LAND, STOCK & CROPS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 189, 24 May 1934, Page 7

LAND, STOCK & CROPS

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By “The Tramp”). “A sheep’s greatest enemy is another sheep,” writes Mr H. W. Tomlinson in the sheep section of a wellcompiled advisory report of the Wiltshire Agricultural Education Department. Heavy stocking, he asserts, can be carried on until a flock becomes a liability rather than an asset. Footrot and maggot fly also, lie contends, give more trouble where land is heavily “sheoped,” and when a heavy head of sheep lias to: be carried, then every opportunity should he taken to avoid dung tainting the pasture by folding the sheep on land to be ploughed or allowing them to sleep at night on stubble Herbage grown with sheep dung should be considered poison to sheep. Low fences are advocated by Mr Tomlinson for the prevention of maggot fly, the idea being that in the hot weather the sheep are encouraged to lie in the open for the sake of breeze. Eggs, he points out, cannot hatch in a dry fleece.

‘■‘l thought most potato growers were agreed that close planting gives the heaviest crop, hut at a discussion recently some seemed to think that for main-crop varieties 20in. to 24in. was needed between the sets,” remarks a correspondent v in a Home paper. “Trials conducted at various centres have, I should havo thought, conclusively proved that close planting is the more profitable. In those by the Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland over two years the results showed that; where the drills were 27in wide, 20in between sets yielded 11 tons 19 cwt., 15in between sets 13 tons 4 cwt., and Klin between sets 16 tons 17 cwt. N “There does not seem to be any point in planting any variety of main crop more than loin apart, and, personally, I believe that 12in is sufficient. Both . quantity and quality are improved by close planting, and though 27in between rows is necessary on heavy lands, I believe this can, with advantage, be reduced to 25in on level land of medium to light texture.”

i Cream collection, undertaken by the factory, is one of the weakest links in the dairy chain. Partly that is due to the pressure on all costs by factory directors with eyes glued on yields and pay-outs to the comparative neglect of quality; partly it is due to the travesty of co-operation obtaining in too many districts, leading the neighbouring “co-operators” to compete against each other at least as crudely as the rawest individualists- (remarks an exchange). . To save costs cream is often' being collected on extended rounds long after it should be in safe hands at the factory. It is allowed to stand about through the heat of the day oil farms ill-equipped with coolers. Or it is carted to the stand on the roadside to Wait for the lorry, exposed to heat and perhaps the rays of the sun. All the time it may be losing texture or the bad bacteria gaining on the good. Part of the costs saved by homeseparation should bo spent on more efficient cream collection. Borne would lie content in the meanwhile if daily collection could be achieved, except in the most remote and scattered districts. Others insist that; if a raw material of good standard is to be delivered at I.lie factory, collection must be completed early as well as daily. One thing is certain, that a much more efficient system of collection could be put into operation at once without much, if any, added cost il existing services were co-ordinated that is, if co-operation and not competition were the spirit animating the factories.

Statements that Japan might, m the course of a few years, produce a major portion of the wool needed for her own requirements are not supported by the observations of Mr H. C. Pennetather, one of the best known pastoralists and stud sheep classers in who returned recently from a visit to Japan. ~ . r Mr Pennefatlier said 75 per, cent ot the country-in Japan proper consisted of steep and rough hills, while the remaining 25 per cent, was closely cultivated. The northern half of the country experienced bitterly cold winters, with deep snow, and all stock was housed. Inferior land—not including stony hills and mountains—sold at about £3OO an acre, and good land., well situated, at up to £3OOO an acie. Speaking generally, all animals were kept in yards and fed on the least valuable produce of the farm—even the roughage from tobacco plants. There were 30,000 slieep in Japan, and every year the, Government bought about 500 ewes and 50 rains m Australia Merinos were found quite unsuitable, and Romneys were discarded For tlie last few years Corriedales had been tried and they were considered After** 0 examining the Australianbred slieep which lie saw in Japan, Mi Pennefatlier sgaid they would have cut 25 ner cent, more wool on aveiage Australian pasture. It was clear that Japan could not profitably cany a large number of slieep, and that the sheenbreeding industry there would SrCipMly disturb Japa» s valued competition at Australian < • tt^ was informed, however, that tat tail” sheep did well m parts of Manchukuo, but that their progeny by any breed of wool-covered rams were not sufficiently hardy to stand long ond extremely cold wintei A. slieep fanner from New Zealand who spent two years in Manchuria informed him do well there if housed and fed during the six months of winter, but that the Government of Manchuria was unstable and in marked contrast to that Japanese had established m. ehukuo.