FARMING NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, 19 December 1924, Page 7

FARMING NOTES.

One‘farmer in the Camara district has already taken three crops from his lueew stand this year. Australian farmers who have sold their wool this season report bale averages of from £49 to £45. This includes everything—bellies, locks and all. Ten Feilding Agricultural High School boys have just completed a week’s stay at the farm of Mr W. Burn, Bongotea, where they put, in five strenuous days shearing, sajts’the “Star.” They acquitted themselves well, and in recognition Mr Burn presented the . school with a bale of wool dippings for classifying purposes.

The glowers of early potatoes this season have had another clear demonstration of the folly of neglecting to spray, says the 4 4 Farmer. ” Crops have ’had to be hurried to market before they reached the most .profitable stage of maturity, as farmers were afraid that tfiey were going to lose the whole crops as a result of the prevalence of blight, if not disposed of as soon as possible. Lime has no effect on soil ’unless mixed with it mechanically or by washing downward. It does not chemically penetrate day. etc., farther than tho particles next, to it. This fact-indicated that the way is to get in finely ground or powdered form, and to work it up with the soil as quickly as possible. Then the percolation of moisture may- carry some lime still farther downwards. It is a groat mistake to expect Chou moellicr and rape to grow and mature' in the same time. One frequently hears farmers condemning Chou moellier as a. lamb fodder, claiming that rape is far superior. This is not the case at all when each crop is given its due. Chou moeilier requires at least six weeks longer growing than does rape and when given this time can mere than hold its own with the other crop.

Not much is hoard in New Zealand about disproportion as between men and women (remarks the Dunedin 4 4 star”), but this spring a somewhat alarming bovine irregulation is reported from various parts of New Zealand, there being an overwhelming and quite unexplainable preponderance of bull calves. A Taieri farmer’s experience may be supposed to constitute the record of misfortune. Sixty-three of his cows have given birth to fifty-seven bulls.

The summer is now Sufficiently advanced. to warrant Central Otago orchardists in declaring that it is going to be really good season for fruit. Three copious rainS in the spring set the prospects fair, and the weather since then has ’ been favourable. A grower says that there is sure to be a good crop of plums, that the yield of peaches is likely to be quite extraordinary as to weight, and very early, and that everyone sees evidence of its being a good pear year. As to apples, it is noticed that trees which bore heavily last season and were thinned are now bearing but moderately well, and that those which carried a poor crop last year arc now well laden.

As evidence of the wonderful season which has been experienced with respect to the growth of crops, says the “Hawke’s Bay Herald,” we were yesterday shown several oat stalks measuring 7 feet 1 inch from the root to 1 the tip of the ears of the grain, the stalks being well over three-eights of an inch thick, while some specimens of barley measured 5 feet 6 inches fforn root to top of ears of grain. Both the oats and barley were grown by Mr L. Glenny, of Onga Onga, who has 17 acres under oats, the whole crop being high enough to completely hide a six-foot man standing up in it. < 1 Canterbury egg producers are to be congratulated on the export for 1921,” writes Mr J. B. Morrett in the “New Zealand Poultry Journal.” “ They hold the honour of being the first province in New Zealand, to export its first million eggs. The total shipments this season from Christchurc|i have been 3052 eases, or 1,098,360 eggs. This is a splendid return for the season. . Otago comer second on the list with 1618 cases, or 580, 480 eggs: Wellington third, with 1365 cases. Auckland will do about 800 cases. The figures are not yet to hand. .