FARMS AND FARMERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 April 1933, Page 9

FARMS AND FARMERS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

(By

“Rouseabout” )

BRITISH LIVESTOCK.

DOMINION’S EMBARGO

On several occasions lately agricultural correspondents have made a point of mentioning the fact that New Zealand refuses to take livestock from Britain. Tho Times and the Field both refer to this embargo. “Canada’s recognition of the quarantine station at the London docks is a cause for satisfaction among breeders of pedigree stock,” says the Times writer. “Hitherto Canada has had an embargo on our stock unless the country had been free from foot-and-mouth disease for at least 60 days. Now the Canadian Government is prepared to issue permits for the importation into Canada of pedigree stock provided that the animals are accompanied by the Ministry of Agriculture’s certificate to the effect that they have been detained in the London quarantine station for a period of 14 days -before embarkation. Animals so imported" will be quarantined for a further 14 days on arrival in Canada. This arrangement leaves stock-breed-ers free to ship stock from other ports when the country has a clean bill of health for 60 days. “New Zealand is now the only Dominion which declines to accept livestock direct from the London quarantine station. Stock can, however, be shipped first to an Australian port, and, after a period of quarantine there be transported to New Zealand. In view of the fact that no case' of foot-and-mouth disease has ever been found in an animal which has passed through the London quarantine station, breeders hope that New Zea-' land will soon come into line with the other Dominions.”

Canada’s action is also described by the Field. The writer concludes: —• “The new arrangement may be* regarded as an act of reciprocity in consideration for the lifting of our embargo on breeding stock from Canada. Unfortunately, New Zealand still refuses to recognise the London quarantine station.”

WATER AT WILL. Dairymen who want the most milk and butter-fat from their cows should arrange to let them drink as much water as they want, when they want it. The United States Bureau of Dairy Industry has completed experiments to determine the relation of methods of watering cows to their water consumption and production. The tests were run both in warm and cold weather and included both high and low producing cows. The results of watering twice a day were compared with results obtained when the cows had free access to water. In these tests the cows drank more water when watered only twice a day. Their production was highest when they had water at will. The production by the cows in this experiment average 2.43 per cent, more milk and 2.1 per cent more butter-fat when given free access to watei* than when watered only twice a day; and when watered only twice a day they produced only 1 per cent, more milk and 1.4 per cent, more butterfat than when watered only once a day. It was also found that the increase in milk production as a result of more frequent watering was more marked in the case of the good producers than in that of the low producers.

FEEDING POULTRY.

WET AND DRY MASHES

During the winter many poultry keepers who usually feed- only dry mash and grain give an additional feed of wet mash during the morning with the object of securing a greater consumption of food and therefore a larger output of eggs. It is impossible to overfeed the layers as long as the rations are suitable, at this time of the year. The labour and time occupied in preparing and feeding wet mash all through the year is heavy, especially during the chicken-raising season. At any rate it is so found on many farms, but when -eggs are scarce and relatively dear, extra time and labour are well repaid if more eggs can be obtained. Almost any mixture of meals can be fed dry, but many are hopeless failures as wet mashes. It sometimes happens that birds will refuse to touch a warm wet mash on a cold morning, which to the inexperienced is rather bewildering, since a warm wet mash should be appetising. But a great deal of the success of wet mash depends on the actual mixing of it. A mixture of meals may be perfectly balanced to be theoretically a perfect feed, but if it becomes a stodgy, sticky, doughy mess, through not being mixed with hot water and not sufficiently dried off, it is no use as a wet mash. Hot or even warm mash is not good for hens, who, if in good condition, will relish it just as well cold. Cooked meals, i.e., with the starch granules burst by added hot water, are actually less digestible to the fowl than are raw meals moistened (either before or after eating) with cold water. A wet mash should be fed definitely moist but not sloppy.

APPLE EXPORTS

WELLINGTON, April 10

Advice has been received by the Government and the fruit Export Board that the French Government have decided to impose a surtax of 15 per cent, on imports of New Zealand apples. It is stated that this impost is to counteract New Zealand’s high exchange rate. New Zealand exported about 20,000 cases of apples to France last year, and it was intended to send about 50,000 cases to France this season. As the result of the surtax, only about 20,000 cases will go direct, although 20,000 more will be transhipped from London if the French market warrants. Efforts are being made by the Fruit Board to extend potential markets. There is some hope of the United States accepting shipments. The Dominion exports about a million and a-half cases yearly, so that the value of an American market can be appreciated.

HANDLING THE BOAR.

RULES FOR OBSERVANCE. Boars are usually less tractable than sows, though if the former receive decent treatment it is very seldom that they become in any way unmanageable, says an overseas writer. As they get older they require more careful management, but the temper of even a young board may soon be spoiled by bad handling. Among the do’s and don’ts that every owner of a boar should try to observe are the following:— Give him free range whenever possible. Feed him liberally all the time he is growing, but don’t let him get too fat. When he reaches the age of IS months reduce the. carbohydrates in his ration if he shows a tendency to lay on fat. You want him in good, hard condition. Up to this age he may be fed very much in the same way as you would feed any young growing pig. Do not keep the boar shut up in the vicinity of sows. It is much better to keep him right away from them at all times except when his services are needed. If you want him to run with sows turn him out with them for a week or so and then take them away for a similar period, repeating the process until all the sows have been served. When you are sure on that point, take him away altogether. Never use a stick on a boar except in a case of extreme necessity; but such occasions should not arise if he has been properly handled. Once

-spoil his temper and it will take all your time to restore his equilibrium. FARMERS’ UNION NOTES. (Contributed.) To combat the ravages of the white butterfly, the Department of Agriculture is working with two species of parasites, viz., apanteles glomeratus, a larval parasite, and pteromanus puparum, a pupal parasite. At least 20,000 of the former have been liberated in the vicinity of Hastings, while about 4000 of the latter have been liberated in the same locality. The pest is supposed to have come to New Zealand in vegetables shipped at Hawaii. Complaints have been made to the Department of Agriculture regarding tho increase-in. the price of phosphriscd pollard. In reply the Department has pointed out that it was found necessary to increase the price in the North Island, as previously it was retailed at a considerable loss, due largely to the reduced output for the last few years. The increased price was imposed in an endeavour to somewhat reduce the loss, and not in anticipation of any profit over the cost of production.

About the middle of February, Major Elliot, Minister of Agriculture, stated in the House of Commons that there bad been thirty-three outbreaks of foot and mouth disease since the beginning of the year. Of these, twenty-seven directly or indirectly attributed to infection contracted at loading-banks at Reading early in January. The next meeting of the Dominion Executive of the Farmers’ Union will be held in Wellington on Wednesday, April 19. The marketing of our produce will come in for a lot of discussion. When it is remembered that ’ only 5 per cent, of our lamb and cheese are consumed locally, about 20 per cent, of butter and about 40 per cent, of our mutton, it is readily seen that 1 the Union must keep a close watch on 1 all marketing developments. 1 Numerous complaints have been re- j ceived from different parts of the Do- 1 minion regarding the price and the strength of sodium chlorate. A short ; time ago the Department of Indus- , tries and Commerce was asked to -

make investigations regarding the selling price of sodium chlorate. After making full enquiries, it was found that the prices charged by importers and distributors allowed only a small margin of profit, and were therefore not unreasonable. Such samples of sodium chlorate as have been analysed by the Department of Agriculture have proved to be of satisfactory quality. During the quarter which ended on March 31, the organisers of the Union enrolled 562 members, and of these 674 were new members. Notwithstanding the hard financial times amongst our farmers, the membership is higher than it was at the same time last year,

and the year before. Owing to the shortage of funds it is probable that the activities of tomological Department of the Cawthorn. Institute in Nelson may be curtailed in the near future. For several years, Dr. Miller has carried on useful research work regarding the control of noxious weeds, and it would be almost a, national calamity if such work were stopped or curtailed. The N.Z. Meat Producers’ Board recently made a monetary grant to the Institute to enable experimental work to be carried on for some time, and Dr. Miller will attend the next meeting of the Dominion Executive to explain the serious plight his Department is in through lack of funds.