AGRICULTURAL ITEMS

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6926, 26 January 1906, Page 1

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS

The mesijuite tree is a grait boon to the south western parts of the United States; it afford? the coolest shade and is valuable for fuel. Rows of these trcts in desert regions keep the sand from drifting by the action of the wind, and large tracts may thus be reclaimed and turned to profitable account.

A special feature of the Psstorilists' Review (Melbourne) for December is an illustrated article by the paper's sheep expert, entitled " New Zoalaud Shows from an Australian Standpoint." The Manawatu Agricultural and Pastoral Society he describes as one of the most go-ahead societies in Australasia, and its annual show as a revelation to those who visit it for the first time."

The following recipe for the extinction of sparrows has been tried successfully in tho South Island : Wheat to be moistened with milk (on the outside merely) and thpn sprinkled with finely powdered strychnine, and well shaken to distribute the poison over thrt wheat, The birds 'should be fed for a few days, preferably with wheat among chaff, untill they b-come accustomed to feeding on the spot; then they take the poisoned grain reaiily ; and, it is stated that they fall in hundreds. With the objeot of preventing the total extinction of owls in the eastern ocunties, Lord Lilford a short time ago liberated on his Cambridgeshire estate some fifty specimens of the Strix passerina variety, which apppear to have bred successfully. A number of the birds have, however, lately b*en killed, and his L'rdship has issued an appeal to farmers to protect the birds, which, so far from doing them any harm, are really the farmers' friends, and are of great use in keeping down sparrows, mice, etc.

A denudation of gooseberry bushes of their leaves which had been noticed locally (says the Southland Times), and put down to the recent heavy hail showers, seems to be really the result of some fungoid growth, as similar conditions have been noticed at Riverton, Milton, and other places. The effect is singular, nothing but cracked berries remaining on the branches, and these cannot possibly come to maturity; indeed, deprived of their natural shelter, they are falling off. The wholesome gooseberry, which is generally a reliable crop, may therefore be scarce this year.

The shearing season, which is just coming to an end in Victoriu and Southeastern South Australia (says the Pastoralists' Review), has been a very unsatisfactory one, especially in Riverina and Victoria. Such constant interruptions from rain have not been known for many years, and the irritation which always arises over wet sheep has naturally been much greater than usual. The wet-sheep difficulty is specially annoying to the employer, because he is so helpless in the decision of a point of management in which his interest coincides absolutely with that of the men. Experience shows that no alteration of the wording of the clauie can make any difference.

Mr \ v . H. Fitzherbert, who bas been farming in the Argentine, told a Wellington I'ost reporter that the dairying industry in that country has been on a footing for export purposes for about four years, and there are four big factories. The country is well suited,but itieasyeth-rd to say how seriously Argentina will compete with New Zealand ; but she must certainly be reckaned on as probably a dangerous competitor. Labour being cheaper, the article can be produced much cheaper. Unlike New Zealond, »here it musi be a fami'y industry, in Argentina dairying may be a paid industry and yet a profitable one The wool, though it is always sold locally, all goes oversea. There are no woollen factories in Argentina; very few manufactures of any sort. The crop on the four and & half acres planted with flax at the Levin Stase Experimental Farm is looking very well, notwithstanding unfavourable weather conditions on the farm. Roots of every variety of flax that the Department of Agrioultuie could obtain from various parts of the world have been planted, for experimental purposes, \ and it is intended, with the object' of propagation, in time to select from the moit promising of the roots. These are not ready yet—it takes three seasons to bring them to the stage desired—but the department hopes, as a result of these experiments, to be able to advise growers as to the bett varieties to grow for yield and quality of fibre.

It is a great many years (says the Oamaru Mail) since the crops in Otago wore an aspect so little promising a3 they do at the preseut time. Of course, the lateness of season upsets to a great extent any calculations as to ultimate refcuits, but a great many farmeri state that a return from their crops of 75 per cent, of last year's average yield would delight them. Wheat is extremely scarce in North and Central Otago, though, curiously enough, there are several small fields in Southland showing excellent promise. But, as a rule, it is the noxious weeds which make the best display, and from the train one may view field after field rendered beautiful to the eye by yellow ragwort, while the Canadian thistle flourishes luxuriantly. While about a dozen believers in chemical compounds have been struggling for the past twelve months at Totara to prove that their composition will eradicate the Canadian thistle, Mr Thomas Hedley, whose farm is on the Kakanui flat, has compassed the distruction of a large area of the thistle by a very simple means. When the thistle had r'prned and the stalks wert hollow, he put a back-delivery over them. The hollow stalks filled with water, and the water, following down the trend of the roots into the ground, rotted the plants out. At all events, Mr Hedley has now a splendid crop of turnip 9 on the land that previously was a mass of Canadian thistles. We mentioned several years ago (says the North Otago Times) that Mr Crawford Anderson, of the Clutha, has accomplished the same desirable end by the same method. It is an inexpensive of overcoming a grave menance to the furming community, and although the cutting may not be followed by the necessary rainfall to make it complete, yet it is worth tryiDg, even four or five times. It costs very little, and that is greatly in its favour.