ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXXV, Issue 2, 20 August 1927, Page 136

ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

IN order to ensure reply to questions, correspondents must give their name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. Letters should be addressed to the Editor. SELECTION OF RAM FOR BREEDING. A. Mortensen, Ngatamiro ■— I would be obliged if you could give me a few hints about how to pick a good Romney ram for wool, shape, and quality. The Live-stock Division : This subject was dealt with in an article entitled “ The Ram and his Characteristics,” published in the Journal for October, 1922, a copy of which has been sent to you. A few further hints may be added. In all the hornless breeds of sheep the space between the ears should be as level as possible. Moreover, a good width here means a good width between the eyes, and this is a very desirable characteristic. The ears should be fairly well set up and not lopping down. The pure-wool fibres in a fleece are of a soft silvery appearance, and are elastic out. This is the wool required by manufacturers. The hairy-wool fibres, on tjfl other hand, are a white colour and non-elastic. One must look for these fibiqß mostly in the britch, and by selective breeding avoid them as far as it is possible to do so. When doubtful which ram to finally select out of any submitted fori examination, . other points being equal, take the one with the broadest pad in the top jaw and with the almost square-shaped. hoof. GROWING OF ARTICHOKES. J. R. Smart, Tikorangi :- Kindly give me instructions how to plant artichokes and to cultivate same. Also, is there a spray for the blight that attacks them ? The Fields Division : Artichokes are grown much on the same lines as potatoes. Planting may be done in your district any time after Ist September. Plant in drills 3 ft. apart, and set the tubers 2 ft. apart in the rows. From 5 cwt. to 7 cwt. of seed per acre is required. If the seed is small, plant whole, but if big, break into sets. In buying seed, arrange to have it dug just before required. There are two varieties grown in Taranaki, the pink and the white. The latter is rather the heavier cropper, but is more liable to attacks of blight. Care should be taken to get seed free from blight. Spraying or dipping affected seed or crops does not appear to be very effective (see article, " Fungus Disease attacking Artichokes,” in the Journal for June last). A suitable manure for artichokes is 3 parts super, 1 part bone or Nauru phosphate, and 1 part 30-per-cent. potash 4 cwt. to 6 cwt. per acre ; or a proprietary mangold or potato manure may be used. PASPALUM FOR SWAMP LAND AND COASTAL FLATS. “ Kai Kai,” Marton : Can you tell me if it is safe to sow paspalum on rich swamp land ? lam afraid of it becoming a nuisance, like giant fescue, on this class of country. I would like also to know whether in your opinion paspalum is suitable for light sandy soil and the small poor flats that are to be found near the coast between sandhills in this district. The Fields Division :—• If the swamp land is not likely to be drained and broken up for a considerable period it is quite safe and good practice to sow it in paspalum. This grass will not become a nuisance like giant fescue, as stock are very fond of it, and do well on it. In our.opinion paspalum is the best grass available to sow on the light flats you mention. If it is used for this type of land from | lb. to 1 lb. of subterranean clover should be sown with it, as the two grow well in association. Examples of paspalum on the type of flats you mention are to be seen on portions of the Hellier Estate, below Bull's.

CHAFF FOR PIG-FEEDING. “ Piggie,” Te Kopuru : . Kindly advise if it would be injurious to feed pigs on chaff with an addition of meal. I notice young pigs relish chaff, and as I have a considerable amount on hand it might be better to give it to the pigs than dispose of it by sale. The pigs are on top-dressed pasture, supplemented with meal and turnips. The Live-stock Division : Chaff is not a suitable food for pigs, and it is doubtful whether the animals are really fond of it. No doubt they are trying to pick out the oats from among the chaff, and in doing so are compelled to eat a certain amount of the latter, which is hard to digest and of little feeding-value for pigs. If you have no other means of feeding your chaff it had better be sold, when the value received could be spent on pig- meals, which would show a better return. SMOKING OF HAMS AND BACON. F. Rockell, Kaikohe : • . . As we intend to smoke our bacon this year I would be glad of your advice on the subject. Could the smoking be done in an ordinary farm-shed ? To what temperature is it advisable to let the smoke-house come ? Does it matter what fuel is used ? How long should the bacon stay in the smoke-house ? The Live-stock Division : Any tight house with ventilation in the top can be used to smoke meat in. First of all, however, the sides and hams to be smoked should be well washed and hung up outside to dry. As regards temperature in the smoke-house, it is not usual on a farm to pay any attention to this. If the house has a ventilator at the top, and the fire is not allowed to burst into flame, but only smoulders, the temperature will not go up too high. Resinous-pine woods should be avoided, as they give a bad flavour. Straw, sawdust, and dry leaves are commonly used, but probably the best is rimu sawdust spread over logs and shavings. The period for the bacon to remain in the smoke-house may extend from forty-eight hours to two weeks if desired. TEMPORARY PASTURE AND SMOTHERING OF COUCH. A. L. Ross, Matiere - I am ploughing a 7-acre paddock which was in rape, with the intention of sowing Western Wolths rye-grass and cow-grass for a hay crop. The paddock is fairly conchy, and I would like advice on the most suitable mixture for hay to last about two years, and that would also help to smother the couch-grass. The Fields Division :- — The paddock should be sown in the spring with a smothering-crop of oats or Black Skinless barley. This could be fed off during late summer, and a temporary pasture mixture of 25 lb. Western Wolths rye-grass and 6 lb. cow-grass per acre sown in the autumn. As an alternative to this you could sow the grass with the oats in spring, and thereby save a further ploughing ; but, since the function of the cereal crop is to smother the couch during its most vigorous growing period, this method would not always be satisfactory to the early development of the temporary pasture. RYE-CORN FOR POULTRY. B. C., Middlemarch :- Please tell me if rye-corn has any value as poultry-food. The. Live-stock Division - Rye-corn is not a popular grain for -feeding. Fowls do not like it, and will seldom eat it if other food is available. Note. —C. McGregor, “Central Otago” (inquiry regarding shelter-belt), should forward his postal address.