Farming.

Western Star, Issue 49, 17 October 1874, Page 6

Farming.

THE AYRSHIRE COW. A fam,oua writer expatiates upon the qualities of this animal na follows ;—‘‘The Ayrshire cow is. bred and has been bred for.milk lu-n-inheritance is all in the line ot milk producing. Her form indicates it.her records prove it. When aged and dry. the same functions whieli.ordinarily fill the adser fill, her muscles with fat; bat whde milking, inheritance, intensified yearly by selection, turns the energies of her system tow.rds extracting ik at mills troni her food, and secreting the larger and rh.-h.--r part in the udder. As the short horn stands with the gr.is;cr, who had tried their quality, so does the Ayrshire S'and with the dairy man. By seeking improved bneds the farmer 13 adding materially to the profits of his farm, for he is utilizing t he great of unerring certainty of inheritance.’*

KOTA J OES. In districts lying along the seaboard potato planting place during tin current mouth ; in|ari(J, and, in hjgh-Jving districts later on in the season. The potato, for its successful culture, requires a. rich, friable sojl, and, it loves to revel under a green sod; Much of the soil in tint. Wirrnambool. district is mttiralh adapted to the requirements ot this crop, and the climate is also favorable. But there are other places where the soil and climate are not considered so favorable iu which—and,especially in the neighborhood of towns— potatoes might be grown with advantage if the ground were only properiy prepared, and the crop plant e at distances sufficiently wide apart. It i> useless to place two r<>ws of plants—potatoes or anything else —on land where. owitig,to,natural dryness and narrowcultivation, there is only moisture enough contained in the s<dl to bring one row to perfection. Therefore, to grow potato-s ip suph places, deep cuJtivaturn, and, if the land is poor, autumn tn muring should be resorted to.. The rows, instead of the orthodox every third furrow.” or aboil' 27 inches, might stand not less than three feet apart, and the plants 18 inches rum each other in the rows. Let this practice be carried out, and many soils now considered unsuitable will be found capable of producing profitable crops of potatoes.

Regarding the reaper and binder question, a committee appointed for the purpose brought forward the following report at the last meeting of the Olen!y >n, Franklin, and Daylesford Association, Victoria : —“ 1. We consider the principal object to he attained in a combined reaper and binder is simplicity of construction and lightness of draft, combined with strength and durability. 2. That the sum of £ 1000 he offered as a first prize, 3. Thar each society subscribing ove, - £2O shall have ti e p over ef appointing a judge. 4. We would ha satisfied with a machine that could he worked with three men, and that would cut and bind eight acres per day of ten hours. 5. That tha bands shall be made of"tho material that is being out at the time, and if this could uot be done, we would prefer rope-yam to wire. it was rested that the comrecommendation be adopted and forwarded to the Department of Agriculture. It was further resolved “ That this society is still willing to contribute the sum of £3O towards a prize for a reaper and binder.”

The liability of wheat to. rust has induced our Acclimatisation, Society to introduce from Germany a quantity of ‘‘ spelt” —a kind of wheat known hy the scientific designa of Triticum spelt*. This has been widely distributed among the farmers, both on the coast near Brisbane, and also on the slopes and top of the main range ; and mucn interest is taken among agriculturists in the development of the experiment. The grain is said to make a fine Amir, and not to bo at all subject to rust. It is largely grown in the hotter and drier parts of Southern Europe, and the only disadvantage it offers in comparison with ordinary wheat is in a disinclination which it shews to part with its husk. This, however, of course is overcome, and, should t he grain prove suitable to our climate, will not be a serious obstacle to cultivation on a large scale.— Australasian. The successful introduction of the three-furrow plough is chronicled from Corowa. The trial of the three-furrow plough took place,at GJenlee, on the farm of Messrs Martin. Bros., containing 500 acres. 400 ,of which is without a tree. The plough is now at work oh. lands one mile in length, turning over three farrows often inches each, apd from,four and a half to five inches deep, neatly, and well cut at the edges, and perfectly level, at the bottom. The furrows, frqpj one end of the one mile land ; to ; th© other , are as straight us it is almost possible to plough. The depth or width can be regulated by a single turn of a screw, done in an instant.

Four average horses can do, in an ordinary day, about five acres in pretty stiff soil Instead, of requiring a skilled ploughman, any active lad who can drive horses and regulate the screws, can manage the implement. The superiority of the work, and the saving of labor effected, were the subject of general comment.