THE FARM INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 504, 11 May 1909, Page 8

THE FARM INDUSTRY.

STATION VVORK IN MAY. ■-/■." 'V- :' '.' I - ■ IMPROVING FLOCKS AND PASTURES. ■May is a specially good month for some of. tho smaller work - that has to bo: doho on the sheep-station, for it is a time whon the larger operations of thoyear - aro not pressing.. Tho owner,:may, with advantage, mark out any swampy , spots that exist between the rises, with a view to having them drained and sweetened. It is not ahvays possible! in- such placos to work 'with the plough, but,, where that can be done, a good deep furrow ploughed .in such a way as to arT 7 tho stagnant wator will, by leading to,the sweetening of the ground, probably save. sickness in' the/flock.' Where, in. work of mustering, the cut fences were .ill mended, better repairs may ".now be . done, weak posts secured ; or renewed, wires tightened, and new dividing or boundary fences erected. This; is also a month for planting,so that where ; sheep in the past hav<r suffered for want of 'shado from sun, i or of shelter, from, storm, and it is desired i to. Bet. out' a few lines of shelter trees or i groups of shrubs, May is the best of all I months.for tho work. Belts of timber trees, to provide fence postsias well as firing, and shelter may also be'planted, if desired. The lines can- best bo marked out by..a few strokes of the ! plough, cutting up as deep a furrow .as possible. lt will be bettor for the planting if; the disk harrows are. taken o , v ®f btrfoniband, so as to break down-the' clod, and enable'it to be hotter consolidated with .the under soil. " The; reward of good planting, well pressing or .treading the soil over the .roots, will come in the quicker growth • afterwards v : The work of dagging ,is appropriate to this month also. .Lameness Way • pe- sought for, ; overgrown 1 hoofs- pared back where the lameness: comes from. - that source (the operator carefully avoiding • injury: to sensitive parts of the- foot),, and the more, serious ; foot-rot:treated. A writer who recommends sulphate of copper (or blnestone) as a good dressing, to oat up the putrid matter, advises, tho following curative, treatment/ for footrot: : -")Vheio, prevalent, a cheap and easy plan of dealing with it is to havo,a trough 12ft. or loft. Jong, •. 15in.;-wide; . and a foot, "deep, placed in a race, so that the sheep can be walked quietly: through after having filled' ■ Ji • a °r throe inches " (just sufficient to cover the . hoof) with a strong solution of arsenic, "about two ounces to the gallon. .By drafting out all tho lame'shcop,' Paring .any. long toes and . .running them through , tho trough, will, generally put thorn right, but if-very', bad,' they. Bhoidd be'.'piit through again in about a week, or ten days. Many, years when the-sheep were'bad Jf 1 *! 1 '.foot-rot, >wo, used' to run , tho' whole tlodks through the arsenic trough periodically." V: -.'.w n MILK TESTS SOME' INTERESTING RESULTS. • Wo tm Editor) ' ••• ,® r »"T4^ thwoJbtas been;some,discussion lata-, fe ?3t6,the. fairness; of a minimum standard of 3;25 for; milk supplied from dairies, ', ; I have been led to undertake 6ome investigations in tho matter, .and below I "give ~ tho results of an analysis, <Jf the . tests at the factory which I am in charge of.- ' ' During,. a period of, seven! • years, 1902 td 1908 : inclusive, I have taken tho tejts.in each year for tho months of August, Sep-, tember,. October, and November only/ as it is well known that' theso. aro the., months of, lowest .tests, ■ and for '-thoV .remaining months of tho.season, extending -into, l July, 1 liavo not had a test as; low as' 3.2. Tho tabulated results of:' my.' investigations. show, as follow:— ■:v..;:■■: ■;: ■ Average immber of suppliers, 1 ,50; . seasons, 1902-1908 inclusive; months' of, August, September,: Octobeiy and November. Total number '.of tests taken, 5600 ' (approximately).:; ■ ', /Number obtests. below, 2.8 ... ... 0 ; - Number of 2.8 tests ~..' • ■ ... '1 . '■' Number of 2.9 tests ... i • Number of S.O tests v' w;... : J; ...": 1/ .. Number, of &iitests - ... 6 Number of 3.2 tests (practically mini- . mum standard) ... ' ...' : 87. ; When commencing these: investigations,. I 'had no. particular-bias in favour of the pro- . sent standard, but- I think tho above figures show;that..the minimum is certainly not too ln'gb . \> With regard, to' ihb class of /herd from, which, wo get our'supply,' I do not .think tho cows are : above ;tho. average of; dairy herds, . and, invery few cases, has any-' particular attention, been! paid to,,culling /or selecting.' ' ' . . • ..'i'he./best herds: in .which':.care has "been given; to breeding and culling, havo, not once tested -as""lowar, ,3.2.' '11l your, article ■of last pa'st week. ybii refer. to certain, .prize' Cows'..'.at,:.shows testing '.as. low., it 5.218. " :,, :In the?© cases,'l believe that the cows in question must 'bomiiked on the show. grounds, and there .is; no ;doubt t&at; under such circumstances,' cows do not milk at their best, /Cows: must'.'bo cducatod :to their: environment. ' As;an' instance I (remember. a herd of; cows being brought into ' this /district.; Tested • two days after . arrival,, .they gave only 3.0. Nine days later the same herd gave, a 3.7. test, • Trusting this/letter will induce othora to ; give their experience in .what 'is ;a matter;' of : .great ' importanco.—-I am, etc., . , .. ■ J F. J. M'DONALD. ■ llata, May 10. • EXPERIMENT STATIONS THEIR PLACE IN THE RE" ' - ORGANISATION. ~ ,: Yery' little;;has ;leak6d out 1 as to. the ex-, tent to which, tho reorganisation. Of the Agricultural Department will touch the experiment farms. \ It. is." believed that Ministers have.• probably - riot yet definitely.. considered this-part of tho;question. 'There have been rumours . that certain ,of, the farms will, be I disposed of, but in regard to any but Mou- | manaki the rumours are not taken with muoh jiseriousness. .In regard to : the suggested conversion of Moumahaki. into av."pris6n farm," more credence is paid; It iB understood that it is intended to make' Moumahaki a,sort of; l iiioral hospital, to straighten out the. kinks in tho moral sense of certain classes of lawbreakers, just as tho mental hospitals aim at • restoring vigour.' to those':mentally deranged,.or as' tho ordinary hospitals . apply themselves to' the cure of physical afflictions." At tho moral hospital at Moumahaki an abundance of j rural occupations—such as havo; played a Successful part in the work of the montal hospitals—would be the chief curative agency employed. To make prison labour sufficiently. profitable to "pay all the exponsos of prison maintenance has lately beI corne a popular, topic, and, with good management on tho productive land at Moumahaki, thero should be a good income as well as good encouragement to tlio labourers engaged there. Mixed, farming should bo ,as successful on that soil as' anywhere in New Zealand. . V

. An idea : that has some advocates is that each chief expert of tho Department should have a small experiment, farm as his Keadquarters; Thus the North and South Island pomologists would - each bo responsible, tinder divisional head, for the work at one or rnorb . fruit-growing stations in his island. There he would, havo opportunities to show tho results of tho practices ho advocates; and ho would bo ablo; to study varioties of iruits and speak with moro authority as to their habits, merits, and defects;,and also be ablo to distribute tested products to tho fruitgrowers whom he meets in his travels. On such a fruit station one employee would bo able to, do/ all the work, and it should bo not only self-supporting, but highly profitable. : " 'Die idea is already being tried in a small way among tho poultry .experts, and tho results are admitted te he successful. / Tho Chief Yoterinafian is provided for in the Wallaceville-Laboratory, but in tho-moro ordinary branches of farming, tho work of tho experiment farms is Icsb specialised. Tho dairy school, which, in view of tho retrenchment, is not likely now to bo built, would havo fitted in correctly with tho system ontlincd. ' •, Anotlior idea held in somo quarters is that the. strictly; experimental portion 'of 'the ox--1 istin£ stations should : bo reduced to small

limits, and tho remainder of tho property developed as small farms for leasohold settlement. Tho commercial orchards now being developed at Waerenga give ail exampfo of this idea. An 'extension of tho method to dairying at AYoreroa,'arid to other branches of farming elsowhere, would seem quite practicable. No doubt Mr. Clifton, who is director of experiment farms, Will consider all this, and may be relied on to apply those "notions" which seem to be most suited to the needs of tho-times. CONTROL OF ORCHARD PESTS. 'FRIKNDLY INSECTS AT WORK. : •Mr. Boucher told a "Farmer" reporter lately that ho ; had received an excellent report of tho good work done liy tho imported OaJifornian ladybirds in controlling woolly aphis on. apple trees. A fruit-grower at Wade, to whom a colony of Californian ladybirds was sent last season, states that they oommenced to work ou tho pests as soon as they wero liberated. They increased in numbers hst season, and completely eradicated the post on many of tho trees. ■ They have multiplied still more this season, and now. in his apple orchard it is hardly possible to find aphis, which at oho time , was exceptionally bad on many varieties, such as jllymer' and Stone Pippin. He had, in fact, contemplated getting rid of the Stone-Pip-pins altogether on account or the liability of the . variety to | severe attacks of aphis. . . A colony of. the codlin moth parasites was sent .to' the same growor. During the latter' part of tho season to had devoted some time to investigating tho question of whether they wero multiplying or otherwise. Ho assured Mr. Boucher that he had good reason to believe that they were becoming'well established, as lately they had been frequently seen in his orchard. / ■

In i the ■ control of .tho - codliii moth, pro-ceeded-Mr. Boucher, instances have occurred . this seaisoii--in. which)as tho result of tho' work of parasites, and of thorough spraying, it .has been almost impossible to discover any infected fruit in an entire crop of .apples. It'had boon Teportcd to him by, the orchards inspector for the Hawkers Bay district that in one orchard at. Havolock North there were about 10Q apple trees of the Sturmer variety, carrying a record, crop, estimated at ten bushels per,tree. •' The-inspector reports, that although he made a very careful examination he .was to discover a single mothinfected apple in tho entire crop. A similar case; ocourred at Taurangaj where, in an orchardwhich.had been carefully sprayed, the inspector for the district spent two. hours with a result that ho was unable to find any moth-infected , fruit, neither apples nor pears.; •: ■ • . PROVINCIAL FEDERATION. * The following letter has been, sent to, the various and.'piastoral associations in tho Auckland provinco by jtho executive of the. Auckland Metropolitan Association:— . has been suggested that the Auckland Metropolitan Agricultural Association should take steps- to federate 'the agricultural associations in the Auckland provinco; -conse- ! quently, : our executive being fully.'convinced that - more, .united action on the part of the •farmers .would furiher the cause'of agriculture have decided to invito kindred societies in tho province to send delegates to 'a .meeting be held ,in l .Auckland -.at,10.30 a.m. on/Thursday, May. 27. specially called to consider this matter..during tho Auckland Winter Exhibition. - Could, yonr' association arrange - to- send 1 a'.delegate v t6attend this' meeting ? No. detailed scheme has yet been formulated, v but it is obvious that if the A.. andiP.i societies wore affihated'to form ono jpowerful organisation, - common' action could be taken formatters affecting their interestsj aid many abuses --remedied with •which individuals ;are now powerlqss to deal,' while,'on the other hand;the central, association,. backed by tlieir, . support/ could undertake on .their behalf such' auties as watching their interests /tin . -.the , House' ; of Representatives, ;gatheriii^.*dnd''disseminating useful information, • aiding, the efforts of weak •; promoting''th<i holding of. shows; - and.' the (■ opening' :up of new markets,- and fostering the interests of farmers generally. ,, > t-.. , , '/ t 7 ■■ .. THE NEW FARMER, - "Your now farmer doesn't crunch on, bowed and broken, even if a bad year does leave him with nothing but a crop of liens andmortgagos. He j>rays and acts the' way the Irish; farmers . used to when tho potato blight camp. He bucks up like a rider joyous m tho- hunt even if there is ail occasional cropper.. . Ho knows that bad years aon t average up oftener than'one in seven. .reducing an .utter failure, in' the 1 fanner's year to ail utter impossibility'. ,"''rhe-dr/'iarming system. will beat the drought, ;varied ,br, mixed farm:ing;.defea,t.;tho. misfortune. of. : the: hail,'. and disinfectants.; destroy - tho insectandfungus enemies of. crops;: Ho.'knows.'ttiat scientificfanning. is -founded, .on; laws .as , immuta'blo and certain. Providence., If he looks' on . those laws.'he.cannot 1 fail in,the end. : That 13- the essence.'' of; 'the Now.. Spirit":' of . the Farm."—Tho "Outlook " AUCKLAND BUTTER CONTESTS. ■Tho open/ butter ''class -at rthe 'Auckland Show this ; month has attracted eight southern competitors.. They are i'ihama, Bell Block, South Canterbury, Midhirst, Norsewood, Bunnythorpe, Levin, and. 3£ia Ora. . -,At the 1908 National Dairy Show (Palmerston North) Bell Block and Midhirst were eighth and ninth respectively in 39 competitors, for the Weddell Challenge Cup, Pihama was eighth in: : 18 TOmpetitors -in'the novice class. Bell Block and ■ ; Levin; were' fourth . and sixth in 21 competitors in bulk butter for the ShawSavill Challenge Cup. Norsewood figured low: down in the cheese contests.' Bell Block was. second and Midhirst fourth for the championship; decided on the season's grading and show points. In the National Dairy Show of 1007 Midhirst won a'.third prize in bulk butter among 24 competitors. :. SHOW DATES. June 1 to 4.—Dunedin Winter Show. Juno 15 to 17.—Invercargill Winter Show. June 22 to 25.—National, Dairy Show (Palnierston North). ; ' July 6 to 10.—Waikato Winter Show (Ham- ' ilton). , . .' October 20 to 21. Hawke's Bay Spring - Show. •' ■ .' • ■ . October 27 to 28.—Timaru. , October 291—Rangiora. . November 3 to 4. —Ashbnrton. November 10 to 12.—Canterbury. November 16. —Taieri, at Mosgiel. 1 FARMERS' UNION CONFERENCE DATES. .■> '■v ■. ' : , Farmers' Union Conferences ■ will be held this year as follow:— ' May 20.—Taranaki Provincial, Stratford. ' May 24, 25. —Wellington Provincial, at Eketahuna. •' May 27, 18.—Auckland Provincial Conference. . End of May.—Canterbury Provincial Confer--1 ence.' Otago.—Date not yet notified. End of July.—Dominion Conference, at Wel- , ' lington. " A bionnial conferenco of agricultural societies wiE be held in Wellington this year, probably at thq end of June. .