ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, 14 August 1919, Page 43

ON THE LAND

MARKET REPORTS. -*-«'-*•-~ . At Burnside last -week there was a good yarding of fat cattle, numbering 193. The quality was fair; and the sale opened at about 10s per head less than the previous week's prices, but towards the end of the sale prices receded almost another 10s. Prime bullocks to £25 15s, medium £lB 10s to £2l, light and unfinished £ls Upwards, extra prime heifers to £2O 15s, prime £ls 15s to £l9, others from £lO 10s. Fat sheep: There was a medium yarding of 1743, only a proportion of which were really prime. Prices for good sheep were about on a par with the previous week's rates. Unfinished wethers and aged ewes were slightly easier. Extra prime wethers 49s 6d to 555, good 42s to 475, medium from 38s to 425, light and unfinished 32s upwards, prime ewes 34s to 39s 6d, medium 28s to 325, light and aged 22s upwards. Pigs: There was a medium yarding, and prices were firm. . Heavy .baconers £6 to £7 ss, light baconers £5, porkers £2 15s to £3 10s. At Addington last week there were large entries of fat stock, especially of sheep, for the double market, held in consequence of the Grand National holiday on the week following. All classes of fat stock Bold at extremely high rates', beef in some cases being equal to £4 per 1001 b, and this was not for the extra special lots. A purebred white shorthorn bullock, bred and fattened by the Riccarton Estate, topped the market at the record price for New Zealand of £IOO. Mutton also showed a sharp advance in prices, and the choice lots realised up to £l4 10s for three down cross wethers. Fat sheep: Specially prime wethers to £l4 10s, extra prime wethers to £4, prime wethers 55s to 655, medium wethers 45s to 54s 6d, lighter wethers 33s to 44s 6d, merino wethers 27s 6d to 28s 9d, extra prime ewes to £4,' prime ewes 47s 6d to 56s 6d, medium ewes 40s to 475. lighter ewes 32s 6d to 395, hoggets 26s to 555. Fat cattle: Special steers £44 10s to £IOO, extra prime steers to £4l, prime steers £2O to £3O, ordinary steers £ls 7s 6d to £l9 155,. rough and unfinished £8 to £l3, extra prime heifers to £32, prime heifers £ls 2s 6d to £2O 2s 6d, ordinary heifers £9 2s 6d to £ls, extra prime cows to £3O ss, prime cows £l3 15s to £l9 10s, ordinary cows £8 12s to £l3. Pigs: Baconers £5 to £8 15s (equal to 9id per lb), porkers £2 15s to £4 15s (equal to lid to 11 Jd per lb), choppers £5 to £l4 10s, large stores £2 10s to £3 ss, medium £2 5s to £2 Bs, smaller 25s to 40s, weaners 17s to 235. TRANSPLANTING VEGETABLES. The transplanting or planting-out of certain vegetables is an important operation in the garden, and where large numbers of plants have to be dealt with occupies a good deal of time. Consequently any method of facilitating the work or rendering the results more certain must possess some degree of value (says a writer in Farm, Field, and Fireside). Some subjects, such as cabbages, cauliflowers, and others of the Brassica tribe, with lettuces, peas, and particularly beans of all kinds, are easily transplanted in moist or showery periods, and seldom fail to "get hold" of the fresh soil quickly, and do well; but in dry, hot weather great difficulty is frequently experienced in getting them to grow, as they flag, or wilt, under the influence of a hot sun, past recovery before they have time to strike root again. The only way is to water them frequently, and if possible afford a little shade in some way as well; this is' a great aid, though it is manifestly impossible to shade a batch of some thousands of plants by any practicable means. Attention to the following details will, .however, frequently ensure success, even if it does not reduce the labor much:-(1) Obtain the plants (if possible) from a moderately poor seed-bed, where they will not have grown too quickly and so become soft. (2) Give the bed a good soaking the day before, and lift the plants carefully with a trowel or the —do not drag them out by the roots anyhow. (3) In dry ground draw drills where the rows are to come, and water these

an hour -or so before planting, as well as. afterwards. (4) .Scatter some light, dry litter -of some kind among and partly over the plants after, watering them. - y In very hot and dry weather it is best ; : not to attempt to transplant lettuces at all, but sow a , few long ' rows in due season, and simply, thin them out to the proper distance. ■ Carrots and . parsnips cannot -be transplanted successfully they become forked and misshapened ; and beet must be removed very carefully, without breakingthe tap-roots. ; - y V ill?;; 5

THE ART OF BUTTER-MAKING. The essential requirement in the making of good butter is to secure uniformity ; that' is to say, to produce always good-flavored and -keeping butter. These good points are hot ■ altogether, to be obtained in the actual churning of the cream, for ; the proper management of the milk and ripening of the cream are equally important factors in turning 1 out a uniform first-class article. (says Farm, Field, and Fireside). The cows on a butter-making farm should" be carefully fed with a judicious selection of foods, and it should be observed that those foods which materially affect the flavor of the cream, such as .turnips, cabbages, 'etc., should, if > fed at all, always be given after milking. It is unfortunate that more importance is not attached to the milking of cows, as so much of the success of a dairy depends on clean and thorough milking. Too much cannot be said for the need of, a; clean milk supply, for whatever purposes the milk is to be Used. Milkers are inclined to forget that dirt will dissolve in the warm milk, and, of course, liquid dirt falling into the milk cannot be strained out again. The milk should always be well strained as soon as possible after milking to avoid any loss of butter-fat due to a falling tempeiature and to lessen the risk*of taints. For obtaining a clean cream the .separator is invaluable, as it acts as a most effectual filter, centrifugal fprce causing all the impurities to be deposited on the sides of the bowl of the machine. To get the full advantages of a separator over other methods of cream-raising, the machine must be carefully and properly used. The results with handpower separators are frequently unsatisfactory, chiefly owing to the fact that the requisite speed when attained is neither kept up nor is it sufficiently regular. Much cream, also, is lost owing to inattention to the temperature of the milk, which must be regulated to between 90-100 degrees Fahr. before being put through the separator. ' "" °

HOW TO HOE POTATOES. No piece of allotment work is quite so pleasant or exhilarating as potato-hoeing, provided it is done m the correct style (says a writer in Farm, Field, and Fireside It is more than probable many a back allies, many an arm is tired, and may be many a naughty word is said, over this very necessary foodproduction work, simply because the little knack, of how to hoe potatoes easily and quickly has not been acquired. First, fork the earth, carrying the work right up closely to the tuber stems. Down the rows turn the earth over a fork deep. This process gives the earth a good aeration, kills what weeds there may be, and loosens the earth thoroughly, allowing air, sun, dew, and rain to penetrate, but, most of all, loosens the top surface, thus allowing the actual process of ridging up. the potatoes to be done quickly and with the least possible amount of effort. ' To actually ridge up, stand hoe in hand facing a row. Pass the hoe over the first row of plants, strike the blade well into the earth in the centre of the soil between the growing plants and pull the mould up towards the growing row. Continue this process right along the line, and half a ridge will be formed. Reverse the process, and a complete ridge will be formed. " b