FARMS AND FARMERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 June 1939, Page 9

FARMS AND FARMERS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

(By

“Ruseabout”)

SOUTH WESTLAND FARMING POSSIBILITIES DEMONSTRATED Although Westland is not a farming province, there is no doubt, as His Honor Mr. Justice Northcroft remarked recently, that, farming will come into its own in Westland as the gold mining and sawmilling industries decline. The climate of the West Coast docs not favour agricultural farming, but that the province has large tracts of country admirably suited to pastoral farming has long been recognised by those who are familiar with its possibilities. Sixty years ago, in spite of the almost total absence of roads and bridges.' cattle from South Westland were being sent across to Canterbury and were commanding good prices at the markets there, and South Westland stock, including fat lambs, still bring good prices at Addington, the fat lambs often topping that market. South Westland farmers still face the handicap of inadequate transport. The extension of the railway line to Wataroa would be a great boon to them and it would help to open up one of the finest pastoral and dairying areas in New Zealand. Proof of South Westland’s possibilities as a dairying district is to ' be found at “Duart,” Hari Hari, the property of Messrs. Duncan McLean Ltd. Mr. P. J. McLean, of Greymouth, takes a practical interest in the development of this farm, and he has succeeded in establishing fine herds of Red Polls and milking Shorthorns. In order to improve his herds, Mr. McLean has sought the best blood available. Three years ago he purchased a very fine bull from the well-known Canterbury breeder, Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, of “Otahuna,” Tai Tapu, and also 19 good Red oPlled 'cows from Murchison. Last year he obtained nine Red Polled registered heifers in calf, some of them with exceptional milk yielding pedigrees. For example, the mother of one of the heifers gave 488 lbs of butter fat at 13 years of age.

This year, Mr. McLean bought another seven Red Polled heifers from Sir Heaton Rhodes, and these also come off high milk yield strains, as the following average butter fat figures for the dams of the heifers show: 3491bs in 340 days, 478 in 353 days. 238 in 240 days, 188 in 127 days, 337 in 237 days, 367 in 330 days, 267 in 237 days. The seven heifers arc all in calf to Otahuna Ruby Reflect, Royal Champion at the 1934 and 1935 Shows.

In order to improve his Milking Shorthorn herd, Mr. McLean recently bought 10 Ilawarra or Darbelera heifers. These animals have as good pedigrees as any of the breed in New Zealand, being carefully line bred with Ruakura and Matangi strains predominating. They have been mated with Opihi Pirate and Opihi Morcus, both typical dark red bulls. That the “Duart” herds are becoming- well and favourably known in other parts of New Zealand is shown by the enquiries that have been received for, and the sales that have been made of the progeny.

Pig breeding is the natural adjunct of dairying and this important sideline naturally has a place in Mr. McLean’s development plan. A few months ago the “Duart” pigs were inspected by Mr. Hector W. Mclntosh, of the Canterbury District Pig Council, and he was particularly struck by their quality, describing them as “a very fine lot of Berkshires.” One sow impressed him greatly, because she was of the true English type badly wanted throughout New Zealand, and at his suggestion she was sent across to Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln, where she has now been mated to a high-bred boar of longtested stock. In this way the College authorities hope to do something towards preserving the best qualities of the English Berkshire in New Zealand. It is interesting to note, as further evidence of the farming possibilities of South Westland, that Mr. Mclntosh was very pleased with the type of Berkshire he saw on most of the farms in the district.

SOIL EROSION.

A WORLD WIDE PROBLEM

“Soil erosion is the biggest problem confronting the country—far bigger—than any politics,” said General J. C. Smuts, the South African statesman, and in “The Rape of the Earth,” one of the most comprehensive books on soil erosion yet published, Messrs. G. V. Jacks, B.Sc., Deputy Director of the Imperial Bureau of Soil Science, and R. O, Whyte, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Imperial Bureau of Soil Science, and R. O- Whyte, Ph. D.. Deputy Director of the Imperial Bureau of Pastures and Forage Crops, show how the problem of erosion is fast becoming a dominant factor in national life in many countries in the world.

After explaining the general relationship of erosion to soils, vegetation, climate and topography, the authors describe the present situation in Europe and the Mediterranean, India and the Far East, North and South America, and Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

The book is profusely illustrated, and some, of the photographs, especially those taken in the United States of America, bring home to the reader the really appalling destruction which has been brought about by ignorance, indifference, and the absolute incompetence of some of our past and present farming methods. In the United States, erosion is said to have “already assumed the proportions of a national disaster of the first magnitude, and has sapped the lifeblood of the farming people to such a degree that only a tremendous and single-minded effort from a united nation can prevent a further rapid and irreparable decline.”

| CAWTHRON INSTITUTE. ' SURVEY OF YEAR’S WORK. The report of the Cawthron Institute, for 1938, gives an interesting and comprehensive survey of the year’s work. Following are extracts from the report: — As in former years the Institute has been responsible for the chemical examination of soil samples taken in connection with the work of the Soil Survey Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Special studies have been made of quick chemical tests for determining the amounts of available phosphoric acids and potash in field samples. The chemists at the Institute have collaborated with the pedologists of the Soil Survey Divisions in preparing bulletins dealing with soil surveys of the llcretaunga Plains, Banks Peninsula, Waipa County and of the Pakihi lands at Westport. At the request of the Lands Department, the Director of the Institute continues to act as scientific adviser in connection with the reclamation of a large area of Pakihi land at Sergeant’s Hill. In the early Spring, arrangements were made for the commencements of the first dairy farm unit on tne Buller Domain. The area selected for the dairy farm contains both dry and rather wet slopes, and is typical of much land in the Development Scheme. Some 35 heifers are being tested on the 100 acres and records are being kept of milk and butter-fat production and of operating costs. So far the heifers have milked well and are in splendid condition. Good progress has been made with the preparation of the last block in the Development Scheme for sowing to grass and clover in the Autumn of 1939. When this ,block has been completed ihe total area of established pasture will approximate to 1,400 acres. With a view to improving facilities for fattening stock, a number, of supplementary crops have been tested on certain areas of sandy land. Sowings of maize and Chou Moullier made in December have not done very well. Turnips sown in February look very promising and swedes have also grown well where the land has been clean. The results suggest that more attention must be paid to cleaning the land prior to the sowing of supplementary crops. January and February appear to be the best months for sowing swedes and turnips. With regard to the use of cobalt salts in overcoming stock ailment, the report states: On the West Coast, pastures have been sampled at Karamea, Westport, Greymouth and at Hokitika. Surveys of a less detailed nature have been made in Southland, Ashburton County, North Canterbury and Marlborough. On the West Coast the analyses show that pastures located on the Pakihis, on the leached blown sands of Karamea and Westport and on the old gravel terraces of the Grey-Valley are all low in cobalt. In view of the excellent results obtained with cobalt supplements on Pakihi pastures, an extensive use of cobalt supplements for stock is indicated for several areas on the West Coast. Pasture trials with cobaltised fertilisers have shown their value in increasing the cobalt content of pastures over lengthy periods. Stock grazing previously unhealthy pastures topdressed in this way have kept in perfect health. In co-operation with the Live Stock Division of the Department of Agriculture, entomological aspects of the sheep maggot-fly problem, are being investigated. The investigations have centred around (1) a study of flies from affected sheep throughout New Zealand and (2) a study of the seasonal sequence of blow-flies in a selected area. Although the surveys are not yet complete, a great deal of new information has resulted from the work which has been done. An analysis of the causes of blow-fly. “strike” has shown that, in 67 per cent, of the cases, dirty wool about the crutch, tail and rump is the predisposing cause. The survey has shown that all the important breeds of sheep are liable to be struck by blow-flies. Insufficient data are available to enable a definite statement to be made concerning the greater susceptibility of different breeds of sheep to blow-fly strike but the data suggest that half-bred, Merino and Romney are relatively more susceptible than cross-bred. Arrangements have been made for the Institute to study the biology of insects, commonly found attacking wooden buildings. Apart from the beetle borers, the white-ant, owing to its alarming destructiveness, has become a serious menace in New Zealand. Recent investigations have shown the presence in New Zealand of at least one species of Australian mound-building white-ant which has already caused serious damage to some buildings in Auckland and New Plymouth. This problem is now receiving special attention and a survey is being made with a view to ascertaining its distribution in different parts of New Zealand. The rapidity with which this ant will work is shown by the fact that extensive destruction to a new building may result in a period of five to six years following its erection.

During the past year the activities of the Entomology Division have been centred on an ecological study of the lucerne flea and on the biological control of the Diamond-back moth and the white butterfly. To a very uotable extent the white butterfly has been held in check during the present season by the pupal parasite. With a view to improving still further the control of the white butterfly, a larval parasite, secured from the United States of America, is being studied.

PIG INDUSTRY COUNCIL. REPORT AT ANNUAL MEETING Delegates from each of the nine district councils, and representatives of every phase of the pig industry were present at the annual meeting in Wellington. of the national Fig Industry Council.

In his annual report, the chairman. Mr. A. 11. Cockayne (Director-General of Agriculture), said that progress had been made during the year with th'' following questions:—The provision of an adequate supply of grain for pig feed; the establishment of a carcass quality scheme for commercial bacon-

ers, and of a pedigree performance (carcass evaluation) scheme for purebred pigs; the preparation of a booklet of plans of houses and layouts; the establishment of a new district council in Gisborne, with corresponding adjustments in the boundaries of other district councils; the publication and distribution of Bulletin No. 167, “Modern Methods of Pig Production”; arI rangeinents for the interchange of club stock; the question of show standards; the appointment of an official paper; the circulation of reports from I colleges and research stations.

“The number of items that have received attention represent an achievement with which this council may well be satisfied,” said Mr. Cockayne. “In the main, other items, which have not been finalised, present some peculiar difficulty, and are still being enquired into.”

Dealing with the national instructional scheme, Mr. Cockayne said that each of the nine district councils bad given particular attention to some feature of the industry, and without exception their annual reports indicated a maintained interest and'enthusiasm. Reports, from departmental officers, of improvements that had been made in pig-keeping conditions, lent support to that viewpoint. To date there were 240 pig clubs in existence, with a membership of approximately 3,000. The number of breeding stock distributed was approximately 1,600, and in at least two of the districts appropriate measures had been taken to follow up the quality of the progeny of these distributed sows. It was of the utmost importance that the quality of those pigs be ascertained, for without information on that point it might easily happen that the types of pig distributed were of no better quality than the present grade pigs. Such a contingency would render the present organisation futile.