THE FARM.

Waikato Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1476, 7 February 1903, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE FARM.

ISEES. The decision of an Irish judge that bees are ' dangerous and malicious creatures,' and that no one has a right to keep them in unreasonable numbers or in an improper place, is not likely to throw beekeepers into a state of excitement or revolt; and it may be set down among the curiosities of legal wisdom, with the decision that pigeons are not domestic animals, that frogs are fish, and that horses are cattle. Ic has at least to bo decided what is an unreasonable number of bees. Ireland itself has somewhere between thirty and forty thousand hives, yielding honey by hundreds of tons in a year, and the largest bee-owner in the world, who lives in California, has 6000 hives, which are worth a handsome fortune every year. BRITTLE FEET. Ib is well known that not a few horses are sufferers from brittle Feet and very troublesome such animals often prove to their ownei's, because they are not able to stand anything like the wear and tear that ordinary horses can Horses with brittle feet of this kind are very liable to diseases of the feet, and are particularly prone to suffer from sand crack. Though the possession of brittle feet is a constitutional defect much may be done by the judicious use of ointment externally used. A good dressing for this purpose consists of one ounce each of oil of turpentine and oil of tar, and four ounces of linseed oil. A coating of this ointmont should be painted over the hoof and well rubbed in at each application. DAIRY FACTORIES. The annual list of dairy factories published by tho Agricultural Department shows that there 276 dairy factories and 315 skimming stations in the colony, There are 209 dairy factories and 231 skimming stations in the North Island and 67 dairy factories and 84 skimming stations in the South Island. The number of 'private dairies' (i.e., dairies of less than 75 cows) is 15G miking butter and 100 making cheese, as compared with 372 making butter and 78 makiug chese in 1901. There was an increase of 27 dairy factories and 73 skimming stations in the North Island as coinpared with 1901. There wa3 a neb decrease of two dairy factories in the South Island, but an increase of 23 skimming stations. PIGEON RANCHES. An interesting sight near Los Angelos, in Southern California, is a pigeon ranch or farm. In its five wooden buildings some 15,000 pigeons find a home. In all there arc between five and six thousand nests, all of which are so arranged that they can be reached by aisles or avenues from the interior, fumigated and cleaned. Once a woek the lofts are disinfected by carbolic and water, while the nests are treated to a compound of sulphur aud insecticide, which keep 3 them free of parasites. The birds are fed three times a day, each meal costing approximately one sovereign, so the annua! food bill amounts to over £IOOO. Tho food consists of wheat, screenings, boiled meal, and stale bread. The owner, who built the ranch some four years ago, is sai.l to be making £ LOOO a year in supplying young pigeons to the various cities in California. The birds increase so rapidly that if they were not killed at the rate of 3000 a month there would bo over 2,000,000 birds on the ranch in less than two years' time. A PHENOMENAL CROSS. The Field of December 6 says : ' The surprise packet at the Bingley Hall show took the shape of a phenomenal cross between an Aber-deen-Angus bull and a Dexter cow. Animals of similar bleeding are no strangers in the winter shows nor unaccustomed to prizes, bub the common knowledge of them did not quite prepare the public for tho intrusion of an animal of tho calibre of Mr Hudson's Danesficld Patricia. Hitherto animals of this cross, although strongly resembling the

sire in shape, type, and quality, have habitually taken after tho dam in size and weight. Indeed, we cannot bring to mind a single instance of one appearing, far less of conquering, in the. classes for unrestricted crosses. The success of Mr Hudson's wonderful heifer at Birmingham imparts quite a fresh interest to tiiis particular line of crossing. The prime quality which the blend is calculated to ensure was well known before ; now wo have an instructive example of what may be attained in size without the slightest sacrifice of merit. It may be thought that the case of this heifer will add fresh difficulties to the task of properly regulating the small cattle classes. We, trust it will not be regarded or treated in this light. The restrictions as to weight are contrary to all modern ideas of progress, and ought to be eliminated. The tiniest specimens may

occasionally suffer in consequence, but utility is as worthy of recognition as fancy, and so long ns the breeding is correct and properly qualified judges are appointed to make the awards, no good end can be served by limiting the weight to an extent that would disqualify the best representatives of crosses between small and large breeds. 1