COMPARATIVE FOOD VALUES.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20624, 13 August 1932, Page 6

COMPARATIVE FOOD VALUES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,--Tour correspondent," Mr G. Lm. in your issue of the 10th inat., says I hat Mr Scoft, of Lincoln College, and myself "are at variance over the value of lucerne and other stock foods," and that I "am wrong in quoting Henry, as books on agriculture, or anything, are of little use to-day and are out of date almost as soon as they are printed." Rather sweeping is it not? Anyhow, Mr Scott and I arc in the same boat. He also quotes Henry. But anyhow, Mr Lee quotes from another book on the same subject! I am in possession of a very recent publication, from which the following is taken:—"The land devoted to alfalfa (lucerne) in the United States is between nine and ten millions acres. It is strange to those who are familiar with this wonderful plant that so few acres should be devoted to its culture." The following table, from the Farmers' Bulletin, No. 339, shows the value of lucerne compared with some other kinds of food, the table shows actual feeding value of different feeds, based on amount of digestible nutrient. Value per ton. Feeds. Dollars. Fresh alfalfa green .. 7.00 Fresh clover green .. 5.9(5 Alfalfa hay .. 20.16 Clover hay .. .. 14.12 Timothy hay . . ~ 9,80 Cowpea hay .. .. 19.7G Wheat bran . . ~ 22.80 Shelled corn .. .. 20.16 Your correspondent, Mr Lee, says lucerne is rarely quoted in the Journal of Agriculture, and that when it has been quoted its food value is usually from 10s to 15a below good clover hay per ton. ' This statement is not borne out by the above figures.—Yours, etc.,

A. H. WHEELEK, Styx, August 11th, 1932.

AUSTRALIAN LAMB. EXPORT BOARD PROPOSED. Proposals to form an Export Lamb Producers' Board, discussed at a recent moeting of the Federal council of the Australian Society of Breeders of British Sheep, will shortly be advanced a stage by the special sub-committee, entrusted' with the preliminary work. This sub-committee meets this month to consider a scheme prepared bv the society's secretary (Mr T. J. Glynn) for the establishment of such a board. The scheme provides for the election of a committee of thirty sheep farmers from every State in the Commonwealth. This committee will elect five lamb producers, who, with a Government representative and possibly a representative of stock agents, will form the board. The objects of the board arc to establish a uniform system of grade marks to apply to every factory in Australia; the appointment of inspectors to supervise tho grading of meat at freezing works; the loading and discharge of lambs both here and overseas, regula-

tion of shipments to prevent gluts or dearth of supplies; to negotiate with a view of obtaining reductions in shipping, railway, insurance, freezing, dock and other charges; extensive advertising in Great Britain and elsewhere, and educating sheep farmers on the right class of lamb to grow. To carry the proposed scheme into effect, it will be necessary for the Government to give the Lamb Producers' Board power to fix a small lew on all exported lamb carcases. The "amount of the levy will be either M or *d

A GROWING TRADE. With the low prices ruling in Australia for wool during the past two soasons, and the consequent poor return to the grazier, it is a subject for speculation why the fat lamb industry in Queensland has not been developed to a greater extent, observes an Australian paper. In New Zealand, South America, Victoria and New South Wales the industry has made great strides during, the past few years, and the export of lamb to the Homo market has been a source of revenue to the grazier and to the State. An idea of the magnitude of the trade, and a comparison, are obtained from the following figures, collated at the end of last export season:— Carcases Queensland ... .. 28,199 New South Wales .. 594,883 Victoria .. ~ 1,379)466 New Zealand .. .. 7 146 146 South America .. .. 4*905-920 It is worthy of note that New South Wales, in the first half of the 19311932 season, has nearly doubled her lamb exports, which total 1,079,647. The exports of lamb to the United Kingdom for the twelve months ended December 31st, 1931, were as follows: New Zealand .. .. 8,167,984 Australia .. .. 3,257,445 South America .. .. 5,379,719 In 1913 the totaj from the three sources was 5,617,405. It is expected that the 1932-33 season will see a substantial Australian increase.