THE WORKING AGE OF HORSES.

Golden Bay Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 51, 19 May 1910, Page 3

THE WORKING AGE OF HORSES.

How long is a horse good for working on the farm ? This question nas recently been asked ot 8 number ot leading farmers ia Scotland by circulars, and t.heir replies are instructive. It Is evident that much depends on the kind of farm and the kind ot work done. Where horses are always on the land, and seldom on the road, they will last longer than where a lot of ontsido carting has to be done ; while, again, the system of feeding will have some influence in the course of years. There is, of coursei, a difference in this respect between different breeds; a heavy horse at slow work will last longer than a light horse at heavy work. Some farmers put the working career at eight years, and some had breeding mares at work for twenty years. To these figures should be added the three or four years before the young animal becomes a "horse,” and as the aver- ♦ age working career worked out at about twelve years it follows that the age at which horses usually cease to be good for heavy work on the farm is about fifteen years. This was. ot course, for Clydesdales, but probably the same figures would apply to other working breeds ; If they do not it would be instructive to know what difference there is. Another point to be thought of in this regard Is the loss from disease or accident, apart from the wear-mg-out from old age. When this is allowed for it will probably be found that after ten years a new horse must be got ; in other words, the entire horse stock of a farm is cleared out and renewed every ten years. If any reader thinks that very unlikely, let him go over his own experience during, say, the last five years, and recall what horses have been bought or broken in as new ones, what ones died or were sold to the knacker, or were sold for a few pounds as unfit for plough or road. He will most certainly find that it. works out at a , depreciation of ten per cent., and the farmer will be fairly lucky .if it does not amount yp more.

Mr Eau<?hell.e’s farm- of at Takcka’wassubmitted under. the hammer on Saturday last, and fell to the bid of Mr T. Baigent at A number of buyers were present, and keen . interest was dis ? played in the sale.

Attention is directed to the announcement that the property and effects of Mr A.'G. Salisbury, dentist, at Tabaka, will be sold by auction on the.2Bth instant.

An action in which the Cokingwood County Council is,the plaintiff and John Haldane the defendant, was called on at the Magistrate's Court, at Nelson lasi. Men day. The plaintiff claims the sum of £l 6 4s 2 id, in respect of rates alleged to be over due. The case was adjourned from Collingwood to Nelson, to allow of legal argument on a point raised by Mr Hayes (for the defendant;, that the Court had 110 jurisdiction owing to defects in the plaint note. Jhe argument was to have been proceeded with by Messrs Maginnity (counsel for the' plaintiff) and Hayes,' but the Magistrate ruled that as he had no formal evidence before him the case would have to be again .adjourned to Collingwood to be continued on Wednesday next, 25th May.

A misunderstanding appears to exist as to the necessity for attendance of hotelkeepers at the annual Licensing meeting. We are informed that applicants for licenses, including licenses applied for after a transfer, only must attend. Applicants for renewals need not attend unless requested so to do by the Clerk.

For Influenza take Woods’ Great Peppermiut Cure. Never fails, is 6d and 2s 6d.

At a recent meeting of the Egmont County Council the chairman said the now frequent -practice; of ‘tacking tags’ on the balanCe'shcetS etc, by 5 Departmental -officers '-will' have a bad effect-and leild to falsify accounts. The accounts that have been takeu exception 'tq are justly and fairly-spent -eim Council business, au.ddtwiffionly-meau that instead of' shdwihg'-on the balance sheet as-spent 'foi’-'tlle:'active purpose it' is- -used," it 3 •' Will be' piit'to some other account such as wages for Tom; Dick- aiid -Hdr'rj?: •' HHs helping a wToli'gpTa'clice 'oPMsiftcation. "[!/ ; ‘ : "H •*"

A very large quantity of milk lias been, rejected at the various factories ill the Okaiawa district of Taranaki during the season, and it would be interesting (says the Daily News correspondent) to know the total amount. The loss to individual suppliers has been a severe one, and one settler who has been supplying since the first factory was built at Waiokura informs me that he has had more milk rejected this season than in all the other seasons put together. He attributes this, not to the weather conditions, but to the raising of the grading points; He arrived at this conclusion because he had had sweet milk rejected. Upon being interviewed by this settler the manager at the factory admitted that it°had a bad smell, and this smell developed in the manufacture of the cheese. Asked if he would reject this milk if he were making butter, the manager replied iu the negative.