ON THE LAND

Feilding Star, Volume 8, Issue 2450, 20 June 1931, Page 7

ON THE LAND

NEWS, VIEWS AND COMMENTS Ryegrass Competition With ryegrass seed again taking a prominent place among important Gisborne cops, it is peasing to see (says the Poverty Bay Herald) that some attempt is being made t*» foster the competitive spirit among producers and if the movement is taken up in earnest by all concerned it will -assist, no doubt, in the further improvement of the high quality rye grass seed produced in tlio district. Tho Vanishing Jforsc. The number of entries at the annual horse-shoeing eompoti'ion, held at Camberwell, England, recently again showed a decline. Only 25 farriers took part in tHo event. They were required to make and fit one front shoe and mala' one hind shoe for inspection in 50 minutes. In Whuugarti Area. The average price for finest butterfat with deferred payment and dividend to suppliers of the Hikuraugi Dairy Co. for the season just closed is 33.03 d. <>n June 30 the Company will distribute £.1040 among its suppliers, being payment at the rate of l id per lb superfine for butetrfat supplied during May. On July 30 tho -company will (list ribu‘ 0 a pproximat ely £3OOO, being deferred payments. This will bring the average payment for lhe season up to 13.1)3 per lb. New Zealand v. Danish. Sir James Burr was asked why it was that English people paid 3d or Id per lb for Danish than New Zealand bateT. He replied: “I give it up. Tlie Englishman is a conservative person, with set ideas.” In support of bis contention he quoted the ease of a retailer in the Midlands who, pandering to the whims of tin.* people, put New calami butetr up in casks aud sol I the stuff like hot cakes. Friendly to Hedgehogs, A Wanganui resident who formerly farmed in the South Island has a friendly word for the li tie prickly nocturnal wanderer. He states tliht on his place 'there were scores of hedgehogs. He kept poultry in the farmyard and the hens used to lay in the hedges, etc., and never had he known an egg to l>o eaten or a chicken to be killed by a hedgehog. However, ho adde 1. they wvould lap lip milk, put out for the eats, or pick the meat off the bones tossed out. lie had seen a hedgehog and a cat drinking milk out of the same saucer. Valuable Manure. Apart from the ue.ua! droppings of farm stock on the pastures, there is in New ealand a percentage of farm manure which collects on all farms about the cow sheds and yards, the s'.ables, the sheep yards and the pig styes. The composition of farm manures varies according to the kind of animal, the food consumed, and th(» age and condition of the animul, but all natural manures are much 100 valuable to be wasted. They can be carted out a I intervals, and well distributed over the paddocks; or the droppings may Ih* mixed with straw and into farmyard manure; or they may be made use of as liquid manure. Merino Longevity. Some lime bmaek it was recorded of a Marlborough station owner that include 1 in his (lock when In* went to th<» war in 1334 was a me duo ewe, then 13 years old. 011 his return in 1318. the ewe was still to tie* force. Recently, ;Jtc Farmers’ Weekly, Bloemfontein, published a photo and letter received from Mr. Abe J. Yorster, of Darkly East, South Africa, with reference to a line woolled Tasmanian ewe. aged 30 years last Oc'ober and still going strong. Mr. Yorsler said the ewe had had 33. lambs, eight twins and seven singles, but that he ha I not pul her to the ram during the last few season. Sh e used to clip 3311> of wool and last season cut Mlb. One of her ram lambs gave 35 lb wool, and nearly all her daughters produce twins. He goes on to say : *’Tlie old ew e lias given 8131 bof wool, taken at an average of 181 b for 13 shearing seasons. Now, if I sold her wool at an average of 13d per lb. it means that. I have got £l7. more or less, for her wool. I wonder whether this a record fur a Merino eweV’*

DAIRY PROMTI:; BUTTER IS QUIET MARKET QUOTATIONS (Aust and N.Z Cable) London, June 18. The butter market Is quiet. Danish 118 s. Choicest salted New Zealand ,110 s to Ills, Australian 108 s to 107 s. Unsaltcds, about Is premium.