FARM AND STATION

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19667, 10 July 1929, Page 13

FARM AND STATION

CURRENT TOPICS.

j N.Z. COCKSFOOT SUPERIORITY. I In April, 1925, trials were instituted j by Bangor College, North Wales, of I strains of grasses for the purpose of | testing the value of these different ( strains and nationalities which were i then being offered to the farming com- • munity. Seeds were secured from Messrs i McGill and Smith, Sutton, and Gar- • tons, and tested against ordinary stocks. \ The examination of the pastures in 192S | proved conclusively that these pedigree | .strains surpass ordinary commercial I stocks in grazing value/A table gives j the percentage composition by weight 1 as follows:

I , Per cent. | jlcGill and Smith's grazing cocksfoot 16.1 : Gartons' grazing cocksfoot .. .. 14,7 . Sutton's grazing cocksfoot. ... ~ 13.3 ■ Ordinary cocksfoot (control) .. .. 23 ; \fcGill Rnd Smith's haying; cocksfoot ti.H I Gartens' Knglish cocksfoot .. .. 3.5 I It should be noted that though the plots were mown for two years, and grazed hard meanwhile, the analyses ; show up the grazing strains to advantage, states the report. The nationality of the species gives a very striking comparison. McGill and Smith's wild New . Zealand grazing cocksfoot leads, followIcd by Gartons' New Zealand grazing j cocksfoot and Sutton's indigenous eocksI foot. Then follow the mowing strains, being considerably behind the grazing types. In this class the best is McGill and Smith's mowing Scottish type, followed by Gartons' mowing English cocksfoot. Danish cocksfoot sown on the control plot is by_ far the poorest of all types sown. This trial should be useful to those North Island farmers who have been using Danish cocksfoot in preference to our own, because ©f its slightly lesseT cost. EWE VALUES. Wool is approximately bd a lb less than i\ was twelve months ago. On an 81b fleece this is equal to 4s a sheep. Fat lamb is approximately 2d a lb less than last June, when, however, the market was an inflated one. Taking the decline at a shade over a penny a lb, the difference represents 4s, or a reduction in the earning capacity of a ewe of 8s a head. The comparison of Addington market prices published oaeh Saturday on this page shows a very substantial disparity this season on last, but it is not as big as the figure mentioned. The point worth observation, however, is that some regard should be paid these lower values by the ewe buyer when stocking up and estimating the return from his owes. It has to be recognised, of course, that the sky-high lamb market in 1928 influenced breeding ewe values very materially, and the farmer did not get the return from his lambs this year that the conditions promised 15 months ago. Whilst few can look for a repetition next season of the 1928 lamb prices they are justified in expecting something a little better than in the year just closed. From the lamb revenue point of view, therefore, ewea should be well worth the value paid for them this year—that is, assuming that the values this year gave them an adequate return on the prices paid for ewes in 1928. However, it is different from the wool viewpoint. At the moment there is little to indicate that the 4s per head decline in values will be recovered to mueh extent in the coming season. The optimistic think the market may harden slightly, the bulk of expert opinion inclines to the belief that there will be little change, and the optimistic think that the present tendency towards the use of wool substitutes will have to receive a setback, and fancies will have to revert to former ideas, before any revival whatever can take place in the wool market. The wisest men in the wool world have failed to "pick" the wool future, but with the weight of opinion that the market will remain steady it should give a foundation for farmers on which to base sheep values.

ENSILAGE AND MTT.K TLOW. Although theoretically the feeding value of ensilage is not equal to that of hay, and the difference in market ▼aloe of the two points to this being the experience in practice, a few dairy farmers find that at times ensilage increases the milk flow. In three cases in Canterbury that the writer knows of this has been the case with lucerne ensilage, and in not one case of the three tan the result be ascribed to the inferior quality of the hay used. This was of the best, as the dairymen found out for themselves the wastefulness of unduly delaying the cutting of the crops, a fault which makes the hay woody and unpalatable, with the main part of the nutriment gone by the shedding of the leaves. A Home farm paper to hand conveys the information that a German professor has obtained increased milk production from use of ensilage. He fed 14 dairy cows for 30 days on ensilated fodder, and compared their yield during this time with that of the 15 preceding and 15 following days during which the cows received ordinary food. He found an average daily increase during the period of ensilage feeding of 6.88 to 7.56 litres per head, but in this experiment he did not investigate its influence on the fat eontent of the milk. Another experiment was' made on three cows which were separately fed and kept under observation. These three animals received, in addition to a known feed of oil-cake, bran, beetroots and husks, during the first ten days of the experiment a known quantity of dried maize stalks; during the next eleven days ensilated maize straw; then for nine days ensilated meadow hay of medium quality; and during the last nine days ordinary hay. The professor shows that the yield and fat eontent of the milk are noticeably increased by feeding with ensilated fodder, and that each is again lowered by a return to feeding without ensilage.

SOTTTHEKN" STOCK MAJUEETS. Though there ia not much life in the southern stock markets prices remain at a good level and are firm. At Wallacetown market last week extra good ewe hoggets made to 31s, and good to 28s, whilst 4 and 6-tooth wethers sold at up to 30s, and 2-tooths to 28s. These figures are just about equal to the best ruling at Addington. The store cattle market is very firm. Three and 4-year steers made up to £ll, 2 and 3-year to £9 10s, and good steer calves to £5 10s. The best of the fat eattle made from £l6 to £lB, values a few shillings per 1001b lower than those operating at Addington. Prime heavy wetherg at 35s to 38s, and medium at 38a to 355, are only a degree lower tiicm at Addingte*.

By ''Straggler."

PATSOXISE THE RAILWAYS. | The N.B.W. Eaiiway Commissioners j are facing a trouble that is affecting | the earning capacity of our own rail- | ways. That is the practice of woolI growers in using other means of trans- ] port, whilst at the same time the railI ways are providing concessions in regard to produce that road transport cannot handle. The N.S."W. Commissioners have just made a special ap--1 peal to graziers. The appeal states that during the past financial year the concessions allowed on store and starving stock travelling for feed, and free return to their original pastures, and the carriage of fodder to droughtstricken districts, amounted to approximately £170,000. While many had enjoyed, the privilege of these concessions, there had been a few who had not shown a reciprocal spirit, but had I their wool conveyed by other means of t transport. Not only were substantial concessions allowed in connexion with the transport of stock, fodder, grain and other primary industries, but several local manufactures, as well as coal, coke, crude ores, etc., required by such industries, received concessions. During the year no less than £321,271 had been paid back to the graziers, farmers, millers, and other manufacturers by rebate. It was therefore confidently expected that the system of transport which rendered such valuable assistance would in turn receive the continued support of the graziers i and others. The value of the eonces- | sions on the New Zealand railways last ! year on the carriage of fertilisers was £102,000, and on the free carriage of lime of £31,000. These concessions were refunded out of the Agricultural Department vote, bnt nevertheless they are a contribution to the farming community, which should not be overlooked. BKITAIWS PIG MEAT BELL. We are so engrossed with keeping up our lamb and mutton exports to the United Kingdom that we pay little attention to the vast field to be exploited there with our pig products. Great Britain apparently can absorb an unlimited supply of these. Producing only about 42 per eent. of her total pig meat requirements, she imported in 1927 some £47,000,000 worth of pigs and pig products. The Irish Tree State's proportion of this huge total was £6,212,785. The Free State comes fifth in the raee of suppliers, Denmark, the Netherlands, United States of America and Sweden being well ahead, while Canada comes closely behind. The N.Z. Meat Board has attempted to develop the export of pork from New Zealand, and although 1928 showed a 100 per cent, increase on the preceding year, the total export totalled only 147,601 carcases. The interim figures this year are practically the same. Whatever the reason New Zealand seems, to be unable to eapture a share of this rich market. Perhaps the wrong weight pig is being produced. With our big dairying industry there should be no question of pig-raising here being handicapped by high production costs.

BEEF MARKETS. Authoritative meat trade publications refer to the shortage of fat cattle in* the United States, which "became so pheuomenal in 1928 that considerable quantities of beef were imported from New Zealand." If the whole of New Zealand's beef export (in 1928 310,000 quarters) went to the States—which it didn't—the quantity would not be a negligible factor in assisting the supplies of a population of 120 million people. It would represent ljlb per head per year! However, with the new American tariff that insignificant quantity is unlikely to continue. Even Canada is looking elsewhere for a market. Last year Canada exported to Britain 5001b of beef, compared with 10,430,0001b received there in 1925, when America had her tariff wall up against the Canadian produet. Likewise did England only receive 405 head of store cattle last year against a total of 110,115 head in 1925. The prospect of Canada being shut out of the American market is directing attention to the British market again, and the prospect is not pleasing to Home fatteners. The U.S. tariff has been doubled. The veal duty has risen from 3 to 6 cents per lb, fresh lamb from 4 to 7 cents, and fresh pork from three-quarters to 2i cents. Cheese duty rises from 5 to 7 cents, fresh milk from 2$ to 5 cents, and other products of the dairy are correspondingly advanced, while the wool duty advances 3 cents per lb. i TOP-DRESSING PROGRESS. Although top-dressing has superseded the plough to a great extent, there are still many thousands of acres turned over in Southland each season (states a writer in the "Southland News"). Top-dressing continues in all parts of the province, but it is noticeable that there is a growing tendency to topdress in the autumn in preference to late winter or early spring, and there is no doubt that there is a lot to be said in favour of this practice, as the fertiliser is available for the pasture earlier than when applied later in the year. Top-dressing is an interesting study, and one In which a keen agriculturist will take more than a passing interest. The gradual change which has taken place during the experimental years from the use of individual manures (such as lime, super, potash, sulphate of ammonia, etc.) to the utilising of well-balanced mixed manures, which fulfil the requirements of the pasture, is a record of the work and study of many of New Zealand's best agricultural scientists. It is particularly interesting to note the increased attention which is now being paid to nitrogenous top-dressing, these manures being formerly regarded as rather unimportant as compared with super and other phosphates. Now, however, there is no doubt that pastures, and particularly those on dairy farms, require winter top-dressing with such a fertiliser as sulphate of ammonia, in order to produce a vigorous growth of succulent grass in the early spring. There is little doubt about the soundness of the advice to top-dress in the autumn. A good few of the disappointing results in Canterbury could doubtless be attributed to delaying the work to the end of winter. The argument of our insufficiency of rain in the autumn and early winter could not be urged this season.

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THE WORLDS WHEAT.

PRICES AND CROPS. American speculators are credited with hardening the wheat market. For some reason that was not quite clear values rose in Australia by 3d a bushel within a week, offers of 4s 6Jd being made a fortnight ago in Melbourne without more than a limited quantity being obtained. Yietorian sellers were holding firmly, partly on account of the absence of rain. Liverpool quotations have scarcely moved, but American advanced by 2-} d a bushel. The firmer market there had been ascribed to a "bullish" sentiment engendered by speculators who have been operating on reports of crop conditions. Supplies of wheat throughout the world and marketing developments are discussed in a statement to hand from the Food Research Institute of Stanford University, California. The Institute says that international wheat prices remained at the lowest level since 1923-24 between the months of December, 1928, and April, 1929, according to a study recently issued by the Food Research Institute of Stanford University, California. The prevailing wide margin between exportable wheat surpluses and import requirements changed only a little. Still there were fairly wide fluctuations in prices. A remarkably cold winter throughout the Northern Hemisphere seemed likely at the time to have damaged winter wheat sowings, and this situation led to an increase of prices from early January to mid-February. The advance was considerably greater in Chicago and "Winnipeg than in Liverpool and Buenos Ayres. After mid-February a sharp decline occurred, and continued through the first third of May. It was nearly as great in Liverpool as in Chicago, but was smaller in Winnipeg. The decline seems to have been due not to a change in conditions of demand and supply for the present crop year, but rather to an accumulation of evidence tending to show that winter wheat had not suffered unusual damage from the cold winter. Other factors were important in the decline. The most noteworthy of these was the pressure of extremely heavy stocks of exporting countries. This pressure was first felt especially when the new Argentine crop began to move in large volume in late February. International trade in wheat and flour was of "record" volume, as it had been in earlier months. Prevailing low prices encouraged importation and consumption, especially in exEuropean countries. These imported much more wheat and flour than ever before. But in spite of the highest shipments on record the accumulation of stocks in exporting countries remained exceedingly large. The prices of representative wheats in the United States were relatively too high to permit exportation in a. volume consistent with the available supplies, and here the accumulation of stocks in commercial channels was particularly striking. The volume of world trade for the crop year now seems likely to prove by far the largest in history. Xet exports ! probably will approximate 950,000,000 ; bushels, or about 100,000,000 bushels I more than ever before. Year-end stocks also seem likely to bo of "record" | size, with the greatest accumulation in ; the major exporting countries. Increased wheat consumption for food and feed in 1928-29 seems not to_ have caught up with increased production.

RUSSIA AND WOOE.

ATTEMPTING THE IMPOSSIBLE.

(9MXIALLY TOIWBB FOB TKB r»ESS.)

BRADFOBD, May 28,

Eeferences have recently appeared in the Press about wool growing in Russia, j these indicating what must in all fair-) ness be acknowledged as a commendable ] desire to increase the sheep flocks of j that country. It ii impossible, how-j ever, to pass over these references with- j out some adverse criticism. The idea of j producing fine cloth from wool.of coarse ■. quality can only be regarded as sug-; gesting the impossible, though even | this has been mentioned. One might j as well try to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear as to produce cloth from crossbred wool which is equal in handle to a fabric made from merisio, but little j less than this is implied in some of the ( statements which have recently appeared in the press. It is not suggested by the writer that good clothing cannot be made from medium and low crossbred wool, but to turn oat anything like a good botany fabric is impossible. The writer has just perused a paragraph which is understood to have appeared in a German textile paper stating that the immense flocks of sheep of the TJ.S.S.E. comprise 150 million head. If this is eorret-t Australian pastoralists should sit up and take notice, but the writer does not believe it.

I Eussia never pastured so many sheep, and it i» doubtful whether such a huge j number will ever be kept. According to I the National Association of Wool Manufacturers of Boston, United States, the number of sheep in European Eussia is 67 million and in Asiatic Eussia 22, 700,000 —altogether 89,700,000. Dalgety and Co. Ltd. also give figures which are very little different from these, and the ■writer prefers to accept the information from these two authorities rather than be guided by anything else. In any case the total given by the Association is big enough, for Bussian pastoral interests have received a serious setback since the Soviet Government came into power. It is understood that the Soviet textile industry has not so far been able to make itself independent of foreign wool imports. On the contrary for "it is foreseen that wool imports amounting to 700 million roubles and an investment totalling 150 million roubles in sheep breeding will be necessary." So far as the production of fine cloth from coarse wool is concerned, it appears that it is intended to accomplish this by some mechanical process, by means of which it will be possible to separate the fibres which are sufficiently fine for better quality stuffs, but no such thing will ever be accomplished. This is not the first time a rather similar idea has been brought forward. Indeed, it is many years since the writer first heard it mentioned, and that was by a man seventy years of age who had thought it in his own early days, and had imagined what great things could be done if coarse wool could be made fine. So far as the writer can understand the new idea is mechanical sorting, though this will not commend itself to practical men anv more than attempting to ehange th* »**<»• •* tfc* fibr*.