FARM NOTES.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10214, 9 December 1898, Page 2

FARM NOTES.

" Weekly Press and Reforee.'' Nov- 30.

Danger of Artificially Increasing

Milking Powers.

An English veterinary surgeon, in a lecture on "Some of the Diseases of the Udder and Teats of Cows," mentioned two remarkable cases of extraordinarily milking powers that had come to his faiowledge as County Veterinary Inspector for Middlesex. The first was a Shorthorn cow which gave a sufficient yield of milk to be profitable for five years' after bearing young; and the second case that of a Red Poll cow which, after the birth of her third calf, gave milk, for eight years without again becoming pregnant, "and is still giving a profitable yield."' The lecturer, in commenting on these cases, said, "If we compare with such the state of the mammary gland of a cow of a pbor milk-' ing breed, when in some cases they hardly yield sufficient milk to rear their own "offspring, we shall no> longer wonder at the frequency of udder disease in cows whose milking powers are artificially increased to such enormous proportions."

Unsalted Butter for the English Market. «

?The Yea Butter Factory Company intends (writes a travelling correspondent of the Australasian.) to devote its attention chiefly this season to the manufacture of unsalted butter for the English market. Last "season's exports consisted of over 100 tons of unsalted and about 60 tons of salted.and for the former class of goods the price obtained was so satisfactory that the directors*have decided: upon the course mentioned. In connectioa with the preparation, of the unsalted butter the company obtained last year a patent centrifugal butter-worker, which has a capacity equal to four tons a day. company's output last year was 247 tons of butter, worth £27,645, and the profit on the year's transactions amounted to £1449.. The manager of the factory, Mr J. Bett, expects an output equal to £35,000 for the present year.. The average price, received* for last season's butter was 103s per cwt. The uniformly good figure obtained.by the company in London is said to be due.to the fine grazing qualities of the land in the district, which comprises Goulbum flats and well-grassed slopes. _ _ A Victorian Dairy Cow Test. , The results of the test for the best dairy; cow at the Geelong Show disclosed, some; interesting particulars. The first 'prize' cow and winner of Lord Brassey's gold, medal was exhibited by Mr J. W. Brownlee, of Marnockvale. In the two miJkings she, gave a total of 52|lb of : milk, which yielded 2.54 butter. She is by-a Jersey bull from a Shorthorn cow. Mrß. Crowe, dairy expert, who conducted the testing, makes the following remarks thereon: —"The. milk • given in the evening by the 13 cows in the competition was on the average more than double as rich as that given in the morning by them. The morning's milk totalled 3571b, and per test contained 11.431b of butter; the nigh-t's milk came up to pnly 209i1b, but contained per test 14.111b of butter. The average' for the whole day's milk was 22.181b for each pound, f of butter, whilst that of the morning was 31.231b, aiid the evening only 14T841b fqr each pound of butter." ,;

The Importance of"Good Binder Twine,

It is not to be forgotten, writes Professor. Lowrie, of the Roseworthy Agricultural College, Souhh Australia,'-that in a sense- it is the good man working the (machine that makes the good binder. Much attention, to the details of tho mechanism while worlnhg and much experience in working a machine is necessary to make the most of it. Another matter that affects the work of binders in a-much greater degree than the average farmer allows is the quality of the twine used. To'my thinking cheap inferior twine for use in the binder is bought several times over, and is ever the dearest. Often fault is found with the knotter or other part of the tying mechanism when inferior twine accounts largely for the deficient work. When' twine is purchased the number of yards of it to the pound and its average breaking strain should be measured, but most men do not take trouble to ascertain important points in the quality of the twine such as these, and are prone to consider the price as the most important item in the bargain. To my thinking it is the least important consideration, unless in relation to quality thoroughly ascertained. Tbe stoppages of the machine through inferior twine breaking, the mess of loose sheaves in the field and the consequent extra trouble in stooking, make bad quality twine dear even if it be had for nothing. Uniting Agricultural Soctetees.

A meeting of show officials was held at the Royal Agricultural Hall, London, in October last to consider the important question of forming an Association of Agricultural and Horse Show Societies, and a resolution affirming that this step was desirable ..was agreed to. Mr Vero Shaw was requested to take steps to acquaint the secretaries pf these shows- with, the views of the meeting, and to request them to lay the same before their respective societies, the meeting being assured that.not only would such an "association as that proposed be the means of uniting .agricultural and horse shows to their mutual advantage and protection, but that it would form, a new and valuable means of communication between exhibitors and shows..: The subjects referred to as coming within the province of the proposed society included the desirability of shows,acting more closely in harmony with each other,.and of endeavours being made to avoid the clashing of dates. The question of the universal adoption of one

arrangement of prize colours was also touched upon, and the possibility of a common line of action.as regards the"attitude of agricultural and horse shows towards exhibitors and their servants who misbehave themselves. It, is a somewhat curious coincidence that the same week that had brought about the first meeting of show officials ever held in the United Kingdom, should also bring tidings from- across the Atlantic of a determination to establish an Association of horse exhibitors in America. It is obvious that the motives of the sympathisers of the movements are very similar? , In both cases there appears to be a desire to bring the shows and the exhibitors more into touch with each other, and if 'the Americans prefer an arrangement by which the. latter may write and express their views to those holding the shows, instead of, ,as was proposed by the show officials at tlurmeeting held in London, the societies associating for the purpose of mtual support, the ultimate object is the same. The superiority of the suggestion of the show secretaries, appears to be that if they combine, the societies belonging to the Affiliated. Society will be able to discuss any proposals of exhibitors collectively, and act in unison, which would be beneficial to all sides. Whether the motion adopted at the gathering of show officials in London will be welcomed by societies remains to be seen, but even should it hot be-t-a rather improbable contingency- apparently —the ■ fact of so much unanimity prevailing amongst the representatives of widely separated shows, to say nothing of the sympathetic letters received and read, goesa Jong way towards proving that a considerable number' of practical officials entertain, a decided idea that tbe proposed association would do gpod.

Swine Fever in .Great Britain. ■ The statistics issxied "by tne Board of Agriculture under the Diseases of Animals Acts show that during the week ended October Bth there were 23 outbreaks of swine fever, involving the of 450 pigs, against 27 outbreaks and 240 pigs slaughtered during the corresponding week last year. This brings the number of outbreaks for the 41 weeks of 1898 to 2054, and of pigs slaughtered to 35,640, against 1924 and 35,317 in the correspbnding r period of 1897,. and 4501 and 66,525 in 1896. At the general meeting of the British Dairy" Association-, held in October it was decided to appoint a committee to consider £he regulations and assist'the Board of Agriculture to'stamp out the disease.

[From Our Own Correspondent] After a few days of fine weather we are back to the interminable rain again. It is pretty hard upon the small cultivators, this sort of thing, even though; .the weather is warm. The ground is in a. continual* soak, and, unless where the land is well situated ' and well drained, I am afraid the -products of the small cultivator will be late in coming to maturity •.disappointingly small in quan-* tity, and, in the case of, potatoes, inferior at that.> So far as the one staple product, oats, are concerned, however, I daresay they will come out all right. Oats like water, and they are forging their ' way through the ground all right. The grass is coming on,but not as quickly as could be desired,' but farmers, so far as I have been able to judge, never have enough of grass even in the best of seasons, because directly there is a Bhbw the stock is rushed on, and, the chances are that the pastures are ruined for the season. This sort of thing has always,been going on, and will continue to go on .until the farmers all round are better off. Human nature can't resist the chance.of making a haul when opportunity offers, but' good permanent "pastures cannot come into existence under such conditions. I suppose when we get - rich we will' mend our ways.

Having got through with the oats,, farmers are now busy sowing or preparing their land for the turnip crop, and that meana big thing in-Southland. Every year the area in -this crop is increased, and the importation, of fertilisers grows apace. The importation this season of island guano must be Bomethiru; enormous. This week there is the arrival of a vessel with six hundred and thirty tens, and this sort of thing has „been going on for months past; Then there have tjeen. imported great quantities of bone-dust: and other fertilisers. If any* one-could discover a phosphate bed in New Zealand it would be as good as a goldfield.

The reports about rotten rabbits which have.so frequently of late come to hand, Jia-ve produced a feeling of alarm, and something will have to be done or there will be a rumpus. .The insurance companies have for some time past been very chary of insuring rabbits, and if tho rabbit trade is not put oh a sounder footing they will drop them altogether. The Southland Company have taken the alarm, and have despatched post haste their manager to London. He left by the Monowai'.on the 15th inst. for Melbourne, where, he will catch a Home steamer, and . reach London in.-time to meet* the ' Perthshire, " which recently left the Bluff for that port, having on board a large quantity of mutton and rabbits shipped by» the company. He, of course, is supposed to get at the seat of the trouble; and the chances are that he will come back with his finger in his mouth, as the very

general impression is flint tlie seat of the' trouble is at this end; but it is a capital idea to go to London to find that out. Of course we shall liave the old story about the boxes, but what about the rabbits before they got into the freezing chamber? A good many rabbits have gone down the Mataura river, and n many more bad gone there would have been fewer rotten rabbits l landed in London. From Saturday to Monday, that is where the trouble comes in. The fact is that all over the country the rabbita ' have been brought to the roadside stationsin such enormous numbers that thoy have been bundled into the trucks in great heaps, like Nightcaps coal. Familiarity breeds contempt, &c., but there is nothing like buying •> your experience, even at a high price. the only thing that pulls you up, and know- • ing what has been going on, and looking at - the happy -go-lucky style that we have been carrying on this rabbit export business, the'' ; only wonder is that we have not been pulled up ere this.

This was Gore's week for sheep sales, and ? on- Tuesday they had a yarding of some 4000, a big increase on the last Invercargillsale. They were mostly hoggets, though '■ there, were a few nice fat' sheep on tne ground, and these, as usual, -at this time of the* year* were eagerly competed for, and generally prices showed a rise on previous " , sales. The lot was sold, best wethers bringinc from 14s to 15s, medium lis to 12s 6a, "ordinary good hoggets 8s to 9s. There wore 1 some capital sheep among these. The cattle were a very mixed lot, indeed one might say, on the whole, a poor lot, and prices were low except for good dairy covra. The horse sale only produced a lot of poor tired beasts, but thero appear to be buyerß * I always on the look out for good draughts. - The -Fortrose district,' being near the sea, * grows good beef cottlo, and "considerable '1 purchases of prime stock have been made \* in that district of late, but there are some good herds down that way.,' ,'f. The grain market, which has for some Cj time past been in- a lifeless state, has settled j, -' down to the inevitable-at last,-you can't live " on expectations, and it was plainly to be '. seen that when the oat market received a - ; ' check some few months ago, that there-was , very little prospect- of a recovery of prices, , and now it is too late, and as was plainly', \- to be expected" prices now show a downward tendency. The other side is always "looking forward to the coming liarvest. At the v , present time exporters cannot .expect to receive more than, Is 9d net, for their ship- c merits to Australia, and there is no. demand from the North# The week's exp6rt,amomn> ' J * ed to about five thousand five hundred sacks. -'.