FARMS AND FARMERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 October 1939, Page 10

FARMS AND FARMERS

ITEMS OF INTEREST

(By

“Rouseabout”)

CHILLED BEEF TRADE.

LONG VIEW ESSENTIAL. There is a risk that the cessation of chilling and the inevitable present concentration upon freezing may cause some beef producers to slacken up on quality production and to concentrate solely on quantity production. Expansion of output is necessary. To some degree the carrying-on of cattle to heavier weights will serve this end. . .Actually, however, such a course is not to be generally recommended. In some cases it would result only in adding tallow.. Beef is of value for its red meat; 'its food ■worth lies essentially in protein content. From the producer’s viewpoint, holding cattle is a waste of food. The improved type of cattle now generally available are bred to early maturity. At 3 A years these steers will dress at 720-7401 b. Held a year longer, but 1001 b or so will be added. In grazing cost that is very expensive meat. A sound policy will be to follow chilling practice, in broad outline. This as to current season draftings, and also as concerns breeding and rearing of stores. The long view is ever essential to cattle men. The output of this Spring’s cow matings -will normally arrive on the London market in the April of 1944; that is, 4i years hence. We have been told to prepare for a three years’ war. Let us remember the peace to follow. Chillers—of first quality—will be wanted in 1944. New Zealand must have the cattle to supply that demand. It is no use letting our standards fall now to then scramble back in a post-war market. When selecting this season’s sires, let that be kept in mind. You are breeding not for to-day, but for 1944.

A SUGGESTED UNION SHEEPOWNERS AND FARMERS The possibility of an amalgamation of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and the Sheepowners’ Federation was discussed at a recent meeting of the Hastings branch of the Farmers’ Union. “We are both getting our living off the land; let’s both pull on the same rope, and pull hard.” said Mr. W. J. Livingstone, who introduced the subject. The move was suggested in view of the present situation. It was stated that efforts in the- past along these lines had not met with great success, but it wa.s felt that now was the opportune time to take further steps. Recommendations along these lines are to be made to the provincial executive, which in turn will make representations to the Sheepowners’ Federation. Speaking of the proposal,. Air. D. Begley said: “I think such, a step r i long overdue. Until the farming in-j dustries of this country are united, we are not going to get very far.”

BUSH SICK STOCK.

SIMPLE REMEDIES' AVAILABLE. It has been demonstrated by inves-. tigators in the Nutrition Laboratory of the Division of Animal Health, South Australia, that “Coast Disease” is the result of a deficiency of two minor mineral elements —cobalt and copper—in the fodder, and presumably in the soil on which it is grown. Even to give the stock a sufficient supply, very minute quantities of these minerals are necessary, and it has been demonstrated that one milligramme of cobalt (about one-thirty-thousandth of an ounce) each day, more than supplies the requirements of the sheep for this element. About five times this- amount of copper, in the form of copper sulphate (bluestone) fulfils the copper requirements of the sheep grazing on seriously copper-deficient country. Sheep are apparently unable to store sufficient cobalt to provide the normal requirements over lengthy ‘periods. This also applies to copper, but to a less extent, and so it becomes imperative, if these two elements are to be given as a drench, or in a lick, to administer the copper and cobalt frequently. Coast disease and bush sickness in New Zealand have many features in common, and are indeed generally considered to be the same except in name. It has also been suspected, as a result of unofficial New Zealand experiments, that copper deficiency played an important part, as well as did cobalt, in its cause. It was supposed by the investigators, however, that the effect of the copper was more, as a catalyst, enabling a greater absorption by the animal of iron, than as a direct deficiency in the animal’s system.

1 Where sheep take salt licks freely tin “bush-sick” areas, these provide a satisfactory medium of dosing with cobalt and copper, says an Australian bulletin on “coast disease,” a complaint caused by copper and cobalt deficiency, and similar to our trouble t known as “bush-sickness.” j The amount of salt lick taken by (sheep varies within wide limits in I practically all areas according to the I season, more being consumed, as a [rule, when the fodder is dry. It thus ! becomes imperative, when treating this trouble, to estimate from time to time the amount of lick taken by the flock, and to alter accordingly the concentration of these active principles in the lick so as to ensure that the desired amount is consumed, and also that the small quantities necessary are not exceeded. BUSH LAND. BREAKING-IN COSTS. Interesting evidence-east (he cost of bringing bush land in the Upper Wangaehu Valley into productivity was given before the Assessment Court at Wanganui, recently, by Air. .1. Kennedy. farmer. Karioi. Mr. Kennedy said he took up land in that locality in 1893. when it was

standing hush, and now had an area of IJt.nno acres. He had been felling bush till abotil three years ago. To get to his farm in lhe first place ho had to. chi a sf-ven-milo track through the bush which was used to pack in stores and seed. Settlers in those

days had to do their own survey. The cost of grass seed in the early days was £l/10/- an acre, but it was much more now, he said. There was always the danger of fire. To build a fence in 1908 cost 17/- a chain, without material, and now the same ■work would cost 35/- a chain. The cost of felling bush for the first 10 years was £l/17/- an acre, and for the next 10 years £2/4/-; he would estimate the cost of felling to-day at £3 an acre. To bring bush land into productivity, to-day, without including the cost of buildings and their fences, would cost £6/19/6 an acre. On steep bush country there was always recurring expense through fences being carried] away by slips.

In new country it was- necessary to stock well with cattle to consolidate the country and promote the growth of grass. In that country the loss of cattle was fairly heavy. Much of the country reverted to scrub and at regular intervals the scrub had to be cut. With rising costs to-day, he would not take up bush country as he did in the past, said Mr. Kennedy. WOMEN’S LAND ARMY. IMPORTANT WORK IN BRITAIN. One phase of national service which cannot, fail to interest New Zealand women and which may largely occupy them in the future, is work on the land. The women's land army in England is a vast., and vital part of the home services. It. is of special interest to countrywomen in New Zealand, many thousands of whom are members of Women’s Institutes, that the woman in charge of the Land Army in Great Britain is the chairman of the National Federation of English Women’s Institutes. Lady Denman.

Remembering only too well the ■ value of women's institutes in the - last war, the Government of Great ! Britain, when it decided to broach the - subject of a land army last. year,, im- • mediately called in Lady Dehmaiy i Within a few months it was decided . that, as well as enrolling volunteers, ■ the Department of Agriculture wanted ; girls to be trained to drive tractors ■ so that they could take over when the men were called up. In every county of England girls were enrolled, medi- . caily examined, and sent either to agricultural colleges or selected farms for two weeks’ training. Only strong, placid girls are elig- . ible for the work, and it provides a splendid opportunity for many office workers for a longing to work outdoors. Lady Denman believes that the majority of people would be happier living in the country and that more country life in the community would work sociological changes for the bet ter. She is a believer in the value of small plots of land-holdings as a stabilising factor in lhe depressing scheme of things dominated by unemployment. She worked on committees that eventually won small plots of land for thousands of working men. She watched the crops they grew. During the last war she learnt that the canning of fruit and vegetables was one of the greatest contributions jef work women can do in times of such emergency. She believes that women should do the marketing of 1 ii< produce and understand prices and conditions, When the var ended, the. institutes wci t sttch a working t rce in cverv rural community m Great Britain . that they were earried on bv their ■ own momentum, and have through the i following years become mi organised < I.ol’ce oi such power in the cmintryil that the Government had no qualms!) about home production at Hie rmfbreak- of this war. They did not need I to ask “who will carry on" where the < ruial areas were concerned -the wo- < men were already trained, and are ah 1 ready d<fim; pari, as Britain's < land army.

INCREASED PRODUCTION. . TIMELY ADDRESS TO FARMERS. The need for the increased development, of the Dominion’s secondary industries, to provide-greater supplies of foodstuffs in the present state of war, was stressed by Mr. D. G. Begley, chairman of the Heretaunga Dairy Company, addressing members' of the Hastings branch of the Farmers’ Union. “If this war turns out to be a prolonged one, then I would venture to say that foodstuffs and production in ever-increasing quantities will play an leven more important part than powder and shot,” said Mr. Begley. While I the war continued, supplies from other countries would not be available for the Home country. “I don’t suppose there is any country in the world that boasts evidence of greater development than New Zealand,” said Mr. Begley. He, traced the growth of the Dominion in the past 100 years, emphasising how overseas markets had been established in the face of many difficulties. “To-day we have got to do a job and increase production,” said Mr. Begley. In a few years the number of cows in the Dominion had dropped by .100,000. Two years ago the cow population of New Zealand was just short of two million, but it liad shown an alarming drop since that time. Mr. Begley said that this was perhaps due to a shortage of labour, which could be attributable to Public Works and the attractions of towns and cities. He understood that labour would again be available. The necessity for the Dominion to produce more would be realised when it was learned that of Britain's butter requirements, Russia supplied 22.000 tons, Finland 9000, Sweden 9000, the Netherlands' 39,000 and Denmark 183,000. Of the total requirement of 400.000 tons, New Zealand and Australia supplied 221,000 tons. “Our responsibility is to put our shoulder to the wheel and increase production of foodstuffs to a maximum degree,” said Mr. Begley. “That is just as important as sending men overseas, and it will be more important than munitions:”

There was no need to worry about trade routes being kept open. That matter would be attended to. “We must have calm, clear determination to win out in this conflict.” said Mr. Begley. “It must be so, and it will be so if we all do' our job with confidence in ourselves and the British nation.” MANURING BY WATER. DOUBLE USE OF IRRIGATION.

American farmers, who discovered years ago that they could make gravity water their crops, now find that they can mix fertilisers in their irrigation water and let gravity give their crops food, and drink at the same time. Away past ths experimental stage I is this method of fertiliser application. One firm selling ammonia gas for irrigation water says that their sales have increased over 10 times in the last four years; another, selling calcium nitrate, reports similar increases. All indications point toward an '.''■on greater increase. H is not a. new idea. Back in 1900 Hawaiian farmers used this method. A methodical Chinaman would throw a spadeful of commercial fertiliser at regular intervals into an irrigation .ditch that was watering sugar cane. It was rather crude, but worked surprisingly well. Helped along by scientists. Western farmers have originated devices that enrefu lly measure and distribute the exact amount of commercial nitrogen ' l or! Hiser into irrigation ditches. One 1 concern has recently bottled ammonia ’ gas (So per cent, nitrogen) in steel'

r cylinders. The gas is bubbled from 3 the cylinders into the water. With this new method, hauling and 3 spreading are eliminated. Fertiliser ■ can be applied at any time during the ■ growing season, which is not possible 3 when broadcasting. This assures a - source of nitrogen at. the time the ■ crop most needs it. This new method has worked out! 1 particularly well on row crops where j a. large amount of nitrogen is wanted | * at a certain stage of plant growth. For ■ instance, large supplies of nitrogen ’.have been found undesirable for let- - luce during its early stage of growth: but. by applying nitrogen later at just, the proper time, a superior quality ofi ’ lettuce head has been developed. [ Commercial nitrogen (such as calcium nitrate and ammonia sulphate.) are being used in much the same way as the ammonia gas. Sonic growers mix it in a tank and let the concentrated solution drip into the irrigation water; some scatter the material p

in irrigation furrows; others- simply slash open a bag and hold it in the irrigation ditch until all the material has been dissolved.