THE WEEK

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25769, 2 April 1949, Page 5

THE WEEK

•HURUNUI RABBIT BOARD The Minister of Agriculture, on the recommendation of the Rabbit Destruction Council, has revoked his irtstruction that the Hurunui Rabbit Board adopt a “killer” policy as from April 1, 1949. The revocation has been made to enable the board to proceed with the subdivision of its district into several smaller boards which will be in a position to adopt a “killer” policy not later than October 1, 1949. As soon as the board has defined new districts, meetings of ratepayers will be called to confirm areas and appoint boards. A representative of the Destruction Council will address the various meetings. Until areas and boards are Gazetted, the board is charged with the responsibility of administering the present “inspectorial” policy. RYECORN FOR GREENFEED Interest in ryecorn as a winter greenfeed crop has increased greatly in Canterbury, Otago and Southland recently, largely because of the excellent returns indicated from the crop in work done on it by the Agronomy Division of the D.S.I.R. both at Lincoln and at Gore. This year, when larger areas of greenfeed than normal will be required after the very dry summer and autumn, many Canterbury farmers are inquiring which will have to be sown soon. At present, no seed of the new strain selected by the Agronomy Division is available commercially, and farmers who want to grow the crop should be careful about the seed they buy. The crop has always been grown in Southland, and most seed available comes from there. Ryecorn is a cross-fertilising plant, and seed lines may run out, and in fact, many lines now available perform most disappointingly. The origin of most of the seed at present available is unknown, and though much of it is satisfactory, some farmers in Canterbury and elsewhere who have bought without knowing something of the background of the parent crop, have wasted their money. Tests of a line of commercial seed made at the Agronomy Division last year against the new English strain show what may happen. Three cuts were taken from the trial plots, and where the new strain returned 4341 b of material, the commercial strain yielded only 1691 b in the first two cuttings, and nothing at all in the third. These figures are of course, not claimed as conclusive by the division, which emphasises that it might have struck a considerably better commercial strain, or perhaps a worse one. Results of controlled trials of the new ryecorn. Cape and Wong barley, Algerian oats and Italian ryegrass at Lincoln and Gore last year gave a dry matter production an acre of 29001 b from ryecorn, 27001 b from Wong barley, about 22001 b from both Cape barley and Algerians, and 19001 b from Italian. Ryecorn requires the same sort of cultivation as other greenfeed crops, and should be sown about the end of March, or in April. After the middle of April it is likely to make rather slow growth, as are other greenfeed crops. The rate of seeding is about 1£ to 1| bushels to the acre, and it should be sown with super to give it a quick start. It stands grazing and recovers very well. The demand for seed is strong at present, and prices are from about 9s to 15s a bushel. In the Agronomy Division trials, palatability has not been studied scientifically yet, but from observation sheep like it very well. Digestability trials are to be carried out this winter. Seed of the new strain should be available next autumn, and from then on the division will keep pure lines circulating into the commercial supply, as it does with other seeds. FITTING FOR SIDE-RAKE A roller which fits to the ordinary side-rake and tedder and prevents material from blocking the fliers while side-raking in a high wind has been evolved by a Dunsandel farmer. The roller has been given exhaustive tests this season by the machinery department at Lincoln College, and has Deen found to perform perfectly. It was tested in a wind which was strong enough to roll the windrows along the ground, and to make side-raking almost impossible, but it kept the fliers completely clear. The roller is briefly, a long narrow box with projecting flanges which revolves on its own axle close to the fliers as they rise and brushes the material from them. It is worked from the main axle and requires two gear wheels to give a reduction of about 5 to 1- The fitting would probably cost £25 if made professionally, but many farmers these days are capable of making a roller for themselves out of scrap material. The present roller was made from scrap. CULLING SOUTHDOWNS Far from feeling pleased that no Southdowns were culled from the entry at this season’s flock ram fair, several breeders feel that culling should be kept severe. During the four years or so when the graders went through the entry and demanded a I fairly high standard, the quality of the Southdown entry improved very markedly. This year’s entry was in the main of good quality, but some of the rams were not of a particularly desirable standard. The inclusion of 4hese sheep, one breeder claims, is unfair in that it makes a weaker market for those men who have taken the trouble to bring out sheep of a good standard. EXPORT MEAT SCHEDULE The export schedule for wethers and ewes was raised Jd per lb on March 28. The schedule is:—

SHOW DATES The following show dates have been fixed:— \pril 2.—Oxford A. and P., at Oxford. April 9.—Malvern A. and P., at Sheffield. April 18.—Mackenzie Highland Jubilee, at Fairlie.

Lambs Class. Weights. d. Prime . 20/36 13J . 37/42 13f . 43/50 121 Seconds .. 51/56 Ilf . 20/36 12 . 37/42 12 43/50 112 Wethers Prime . U/48 82 49/64 8 • > . 65/90 as for 641b at 8, equal to 42s 8d. Seconds .. . U/64 72 . 65/72 as for 6410 at Is 2d, equal to 40s. Ewes Seconds .. . U/48 5| 49/64 51 . 65/90 as for 641b at 52, equal to 30s 8d. Shorn Lamb Deductions Shorn lamb deductions in the 13|d schedule are:— Deduction In Skin Pullings: Carcase weights. Up to £lb wool .. 2|d per lb Jib to 21b wool .. 2fd per lb fib to 11b wool .. 2{d per lb 11b to 111b wool .. 2d per lb 111b to l£lb wool .. Ifd per lb l£lb to 121b wool .. lid per lb iflb to 21b wool .. ijd per lb 21b to 221b wool .. l£d per lb 2|lb to 2£lb wool .. Igd per lb 2|lb to 2jlb wool .. lid per lb 2|lb to 31b wool .. l$d per lb