FARMS AND FARMERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 June 1927, Page 7

FARMS AND FARMERS

ITEMS OF INTEREST. (By “Rouseabout”). It is desirable that a grower should be clear in his mind at the commencement whether his pigs are to be sold in the pork market or as bacon. If the former, there is greater freedom in regard to breed, size and feeding, though the market is not without its high standard of requirements as to suitable carcases. If for the bacon factory, they should be of a breed and age which will give the best sides when cured; and y, is no use whatever sending to a bacon factory pigs unsuitable for their purpose. For both markets, bad feeding certainly results in loss. It has often been said that the only pig to pay its way is the good pig, well-fed, and that the best pig badly fed will turn out a. bad pig. When drenching a sheep it should be held between the legs of an assistant, the head raised until the nose reaches just above an imaginary line from the 'top of head. The operator stands on the right side of the animal, passes his left arm over the top of the animal’s head to the left, side; Ihe second finger is then inserted under the roof of (he mouth; the mouth of the bottle, which is held in the right hand, is then introduced into the mouth of the sheep, and then the required quantity of the contents poured slowly in. A very useful bottle for this purpose is the small castor oil bottle, as it has a tapering neck and no shoulder. Should the animal cough, which happens more particularly when terpentine mixtures are given, the head should be loosened immediately, as the mixture will descend into the lungs instead of entering the stomach, as it is intended, and set iip inflammation of these organs. For the same reason sheep should not be drenched when they are bleating.

The soundest method for breeding pigs is to ascertain which particular breed or cross is best suited to the environment, a,nd then to concentrate on the development of that class of pig. It is futile changing about once that has been proved, as such a policy entails waste of time and effort and leads nowhere. There are numerous breeds of pigs that can. be crossed, but the purpose for which the progeny is required should not be overlooked. Whether the objective is a pork or bacon pig, it is necessary closely to study the requirements of the market and to breed accordingly. Just as there is no best purebred, so is there no best crossbred the degree of excellence of both depending on factors that need not be emphasised. In the opinion of many experienced pig breeders, goqd grade sows and pure boars produce highly satisfactory results. The sows are said to be more prolific, better mothers, and good milkers, and the young pigs make good feeders and mature at an early age. A popular cross is the Tamworth boar and the Berkshire sow. The supreme champion carcase and winner for the best bacon sides at the last Smithfield Clubs Show (London) was obtained from a pig by a Tamworth boar and the Berkshire sow. Pigs of this cross have fineness of shoulder, length of side, deep, full hams, and are evenly covered with flesh of the best quality, with a well-balanced proportion of fat to lean. They are in keen demand by bacon curers in Great Britain and Australia, as well as New Zealand.

Interesting figures which serve to show the value of the quickly walking farm horse to the farmer, were recently quoted by a British authority. He states that a horse working ten years of 300 days puts in 3000 days; if he walks 11 miles an hour for eight hours he goes 12 miles a day; therefore, in 10 years, he goes 36,000 miles, and as 12 miles covers an acre, the horse pullf his share over 3000 acres. It is obvious that if the horse went two miles an hour, he would travel 16 miles a day, and in 10 years would travel 48,000, or 12,000 more miles for the increased half-mile per hour; therefore, each extra quarter-mile a horse walks, he increases his 10 years’ mileage by 6000 miles, or his share over 500 acres, or over 50 acres extra yearly. If he is one of a pair of horses his share would be 25 acres per extra quarter of a mile of pace per year. The additional value of a horse to the farm would be that of the value of ploughing 25 acres, less some extra food which he would call for. An extra half-mile would be the value of 50 acres of ploughing, and so on. The horse would not necessarily be ploughing every day; but he would do his gait relatively in any othei- continuous work. The 10 working years with an extra half-mile an hour would mean that in that period the horse would have 5000 extra acres of ploughing to his credit; or, putting the ploughing as low as 10/- an acres, a gain of £250. In the face of this, it is pretty evident that strong, well-fed, quick horses, kept moving smartly, must be more profitable than weak, ill-fed, slow ones.

The first consideration in respect of the preparation of the bed for mushrooms is to see to the provision of a supply of suitable material with which to build it. It is preferable that the manure should be secured in a fresh condition, if possible. It should also consist of a fair proportion ,of droppings and not be merely a lot of straw. The longest straw should be removed by forking it out and should be placed aside, in some dry place. This is not wasted, but it is not required yet. The remainder, which consists mainly of droppings and short lengths of straw is made lip into a heap. The manure heap should be turned ovei’ every day, or every second day, to allow the rank steam to escape, but on no account should the material be permitted to remain undisturbed until it heats violently, or it will lose much of its virtue. Another point to note is that it should not be overdried. Its value is also depleted by leaving it exposed to the leaching effects of rain. When it is in a desirable state, which it should be aftei’ about three turnings, it is formed into a heap as when preparing material for a hotbed. When this compacted heap is fairly warm, after about or five days, it should be shaken out and the material restacked after moistening any dry portions. After a few more days’ time, when this new heap has warmed up, the above operation should be repeated. When this third heap has heated up the material should be fit for making into beds.

Perhaps the most valuable of the more recently introduced breeds of sheep is the Ryeldnd. It appears to be a breed well suited to our general farming conditions and has, in fact, given no small satisfaction td those

who have tried it. The Ryeland takes its name from the “rye-lands” of Herefordshire and neighbouring counties in the West of England. Rye, by which is understood rye-corn and not rye-grass, was grown for many centuries in England on land that was too poor and light to grow good wheat. That the breed should have been evolved on such land is evidence as to its constitution and hardiness. Although it has no Southdown blood in its veins, the breed resembles in many ways a larger and more heavilywoolled edition of the Southdown. In fact it takes the place on the rank pastures of the West of England occupied by the Southdown on the drierl soils of the south-eastern counties. It is of just the same compact type that produces early maturing lambs of the highest quality, while its wool is even finer. The breed is well woollcd all over and carries a dense heavy fleece. It is thus likely to become popular with flock owners who aim to get a. proportion of their lambs away fat. but who may have to carry on a considerable number of them. The Rye-land-Romney crosses are not only hardier and better fossickers than the Southdown-Romney crosses, but they are considered excellent milkers and the breed has always been singularly free from foot, trouble. The breed has already won many admirers, more particularly in Canterbury, while there was an excellent stud a.t tin; now aion-existent State farm at Monmahaki, in South Taranaki. There seems to be no doubt but that it is destined to become one of the standard breeds of Australasia. Captain Whitmore, of Rotomanu, has added some Ryelands to his flock.