for all classes of stock is usually juyt towards the end of winter before the grass comes away in the early spring If the spring is a late one that period is often the hardest of the year or. stock. It is therefore advisable to have some roots to tide over that time, especially if 'there is no green feed to take the place of grass. The. birds have punished some of the early oats severely, but in many instances they are coming away well, and if the mild weather continues they should provide a bite before very long. The way some of the wheat has been growing on the more favoured paddocks during the last ten days makes one Aspect that there will be v. good deal of feeding on these paddocks i'i the spring. But it is not safe to build on these things. The best way is to conserve as many roots as possible for use in the early spring, while allowing all stock ample during the cold of winter. All stock, indeed, needs io bbe fed well at this time of the year. If this is not done the animals soou go r onck in condition, and that means that much of the spring feed has to go towards building the stock up again. The milkers should receive something extra when the weather is rough, and pigs and calves should, in addition to plenty of feed, have good, warm quarters, and a plentiful supply of bedding.. The teams need to be fed very well just now. It will be. found that they have lost some condition if they have been working hard all the autumn. The land was hard even where it had been fallowed, and few teams that have been working full time are in as good order as they were when the autumn work started. They | have a strenuous time in front of them, and they must be fed specially well | now if they are to keep up their I heart and condition.

Ewes in turnips require a few hours a day only on the roots if they are in fair order and if they have a good run-off with some dry feed. It is time that those which are to lamb earlv in the spring were crutched. The yards are in comfortable order just now, and it is well to get the work done before tilings get wet and muddy. The hoggets should be watched as they wilt soon be losing their teeth. Sali should be provided for all stock. There is toe little of it used. !

Fences should come in for attention now. In going round the country one notices that there is a good deal of gorse work to do, and the sooner that some farms are tidied up the better. Of oourEe there are some districts where the fences and the general condition of the farms leave little to be desired, 'out in other parts one finds that owners are more careless. If one farmer sets a good example others seem to follow his lead. This may account for the fact that in some districts the fawns present a tidy appearance, while in others there is a general anof neglect. It is now a good time to get on wich the rabbit poisoning. The pest has had a good deal of worrying during the last twelve months or more, and now is a good time to follow up tlie work by poisoning. Later on the dogs may be put over the country, if necessary. Those who have any rabbits at all on their country should spare no effort to get rid- of them. Pollard poison is generally used, but where ithas failed to give good results oats, or carrots, and strychnine are being used to a considerable extent, and some very good kills are being obtained. Themerthod is to feed the. rabbits on clean oats or carrots for a few days and then put the poisoned material down when the pest has gota taste for the new feed and has lost its suspicious feelings about it.

N.Z.,,LAMB TN AMERICA.

Last week in this column there were published some comments on the fact that our lamb has tieen going into America of late, and that it has been receiving a first class reception. The news that there is a market for our meat in the States is most welcome just, now, when many ware beginning to fee] very Respondent regarding the immediate; future of the Home market, seeing that there a.re still some'mil'ions of carcases of Imperial meat to be got

rid. of. The news from America hasgiven farmers more hope for the future, and as an instance of this ono has onlv to compare the speeches of the chairman of the Timaru branch of the Farmers 1 Union last month and

this month. Though the commandeer is ended the price of fats Las not fallen, and things are going on just, the same as usual. The '-Globe" newspaper seems to have taken a lending part in the importation of our lamb into America., and the manner in which it has been received was shown in several extracts from that newspaper which were published last week. The "Globe" claims to be up agonist the Trust and in one of its articles it shows how the Trust is trying to snoiL the "Globe's" market for lamb. On May 18, Mr Alfred W. McCann wrote as follows in the "Globe": —-'I per- , sonally witnessed in one store a situation, that will be repeated only ivivh the gravest' .consequences. Eager patrons were clamouring for lamb, pressing- five deep against the counters. They were informed (which was true), that there was no more New Zealand lamb on hand, but another load was expected any minute. I waited; the expected load arrived in a covered van. I gob into it. There wasn't a New Zealand carcase in the lot; what there was came from Chicago. It was sweaty, smeary, inferior. Before I left I learned that it had been bought from Ar nionr jmd Co. at 15 cents. a pound wholesale. How sharply this situation emphasises the wickedness of the wholesale and retail meat business as now tolerated by the American con

samer. Think of it! Over a "Globe" counter inferior, Chicago-dressed, slippery, sweaty lambs were sold under a i\i>w Zealand label. These lambs came from Armour aud Co., at Io cents a pound wholesale at the very moment Armour- and Co. were selling at 23 cents a. pound wholesale the New Zealand lambs which the "Globe" had already made famous and for which Armour and Co. paid but 11.875 cents a pound."

While it is verj reassuring to have our meat, and I hope our wool, taken by the Americans, especially at the present juncture, it is well fo have more strings than one to onr bow, "\y.j must not forget that the British market, will once more become a good, reliable paying one when the present disorganisation is ended. It is claimed 'oy some that our fears in regard to the American Meat Trust are somewhat unreasonable, but no one can deny that it behoves New Zealand farmers to watch their interests very closel.v both in America, at Homo and here in New Zealand.