FARMS AND FARMERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 March 1937, Page 10

FARMS AND FARMERS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

' (By

“Rouseabout”)

• AUTUMN ' CONSISTENCY^ESSENTIAL. Thp tep-djessing of pasture land hss £esn a general practice of New Zealand farmers for many years, and during that period a wealth of experience has-been gained and much information made available for all ■;■ but not by any means the least, valuable aspect of this.information has been in regard to the time of application of the fertiliser.. ;.;For: instance, topdressing was first practised in the Spring, but the extensive field experience in both the’North .and:. SouthIslands indicates that better results are accruing from 'late Summer' and’ early Av,tuinn ? application. The Spring dressings have the. tendency to accentuate Summer growth, making pasture control difficult, whereas the late. Summer and early Autumn dressing brings ' away a strong Autumn "growth which carries on into the Winter. Again,. the plant, being more vigorous and better rooted, winters better and comes away strongly in the early Spring, thus reducing to a minimum the dormant grass period. This latter fact is important, as it has ajstrong bearing on the carrying capacity of the property. Grass is quite the most important crop, and, if the pastoralist can lengthen his grazing season, anil increase the bulk and the mineral, content of.his food, he is doingmiuch to bridge the gap between late Autumn and Spring when supplementary feeding is generally neces-

sary. I:/?.;:;.,.:,..; ; Because of the warmth ol the soil and' the consequent?. activity. oLtlffi soil bacteria, past’tii/es. fop-dressed. in ;th'e early ■Autumii" respond quickly to superphosphate, thus ensuring a growth of succulent Autumn and early Winter feed* which asbistsjtd put. the stock in the condition to ensure larger lambing percentages and a better growth of higher quality'wool.. . .

In Otago fat lamb raising is perhaps the most profitable branch of farming to-day, and "the "top-dressing cL the pastures in the early Autumn is instrumental /in- assisting’to get larger drafts of lambs fat direct from the mothers. : . . .

Anpther important point arising from ths experience of. successful topdressers is in regard to the consistency 5n the application of the fertiliser. Annual'applications of super are essential if the best results are to accrue', and it is quite definite that the pastures and the stock greatly benefit thereby. . \ . Again, itfany farmers are sowing better pasture mixtures, which are responding most handsomely to the annual application of the fertiliser. By sowing 3cwt-of super annually, heavier stocking is possible, and’ with the increased stocking, animat, nitrogen from tlierturine of the stock plays an important part in building up a ryegrass base. Top-dressing thickens the sward,, extends the- useful life of the pasture,-., increases stock-carrying capacity, giving a greater return from sheep and cattle, and finally is the means of assisting to reduce farming costs. Top-dressing should be practised by every farmer to the utmost' degree, and it should always be borne in mind that super should be put on early—while the soil is warm. ENSILAGE COVERING. THE GERMAN METHOD. The most interesting problem in connection with ensilage is.the matter of air exclusion. One school of thought, says the “Northern Advo•cate,” argues that if the material is packed well there is no need to put earth; oh the top, merely some covering, shell as hay. Others contend that top pressure with earth is necessary. But in no case, so far as local experience. goes, trijf fethe.. air absolutely excluded. ThelGermans maintain that absolute exclusion of air is imperative, that the air must be completely' removed. They therefore also , attach primary importance to packing well as'the-.filling proceeds, If. the material is well packed tliey contend the subsidence will not bo more than 10 per cent; -of the . entire depth. But with thorough packing, they say,' the best result is only obtained where the air is properly excluded from the top layer. Immediately the top layer is compacted it must be protected against the action of air. In Germany the recommended topping ts Gin, of clay, firmly.', stamped down. Then, tlie ciay is made wet to soften superficially and fill in the crevices. On top, of this a second layer, also 6iu. thick, is spread, stamped down and moistened as before. The .formation of. cracks in the clay layer can be prevented by moistening from time to time, or by spreading a layer of sawdust, chaff, or cut fodder to a depth of 6in. on the wet clay. Where clay is unobtainable a wooden lid covered with tin will form a suitable substitute. Weights should be placed on top., such as bricks or blocks, of concrete. When the material has quite subsided, the joint between lid and container is tilled up with clay, to which salt has been added to keep it moist. German authorities advise a concrete silo about 15ft across and about sft to 6ft in height, halt being below and half above the ground. It would be valuable to have this principle of absolute air exclusion tried out against the common method in vogue in-this country. Under the German method using molasses and absolute air exclusion, we might find ensilage a very much superior food to that to which wo have been accustomed- Reading descriptions of the German method reminds one of household jam-making, in which abso-l lute air exclusion is imperative. Boll) are fermentative processes and what applies ■on one should apply to the btheß.

The system in use in Germany is

worthy of consideration. That coun_J4;y is considered the home of ensilaging, ami' furthermore, German farmers are very efficient and thorough. It is stated that their several million dairytow S'.: average just on 3001 b of fat.] Germany is the second largest milk' producer in the world. Something should be known about ensilage in thiat country.

SHEEP-BJFHW METHODS. . TRIALS IN Z BRITAIN. . •? Is sheep dipping out of date? Dees total immersion iff a. bath of dip diluted with water really perform the fumw tidn tor which it was designed? To. those who have doubts as to the efficacy of the present system, the newer method of spraying may have an appeal. It has: certainly attracted. attention in Britain where the-spraying system has been developed. - Dr. Allah Fraser, who attended a demonstration of sheep spraying arranged by the North of Scotland College of Agriculture, makes some, pertinent comment on. this question to the “Hawke’s' Bay Herald-Tribune.” “Wlfat are the disadvantages of dipping that a new method should besought?” he asks. “Obviously, if . the customary method’ were, a hundred per cent, satisfactory,. a search for-. iih--provenient would be a waste of time. Ordinary dipping is, however, far from being entirely satisfactory, even when properly performed, and I have recognised that; fact for some time. As sometimes done, it is a perfunctory compliance with the law’s requirements, and, from the point of view of benefit to the sheep, a pure waste of effort. .

“The following are, in my view, weaknesses in dipping sheep with ordinary dips and in the ordinary way. In the first place the dip does not always penetrate to the skin—the place where its action is wanted. I have often examined sheej) in the: dipping pens and found the skin perfectly dry. In the second place the strength of the dip is. not constant. One':'fills the bath and pours in sufficient to make a correct dilution. So far, so good. But by the time the first, few sheep have been dealt with, is the strength of the dip the same? To judge by the colour of the sheep, it is not. The first sheep always come out darker, than thos,e that follow: I understand that chemical analysis shpws much the same sort of thing. - ■ “Thirdly, by the time the dipper is ready for refilling it is more than' a little dirty. The dung floats as a scum on the surface, and -it is difficult to skim off. :> If the sheep happens.- to.be scouring, the water may be quite foul. Since soiled wool is an attraction to the blow-fly, a dirty dipper may become. an? actual.cause of striked

DISADVANTAGES AVOIDED. “In -the-method of' spraying I; sa,w demonstrated- these three disadvantages wore entirely, avoided. The dip penetrated, to the skin;: the dip was always- of '■ the .same strength; • there was no fouling of the dip by dung. The method itself was quite simpld; A small engine worked a pump • Which forced.: the dip through fine nozzles. The spray produced' was like driving mist. : The nozzles opened into a nifetal case containing the sheep. “Judging -from what I saw the method was effective.. After ..standing quietly in the cage : for half a minute the sheep\when released, was soaked all over, and to the skin. “There are several gadgets which I thought ingenious. For instance, a bar operated by a lever pressed the sheep into position from behind and held it there. A removable tray collected the’ droppings. . Everything was workmanlike and convenient.

"There thus appear to be several very real advantages in spraying sheep rather than in dipping them. Of course, the apparatus .costs money, but so does-the. installation, of a. dip. I very much ; do,qbt whether the spraying machines' would .cost, as much. There is,no : more' labour required and there is* an economy in dip. It is also claimed that spraying is a better prevention of blow-fly than dipping, but J think, more; evidence is- needed to prove this... - • : “Unfortunately, at the present time, spraying "docs not, satisfy legal requirements/ and I cannot see . any sheep farm running to a. dip and a spraying machine. Certainly, spraying would need to have very substantial/advantages over dipping as a protection against blow-fly before such a double expenditure was justified. On the other hand, I do not see why spraying should not. be equal or superior to dipping. If half a minute in a spraying machine of approved design were accepted as a legal substitute tor complete immersion, then I feel there would be a future for spraying. Otherwise, since the dipping is forced on us by law, the spraying machine 'must wait."

DRENCHING A HORSE. In advising the proper method of giving drench to a horse the "Maritime Farmer" says: — When medicine Is given as a drench to a, horse care must be taken to use enough water or' oil to dissolve or dilute it thoroughly. Making the drench bulky is unnecessary. Insoluble medicines, if not corrosive, may be given suspended in water.

The bottle used for drenching should be clean, strong and smooth at the mouth. It should be tapered and of a size suitable' for the rose. If the dose is small, the horse’s head may be held up with the left.hand while the medicine is being poured in with the right hand. Place Hie left, thumb in the angle of the lower jaw and spread tho fingers out in such a manner as to support the head. The head may be held by running the tines of a longhandled wooden fork under the nose band of the halter, or a strap or rope may be fastened to the nose band and thrown over the limb of a. tree or beam. Elevate the head enough so that tho horse cannot let the liquid I run out of his month—the lines of his face should be about horizontal. If the head is drawn too high, the horse cannot swallow with ease and safety. The person giving the drench should stand' on a box in order to reach the horse’s mouth. The bottle or horn is introduced at the side of the month in front of the molar teeth in an upward direction. This will cause the horse to open his mouth and then the base of tho bottle is elevated and about loz. of the liquid is allowed to run into the horse’s mouth. Care should be taken not to get the neck of the bottle'between the back teeth. If the horse

does not swallow, rub the fingers or the neck of the bottle against the i oof of the mouth. Repeat the operation until the drench has been taken. If coughing occurs or if by any mishap the bottle should be crushed in the mouth, lower the head immediately. 'Do not rub, pinch or pound the throat, nor draw out the tongue when giving a drench. These processes in no way aid the horse in swallowing and do harm rather than good. Medicine should never be given by pouring it into the nose of tlie animal. Medicine .given by pouring into the nose is liable to strangle the animal, or if the medicine is irritating it sets up an inflammation of the nose, windpipe and lungs.