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[All Bighto Reserved] I PRACTICAL…

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[All Bighto Reserved] I PRACTICAL AAKIODXTUBK. I BY w. J. MALDISN, Luthor of "The Potato; in Field anj Qurden," "Pigkeeping for profit," "Tillage «a4 Imple- menis," ate. ADULTERATION OF MILK AND MARGARINE, I 1900. The n- regulations bearing on the making and sale of niargarine come into cam on January 1st, 1900. It is to be hoped that tjoy will be strictly enforced: they are none too striAgent, and Sbr their usefulness to be secured it is nomssary that they do not degenerate into a farce. The working of the Act will be mainly directed lIlY the Board of Agri- cultare, who have shown themselves keen in follow- ing up swine fever and unmuzzled dogs, so there IS reason to suppose that they will sesite close in- spection. The introduction of imprisonment as a form of punishment is 000 to be commended, and it is difficult to understand why fraudulent adultera- tors of other commoditiee escape it. Ift is a decided- ly good ste towards the prevention ef the adultera- tion of Iniy- that every public milk seller must 4ve his name and address conspicuously inscribed on his vehicle or on his receptade fcr milk; but it is a better one that reoeptacles containing condensed, separated or skimmed milk must bear a label clear- ly viBible tiD the purchaser, denoting the contents. The means for putting the Adt into force seem to be well devised-: but while the English trader in new or comparatively new milk is made liable to the extent of F,10 it seems unjust to him that the same articles preserved abroad and sent he" do not come under E.. b.. APPROACH OF LAMBING TIME. ) -1 1 Deceniber is here, and before the end of themontn the Hampshire and Oxford Downe will hwe com- the 7a! Vb. With )?e mild wea.th with which -ttc have been f. it is difficult to realise that what so often is iegarded, as a spring operation should be so close at hand. On the whole -the autum'n has been favourable for the ewes, and generally they are ir. a healthy condi- tion. The approach of lambing suggests the necessity for rather stronger food than s found necessary during the early .portion of pregnaBcy. If ewes have been well treated they ?T'IT?e ? reserve of strength to draw?on during the flatter portion of the period in which the ]am is keitfg developed, and additional food may not be required but where the ewes have been scaveng- ing and getting but a small amount of nutritious f, so that they have got low in condition, it is strongly advisable that they should receive extra food. Substances containing a fair amount of nitrogenous matter are specially useful as they give strength to the ewe without making her over fat, and they are of direct benefit in helping to make up tkfi carcase of the lamb. Where good clover or sainfoin hay can be spared it will supply just the material requii-ecl Malt culms mixed with oats straw chaff are very suitable: or, if more conven- ient, oil cake may be used with advantage. Having d experience some years ago in lambing down a flock which had got too low in condition when on grass, &nd h<? received no extra food, the lesson Z:n learned is not likely to be forgotten. In- sufficient strength-at lambing time, and a weak flow of milk subsequently, caused more loss and trouble than anything in my experience except when the ewes suffered from foot-an&mouth disease at lambing. From the latter contingency we are now preserved by careful veteriaaryarnngements; the termer one may occur at any time when the ewes are allowed to get too low during the few weeks "preoedint' lambipg. ROOT AND STEM ROT IN POTATOES. I Professor Johnson, of the Royai-College of Science, ,Dublin, has spent a considerable amount of time during the past-season in inspecting the potato crop in various parts of Ireland, notably in Con- Bemara, with the view of gaining further informa- tion as to diseases affecting the crop. He paid specie attention- for some years to the disease which has been known as the new potato disease. The fungus causing this form of disease commences its operations below ground, and was found, 1U -almost all cases, in tjuautities amasnting to hundreds, .where it was exercising a more or less injurious effect on the crop. The appearance of the plant .stricken with this disease is veiy instinct from that of one affected by.the ordinarydisease. Although the ordinary disease is sometitoss communicatcd directly to the tutor, it is.mora(i.ommon for it to be first established or; the of the plant above ,iground, where the.der.d or irymg.patches with dis- tinctive rings of mould around them, are easily rreeoenised. In the new disease tto decor s«ts up fcelow ground, and gradually few above :br destroying the means for the sap to flow; ■Notchy yellow spots are noticeable on the leaves, and later on the plant dies. Examination of the stem audi root reveals the presence of the cause of the disease. Towards the latter pa:,t of the attack the underground; pwtions of the, stem and such tubers as may have formed on tkem are covered with dark, black bodies, varying ia size and shape from that of a pin's head to that of a small grain of wheat. These bodies are called Selerotia, and although tie manner in which they act is not yet definitely ascertained, it is most prut able that they form the resting stage which intervenes between one year and another. At preseit there is no method of treatment yet devised wluch will check the disease when it has established itself on the plant. It is undoubtedly necessary, to avoid plant- inZ, from, stocks which tire affected. Those who JIläkø a change of stook should be careful that the seed eupplied has nOJæ. of the blaxik epots, or the lami-planted- with them will become infected. The pemnstency with which the disease holde the ground, once tablished, hows the absolute import- ance using every care .to. prevent itom Btfoduction. A-, present the only meads recognised for prevent- in? the disease from spreading is to burn the haulm and wch tubers as are infested. This will un- doubtedly have a. detereat effect, although the a very act,arced stage of decomposi- tion Wow ground before ??ow6 in such a marked degree "On &e upper part;; and as the &? under- d?ree..on the u p per part.- around breads are att?ed. and they m atura breat-? easily, tbis ve? serious dtseMe? one against /which all precautions should bo token to prevenhits getting on to hvgh. ground. MILK. STAKJMRUS. I Mr Carter Bell, the Cheshire County AMiyst, gives in bis quarterly report seme, very useful figures in WhkLu with the quality of,m] k. He points out that the solids a.nd fatg,,a,iound by anysis of tbe n?k supplied to a yion don dawy iihe- 30,000 siMB?es are ajmiysed yearly, exceed re- .pecUvety?-elve per c?t. :W" three per mnt. 10 ow LOWS reived from tanM during tbey< y g?<-th<?<;guro?mont!t!y=JaM?, total .oMs .?-35, fat, .05;: FeUvu?ry, 12.94, 4.oev,? March, 12.68 3.80; April. l, 5.M?; J4, 12.57, 3.70; 'J 12. 3. Uly, l2? 3.66, August, 18m 3-72; Sep?m?. 12.41, Mh. October, 1,2.QL 4.04; November. 12.92, 4.63.; December, IAW, 3.89. Fi' ?ch th<? should be hdp? in Mt?NiEhing a^tandarfd, which? unfortunately we have not atpr?., e.??? adulteration ??racLietMe. Mr C?ter BeU has a  poor opinion of cows which will  ,S'??'?  ? ? cc.,dard of,twelve solids and ee fat; a.nd referring t..th? s?6, "a poor haU-^> ,di igeas?Y cow n]? cive miJk wMh will no? be eoual to cow iowt-fii standard. Such mJi.lk has no more right to b??M to the public than has dis- S S ? fr?" This is pBImpa stronger tbaR eirc ,warrant, for powmilk is not ?oe?arily a. eouice?f disease, and it?p? it is of rrgre ?currenc.. Mr Bell, however, is iii1xiOus t- ?t at the d?hon? trader. H? ?? m h? ?ctice that the Mtdtt?n of water 15 ?rv.?ommon ?d?he ? farmer and coBMJ)MT are hit h?er tW ngure? d.")w where th?<tM?rdofe]even per .ee?. solids ir,;AUowed. It may seem that two or thrw F^1' of <water is not w?tJ? n.tjng but th.. Lmzcl_.i:.4mDunt 1, -rt the real q?ity?. Thus. jJwc cidwbted on a very ?w standard. Thus, I we take /the milk whi?h is turned at two  cent' of adulteration and it with the mUk,tak«n h.a? fr'8 own <o? the difference m tjuality ?very gr?t. In one ?Me the total solids the mittlUrht were ll.l W vielded by the cows oo-nta.IIWi 1r3^.8 of tot&! ssooSiWB. [t n$ only a simple calculation to show Jedu^».8 to ll.iV tha, 20 parts, ol water must be added to every iund-rod part* of miUL does not fed the variation troD day to day to be soerMt ? defendMts wcmkd ba,e magistrates l??,- i??r? there is no doubt th?the total yu>W of milk i$ wse ,HKted thM K' t&e proportion of solid matter. When the analysis -comes veiy close to the st:md, it might, w:t i A consi era bae ^crroe of safety, be taken that the ^*iilk has been tampered with-, ATI& mitgistr?ttet, inote&d of  that the matetr S* a trifling one, shoifl-J be particu- larly severe whe the solid fall a poi* or two be- Kffltv'lflrd. -11 HOT EXPERIMENTS. w The annual conference of hop growers att?e ?y- <M!M? proved ? M?tin? as its predo"ssoro, The t?rs h?e h? & M?on of e?ltdles'ppo t. ment by MMI, of the exceptionally heavy crop ?n.vMch has stifled opeculation, and M??ted ?S?g beyond the mc<t immediate reqmremMts. K.S ot the Hop Onwe?A.soc?tionh?e been met by tke apathy of parchMM.who, if un, o?an?, have Mfow? ?ti<. which havejjtteriy §,,p? tra? With a big crop in hand and diffl- cultv in selling itw? na.? ? special inte phoild be M? by the co?PM?. Mr Bell stattd that the experiments in training had been I continued, and that the German system had been discarded, and the butcber system modified in accord- ance with the lessons learned in the past. Wide planting, that is 8ft. by 8ft, was found to give better results both in respect to quality and quan- tity of the hops, than = 7ft. by 6ft. planting was followed. The wider alleys, however, required a greater outlay for string oa account of the flatter slops. H the letting in of more sunshuie in such a year as this is beneficial, it may bo inferred that there -I.d be greater benefit in cool and sunless seasons. -Against that, however, might be set The risk of too luxuriant growth in those years; and it will be interesting to see how the results of wet seasota will bear out those pf the recent hot ones. Some growers advocated broad and some narrow spMes in accordance with their experience, and there; is evidently much to be learned on this point yet., Bio slag gave good results in all cases eave at' Frant, and a special inquiry into the nature of the land would be made to show why it had not done so satisfactorily there. From analyses made to ascertain the amount of resins gtown in various districts and with different a&anures it was found that the Goldings were scarcely up to standard quality, that Bramblines were better than last year, ? ,t the Weald hco bad improd, and that the WoroestoM were 0 0 f lower quality than last year. Moderate quantities of nitrate of ssda had incrastsed the percentage of resins, but excessive dressings tended to decrease it. Dr. Bernard Dyer regarded potash as being very uncertain in its action. He thought nitrate of soda decidedly beneficial, and that much of the disappointment some growrs cx. perienced was due to its being applied too late, his experience being that it was best applied in Febru- ary or March. Professor Percival urged the careful selection of plants for the nursery; and was of opinion that there was much to be done in the way of improvement of varieties to increase the amount of resins, which is not at ell unlikely, as careful selection for this feature h&% not been extensively carried out.

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