On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 2 May 1912, Page 51

On the Land

Sandy soils need humus to increase their waterholding capacity, as well as their fertility.

Legumes are beneficial to sandy soils, because they supply the much-needed nitrogen as well as humus.

Liming a soil may prove injurious where organic matter is deficient. In its stimulating action organic matter is burnt up, and more phosphorus and nitrogen liberated than can be used.

The following figures show the export of oats from New Zealand last year, and the destination of the various shipments: —United Kingdom, 88 bushels; Victoria, 34,230; New South Wales, 2643 ; Queensland, 2592; South Australia, 789 ; West Australia, 207; Norfolk Island, 45; Fiji Islands, 2740; Ceylon, 22,911; Uruguay, 65; Brazil, 1945; Friendly Islands, 934; Navigators, 3413; Society Islands, 212; Ellice Group, 12; total, 72,826 bushels, valued at £9211.

A casein factory is now in course of erection at Aramoho, and - will be in running order next season. In the meantime a small factory is in operation at Wangaehu and has attracted considerable interest. Visitors from Auckland, Thames Valley, Taranaki, and Palmerston North have specially visited and* examined it, and in every case their report as to the condition of the stock in the district was satisfactory.'

, Great things are hoped for and expected by the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society in connection with the Winter Show, which is to be opened on June 4. Entries for the factory butter classes have closed, and the secretary reports that there is to be butter from the Thames Valley, Hawke’s Bay, New Plymouth, and, indeed, from all the leading districts between Aiickland and the Bluff. The factory butter is mostly from the North Island and Canterbury. The cheese exhibits are chiefly from the South Island, Otago and Southland being the principal contributing sources.

At Burnside last week there was a yarding of 200 head of fat cattle. The quality was better than has been in the yards for some time, a good number of pens being composed of prime bullocks. As this number was in excess of requirements, prices were easier, especially for cows and heifers. Extra heavy bullocks, £ll 5s to £l3 ss; good do, £9 15s to £11; extra heavy heifers, £8 5s to £9 ; good do, £7 to £B. There was a very large yarding (4118) of fat sheep. Of this number a fair proportion was prime finished wethers, and for these there was a spirited demand. The bulk of the yarding, however, consisted of ewes, and prices for these were fully Is below last week’s rates. Prime heavy wethers sold up to 22s 9d, good wethers, 17s to 19s 6d; light wethers 15s to 16s 6d; extra heavy ewes, to 19s 9d. The fat lambs penned totalled 1928, a number of which were extra good quality and weight. Prices were fully up to late rates, and one of °the features of the sales was the keen competition right through the sale. Extra heavy lambs, 18s 6d to 20s; heavy lambs, 16s to 17s 6d; medium, 13s 6d to 15s. There was an entry of 180 pigs, and there was good competition for all classes. There were small entries of stock at Addington last week. There was practically no change in prices of fat cattle and fat lambs. Fat sheep, especially ewes, were easier. Fat pigs brought late rates, but there was little demand for stores. The yarding of fat lambs totalled 7436, and included some pens of extra heavy weights. There was a keen demand for export, and prices were firm throughout. Tegs made 17s 6d to 19s fid, and extra to 21s; ordinary freezers, 14s to 17s. There was a large yarding of fat sheep, but the demand was not so keen as of late, and wethers were somewhat easier, while lines declined from Is to Is 6d per head. The range of prices was; Prime wethers, 17s 6d to 19s 4d V extra, to 22s 6d ; lighter, 14s to 16s. • The yarding of fat cattle totalled 327 head, and included some exceptionally good steers and heifers. There was a fair demand, and values showed practically no change. Beef ranged from 21s to 25s 6d per 1001 b, steers making £8

10s to .£ll, and extra £l3 to £l6 10s, and one to £2O. There was a fair yarding of fat pigs, and they sold ■well, choppers realising up to £4; large baconers, 66s to 745; smaller, 50s to 60s, equal to 51d per. lb.

A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY.

Dr. F. G. M. Brittin, who has just returned from the Bay of Plenty to resume practice in Christchurch, defined the district, in conversation with a Press representative, as ‘ a land flowing with milk and honey, where every prospect pleases, and only man is vile.’ ‘ Having lived two and a-half years in the Bay of Plenty, and having been brought up as a farmer,’ he continued, ‘I give my opinion of the potentialities of the place for what it may be worth. I am certain that there is no part of New Zealand in which there is so great a chance of a man being able to double his capital in a few years. The land is of excellent quality, but a very large area is held by the natives. This is entirely unproductive, and is a hot-bed for noxious weeds and insects. For example, ragwort and Bathurst burr are flourishing within 200 yards of the Post Office, in the centre of the township near my place, while the country generally is overrun with blackberries, sweetbriar, Californian thistle and knotted pennyroyal. Most of the land is, in addition, covered with either fern or manuka.’

MILK IS SENSITIVE TO BAD SMELLS. Jk As an instance of the influence that strong, unpleasant odours can have on milk even before being drawn from the cow, the following case is reported (says Farm, Field, and Fireside):— herd of milch cows were put in a field, in one part of which a calf had been buried, but not sufficiently deep. Thus the cows inspired the air infected with the miasma of putrefaction. The milk of the cows was found to be spoilt—not only so, but curious as it may seem, the contagion seemed in some way to pass to the milk of some other cows that were in contact with them in the milking shed.

Other facts showing the sensitiveness of milk to. emanations may also be cited. Thus, if a bowl of milk happens to be left near a vessel or bottle containing a preparation of tar, the milk will absorb the odour, and it is said that people should never drink milk that lias been standing in the room of anyone suffering from tuberculosis, as the milk absorbs the microbes. ‘ Such facts demonstrate the necessity of care in handling milk, and show that cow sheds should be kept in a condition of great cleanliness, and that even the air that the animals breathe should be pure. These two conditions are indispensable for the production of sound, good milk.

FQWLS NEVER SWEAT. A hen is a queer creature (remarks an American poultry authority). Let the writer tell you a thing or two. Fowls never sweat—they have no sweat glands. Don’t know it? Well, you’ve lots of company. A fowl’s natural temperature is away above the fever heat in all other living creatures, and that makes a draught of air their death warrant. A fowl’s body is a regular little engine; the heart beats like a trip hammer and pumps blood like a fire engine. The fowl has nine extra air sacks to help force oxygen to the lungs, and it needs many times more oxygen, for its size, than your horse, which pulls heavy loads and travels fast. All this means that fowls need more air than ordinary stock for two reasons—they consume more oxygen and they give off all moisture by the breath. Moisture by the breath is very warm and very moist, and condenses more quickly than moisture from perspiration, and you must ventilate to the limit to carry it off instead of letting it form a hoary frost on the inside walls of your poultry house. If you don’t carry it off, look out for trouble in your flock. Houses with open front covered with canvas or oiled muslin, instead of glass, are all right because it means ventilation; houses with cracks , and knot-holes are all wrong, because they mean draughts, which are fatal. . .