THE LAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 239, 6 October 1923, Page 20

THE LAND.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. O'DESIRABLE BUTTER FLAVOURS. E.F. inquires for means of eliminating undesirable flavour in butter.—The objectionable ilavour that you wish to eliminate is not infrequent in butter. The cause is the presence of a micro-organism. It is one that probably in greater or smaller number is never entirely absent from the products of tho dairy. Its influence is serious when through the omission of some precaution in the sterilisation of utensils employed it is in large proportion. This organism obtains the ' greatest effect when it is In association with another micro-organism that eieics its special function on fat. The presence of two micro-organisms is mentioned-, t>ecuuse it niay be possible to reduce one to a minimum and so secure the lessened effect of the other, and with that the control of the quality of the butter may be obtained. It is accepted that the great majority of the defects of milk and of the products of the dairy originate from the non-observance of some precaution in cleanliness. It is not assumed that in many cases where objectionable flavours manifest themselves that there Is carelessness or wllfnl neglect, but if the cleaning is to be effective the microorganisms must be killed. The main object of cleansing the various appliances of the dairy, vessels, churns, cloths, brushes, etc., is to remove the adhering milk and dirt. In which the greater number of these organisms are embedded. The only means of assuring true cleanness, to include the destruction of microorganisms, apart from the undesirable use of powerful germicides, is the application of heat. For the dairy this la or course steam, and where th*t Is not available the liberal use of water that is truly scalding, or by boiling the utensils, etc. The scalding, of course, is subsequent to the usual scrubbing and the use In the first instance of warm water. The cleaning is assisted with the addition of soda, and where the dairy products are contaminated with harmful organisms, ' the usual cleaning may be supplemented with a washing with or immersion in 1 to 2 per cent preparation of formaldehyae, made by diluting commercial formalin with 20 to 40 times its bulk in water. If this germicide is used the hands must be protected from contact with it. The germicidal action is intensified by keeping churns tightly closed for a time. They should be washed and exposed to sunlight before using them, and whenever possible make use of direct snnlight; It is the most effective steriliser that Nature provides. You mention that the presence of an undesirable flavour is not always observable. This would indicate the omtseion of some precaution in the cleaning ' that escapes notice. It may be assured that sterilisation will result in sonnd butter. In reply to your other inquiry, fence for pigs, you do not advise If this is t enclose a yard that would be something of an enlarged sty, or If it is intended to provide a reasonably secure pis paddocß. It will be quite understood that for the first purpose a much more strongly built fence is required than would be necessary for the other. The fencing for the yard should consist of not less than five barbed wires. The first should be

close to the ground, to discourage the animals from rooting the earth at the fence; the other wires should be spaced ■ at distances not more than four and a-half Inches apart. The wire should be reasonably well strained. The posts for this fence ehould not be at wider intervals than eight feet, and the spreader slats, or droppers, at spaces of two feet. The security of the enclosure depends to a great extent on the poets and the droppers. For this fencing a special description of wire was on the market. It was known as "Hog "Wire." The barbs were longer and closer act than nsnal. If the yani is to be reasonably permanent, some of the stronger wire netting may be found suitable. The enclosure of a paddock for pigs is more easily provided. There four wires provide sufficient security, or the ordinary wire netting known as sheep netting, with a barbed wire strained at the ground level, is satisfactory. Tlie posts may be nine feet apart and the spreaders at three feet spaces. In the yard fence and that of the paddock it is, of course, assumed that tbe upper wires of the usual fencing will be included. ROOTS ON THE SMALL FARM. The mangel stands pre-eminent among the root crops that commend themselves to the dairy fanner. It has every claim to that appreciation, and among the many causes that have led to this there may be mentioned, its splendid feeding qualities for all classes of farm stock, its heavy yield and its resistance -to the ■ pests and diseases that are so great a limitation to the turnip. There is the further advantage of the mangel that it may be stored and kept in a sound condition after all other roots have passed their use. To the dairyman there is the inestimable quality in the mangel that it does not transmit the objectionable taint to the milk that is inevitable with the feeding of the turnip. The mangel is readily consumed, its palatibility to the cow is constant, and very certainly, more than any other roots that are grown, the mangel encourages and maintains the production of milk. Then in winter, in association with hay, the thriving condition and the health of the cattle are assured. The mangel should be the root crop that makes the strongest appeal to the dairyman, who keeps a small number of cows, who has but a' few acres of land, and. who is prepared to well farm those acres. To such a farmer there is no crop that can furnish him with a more secure provision of succulent milk making food than the mangel. He should realise that on suitable soil, with good tillage, generous manuring and inter-cultivation when the plants are growing, he may be assured of seventy tons of roots to the acre. Then let him put the question to himself, can any other crop do this? The yield seventy, tons is far from a maximum. In the "New Zealand Farmer" this month there is illustrated a crop of 115 tons to the acre, and in Canterbury and in Hawke'n Bay 150 tons, and even over that «n icrg have been authenticated,

A further and special appeal to the man of few acres is the fact that the mangel may be grown again and again on the same piece of land. The suggestion is offered that the richest and best drained piece of land on the farm should be set apart for the mangel plot. It should be ploughed deeply in the autumn, and kept free from weeds. This small piece may with advantage be ploughed eevenal times, but only when the weather permits the land to be in condition for good tillage. The ideal condition of the mangel plot should be that of a market garden. The plot of a fanner in the Island of Jersey is described "as highly cultivated and as rich as a forcing bed." In that island the manure of the cattle sheds is the reliance, and but little artificial fertilisers is used. In this country animal manure cannot be considered for the usual farm crops, but for a small intensely cultivated plot of mangels some of that manure could be saved, and it could be used with good effect. The objection is that unless it is carefully attended to it becomes a weed seed carrier. To avoid this it should be turned and re-turned until that seed is destroyed. In Jersey it is often kept in a covered shed with open sides. In British mangel growing practice the animal manure is spread in the opened drills. Tliese are ploughed together and the seed supplemented with 10 cwt. of a complete fertiliser, sown on the raised drills. These drills or rows are at from 24 to 28 and even 30 inches apart. Then comes constant horse and hand hoeing. The plants are spaced from 10 to 12 inches, and the intercultivation is continued until the leaves completely cover the ground. In New Zealand where the reliance for the manuring is placed on the commercial fertiliser, the application that may be recomi mended is three to four cwt. of superphosphate or the same quantity of basic superphosphate, two cwt of kainit, and two cwt. of nitrate of soda. This nitrate of soda should be used in two applications of one cwt. with the seed, and one cwt hand sown after the plants are beginning to spread their leaves. This may appear a heavy dressing; it may, however, be remembered that a heavy yield is sought for from a small plot of land. This is not the recommendation for the field of many acres or for the owner of the large herd. It is for the man with ten or twelve cows, where the plot of mangels is an extension of his potato

plot, and the more it is part of his vegetable garden the greater will be the yield. It may be added that this for many years was the practice of a farmer in the Waikato, whose small holding was worked as a garden, and who put his reliance on thermangeL THE X.AMB FOR EXPORTATION. The remarkable growth of the fat lamb trade and the early springs of the last few years have encouraged many flockmasters to have their ewes lambing earlier than usual. This year, owing to the severity of the weather, and the consequent lack of spring growth in the pastures, many sheep owners are being hard put to to find sufficient grazing to carry their usual stock in a thriving condition. It is in seasons like the present when it is realised how the keeping qualities of the mangel rives added value to this crop. A few Toads of mangels put out to the ewes will help to keep up the milk supply, and so save the lambs from a check. One often hears the question asked as to which crop is the better to grow—the swede or the mangel? As a matter of fact, each crop has its own special advantages, and it is not advisable to try to make one replace the other. Mangels can always be depended upon to be useful when the swedes are finished. This year, even where the swede has beenanything like satisfactory as regards quantity, it has failed to keep sound. The result has been that the roots had to be eaten off quickly, or they rotted away before there was any growth of spring grass. Mangels that were pitted in June or July will still be at their best from the feeding point of view, and can be used freely.. In districts that are favourable to early lambing, docking operations will by now be either well on in the way or completed. Where this is not the case it will be advisable to take advantage of every opportunity of doing bo. Lambs born after this can either be docked when the ewes are mustered for dagging or left until shearing, although I don't recommend this, for there is usually quite enough to do at that time without Laving to dock lambs. FATTENING PIGS. When being fattened, pigs should be fed three times a day, and the food brought to a temperature of 90deg F. by direct heating, or by the aid of hot water. By so doing much of the food is saved in the animal's body for the production of fat. The addition of oats to the food of pigs which are being finished improves the whiteness of the fat and makes the flesh firmer. The pigs should therefore receive oatmeal or oaie during the three or four weeks previous to the time at which it is intended to kill the animals. During this period, says an authority, the quantity of roots in toe ration should be somewhat redocei

PHOSPHATIC FERTILISERS. Phosphatic fertilisers are of two kinds —the various basic slags and mineral phosphates useful for grassland, and superphosphate, which is of inestimable value to all crops. In the matter of slags and mineral phosphates the farmer now has a wide range of qualities at corresponding prices. Their great effect is to improve the quality of the herbage. That is more often seen in better grazing results than in the greater yield of hay. In fact, in many cases the hay may show no increase, although the quality is vastly improved. Superphosphate produces remarkable results on root crops, causing them to start early in the season and to swell out better, producing better bulbs and increasing the feeding value. Potass ie fertilisers have the best effect in bad seasons, and on crops such as potatoes, mangels, etc., where a great amount of produce is required. There are many cases of striking increases produced by dressings of potash. Ho far as the yield is concerned it does not seem to matter which of the present high-grade potash salts are used, although there is evidence that for quality in potatoes the sulphate of potash is rather better than the muriate. The need is emphasised for carrying out local trials with artificial fertilisers. It ie impossible to recommend a rigid scheme .of manuring for any purpose merely by looking at the land or analysing the soil. Local trials properly organised need not be expensive or troublesome, and they may be made to yield information of the highest value to the agriculturist. THE SOW, THE LITTER AND THEIR FOOD. Nothing can be better than a good run on sound grass for the sow and her litter, but at the same time the sow must be receiving good sustaining food, for it should be remembered that all this time she is nourishing her pigs, and if a hardy, healthy, contented batch of youngsters are required, then the sow must be given something to feed them on. It is essential that the piglings be fed at this early stage of their life through the mother, and good sound mashes, rather thin and sloppy, should be given the sow to promote the flow of milk and also to sustain her. On some farms which the writer has visited he has noticed the sows reduced to perfect wrecks when suckling their young. The reason is not far to seek, and can usually be attributed to

which is not sufficient to keep the flesh on the bow and help her suckle her pigs. Once, on questioning a farmer as to why he made no effort to keep his sows in fair condition at least while they were suckling a big litter, the answer given seemed typical of the idea so unluckily prevalent in the minds of a number of pig-breeders: "Oh, she's all right. Once she's in-pig again ehe'll soon put together again." But what an idea! And what a poor chance to breed healthy, good-conditioned little pigs from their birth! It 13 a very clear case of "penny wise and pound foolish." One wellknown pig-breeder once told the writer that he judged a man's ability to manage pigs successfully by the state his sows were in when the pigs were weaned. The sow in fair condition will take the boar sooner than the poor, half-starved wretch, and with better results, as a rule, and also a better chance for her pigs to grow and develop from their conception. DRY EWES. These should be taken out of the flock. Any that are considered suitable for holding over for another season can be grazed on poorer pasture; the rest should be disposed of as soon as fat. Hoggets, especially if they have not wintered too well, will from now on begin to become dirty, and -when being mustered up for moving they should be put through the yards and dagged. FEED OR MOT? A subscriber put a strange query to an agricultural paper recently. He said: "I want to buy a bull. Should I buy one from a herd that is heavily fed, or from one that is not fed? I do not feed ray own herd, and I do not want to raise cattle with big appetites." This looks like the query of a man who says to a contractor: "Build mc a dam. I want as much water as I can get, but don't build it too big, because, if you do, it will take too much water to fill it." A cow can produce only as she is fed. If she has dairy inheritage, she will make profitable use of all feed given to her up to a. point. Any feed short of the adequate quantity will mean a corresponding shortage in her yield of | milk. The aim should be to have cows

of large appetites that can make profitable use of the large quantities of feed — and then give them the feed. The idea of deliberately breeding cows of null appetite is the trcong idea.