FARMING NOTES.

Grey River Argus, 25 July 1922, Page 6

FARMING NOTES.

Amongst sound business men the c-pinion prevails that land values, like merchandise values, must be written down lo their proper level, and this canmil be done until the moratorium is lifted. The process of re-adjust-ments and re-construction will fall hard on some individuals, as all readjustments invariably do, but in the general interest, the readjustment is necessary and desirable. Well-bred animals are smaller feeders in comparison with coarser bred sorts. With a liner and more closely knit frame, and currying plenty of natural condition, their appetites are smaller and their consumption of food much less than is the case with animals of big, raw frames, bony and muscular, and with no natural flesh. Dairy farmers will be interested to know that dairy cows are bringing tall prices in England. The latest advices show’ that milch cows were making £57 in Northallerton, £57 15/- in Stockton, and £56 in Wakefield and Worksop, [store (-attie sold slowly owing to the drought. Best beasts made £44 to £46. It is a fact that fully 80 per cent of the butter exported leaves the Dominion on consignment, the consignee making substantial advances against shipment. This is undoubtedly a bad system, for the interest of the consignee is to obtain a quick sale, so that he may recover his advance as early as possible, and a quick sale does not mccssarily mean a sale to best advantage. Bran is one of the very best foods for dairy cattle. It combines many virtues for which it is difficult to substitute other feeds. Bran is bulky, being composed of the outer kernels of wheat. It is extremely palatable, and because of this palatability and bulkiness it has a cooling and slightly laxative effect on the system. A little bran placed into lukewarm water acts as a. line tonic and conditioner soon after freshening. “The milk of a cow will vary in test somewhat from day to day, and it may occasionally show a rather wide variation; but, take it all in all, a cow that shows a test of 4 per cent over a given period of time, is very likely to maintain this same percentage throughout the entire year, except as the test will, of course, vary according to the advance in lactation. “The general tendency of all cows is to test practically the same from the time of their first, freshening to their mature age, although there seems to be a tendency for a slight decrease after the third milking period. Tho daily variations in tests are constant, and may be quite striking, but tho average for the year varies slightly with most cows. There are certain cows, of course, to whom this general rule will not apply, but in speaking of large numbers it will work out as stated. Professor Ecklcs has made some very extensive investigations along this line. He tolls us that judgment of future milk production of a heifer is not always safe, but the percentage of fat shown in her heifer form may reasonably be considered her fat test in future years. In other words, a 2 per (.'ent heifer is a 2 per cent cow for life, and a 4 per cent heifer is a 4 per cent, cow for life.” A question of general concern to farmers is, whether something now' cannot be done to prevent the sale of culls and known inferior or unsuitable cows, and the foisting upon the public of these animals as dairy stock. It has been suggested by various bodies of farmers that such animals should be branded: and certainly there is sound argument for such action, tor it would at any rate prevent them be-i ing bought under the impression that: they were dairying animals; and it I might be asked if any man has the right legally or morally to sell an animal fur a specific purpose which lie well knows is unsuitable for that purpose. Farmers dislike compulsion, and yet compulsion has benefited every branch of their industry. It was compulsory dipping which wiped out sheep-scab in New Zealand and saved the country millions of pounds. It is compulsory dipping which is guarding the herds ol certain districts against the spread of cattle tick. The dairying regulations in some respects are quite stringent, and right at the end of these regulations is compulsory grading, which is accepted quite willingly by every dairy farmer in th-e Dominion.