CURRENT TOPICS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20089, 19 November 1930, Page 16

CURRENT TOPICS.

TOP-DRESSING STATISTICS. One of the most arresting tables in the annual statement (just issued) of agricultural and pastoral statistics is that devoted to top-dressing. It is doubly interesting on account of the advance made in Canterbury, a province which, we were told only a few years ago, was not suited to top-dressing, and did not want lime. Comparative columns from the records for 192S and 1030, covering the increase in the two years, are instructive. The following are the respective areas top-dressed in the various provinces: 1928. 1930. Ai en. Acres. Acres. North Auckland 1.00,92.1 406,124 Auckland . • 637,502 '.MS, 04b Gisborue .. 24,G5S . 49,491 Hawke's Bay . . 74,808 124,540 Taranaki ■■ 111,104 353,745 Wellington . . .172,142 ...29,05u Nelson .. 14,492 24,503 Marlborough .. 14,1 vO Westland ■ . 2.697 0,655 Canterburv .. 41,100 .122,901 Otago • ' 3<5.51S 86.700 Southland •• 79,352 175,811 Totals •• 1.369,000 2.650..74S Next to Taranaki, which has increased its area in the two years by over 300 per cent., comes Canterbury with almost exactly 300 per cent. 'I he Taranaki advance would suggest that even in that province of rich pastures the necessity for top-dressing has been widely recognised. The quantities applied are no less interesting. Those relating to I <uiterburv in the two years under discussion are: 1925. 1929. Superphosphate (cwt) 72,431 i.< 6,9/0 Basic slag (cwt) .. 1.701 3,967 Other artificial fertilisers (cwt) . ■ ->,.>94 9.141 Lime (cwt) 39,495 ISO,I-10 The remarkable feature of the above table is the—increase in the quantity of lime used —about 450 per cent. Southland. with 175.511 acres topdressed, used 629,701 cwt of lime on 83,154 acres, and Otago 215,024 on 21,508 acres. The increase in the use of superphosphate is also striking - more than 200 per cent. Basic slag has comparatively little vogue iu the South Island, but in Taranaki '» total area of 053,745 acres top-dressed it is responsible for 224,998 acres. No other province across the Straits absorbs anything like this proportion, the next important user of basic slag being North Auckland with 152,702 acTes in a total of 406,124 acres. THE SILO. The use of the silo in' the provision of stock feed for the winter is rapidly extending in the North Island in the sheep districts as well as in the dairying. It was recently recorded that one flock-owner in the Hawke's Bay province wintered 4500 wethers on ensilage and the picking the sheep got from approximately 200 acres, and the sheep came out of the winter better than they went into it. In the dairying districts iu the north the silo is now regarded as an essential, and where a heavy stocking is carried it will generally be found that the ensilage stack has been an important factor. In yesterday morning's. Press appeared an illustration of a silo on the farm of Mr S. S. Aliddleton, Sumner Vale, Sumner. The silo, which has a capacity of 65 tons, is constructed of concrete tiles, ~ reinforced with steel bands. A swivel derrick is employed to place the material in the silo, this allowing the load to be directed to any part of it. The material can be packed at the rate ot two tons every fifteen minutes. Mr Aliddleton spreads 121b of coarse salt to every ton of material. He is of opinion that ensilage, properly made with lucerne and' grasses, together with a ration of good lucerne hay, is the -ideal feed for dairy cattle. Cows so fed come to rnillc very quickly. MILK FEVER CURE. A new cure has been discovered for milk fever. The discoverer is a Dr. "W. L. Boydj of the Minnesota Experiment Station. The disease at one time took a heavy toll of cows freshening in high condition. Since the discovery of the air treatment it has not been so seriously regarded. The air treatment is easy to give and almost 100 per cent, effective. Occasionally, however, inflammation of the udder follows the inflation process, and there is also a drop in milk, production. The new treatment is not open to these objections. It consists of the intravenous injection of calcium chloride. Because of the method of injection, the treatment can be administered only by veterinarians, l«ut it has been well tested and proven effective. It is not anticipated that the treatment will quickly become popular because of the general satisfaction with the air treatment.

It was stated by an authority in Sydney the other day that an attempt will shortly be made to get stud merino sheep to Russia and South Africa by way of New Zealand. There is no embargo on Australian sheep to the Dominion, and it is believed Eussia has allocated £50,000 for 20,000 sheep to be shipped via New Zealand. • The duration of gestation in the cow is reckoned as 280 days, but it must be remembered that this is only an average time, and that there is no certain period, and various breeders allow different times, but it may be considered as most likely io happen between 280 and 285 days. The sex of the calf makes a little variation, ay it has been found that in calves born between the 280 and 290 days there, were more males, and it is said that all pro duced after the 300 th day were I*- I ,males. An instance of what herd testing will do is provided by the Wisconsin Dairy Herd Improvement Association, the report of which for J929 shows that the 65,000 cows averaged 301.1 lb butter-fat. For such a number this is remarkable. A Friesian herd topped the list with 612.71b fat, and the highestcow produced 1023.51b butter-fat. That the bottom has not altogether dropped out of the pastoral industry in the Old Country is illustrated by the fact that a Cheviot ram at the Hawick ram sale made £350. The average of 35 of one flock offered was £62 10s Bd, find about 30 head were purchased for the Falkland Islands at an average of £66. Last year's top price was £4OO.