NOTES FOR FARMERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5456, 7 January 1896, Page 4

NOTES FOR FARMERS.

The hot, bright weather has brought on the crops rapidly and in a few days harvest will be here. Already the cutting of oats ■is going on apace, the. greater part for chaff. The yield of all- cereals promises to be above -the average in both, quantity and quality, and it is earnestly hoped that nothing will occur to blight the prospect! Haymaking is well advanced, the bulk of a heavy crop being in the stacks. Many farmers would be -glad of a few hours' rain for the grass and roots, and it would do no harm to the grain. Rapid progress has been made with shearing during the last three weeks, and most of the early sheds are now cut out.

The improvident habit of some farmers in leaving their hay out too long in the field so that' it becomes bleached and scorched and thereby loses its valuable properties of sugar, starch, oil, aroma and colour cannot be too strongly condemned. Good hay by long exposure is converted into nothing more nor less than vegetable fibre, and has about as much nutritive value as a bundle of oakum.

The Tasmanian Government has granted .£IOO for the experimental laying of a 60ft section of Tasmanian hardwood paving in the principal street of Glasgow.

Professor Wiley, the distinguished American scientist, lately deceased, at a recent Springfield Conference said: — "In many of- our public schools: it is thought quite as important to teach the child something about the field and the orchard as to drill him in the geography of Jehore. How gladly would most people who. live in the country exchange a lot of the useless lumber stored away by old-time methods for a little knowledge of how plants grew, and the various secrets of the growing natural world about them. Such things will be taught in all our- country schools before long."

The annual test of potatoes by boiling took place on September 28, at Wellfield, Fifeshire. The invitations were issued to practical men in the surrounding district, know to ,-take a keen interest in the cultivation of the different kinds of potatoes, under the different conditions of soil, climate, manurial and cultural treatment, their opinions being united in considering that the true test of a quality of potato is that of cooking. Altogether 44 varieties of potatoes were tested, 8 points being taken, and nine tried judges appointed to vote, so that there was a possible 72 marks in favour of any particular potato. • The Broomhall Early stood first on the list, with 70 points, its extra quality being favourably commented on by all present. The Fortyfolds followed with 61 points, and it is noted that Broomhalls were propagated from this variety. The Universal came next with 58 points, Windsor Castle 56, Dwina 56, Lady Dundas 54, a three years' seedling 51, Alpha 48,Sutton*s Seedling 46, Morning Star 44, White Don 42, Duke of York 42, Sutton's Abundance 41, and, Beauty of Hebron 40, some others going still lower.

Competition in the cider classes is looking up at the shows of the Bath and West and Southern Counties Society of England. The schedule of the forthcoming St Albans show provides a separate class. for each of the cider districts of England, and requires cider to contain at least 4 per cent of alcohol and to be made solely from apple juice. Recently a deputation from the council attended a meeting of the Poniological Society of France, at St Brieuc, in Brittany, and were delighted at what they saw and heard, so nmch so that a full report of processes of cider manufacture is promised in the forthcoming number of the Bath Society's Journal.

Departing Athletes. — The Dunedin representatives at the championship meeting left Christchurch by the express yesterday .morning. The members of the New South Wales and Auckland teams and a large number of local athletes and cyclists assembled at the railway station and gave three hearty cheers for the visitors as the train moved away from the platform. The members of the' Auckland team will leave Lyttelton by the Tasmania on Wednesday afternoon, and the New South Wales representatives will leave for Sydney by the Wakatipu on Thursday.

Volunteer Inspection. — Colonel Fox commenced his round of inspection of the volunteer companies last evening at the drillshed, with the City Eifles. There was a muster of forty-three, under Captain Hobday and Lieutenant Fairburn. Lieu-tenant-Colonels Gordon and Francis and Lieutenant Sandford were also on parade. After the company had been exercised by the officers and non-commissioned officers, Colonel Fox complimented it on the distinct advance made in drill, and expressed himself as pleased with the manner in which the sergeants had done their work, and the intelligent answers they had given. — Colonel Fox will inspect the E Battery and.the Canterbury Engineers this evening.