ON THE LAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3123, 20 January 1911, Page 2

ON THE LAND.

Automatic Water Trough. A horse iiiul cattle trough, which automatically provides the horse or the cow with a drink of fresh water any time of the day or night has been devised. The device is so arranged that, when the animal begins to drink from the receptacle, a fresh supply of water is automatically turned in and is cut off when the animal has finished drinking. The trough can be of any size, and can be made to water any number of cattle or horses. The holder or trough is semi-circular in shape, and is placed on a pivot at a point a couple of inches from the centre. _ When the trough is empty the top is level, the equilibrium being: maintained) by the weight of the smaller side of the trough, and the force of a spring plunger, which regulates the water supply. As the tank is filled with water, the equilibrium is shifted to the longer side and as it becomes filled, the water supply is entirelv cut off by the weight of the tank forcing the plunger inward in the supply pipe. As the animal begins to drink the weight is lessened, and the water starts to How again. The arrangement ean be regulated to make the animal drink slowly, or the supply of water for the animal can be limited or entirely cut olf. A Hogget Surplus.

Farmers in various parts of the Dominion have been rather undecided as to what they would do respecting their hoggets this year. There has been an impression for some time that, owing to certain circumstances, hoggets would be down in price. The question was dealt with at the last meeting of ti.e Hastings branch of the Farmers’ Union, which decided that it would be wise if it warned farmers that there would likely be a surplus of store hoggets this season. The reason ta'ken into consideration was that there was a shortage of rape. It was also decided (according to an exchange) that farmers should be “urged to plough for turnips, no matter how hard the ground.’ ’ Rape crops in the Marton district are said to bo affected with club-root in a bad form, .mst year onlv a few places were affected, but this year the trouble affects a large area.

Plague of Caterpillars. It is reported that caterpillars are plavir- havoc with root crops on the Waimate Plains, in Taranaki. Accounts state that in some cases whole crops of mangolds and carrots have been eneaten awav.

In several previous years Taranaki farmers have been visited by caterpillars and further down the coast towards Wanganui tile plague Ims been in evidence.

A year or two ago myriads of caterpillars marched through some farms near Opunake. Their crossings of the Main South Road was a unique sight. It has often lieen a favorite topic at social gatherings of old West Coast settlers to tell of the time when a train was unable to climb a certain bill between Waverley and Wanganui because an army of caterpillars was marching across the permanent way, and the wheels of the engine weie unable to glip the rails. Tile appearance of the pests has not always been associated with grain crops or root crops, but whenever they have conic on the scene they have been extraordinarily destructive. However, Taranaki has not bad frequent visits from them, and its account against them is not very large. The phase most interesting to those who have no crops at stake is the migrating of millions and millions of the plagues, which move in a mass slowly and steadily, with an effect which suggests that the whole paddock is drifting slowly away. Artesian Wells in New South Wales. It is interesting to learn that there are at the present time 36-5 artisian wells in the State of New South Wales, of which 108 have been provided by the Public Works Department, 48 by the holders of improvermont leases, and 209 b- private individuals. The total yield from these wells is 110.000,000 gallons per day. In addition there are 72 bores, in which the water does not rise to the surface, but from which a supply can be obtained by pumping. Of the State-owned bores 48 are included in trusts formed under the authority of the Water and Drainage Act, of the Artisian Wells Act, which provide for the repayment- of the cost t-o the State. The total flow from the wells under the trusts is 36,053,000 gallons per day, which is utilised in .providing water for domestic and stock purposes to an aggregate area of 2,724.0i8 acres, the total length of drains being about 1450 miles. Action is proceeding in connection was IS additional trust proposals designed for the supply of a further total area of 1,351,120 acres.