FARM AND STATION.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15896, 9 May 1917, Page 4

FARM AND STATION.

(Br Korabi.) ! GERMANY'S WOOL REQUIREMENTS. The. entry of tho United States into the war on the Allies' side viil bo a sovero blow to tho German trade. The opinion is held (says tho "Sydney Stock and Station Journal,") that- in addition to tho wool stored in Gorman vessels interned in tho ScUth American ports, considerable shipments of Argentine woo] have been inado to tho United States on German account. If this is so, there is a good chance of Germany j now losing tho reserves which sho had accumulated in America ready for the : post-war trade, ionning another instance where Hun thoroughness has overstepped itself. Considerable interest attaches to the German operations in csouth America, but so l'ar all efforts to ascertain exactly how much wool has been sccurod tiiero on German account have- failed. The general belief is, however, that a considerable weight of wool has been secured. Naturally as Buenos Ayrcs has been the only market of any consequence open to Giermnu buyers since the outbreak of war, their activities have been concentrated, and although tho wool cannot be shifted whilst the command of tho seas is in tho hands of the Allies, the German policy lias been to hold it against urgent needs following tho restoration of peace. The. wool in interned vessels is. presumably, still secure, but such stocks as have sent to the United Slates <->!!, German account. are practically lost. The same remarks apply to any stocks of American or Australian wool which may be stored in North America. The United States buyers have been very keen operators in South America during tho present season, and according to reliable authorities, have secured more than half the clip. This was a reflex of the shutting out_ of United Stat:s buyers from participating in the Australian campaign. It will readily be seen that tho position of Germany so fur as future wool supplies is concerned, is a very happy one—for Iter trade rivals. Her plight must bo a sorry one. and with the British Government controlling the Empire's wool clip, and outside sources largely cut off German trade must suffer. The. cause of congratulation is not in Germany's future troubles, but in the strong future position of Britain and her Allies, a position "which should have tho best possible effect upon the restoration of tho wool -manufacturing industry in France and Belgium.

HISTORIAN OF THE SUFFOLK PUNCH. The death is announced of Mr Herman Biddell, at the age of 84, who was tho recognised authority in England on the Suffolk Punch breed of horses. Ho was not only a famous agriculturist, but he occupied a unique position in the country as the historian of the breed, and his splendid work 'The Suffolk Stud Book: A History and Register of tho Countv Breed of Cart Horses from the Earliest Records," has been one of tho principal means of making the Suffolk as popular in England as it is to-day. His labours in connexion with this -work covered, just oil three years, and his ideal of what a Suffolk Punch should be was generally accepted as the typo of animal that should be bred. He said in regard to colour thero were seven shades, and that th'e bright chestnut was the most common and tho most popular. He added that the red chcstnut. also very popular, was sure to be a whole-coloured horse. In tho course of his description of the ideal type M- 1 ' Biddell claimed that a muscular shoulder well thrown back, accounted for much of the comely appearance of tho best Suffolks. He also dwelt on this—"tho deep carcase is, or should be, the sino qua non with a Suffolk, and, long hours without i'ood, a noted practice all over the county renders a roomy carcasc a positive necessity." Writing of bone ill regard to tho breed, Mr Biddell adopted this lino: "Tho bono of the Suffolk is not large; it is more of tho texture of tho blood horse, and docs not require to be heavy to tho eye. A girth of 10$ inches below tho knee is ample for any Suffolk horse, nor is his value _ increased by a larger bone." As to height his view was that while Suffolks varied from 153 hands to 17 hands, l-G-J hands was all that a good one. ought to be. As long ago as 1880, when tho Stud Book was published, Mr Biddell declared in most emphatic terms that thero were no horses sent into the showyard more free from disease than the Suffolk, and, says "Tho Live Stock Journal," what he wrote then is even more truo to-day, as events havo proved. As to feet, Mr Biddell came to the unalterable conclusion that ''compared with other horses of a similar purpose no breed could show harder or better formed feet." Suffolk breeders felt they could never repay Mr Biddell what ho did for them. His interest in tho breed was maintained to the last, and ho never missed the Woodbridgo Show, which he visited for tho seventieth time last Easter. The Suffolks aro in good demand in England at the present time, and a three-year-old stallion was iccently sold for 000 guineas.

MAIZE AS A CALF FOOD. Crushed onts have been found one of tho best, if not the best calf food, i n experiments carried out in England. A writer in tho "Livo Stock Journal" advocates tho use of maize for this purpose. Although, he points out, otlrn decried ;>s :> food with the. capacity for making bone or muscle, maize in practice has survived much adverse comment, and is recognised as a useful food for every kind of stock, and for many purposes. Even for young animals it proves useful, and as much for calves ns little pigs. Though it is not quite as digestible, perhaps. as other cereals in tho raw state, it is readily assimilated when cooked or scalded, and tho most valuablo part of it is, in fact, better digested by pigs than aro many other foods, and altogether it proves a better diet than its analysis would indicate. The best results are got when it is not fed alone, but even here it is found that young calves will thrive to tho extent of \ to llh per week increase, and keep licalthy, Useful results in rearing heifer "calves have been got in practice bv maize used along with quite a small quantitv of new milk; in faet. better than with calf meals and skim milk, owing possiblv to occasional sourness in tho latter, also with fresh skim milk. In a case recently investigated by the correspondent mentioned, the former diet was found more suitable than many other foods, including some linseed, and no more than -Jib of scalded inpize per day used with one quart, of milk per rr.eal was neccssary, with goed hav and grazing, to brine on the heifer calves to maturity. The grass was good, and trouble was feared if anv more forcing food was given, so easily can heifer calves be overfed. Maize i s a srreat safeguard against scouring, and this no doubt accounts for much of its value with calves. In Ireland it has been more thoroughly tested than in England, and proved so useful with separated milk that over two years it gave results only 4d less per bullock than an admixture with linseed and oats, and yearlings fed with maize as calves did far better than similar animal? brought up in a different year on the mixture. It would seem, though, that, especially in the first few months, an oilv complex mixture is often best, and possibly produces more sightlv calves: but there is no doubt at all that, as a substantial part of a calf's food, maizo is both wtolesome and economical.