LAND, STOCK & CROPS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 131, 15 March 1935, Page 7

LAND, STOCK & CROPS

NOTES AND COMMENTS. (By “K* TrMsp”). About 600 acres on the Ryding and Robroyston estates of Glasgow Corporation will be leased to the Health Department to provide grazing for oyer 200 cows in order to increase the milk supply for municipal institutions. Die Corporation at present owns about 1000 cows, giving an annual supply ot 350,000 gallons. Bailie Stewart Reid says the all-in cost for Grade.A (1.1.) milk produced at the Corporation farms is 10£d per gallon, as against the price of Is 5d under the Milk Maiketing Board.

The other day we came across a man who would not keep pigs because they were too dirty. Among other things he called the pig a lazy, dirty and greedy animal. He J saw our point when we asked him what did it matter whether the pig was lazy and stupid as long as it was profitable. We told him that the pig was not naturally a dirty animal but was sa often confined; m liltny sties that it had no chance to keep clean. Blame the owners, not the pig, we told him.. And even if the pig is greedy the food supplied, if it was ot the right nature, will all come back as pork or bacon, says a southern joiuUnless supplying whole milk to the factory, every dairy farmer must keep pi<r S if he wishes to make a maximum profit from his cows and it will rest entirely upon himself whether the pj£S are to possess the attributes which were so roundly condemned by our friend.

That things are not all as they should be in the dairying industry is sometimes admitted. A tendency to gloss over defects, however, is far too apparent. There is the question, foi instance, of increasingly high pasteurising temperatures. No other single circumstance which has to do with the quality of, the final product carries more significant condemnation than this. It has only one implication. But there are other factors of equal importance in the fight for improvement. A contributor draws attention to two when he refers to suggestions that dairymen sometimes agree to supply a factory because inducements in respect of grading are held out and that some farmers are able to ignore the dictates of dairy instructors because they have influential friends on factory directorates The truth of such allegations should be rigorously tested. No industry which is fighting for its existence as dairying is can afford to disregard them. A new board with wide powers of control is soon to be elected, it is to be hoped it will not be too busy with marketing matters to think about improvements at the production end.

An Australian breeder of milking Shorthorns took a team of his cattle to a buyer in India, and during the course of the voyage he made with them he spied out possible markets tor Australian produce. He was certainly a live wire. At each port of call lie immediately "ot in touch with the local paper, and the publicity lie thereby received brought him in touch with the faimers of the particular country. At feourabaya (Java) he had 20 or more farmers to see his cattle. One man wanted to buy the lot. Eventually ten head were ordered. Writing to Sydney, this farmer and trade protagonist said: “There is a likelihood of big business here In fact, lam satisfied Australia is dead slow: There is a marvellous market here for our produce, if we only look after it, such as butter, jam tinned milk, and hundreds ot othei things. A lot comes now, but a Jot more could come.” Australia is dead slow,” what of New Zealand? And does this keen Australian breeder of dairy cattle not set the breeders ot pedigree cattle of this countiy a big example? In these days it is no use waiting for business to come to you. ft is a matter of getting out and looking for it.

When economic circumstances force a manufacturer to accumulate a surplus, what does he do? He does not start a free distribution scheme as the Potato Board has done, nor does he sell at a cut-throat figure as in the case of milk. He brings his price down to the lowes,t possible leyel, and then tries to influence the public to buy. At one time we were told by 0111 agricultural advisers —usually men who had spent a week or so on the Continent and learnt it all—-that, we could not produce. Our milk yields were too low, our crops were unsuitable, and our meat inferior to that from abroad, states a British farming journal. We were told that if on |s’ we would co-operate our troubles would be at an end. We have now formed ourselves into one solid body of producers, but our troubles have not ended; they appear to be commencing*, The fact appears to be that we can produce but cannot sell. How to dispose of our milk and potatoes is not a job for the producers as such; it is for the business brains on the respective boards. If they cannot shift the surplus, the sooner they form a committee of expert salesmen to advise them the sooner will producers be satisfied that their levies are being utilised to the best possible advantage.

Consideration has been given to the desirability of introducing a . class of certified seed which will be the ability of the Ultra Violet Light Test to determine the perenniality or otiieiwise of certain lines of seed which are not dealt with under our present ceitification system, and it has been decided to proceed forthwith ’with the certification of this class of seed, states a circular from the Fields Division ol the Department of Agriculture As you are no doubt aware, there are existing throughout the country each season, numerous lines of ryegrass seed which are really worthy of being recognised as suitable for the sowing down of permanent pasture. Hitheito " have been unable to rapidly and conveniently segregate these lines from ordinary commercial uncertified seed,, but with the advent of the Ultra Violet Light Test, and the development of special technique in relation therewith, we are now able to identify such lines and it is felt that these should be made available to farmers with a distinct recommendation from the Department as to their suitability for the sowing down of permanent pastures. It will thus be seen that m addition to the two classes of ryegrass seed which are at present being certified, viz. “Mother” seed and “Permanent Pasture” seed a third class as. before mentioned, “Certified Conimeicial Ryegrass” will be instituted.