On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 31 August 1916, Page 51

On the Land

GENERAL. A line of 1500 two, four, and six-tooth ewes was purchased in Southland (says the News) on Thursday by a North Otago farmer, the price being 33s 6d per head". The Manutahi Dairy Company has paid out 20d per lb for butter-fat for the past season (says the Taranaki Herald'), and carried forward as a contingent fund to meet any possible deficiency in the estimated surplus. At Addington last week there was a large yarding of fat sheep, a fair entry of cattle, and a small offering of store sheep. There was a keen demand for store sheep, and the supplies were insufficient. The quality of the fat cattle was mostly moderate, but high prices ruled. The fat sheep market was firm, and graziers competed for unfinished lots. There was a fair demand for store cattle, and pigs were very dear. Eat Sheep. •—Extra prime wethers, to 465; prime wethers, 30s to 38s; others, 21s to 29s 6d; prime merino wethers, 27s Id to 345; others, 9s lOd to 13s'6d; prime ewes, 28s to 33s 9d; medium ewes, 24s to 27s 6d; others, 17s 6d to 23s 6d; merino ewes, 12s 9d; hoggets, 22s 6d to 30s. Fat Cattle. Extra prime steers, to £22; ordinary steers, £lO to £l4; extra prime heifers, £l7; ordinary heifers, £7 15s to £l2; extra prime cows, £2O ss; ordinary cows, £7 15s to £ll 10s. Pigs.—Choppers, £3 10s to £5 13s ; heavy baconers, £4 10s to £5; extra heavy baconers, £5 9s; light baconers, £3 12s to £4— price per lb, 7d to 7Jd; light porkers, 46s to 50s; heavy porkers, 52s to 58s — per lb, 7fd to B|-d; large stores, 48s to 53s 6d; medium, 37s to 475; smaller, 22s to 265; weaners, 11s to 245. Burnside Stock Report.—Fat Cattle: A very large yarding, 275 head being offered. The bulk of this yarding consisted of prime beef, the quality being much above the average. Competition, owing to the over supply, was not so keen as previous week, and the extreme rates ruling then were not maintained, values showing a drop of from 30s to as much as £2 per head compared with previous week’s high prices. Extra prime bullocks brought to £26. Prime, £l9 to £22 ; medium, £l6 to £lB ss; light, £ll to £l4 10s; prime cows and heifers, £l4 to £l6; medium, £ll to £l3; light and inferior, £8 to £9. Fat Sheep: 2943 penned. The quality of the yarding was very good, the biggest proportion being well-finished wethers and ewes. As the number was in excess of butchers’ requirements and freezing buyers were only operating to a limited extent, prices receded from Is to Is 6d per head. Extra prime wethers brought to 42s 3d; prime, 34s 6d to 38s; good wethers, 30s to 33s 6d; lighter, 25s to 28s; unfinished, to 245. Extra prime ewes brought to 39s 9d ; prime do, 28s 6d to 325; medium to good, 22s to 25s 6d; others, 18s to 21s. Fat Lambs; A small yarding, only 300 coming forward. Competition for all prime quality was good, while graziers bought any unfinished lots at prices on a par with previous week’s rates. Extra prime lambs brought to 30s; prime, 23s to 265; medium, 20s 6d to 225; unfinished, to 19s 6d. Pigs.—There was an exceptionally small yarding of all sorts. Porkers and baconers were in good demand, and sold readily at late rates. The yarding of stores and weaners was not sufficient to supply requirements, and all on offer sold at an advance on last week’s prices. STUDY OF PLANT ROOTS. The study of the growth and development of the roots of plants is useful, as it helps to indicate the kind of fertilisers which are likely to produce the best results on the crop. Lucerne is the deepest rooting plant among cultivated crops. It makes only a small fibrous growth'

of roots in the upper soil, and is clearly a deep-feeding crop. As a soil maker and a soil-improver no other crop equals lucerne, especially in consideration of the fact that the nitrogen-assimilating bacteria exist in the roots of the plant and enrich the soil with nitrogen. Crops following" lucerne require no additional applications of expensive nitrogen. Grass is a soil-maker, a soil-improver, and a soilprotector. It produces an immense fibrous growth of roots in the upper soil, and the roots of certain grasses also pentrate deep into the soil. Autumn-sown wheat possesses an extensive root system and penetrates some distance in the soil in search of moisture and nourishment. Barley, on the other hand, is shallow rooted, and having only a short growing season is more in need of the help of fertilisers. The study of potato and sugar-beet roots suggests the necessity of a deep loosening of the soil in the preparation of a seed bed for planting these crops. The roots of trees indicate that their root systems are various, thus certain trees may be better suited than others for planting alongside roads and cultivated crops. - PREVENTION OF ‘FINGER-AND-TOE ’ IN TURNIPS. The problem of dealing successfully with the mysterious disease known as ‘ Finger-and-Toe ’ in turnips v is perennial, and seems as insoluble as the prevention of the terrible cancer disease in man and animals. Eventually science may discover a remedy for both diseases, as experiments and investigations are continually being conducted. The application of lime is the best means of checking the development of the disease, which is stimulated by an acid condition of the soil. The following results were arrived-' at as the result of some carefully-con-ducted experiments carried out by the experts of the West of Scotland Agricultural College: 1. The destruction of the turnip crop by the disease known as ‘ finger-and-toe ’ can to a certain extent be prevented by the application of suitable dressings of lime. 2. On land much infected, dressings of lime of less than 2 tons per acre cannot be relied on to produce much effect. 3. On land much infected, applications of 4 tons per acre are more successful, but will not entirely destroy the disease nor save the crop. 4. Lime applied in the drills in spring is much less effective in preventing the disease than when put on the land in the preceding autumn. 5. Small dressings of lime applied either in autumn or in spring have little effect on the disease. 6. Lime slaked in small heaps by atmospheric moisture is distinctly less effective in preventing the disease than the same lime (CaO) slaked by pouting water over it when fresh from the kilns, and spreading over the land while it still remains in a caustic condition. 7. Ground lime is more expensive and no more effective than an equal quantity of properly slaked lime. 8. Sulphate of copper applied* at the rate of half a ton per acre has no immediate effect in saving the turnip crop from the ‘ finger-and-toe ’ attack, but is ultimately injurious to the disease fungus. 9. Kainit applied in the same quantity in spring to the turnip crop has no effect in protecting it from a ‘ finger-and-toe ’ attack, but its subsequent action in the soil is detrimental to the ‘ finger-and-toe 1 fungus, and beneficial to succeeding turnip crops.