RUG FOR DAIRY COWS

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17750, 29 June 1929, Page 22 (Supplement)

RUG FOR DAIRY COWS

The rugging of dairy cows in the winter, by reducing the demand for support, of bodily heat from the food they receive, helps appreciably in maintaining the milk flow. Many farmers would like to rug their cows,, yet cannot afford to purchase the market article, but two basrs (cornsacks or any heavy bags will, do),-or three, for larger cows, will make a nice rue. . split them down the seam, and join together, place on the cow. and sew together m front of the cow’s brisket: next join the back with a A -inch strip of bag about 12 or 18 inches below the rump level, and the rug is complete. This home-made rug will keep the cow y warm, and after a few days wear, when the oil, etc., from the cow’s body lias worked into the rug. it will also be waterproof. The rug can quite easily lie slipped off and on over the cow’s head. The cow’s name painted on the rug over the rump with tar prevents confusion in replacing the rugs. _

NOTES. Wonderful Broocoll. —For several rears a many-headed kind of broccoli has given great results in England and in Australia, but it has not become common in New Zealand. An improved form of it advertised in England should be considered by every one of our readers. It will crop for more than five years, and bear an averaue of six good heads each }ear. One firm sells this broccoli as .NineStar Perennial broccoli, but it is too much to expect nine heads every time. We shall break one of our rules this time and give the name and address of the firm that advertises shillinc nackets of the variety: 11. Groom and Co Bellevue Farm, Guilden Sutton, Chester, England.

Pruning Bush Fruits. —As these are the first fruits to start into growth it is lime they were pruned. There are different methods and limes for pruning gooseberries, but the folkmmg way will be found sufficient. Do the work in June or July, while the plants are resting. Cut out the growths until there is sufficient room o put the hand on any branch; if this * done, there will be no trouble m pulling the fruit. Besides, light and air will be able to reach all parts of the bush, thus ensuring the growth of healthy fruiting wood. If some of tl lc old branches seem unhealthy, one or two can be cut out each year and their places filled by strong new shoots from near the base. The new shoots coming out like twigs all over the plant may be shortened to an inch or two, but some must lie cut out, altogether to avoid oyercrowding. It is to be remembered that the fruit is borne partly on newwood but chiefly on little spurs co\ering the old branches. The pruning of black currants • simple; all that is needed is to cut out all dead wood, also any that show signs -of borer. If there are plenty of new shoots from near the base a few of the old branches should be cut out. The idea is to keep the plant full of new wood this is what bears the fruit. '\ tiue “d red currants bear fruit on older wood The best, way is to prune these currants in summer by in" most of the new growths, so that fruit spurs will develop. In winter it ls sufficient to cut oh the tips of all the soft side shoots. It shouid be remembered that,this is. a good time to put in cuttings of gooseberries and currants Loganberries fruit on wood made the previous summer so all the old rods 'lhat have fruited or that seem unhealthy should be cut out from near the base. It Is usual io cut off the soft tips of the new,, rods, even as much as two feet perhaps; this will help the fruiting laterals to develop. Working Among Bush Fruits.— There is always danger that the roots

of bush fruits will be injured, as they, lie. so near the surface. For this reason the spade should be banned, and even the fork may be viewed with suspicion; the hoe and the rake will be found good enough for stirring the soil and also for working in artificial manures scattered round the bushes. A mulch of stable manure or compost will not only provide food bu: will also serve to keep the plants cool in mid-summer —an important consideration for bush fruits in this climate.

Planting Trees and Shrubs. —Put briefly, the main points to observe in this work are: (!) Have the ground prepared; it is necessary to dig u a large deep bole, leaving the subsoil broken up but still at the bottom. (2) Better still, the whole space in the orchard or shrubbery should be deeply worked, as the deep holes just mentioned sometimes act as sumps and drain the water from the neighbouring soil.'thus water-logging and killing the new pjants. (3) If the trees or shrubs arrive before the soil is ready (perhaps it is too wet to work), they should be “heeled in,” that is laid on their side and partly covered with soil. (4) The roots should not be allowed to become dry, for it is the delicate slender rootlets whicli have to do Die work, of reestablishing the tree or shrub; it is wise to keep the plants in their wet sacking until each is- required. (o) Long thong-like roots or any that have been broken and split should be trimmed with something sharp, so that the wounds may heal cleanly. (fi) Every newly-planted tree or shrub should have a stake put in beside it before the hole is filled in. If this is done, the rools are not, liable to injury, and the stake is likely to be.very firm. (7) Soil should be sifted in among the roots in such a way (hat no great air 'spaces are-left; a gentle shaking of the tree will help the packing in.. (8) The tree should be planted at its former depth. Usually a ring on the bark , marks the former ground-line, (9) The tree should have a permanent label fastened to it, and later a suitable, entry (and perhaps plan) should be made in the. • garden note-book. (1Q) Fresh manure should not come in contact with the roots, but a surface mulch will do good.

Best Kinds of Sweet Peas. —As the months of July and- August are usually considered the best lor making Die main ' spring sowing • of sweet peas. Die following list of varieties should help -some- of our readers. Every pea mentioned is declared by Ihe National Sweet Pea Society (the world's greatest authority on these flowers) to be the best of its colour group. With the possible exception of Blue. Bird, all should be easily procured in the province. . Blue, Bird, bright blue;'Charity, crimson; Charming, deep rose; Edna May Improved, white; Elegance, silvery pink; George Shawyer, orange-pink; Grenadier, geranium-red; Hebe, rose-pink; Ivory Picture, ivory cream; Jack Cornwall, Y.C., navy blue; King Mauve, rosymauve; Mascots’ Ingman, rosy-car-mine; Matchless, cream; Mrs Hitchcock, cream, flushed salmon; Powerscourt. lavender; Royal Purple, rich purple; Sunkist. new picotec; Warrior. maroon; Youth, large picotec; 2LO, scarlet-cerise.

Rose Pruning. —The proper iime for this work is the end of July, but those of our readers who can hardly keep their secateurs off Die bushes may make a gentle start now. All old and diseased wood may be cut or sawn out, but it is 100 early to work with the healDiy wood. If this is cut now, it is likely to start prematurely into growth, and the buds will be injured by late frosts. Rose bushes in this province tend to flower all year, instead of taking the rest which Nature intended them to take; as a result their blooms are rarely as good as the Southern ones. Climbers are the first roses 'to be pruned, as they generally enjoy a certain amount of shelter from frost.

Violets.— Owing fo their time of flowering, their beauty and their scent, violets are always appreciated. Usually the early blooms come from plants growing on rather light loams, but some at present are coming from really heavy soils. ■ This is rather exceptional, and is perhaps to be explained by the mildness of the winter. Though violets are really woodland plants, delighting in partial shade, the best blooms are to be got from plants growing in the open. A cool rootrun yet with perfect drainage is what these plants require. In summer and autumn they are likely to suffer from the attacks of red mite, but thorough waterings from time to time will kill this pest. If the leaves are seen to be covered with minute brown spots (a sign that the red mite has been at work), it is well to clip off almost all the foliage. This apparently drastic treatment may even lie repeated in autumn.. Though the. lies! lime to plant out violets is late spring, just after flowering, they may be planted at almost any season. Even cuttings and little suckers may be used if ideal young ‘crowns’, are not available. There are dozens of species in nature and many named varieties in commerce, but if only one kind is to be grown let, it be Die Princess of Wales. The best double-is Ihe new Princess .Mary (introduced in J 921 in England). Roth these royal violets are large, sweet-scented anil floriferous. and therefore thoroughly desirable.

tain all-round satisfactory results the question of feeding is, one that must on no account be dealt with in a haphazard fashion. If the birds are fed on highly concentrated food and are forced to lay, every egg that Is possible, especially at this time of the year, the results will'be .shown in the infcrtlltiy of the eggs produced during the breeding season' and the accompanying bad hatches. For breeding birds, it is essential that a considerable portion of their foods should consist of the best quality grain, which should contain a large proportion of good short oats, and that the •soft feed, if any, should not be of a sloppy nature nor contain any ingredients of a forcing nature. As a matter of practice, the dry feed method is one that can be recommended in feeding the breeders, while some poultry-keepers have adopted the plan of feeding grain morning and night, eliminating both wet and dry mashes. It is quite impossible to supply 100 great an amount of green stuff, which, by the way, should be of as varied nature as possible, and naturally the supply of good hard grit and clean, fresh water must be given every attention. While on this subject of feeding, it may be pointed out that, it is worth while to notice the conduct of the male birds at. feeding time. Some of them are so attentive to the members of their flock that, they neglect to eat until the hens have had as much as they want, by which time there is probably very little ' left for themselves. In this way the roosters may be half-starved, and it, is useless to expect, good fertility under such conditions. To remedy it, some breeders prefer to feed the male birds separately at, least once a day, while others fasten a small tin on the wall above the reach of the hens, which is kept supplied with grain., It is attention to small details such as; this which make a , big differenc-e in the success or otherwise of the poultry farm, particularly during the breeding season, the most important time of the year.

EGO LAYING. A return of the Taranaki egg laying competition for the week shows that out of 3*» White Leghorns only two worked seven days a week and four rested on the Sabbath, laying six eggs ’ during the week, pne Black Orpington is credited with working overtime, having laid eight eggs in a week.