FARMS AND FARMERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1929, Page 4

FARMS AND FARMERS

ITEMS 0E INTEREST

(By

“Rouseabout”)

EEL WORM IN POTATOES SEARCH FOR REMEDY Sulphur, lime, permanganate of potash, sulphate of potash, calcium cyanide, dung and dead grass have each been tried by the University of Leeds in an attempt to control potato eel worm, in addition to generous cial manuring, to potatoes growing in infected soil. No real success, however, has been achieved, and at the end of the season cysts have still been abundant in the soil, both of the treated and the untreated boxes; and invariably, also, the crop has been much less than that .obtained from identical soil in which the eel worm was absent. Although apparently none of the materials has had any marked effect in restoring the yield to a normal rate, such as is indicated by the control experiments in which non-infected soil was used, yet some of the materials, particularly farm yard manure, do effect an improvement. With dressings of sulphate of potash an increase resulted, but only in two out of the three years, when the substance was dried, dead grass dug into the soil gave a marked increase in yield one year, but none the next. Farm'yard manure gave consistently good results. The results suggest that the observed increases are due largely to the manurial action of the materials used, but more work is required before the effect. upon the eel worm of field dressings, especially those of an organic nature, can be understood.

GLEANINGS Round South Taranaki it is the open lands that are generally less favoured by the season. As one gets back to the hilly country the position as a rule is better. But despite tlje want of rain the milk supplies are holding well comparatively. ’ This year, many farmers say, tne grass is- commencing to seed much earlier than usual. “To crowd stock on to a property and feed it off bare does not rid the ground of weeds as some people seem to think,” a Waitotara farmer said last week. ‘'The close grazing checks the grass and the weeds gain an opportunity to spread.” , A speaker at the grain merchants dinner in Invercargill mentioned that £300,000 a year yas lost in New Zealand throught ste'rility in dairy cows. It was known that this was due to lack of “vitamin E”, which was extremely difficult to obtain. Expel n ments at Lincoln College, however, showed that this vitamin was present in the germ of the wheat, and it was now being extracted. It was hoped soon to save the £300,000 now being lost annually. . a Farmers near Morrinsville in the Waikato are reported to; be shutting up paddocks and using a;considerable amount of surplus grass for ensilage. This is an indication of the favourable nature of the season, and is a striking contrast with many parts of Taranaki., Similar reports come from other parts of the Waikato. They appear to be very favoured this year. It is practically certain, that the oats crop this season in Canterbury will be one of the lightest for some years. The dry weather affects oats more than wheat. They are shallower rooting, and do not get the same moisture from the subsoil as wheat, and the dry, hot winds of the past few days, following on the lack of rain in the spring, have reduced prospects on normal land by bushels per acre. Oats in ear in Mid-Canterbury before the middle of November indicate a premature ripening, and on the lighter land there are to be seen fields well

in ear. The fact that some wool-growers were reported to be shearing within a few days of heavy rains caused some comment in Hawke’s Bay. Wetshorn wool naturally is heavier than when dry and it is stated authoritatively that buyers in the past have suffered considerable losses through sheep being shorn when their wool was wet. One buyer is said to have lost £BOO on one purchase. In con-

sequence of complaints from buyers, growers whose wool shows loss of weight will have to meet debit notes from buyers. Giving evidence before the Returned

Soldiers’ Commission in Auckland, a witness referred to the possibilities of goat farming if carried out on proper lines. He said that excellent cheese made from goats’ milk was being imported into New Zealand and finding a market. It was safe to say that the milk of goats would be generally prescribed by doctors in preference to cows’ milk for rearing infants if reliable supplies were available. This suggested the possibility of goat farms in close proximity to the large centres. Surplus supplies of milk could be turned into cheese in a small factory.

During the past few years there has been a distinct swing towards autumn top-dressing largely as a result of encouragement from the Department,” said Mik A. H. Codkayne, at a field day for farmers at Marton last week, at which the Minister of Lands and Agriculture was present. “One is not going to suggest an immediate revolutionary change,” he said, “but within a very few years a large proportion of phosphate dressing will be done in December instead of May, as at present.” The tendency of farmers was ■to top-dress phosphate manures in May or June,. he - explained. Many adopting the practice of doing that work in March to promote a winter growth, but the best all-round results were, without a doubt, secured from I a December application. The object

was to get production when production was normally low. The summer applications tended to increase production during autumn and winter, while the winter application increased the grass growth at a time when there was normally a good growth. The payout generally in Waikato is about 1/55 for finest milk, and many factories report a considerable increase in output. 'Te Awamutu has 270 tons to date compared with 228 tons last year.

CLEAN MILK FACTORS IN PRODUCTION A series of experiments have recently been conducted by the Michigan College of Agriculture to investigate the matter of clean milk production. Five trials were made of each of the following factors: Open, versus small-top utensils; sterile versus unsterile utensils; discarding lhe fore milk; development of acidity when milk is held at different temperatures and, lastly, methods of cooling. A summary of the results of these trials states that : (1) The use of the small-top milk-pail excludes a large percentage of dirt-bearing bacteria, thereby resulting in a milk of a lower bacterial content showing natural fermentation or souring; (2) Unsterile utensils represented the greatest source of contamination. When the utensils were sterile and the flanks and udder were clipped and free from dirt, milk having a low bacterial content and showing normal pouring without gas production was produced. (3) Discarding the first few streams from the regular milking reduced the initial bacterial count about 75 per cent. When a high grade milk such as “certificated” or “special” is being produced, this factor is of great importance in keeping the bacterial content down. (4) The bacteria in milk which had been cooled below 50 degrees F. grew very slowly, as shown by the acid production. * However, when the milk was held at 70 degrees F. enough acid was produced within twenty-four hours to sour the milk and render it unsaleable ,as market milk. (5) Surface cooling was the quickest and most efficient method of cooling milk. When the milk -was allowed to flow slowly over the surface greater cooling was encountered. Tank cooling, in which the milk was stirred at fifteen minute intervals, resulted in cooling the milk satisfactorily within two hours. When the milk was not stirred, however, the temperature was not sufficiently low to inhibit the rapid bacterial growth at the end of the two hour period. Cooling milk in the air was very slow and inadequate and was not recommended.

PIG BREEDING TAINTED PORK TESTS “The complaints that have been recently expressed regarding the occurrence of undesirable taints in New Zealand pork and bacon shipped to overseas markets are now being investigated in a number of feeding trials in the Waikato district, and at Lincoln and Massey Agricultural Colleges,” says Mr. G. Shirtcliffe, chairman of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, in his report to the Minister (Hon H. Atmore). “Separate lines of comparable pigs are being fed on milk diets in which meat, fish, and grain meals, whale oil and fish oil, are included. It is proposed to slaughter the trial animals (in all, some 260 are on trial) and cure and store portions of the carcasses, and at every stage to watch all, the developments for taint and other defects. Chemical and other tests will be made of the fat and lean; so as to fully ascertain the nature of any defects that may appear. Other tests are under way regarding the reaction of pork and bacon to temperatures fluctuations in storage and to the possibilities of export of bacon frozen to much lower temperature than is used for other meat products. “The final report of the pig-recording investigations made during last season,” he states, “has now been compiled and considered by the special committee set up to deal with this matter. This report clearly brings out the great possibility of improvements in this industry, and indicates that, provided better systems of management, feeding, and breeding are adopted, the pig can be utilised to considerably increase the returns accruing to dairy farmers. As was the case with herdtesting of dairy cows, pig-recording has revealed remarkable losses through unsatisfactory management of pigs. The remarkably large percentage of litters aggregating less than 3001 b at eight weeks of age gives some indication of the extent of this loss to the industry as a whole.”

FOREIGN BODIES IN THE EYE The commonest foreign bodies in the eye z met with in our farm animals are small pieces of straw and chaff. They are light, easily carried and blown into the eyes by the wind, or by snorting or coughing when the animal is feeding.

The foreign body lodging on the surface of the eye (the cornea) sets up an intense irritation and extra secretion of tears. This copious flow of tears from the affected eye is a common primary symptom. If the eye is not.attended to at this stage new inflammatory tissue is laid down, and the straw or chaff becomes covered and embedded in this new deposit. As the irritation continues, so does the deposition of this new tissue, until the whole surface of the eye is covered with a whitish, opaque film. This is known as opacity of the cornea. Later, if this irritation does not subside, actual ulceration of the cornea occurs with the discharge of pus. The whole eyeball may now become involved, the pus spreading to the deeper structures and permanently ruining the sight. The eyeball at this stage may become a dirty discharging mass of proud flesh assuming a tumourlike growth. .

TREATMENT Of the old time treatments none were so barbarous as the pulling into the affected eye of ground glass, sugar or powdered alum. This cruel irrational practice, which caused great •pain and suffering to the animal arid often resulted in permanent injury, is now happily rarely practised. The modern method is as follows:— A chaff or straw on the eye, if noticed in its earliest stages, can as a rule be easily removed. Take a piece of clean, soft rag, a handkerchief will answer the purpose,' wrap this around the index finger so that about half an inch of the rag projects in a roll from

the tip of the finger. A small quantity of vaseline or castor oil is smeared on the taip of the handkerchief. The animal’s head is held in position, and at a suitable opportunity, with a bold stroke, the clothed firigertip is brought smartly across the eyeball over the chaff or straw. As a rule the offending particle will be found, adhering to the handkerchief.

The after treatment consists of flushing the' eye with a two per cent, solution of. zinc sulphate, two or three times daily. The animal should be kept out of brilliant sunshine arid, away from draughts. Solutions of silver nitrate are also used with beneficial results. If the foreign body can-' not be’'located continue flushing the eye with the solution, and in the majority of cases the white opaque film' will disappear within the course of a few days. When foreign bodies such as thorns have lodged in the dept# of the. ey*e, or in the ‘ case of valuable stock, it is best to Seek the services of a qualified veterinarian.