Cattle And Health Of Pastures

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 85, 4 January 1940, Page 5

Cattle And Health Of Pastures

Sii-,—l iim firmly convinced tbirt far too many New Zealand farmers fail to realize the very great influence cattle have in improving mid maintaining the health of their pastures and sheep. The tendency nowadays seems to be to topdress and stock very heavily with sheep. 1 am sure that this policy is largely responsible for our too great annual lo.s-es of sheep. Unless I mn much mistaken, we have entered upon the most wonderful season for summer growth ever experienced in the North Island. And yet there seems to be comparatively little demand for store cattle. To try and get through such a summer as we are almost sure to have without cattle is, I think, simply looking for trouble. The present weather conditions are just made to order for facial eczema. I believe lack of ea t tie to be one of the chief contributing causes of facial eczema. Many farmers, just because there may not sometimes lie what they consider sufficient margin of profit between store and fat bullocks, do not carry them. But it should be taken into account that their work in keeping pastures in order‘for the sheep is in itself of very considerable value. Owing to the abnormally heavy losses of.cattle during last winter and early spring, there must lie a big shortage of cattle of beef breed# in New Zealand today. I .-ini quite sure that in the long run it pays best- to stock moderately with sheep, carrying with them a fair proportion of cattle, thus allowing both sheep and cattle to do well. Taking I everything into consideration, I am eon- , lident that there are good prospects ahead for those who go in for breeding good quality beef cirltle. For those without sufficient cattle in districts like this, where there is now exceptional spring growth, I am afraid there is serious trouble ahead if that deficiency is not quickly remedied. 'The best policy is to avoid trouble as far as possible by judicious stocking, t and handling of the stock. Nature in- ! leaded sheep and entile Io be run to gelher. except, of cour.-e, in the case of dairy cows, and cattle being finished off for the butcher, when they should have the full benetit of the pasture toUhem--elvcs. It always pays best to do tilings in Nature's way.—-I am. etc.. G. F. MOORE. Bushy Park, December 28.