MISCELLANEOUS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2614, 10 August 1876, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Wairarapa has at length become distinguished. A doable neaded calf has recently been bora at Mr Wilkie's, Ghreytown. It baa two months and four eyes, bnt only two ears. It auoks with either month, and promises to thrive and (trow.

The New York Times says that, in the shorthorn herd of Mr Whitman, of Fitchburgh, Mass, U.S.A., one of the cows gave in one month 12041bs of milk, and in one year, being in milk eleven months, 92001b5 ; and one of the calves, fed on cooked food in part, weighed, dressed at thirteen months, 647 ibs, whioh indicates that suoh food makes both flesh and milk in abundance.

A correspondent of the Albany Cultivator sends the following : — " I have a cow that bas made from June 16 to Deo. 23, 1875 (182 days), 292Jlbs of butter, when all the milk was worked out — whioh is nearly l§lb per day. She has made 14lbs per week and more. The milk was weighed each milking, and, if I desired, I could give the number of pounds, but I would not be positive it was entirely correct. The butter, however, was attended to by my wife."

The agricultural statistics of Tasmania for 1875*6, which have just boen published, are not as enoouraging at the weU> wishers of the "charming little island" could desire. The gross yields of the four principal crops are as follows :— Wheat, 681,898 bushels; oats, 811,289 bushels; potatoes, 26,622 tons; hay, 48,866 tons. The first three show a serious deorease ; the latter an increase. Taking one orop, that of wheat, we are informed that tb« yield of 18756 is lets than .the former year 384,963 bushels. A Continental agricultural journal states that Dr Vireon, superintendent of the Italian experimental silk farm at Padua, has discovered that the hatching of silkworm eggs, of suitable age, may be accelerated by a period of ten or twelve days, and a yield of at least forty per cent of silkworm caterpillars secured, by exposing the eggs to a current of negative electricity, from a Holtz machine, for : a spaoe of eight ox ten minutes. It is suggested that the same method might perhaps prove useful in promoting the hatching of bens' eggs, and in hastening the germination of various seeds. ! The N. JE.Farmer, U.S., bas the following hints on potato-growing: — Pot from three •'pecks to a bushel of potatoes in a barrel and i shake them briskly till the sprout* are broken i off. It takes but a minute, and coTers them j 'with a moisture wbkh prevents wilting, awl ■ keeps them fresh longer than if sprouted by i hand. Our plan for keeping table potatoes in t presentable shape from April to July is to put i about a bushel in eaoh barrel and have one ! extra empty barrel. About once a week begin ; at one end of the row and pour the potatoes from the first barrel into the empty one, and 'the next into that, and to on, till they have all ibeen changed into a different barrel. As a j" rolling stone gathers bo moss," to a moving jpotato makes no sprouts. This method saves btnuoh disagreeable labour, and keeps the pota* I Jtoee in muoh better condition for planting or the table. The growth of sprouts destroys {the value of the potato in a short time. A system of cheap drainage, and at the same time effeotive in situations where there if plenty of timber, is thus described by theresorter of the Quenutander, during the visit io the farmof Mr Dow, in the vicinity of [piwibh:--" The method consists in opening ,re«nches about two t* three feet deep. These ranches are Mcd up with logs and tigfal amber, dead and dry be it noted. The sou is hen shaTsllsd in over 4he timber, and Ire it aiaoed ■MWirf^^^ to w-jgff does not go ont till the whole of |fcaufta*ber

latter may be, v completely borned o«|. The aorroonding and superincumbent toil it thas bamed to the conaiatency of briok, and f orma a continaooa porous drain throofh whioh the water freely percolate*. It nevec get! choked, and will last for about aerea jearj. These drains placed at interval* of » chain thoroughly dry the ground. The cott ia imall, especially if timber be handy. Aocording to Mr Dow'e experience, a man eaa open about aixohains in five days. Two dayi suffice to cart in the timber and cover op fas drain, and the fire does the mt. This ia » phn which deaervea the uoiveraal attention of tarmera. The coltiration here ia manly intended for the purpoae of raising cattle, of which description of ttock Mr Dow ia an extsnaive proprietor."