FARMING NOTES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3132, 28 August 1922, Page 7

FARMING NOTES.

REMOVING OBSTRUCTION IN THROAT OF A COW. The first thing to remember is that the; parts of the throat are very delicate. The greatest care must be exercised, otherwise permanent injury, and even death, will follow careless or rough treatment. If the obstruction is still in the throat, a gag should he put in the mouth, and while the head is held, the hand should be inserted into the back of the mouth and the object withdrawn. If the obstruction has got beyond this, and is in the. upper part of the gullet, an assistant should try and work it up into the back of the throat so that it can be reached and withdrawn. In all other cases attempts 1 should he made by outside manipulation to get the obstacle to move either upwards or downwards. To assist this/ a little oil may be given to lubricate the tube. When the object cannot be reached, or removed, the proper instrument, a well-oiled probang, should be passed slowly and gently over the back of the throat and down the aesophagus till the offending body is reached, and then use with a continuous steady pressure. On no account attempt to use it with sudden jerks as a pile-driver. A probang may lie obtained from any good veterinary, chemist. The cost is a very small insurance premium against the possible loss of a valuable cow.

AMERICA'S HEAVY HORSES

It is true that 74.9 per cent, of all purebred draught horses in the United States are Percherons, according to the last census report and that the total number of such pedigree horses is only 94.188. By breeds, there were 70,613 Percherons', 10.838 Belgians, 5580 Shires. J221 Clydesdales, ■ and 2938 French. In fact 58.5 per cent, of all purebred horses owned on farms on .January 1, 1920, were Percherons. There is only one purebred horse to every GS farms and' only one Percheron to every 91 farms-. Even in lowa, one of the leading heavy horse States, where Percherons are evenly distributed all over the State, there is only one purebred Percheron to every 28 farms. According to the reports of the different stallion registration boards, the average of draught stallions standing for public service is about 10 years. America is going to need a new supply of good young draught stallions won, and the real ones are hard to find. The opportunity of filling this demand will naturally be met very largely by Percheron breeders, but it is certain there will not be enough colts of the right sort to go round. SOUTH AFRICAN MEAT.

A great impetus has been given to the development of the meat export trade in the South-west African Protectorate by the recent withdrawal of restrictions on the movement ot live __ stock from the Protectorate to the Union. Despite the fact that the South African meat industry is itself suffering from a somewhat serious set-back, owing mainlv to reduced demands from European markets, the Protectorate has lately been over-run with cattle dealers from the Union. Some time ago an attempt was made by private interests to establish cold storage works at Windpuk, and the South African Government agreed to run a special service of trains with refrigerator ears between Windhuk, and markets in the Union. In the end the project was dropped as impracticable in view of the fact that under normal conditions nearly all the cattle intended for export are sent to the Union for slaughter. Now, however, the Administrator of the Protectorate has been given authority either to establish Government cold storage works or to provide facilities for such development by private enterprise, and he has further been given power to prohibit the export of live stock from the Protectorate at any time. SKIMMINGS. Nose prints are supplanting the crueller method of the branding iron as a means of identifying cattle in the Western States of America. Like human fingers, cows' noses differ and never change with time, so that identification is made sure, and the substitution of inferior for purebred animals impossible. The Bertillon system of measurements also is employed. As practised at University Farm, near St. Paul, Minnesota, the process of taking nose prints is thus described: —The cow's head is held under the left arm, its nose is wiped, and ink applied from a stamping pad. A small board, to which mimeograph paper has been attached, takes the imprint. The lower edge of the paper is started at the base of the animal's lip. and with slight, even pressure rolled upwards. Experiments and actual feeding tests demonstrate that eight pounds of mangels or carrots, and rather less of sugar beets are equal in food value to one pound of grain. Mangels and carrots containing equal amount® of dry matter have similar value in feeding—that is to say. the amount of dry matter in roots is of importance rather than the total weight or the quantity of sugar that they contain. The Pohangina, record weights of carrots (two weighing 191b with tops) is eclipsed by Mr W. J. Daker's exhibit to be seen at the Kaupokonui store, Manaia. The two grown by Mr Dakers, weigh 20.11b, without tops/ Mr Dakers, who is the winner of the Sutton Challenge Cup for the best root crops, has at the same place samples of mangolds 91 tons to the acre. The carrots went G2 tons to the acre. Taken altogether the volume of meat shipped from Argentina during 1920 was practically the same as that exported during' 1919. The falling-off in frozen beef was more than compensated by shipments-of chilled beef., and that i,i frozen mutton by increased export of frozen lamb. The figures for 1920 were: —Frozen beef quarters, 4,519,676; chilled beef quarters, 629,213; frozen mutton carcases, 1,193,863; * frozen lamb carcases, 562,854. The corresponding figures for the previous year were respectively :—5.033,596, 74.598, 1,425,845, 218,332. Meat exports have been very heavy during the opening days of the current year—swelled by two very large shipments from an upriver port. Those who think that the farmer has had it all his own way for years past may lie enlightened by hearing of the experience of a well-known Wairarapa settler whose holding is about 2000 acres (says the Age). In 1911 his land' was valued at £12,106, and on that hie paid in land tax and super-tax £ls 12s itd. This year his valuation is £16,568. an increase of about 36 per cent. But his land tax amounts to £122 15s sd. and his additional .super-tax to £4O 18s sd. making a total of £163 13s lOd. This is an increase of 900 per dent. When it is considered that the country referred to is good average sheep country, and that prices last year are very much less than those of 11 years ago, it will be seen that the farmers have good reason for demanding a reduction in cost on all sides.