THE LAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 129, 2 June 1922, Page 11

THE LAND.

Bγ .£GK.ICv>I J A.

OVERSTOCKING THS PASTURE. AND I>dT.KX.Uj PAKASITES. .Many sheep farmer* do not realise tlio injurv'ttml i« caused to v lloek by persistent overstocking, partieiilnrly \± thU jo on land that is never turned over by tho plough. X»1 only ie the herbage ruined, t" ,l I" 1, " : ""' stomach worms are more ensily picked up by the sheep when the pasture- arc continually closely crazed. The first aymptonw oE the presence of those parasites arc a dry harsh wool, and persistent scouring. The only effective remedy >* a ehaugo to clean. dry ground, it pi'i-.-sible. and to provide an allowance of dry food, euc-h as a email quantity of outs, pood eweet hay or ch(i(T. Lnw-lyintc damp postures are particularly prolillc breeding grounds for tliose internal parasites; it is a remarkahle fact thai (shoep in a wild etate. instinctively ding to the higher ground. jn some localities it has been considered impossible to rear strong etud sheep profitably, on account of the ravages of internal parasites, but healthy good animals are now bred as a result of preventive measures. l«anihs on eur'.i land pliould be taught to eat dry f OO d—good ?woet oat ehalT. with a small additi'-n of oats or chaffed lucerne hoy— immediately they are weaned, and be movided with a lick consisting of two pounds sulphate of iron to ten of ealt. Frequent changes to clean ground are in every wav good, and close grazing should be avoided. This is. of course, referring to comparatively small flocks: there ie naturaliv v different condition in dealing with very large numbers of cheep on high, rough country, but much may be done, even on such land, by abandoning the policy of persistent close grazing, and by reeting the paddocks in turn, to'make it possible to regularly change the flock to clean ground.

STORING AND FEEDING THE MANGEL. Harvesting the mangel crop is a work ♦hat should be curried out as early as circumstances will allow. In some dißtricts, mangels are fed off in the paddock where they are grown. Even when this is the case it will he found advisable, from the nature of this root, to pull them out of the ground at least three weeks before th.> stock are allowed on to them.

When labour is available the old English method of pulling and storing ia much the better practice, first pull up the mangels, cut off the tops, leave the roots in rows sufficiently wide apart to allow for a dray to be taken between them and loaded' from both sides. The mangels should be carted and built into a V-shaped row. This should be nine feet wide at the bottom and about live feet six inches high. In districts whers frosts are frequent it will bo necessary to put a much better covering over the mangels than Avill be required in the milder part of t»e country. Some farmers cover their mangel clamps with raupo: others consider rushes satisfactory, but the best method of all is to cover the mangels over well with either of these or with straw, then dig a trench round the clamp, throwing the soil from the trench on to the etraw. Mangels stored in this way will remain sound well on to the end of the year. The advantage to be gained this method will bo readily appreciated later in the year and in the preparation of stock for shows. Stored mangels are a great help in carrying pigs through the spring.

Ft is well to remember when selecting a site for the mangel storage that paddoc!;3 will be very wet and cartage difficult when the mangels are to be used, and so arrange that it may be aa near where the bulk of the rootis will be required as possible. This will not only prove a great convenience, but it will avoid cutting up the land.

CRXJTCHING THE EWES. If cri.ti-hing has not yet been attended to it should be undertaken at once. To delay any longer "ill be only courting trouble, in tlie direction of both wet yards and dirty sheep. It is well to remember that it is desirable not to take off as niucli wool as possible, but to remove only KUliieient to keep ehee]- clean through the winter. Tt will be fouid advisable to cut away aome of the wool in front of the udder of the ewes, so that it miiv be easily ncci-esihle to the lambs. Failure to do this will often result in the loss of a number of lambs through choking, owing to their having sucked seine of the wool into their throats.

rHE FLOCK ON SWEDES. The swede crop will now be available, and, as a matter of economy, it is essential to liuve the paddocks temporarily divided into comparatively small areas by means of wirenetting and light, '•iron? stakes. Preferably, tliere should lie suUicient netting to go twice across the paddock. This simplilies the work of the- shepherd, us it enables him to have one lirenk fenced in while the other is being paten off. A variety of swede that stands well out of the ground is preferable, because tne- sheep will fall ba«k on the old breaks nnd scoop out the bulbs without the trouble of going over the land with the cultivator. SKE DUTCH COWSHED. On Uie general farm In Holland clean cows and clean milkers, clean sheds and receptacles lire the only things that are observed. In summer time, the cows are .milked in the pasture. The Dutch clean tlip sheds—they are really good build-»','!>--in Kiicii away thai it is often occupied by the farmer's family. It is a fine cool plate and the farmers' wives ornampn! the i-nw'jt res'dence so ac to make it Inok like a parlour. The cows are never housed during the period from '.liny to October. I'OULTKY ON THE FARM. In fitting up v poultry houac thenesL boxes must he regarded as one of the most important details, and in making these it is desirable to put them in the di'.rknst and mo>t secluded corner of the hoi.se. Iμ lli- case of open-fronted scratch in); dials, tlicv n-c generally fixed to tiic front just below the wire npttiriL. , of tl:p open portion. I have heard it remarked that some laying failures were due to the nehts not being , sufficiently [-.■.tractive, but it would be misleading to iifc.-pt that, a? an influential Fncto:-. if ;■ hen is ready to produceeggs she v, ill ik-.il some piaec to lay their., in must eases a well-built nest in a dark, qiii.-t corner will appeal to fifr as a desirable place to resort to. If tiie nests are ruised a foot or two above tlie floor level there should be an alighting hoard along the front, whereas in the rase of outside nest boxes there is no advantage in having them more than a few inches above the floor level.