FARMING NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1286, 25 September 1880, Page 3

FARMING NOTES.

The weather lifts been all that could be desired, consequently a large breadth of land has been sown with wheat, which has gone in, in splendid condition, and the young plant is looking remarkably well. 80 far, we have everything to congratulate our agricultural friends upon, but we hope yet to experience some good soaking rains. Unless we have a good supply of moisture stored up in the subsoil, our crops must suffer should drought occur during the growing season, hence the necessity for not only deep ploughing, but thorough subsoiling, whether for corn, green crops, or grass. One acre so treated will in an ordinary season produce as much as one and a half acre ploughed with the usual four or five inch furrow — it is the old story, to do a little and do it well, pays best in the end. Presuming that tue bulk of the oat crops is also in, attention will now be turned to the barley crop. The soils best suited for producing uialtingbarley are those resting on limestone or chalk formations, although very good samples may be grown in soils comparatively destitute of lime. Manqkl".— The first sowing should now bo got in as rapidly as possible, presuming that the soil has had deep and careful tilling, as directed in July issue. No arable farm pretending to any syatem, should be without a good breadth of these useful roots. In tolerably dry lands, sow in drills on the flat from 27 to 30 inches j apart, four pounds of good eeed will suffice, if sown broad -cast half the quantity will do. Unless the land is quite clean— such as new land — and in good heart, it will always be better to sow in drills, for the reason that a little fine bone meal, from ene cwt per acre and upwards may ba in the drills in contact >yith the" seed. And again, the horso-hoe and drill-grubber can be kept at work till the leaves meet across the drills. Carhots.— The first sowings may now be made, and continued during this and nex*, month, A rich sandy loam is best for the carrot ; from 27 to 30 tons have been produced about Christchvrch, per acre, the past season. Sown in drills 18 to 24 inches apart, from three to four pounds of seed will suffice ; rub the seed well between the hands before sowing to break the awns, the seed will scatter more evenly by so doing. Land wlii3h has been previously manured for another crop, is best for carrots, if sown on the manure they arfi apt to grow forked. LtfCEKXE. — This useful forage plant deserves a place on every stock farm ; it revels in deep alluvial soil, which must be dry and have a diy subsoil. It will, however, thrive on any good dry soil. To grow it to the best advantage, the ground should be deeply ploughed and siibsoiled. Under such conditions, we know of no plant which will continue to yield for so long a time such an abundance of succulent feeding stuff, and is reliahed alike by all kinds of btock. It will remain good for five or six years, requiring only an occasional top-dro-sing of manure, and an annual tearing with the harrows to loosen the snrface soil. These operations should be performed in the beginning of winter. The quantity of seed sown per acre varies according to the quality of the soil from 10 to 14 and even 2U lbs. It may be sown separately or with spring corn in the same manner as red clover, but, should not be mixtd with these seeds. Peas may still be sown. The pea thrives best on lime-stone soil, but fair crops may be raised on any light soil, provided it be dry and moderately fertile. Peas usually follow a corn crop. They may be sown broadcast, but if the land is at all wepdy it will be better to sow them in drills from 12 to 15 inches apart, in order that they may be horse-hoed. It, however, requires a steady driver to handle the implement without damaging the young crop, the object being to keep down weeds till the young pea covers the drill. Treated in this manner, they are a cleansing: crop. Two bushels of seed, if of best quality, will suffice ; if not, better sow two and a half bushels. The haulm of pesis is highly nutritious, centaining more flesh -formed matter than the straw of any of the cereals. Chaffed baan and pea haulm moistoned with mucilage made from ground linseed, forms a mess highly nut.ricious, and is much relished by dairy stock, &c. Grass Lakd from which it is intended to take a crop of hay should have all stock immediately removed, all manure droppings should be hcattered, stones and snogs removed, and receive a turn of the roller. By attending to these hints, the mowing machines can be set closer to the ground. It is said that "an inch at the bottom is worth two at the top." The Youn<; Wheat Plant.— Should this look sickly, and the ground at all caked, it will bts found an excellent plan to run a moderately light pair of harrows over the crop, up and down and across, walking the horse at a brisk pace. There is no fear of tearing up too many of the young plants, but this work must be done when the soil is dry on the surface ; roll immediately after. Seeds can be sown at the same time. Takes.— Continue to make small successional sowings for dairy purposes, No better crop for cleaning the soil can be sown. Beans will now be coming up. A plan frequently adopted by bean growers in the Old Country might with advantage be followed here, it is to run a light pair of harrows across the rows just as the young j beans are beginning to appear, by so doing a vast quantity of seedling weeds will be destroyed, and the surface crust will be broken up. Mixing Soils. — The productiveness of a soil depends upon its physical condition scarcely less than upon its chemical constituents. It needs a full supply of all those oi'ganic matters that special plants need foy nourishment, growth, and health. If these matters are in full supply, possibly the soil may need sand to separate its particles and render the totality more porous. In improving any land we need to consider its chemical and physical condition. Here again we see_ the value of science and experience. We should not trust to chance — another name for human ignorance. Usually, the good effects of adding clay to peaty or sandy soil are mostly due to physical and chemical alteration. Adding clay renders all light soils firmer and more able to yield a prolific crop. It makes clay lands more friable and porous, and to all soils it adds the carbonates and often the phosphates of lime. Both these limy salts are needed to foster vegetable growth and health. The food plants consume graduates their value as much as the food animals eat gives a value to their flesh. And we clearly ccc how important and even absolutely necessary mixing various earthy old chemical constituents may be if we wi*h to secure paying crops.

Prince Albert Victor of Wales is to undergo the usual course of training as a cadet at the Royal Military Academy, and it is the wish ot the Prince of Wales that, when qualified, an active commission iv the army shall be given to him. A change in the well-known method of fairing sunken objects by means of baloona has been proposed by Herr Eaydt, of Hanover, is that he uses gas condensed in vessels to a liquid state, and lets it expand into the baloon under water. Xt is stated that Miss Eva Carmichael, the heroine of the Loch Ard disaster, i8 about to be married to Mr W. C. Mackay, the son of a wealthy Dublin merchant. Sow to acquire shortlaud— Fool round ft cutting machine.