FARM and DAIRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 26 July 1924, Page 9

FARM and DAIRY

NOTES BY THE WAY. The formation of a useful institution was noted in the' annual report of the Stratford Jersey Cattle Club when it stated that among movements initiated during the year was the inception of the Taranaki Provincial Council, which met from time to time, and was the means of securing uniformity of action amoungst the different club s in Taranaki and generally stimulated interest in the breed* The report adds that the club’s visit to Stratford demonstration farm might now be looked upon as an annual event, and it was hoped members would realise more and more its great benefit to all farmers in the district, and that as many members as possible .would attend the field day on future occasions. The president stressed the valuable information to be secured by even the. most experienced. A point which has created much discussion amongst Jersev-men was mentioned by the president in his remarks on the report. He said that recently he had spoken to the demonstrator (Mr. H. E. B. Watson), seeking that gentleman’s opinion upon the Jersey type, and more especially his views of the ideal Jersey cow of the future. Members would remember that Mr. Watson had suggested that they, as breeders, should aim at the 10001 b. cow. A good deal of misunderstanding had arisen from this remark, but Mr. Watson had cleared the point by saying he meant IOOOIh should be the live weight of his ideal of a Jersey cow. By this he intended that breeders should try to produce animals of larger frames, but still retaining fineness' of bone. They would thus be departing from the tendency, to breed small, pretty animals, and would encourage the rearing of animals whose frame and constitution was such that they would be possessed of greater capacity for milk production. Speaking in response to the toast of the Agricultural Department, at Stratford last Tuesday, Mr. Cook regretted very much the poor response to the enrolment in the classes for the Earm School, and said that they had spoilt the chances of having the School in Stratford next' year. He added that the department went to a lot of trouble and expense to get the officers to Stratford to lecture, and the least the farmers could do was to encourage them by their presence and support. When speaking at the meeting of dairy factory delegates on Monday, Mr, Turner paid an eloquent tribute to the good work of the late Mr. T. L. Joll in the early days of the The company that holds his name owed a lot to his far-sighted vision and to his energy and enterprise. Dealing with a trouble that had arisen in connection with one vat at his factory a director from Whenuakura said that the manager had traced the difficulty to one form where, in one paddock heavy liming had been carried out and the cow r s had taken this up with the grass.

FEEDING HAY TO CATTLE. The best way to feed hay to cattle is to cart it into the paddocks, and to distribute it in small heaps, a small forkful in each heap, leaving about six yards between them. Each day a fresh track can be chosen on which to lay the trail of hay, and so -avoid poaching the surface of any particular part, of the paddock. If this idea is earned out, the stronger cattle will follow the dray until the last forkful is out, and the weaker will be seen to be contentedly eating the hay that eyas put off first. It is not advisable 'to graze the yearlings with the older cattle, for they will require better treatment and more frequent changes of pasture. The future development of the young cattle will depend to a great extent on how. they are brought through their first winter. Presentday values do not allow for any expensive rations, so the best thing to do is to make the most use of the roots and hay that are available, and to give as frequent changes of pasture as possible.

BOYS’ AND GIBLS’ CLUBS. NORTH TARANAKI. . The plot competitions are just as popular in the North as the South, and create a very great deal of healthy emulation amongst the youngsters. The "results of the championship are now completed and these show many interesting features. In mangolds the "best figures were scored by Tom Graham (Waitara), 188 J points, and for best kept plot three McKenzie children, of Motunui, were equal and divided the prize. The group winners were as follow: No. I—M. Honeyfield (Tataraimaka), 102 tons; F. Larsen (Okato), 90 tons. No. 2 —K. Parkin (Fitzroy), 83 tons; M. Hall (Fitzroy), 70 tons. No 3—E. O’Byrne (Fgmont Village), 88 tons; G. Olsen (Fgmont Village). 64 tons. No. 4 —T. Graham (Waitara), 108 tons; A. Phillips (Mimi), 78 tons. In carrots M. Rowan (Fgmont Village) secured the championship with 126 points. The group winners were: No. I—B.1 —B. Seamark (Omata), 341tons; J. Baylev (Omata), 30 tons. No. 2 —A. Upson (Hillsborough), 37 tons; F. Upson (Hillsborough), 35 tons. No. 3—M. Rowan (Fgmont Village), 46 tons; D. Blanchard (Tariki), 34 tons. No. 4—F. Topine (Waiau), 29 tons, P. O’Hanlon (Mimi), 30 tons, CREAM GRADING. CA.NADI AN ; REG ULIATIONS. The following excerpts from the Alberta (Canada) Dairymen’s Act and the regulations issued thereunder will be of interest to the New Zealand dairy farmer:—■ “The Minister may issue licenses to creameries, cream stations, and cheese factories, and to graders and testers of milk and cream in such form and for such term and subject to such conditions and the payment of such fees as may be provided from time to time by regulations approved by Order in Council and published in The Alberta Gazette. No creamery, cream station or cheese factory shall carry on business without a license under this Act, after the expiration of one month after the regulations mentioned in the preceding sub-section have heeii duly approved and published, and every creamery, station or cheese factory shall take out from time to time, renew and keep in lull force and effect a. license under this Act.” Extract from ReguT/ttions. ‘‘The following grade standards and descriptions of cream shall be effective

on and from the date hereof, and such grade standards and descriptions shall be the only grade standards and descriptions .applied, or advertised, or otherwise held out to be applied in grading cream at or through any creamery, and a copy of these regulations shall he .posted in plain view in the grading room of every creamery operating in Alberta. (a) Table Cream.—This grade shall include any lot of sweet, clean-Havour-ed non-frozen cream bought for resale for household use and which is produced under conditions that comply with the special requirements of the municipality in which it is to be sold for consumption. The acidity of cream in this grade shall be not- more than twenty one-hundredths of one per cent (.20, per cent) at the time of grading. The term “table cream” may be supplemented by the trade terms “inspected” or “extra special,'’ as the initial purchaser may in eacli ease uniformly adopt. (b) Special Grade.—This grade shall include any lot of cream which is clean in flavour,, of uniform consistency and fit for making into special grade butter. The acidity of cream m this grade shall not be more than thirty one-hundreds (.30 per cent) of one per cent at the time of being graded at the creamery where it is to be manufactured into butter.

(c) First Grade.—This grade shall include any lot of cream which i.s reasonably clean in flavoir, of uniform consistency and fit for making into butter of this grade. The acidity of cream in this grade shall not be more than sixty one-hundredths of one per cent (.60 per cent) at the time of being graded at the creamery where it is to be manufactured into butter. (d) Second Grade.—This grade shall include any lot of cream, that does not meet the requirement's specified for the next higher grade; such as cream which is bitter, stale, musty, metallic or otherwise: unclean in flavour. (e) Off Grade.—'This grade shall include any lot of cream with a very objectionable odour or flavour, such a*s keiosene, gasoline, stinkwood, onions, or such other flavours as may render cream unfit for making into second grade butter.”

Every licensee under sub-section 9 of section 43 of this Act shall pay a premium of not less than two (2) cents per pound butter-fat for special grade cream over first- grade cream, and shall pay a premium of not less than three (3) cents per pound butter-fat for first grade cream over second grade cream, and shall pay a. premium of not less than five (5) cents per pound butterfat for second grade cream over off grade cream.” THE ESSENTIALS OF THE DAIRY FARM. These may be laid down as the man and the cow. The man first, the cow second. Unless the man realises very completely that he must study the animals under his control they will not respond to the limit of their capacity, and he must be willing, to piovide them with the proper care and correct feeding. He must not only give them the grazing of a pasture; he must see that the herbage consists of a variety of nutritious grasses, that when this fads supplementary food is supplied, and all Ins thoughts must be directed to the-well-being of the herd. The man who will devote himself to the well-being of the cow is the one who will select the cattle of the highest capacity, he will avail himself of the opportunity that the system of herdtesting offers, to enable him to select the profitable from the unprofitable, lie will also have estimated the capacity of his farm to maintain the number of cattle that he may keep well fed and to the limit of their production.

The cow that will respond to this caretul management and liberal feeding will be of the breed to which the conditions of the farm are the most suitable. There will be no questions that the individual animal has been carefully selected. Actually the cow is the machine. It will be the machine that is most suitable for the ms "less and it will be maintained in the highest- state of efficiency. It E a fair comparison to make'. What would be thought of the manufacturer the machinery of his establishment to become inefficient from the lack of fuel to supply the motive force of his engine? Or what would be the position in these days of competition if the working capacity be limited. This i.s actually the position on very many of the dairy farms of this country. It cannot''he disguised that our dairy stock is far from consisting of cows of great capacity. It is possible that until the value of the farm and the true prosperity of the owner be estimated by the buttertat yield, and no longer by the number ol . milking cows that are allowed to exist upon it, we may not witness any great advance in the butter-fat pmduction of the average dairy cow in the Dominion. The yield is accepted bv the authorities on the statistics of the country as about 1701 b. It ia an average that is simply deplorable, .and in a country with so genial a climate ami so fertile a sod this should be impossible.

We should it is accepted, ouite anticipate that the average production of the dairy cow will be increased when the \alue of the productive cow L re-ahsed. We may also remember T V S n °r- eXai nple more powertul than that of success, and that is before us every dav. in the records that are so constantly receiving publication in these columns. There u-p may not fail to read of the advantages iri . production in herds of purebred dain- c-att.e, .and we see, what is of Sm " r °r ate i ! m P ortanee - the 'splendid Jields of whole herds of dairy stock !p " oi a f that the elimination of the inferior animal by the svstem of herd-testing is the solo ftSor ill this improvement. It- would be of •small avail unless those better cows are well managed and correctly as well as liberally fed. ‘ 1

tfm Vp V i'° W '? V ? r '- feel ass hred that the Aey Zealand dairy farmer will not lost until his herd is one of highlvproductive cattle that those cattle will be correctly and generously fed. and that the average production win he tlie envy of other countries.

DAIRY OUTPUT. NEED OF REDUCING PRODUCING COSTS. INTER ESTTNG' SUGG ESTIONs. | In his address to the N.D.A. annual j meeting ,in "(Auckliand. The president | (Mr. A. Morton) sounded a note of j warning as to the probable fall of j pnees to pre-war levels, and the need . therefore .of taking steps to ‘‘set our house in order to meet the fall.” The

obvious remedy, and one which has been stressed in these columns by several writers, and on more than one occasion, is to reduce the percentage cost- of production. In a letter sent out by Mr. G. Finn, of Auckland, the writer stresses this point, and says it must be done either by actually reducing the outlay on requisites, wages, etc., which is not likely to be brought about, or by lowering this percentage by increasing production. He adds his endorsement of the view SO' generally held that herds must be improved and their capacity increased by better feeding, and then makes a valuable suggestion to help the dairy farmjer tin .his! work, especially file smaller farmers, through the medium of the co-operative company by getting assistance in labour and supply of horses and implements.. He then continues, and this is the most interesting and valuable portion of his letter:

“Oloisely allied to co-operation J,u manufacture of the dairy produce, is the question of the production of the milk; and to increase efficiency in this production and cheapen the cost, it is suggested that the scope of the dairy companies’ operations should be enlarged to embrace a form of farm service which in effect would provide at the lowest cost to farmers in need of the service, ploughing and sowing of fields and those portions of farm work so necessary in the attainment of maximum production, and so readily neglected, in the stress of the routine of the milking of the cows. It is in the fall of the season that the farmer, who has been unable for various reasons to provide the five-acre field of fodder, feels the pinch and loses the difference between a fair and a good return- from his farm. Tf a, farmer can just make ends meet with a nm Auction of, say, 10,001) lbs of butterfat per vear, every additional lOOlbs ner vear. he can produce is clear profit, for the cost of its production is infinitesimal—he has got it- from the same cows more generously fed and eared for. “We believe that the suggestion outlined is worthy of careful consideration bv dairy factory directorates, and that the adoption of the scheme in its present or some similar form will surelv come to uass.

“The suggestion here mentioned of the farm service could be given effect to bv the daily company engaging the suitable farm workers and providing the necessary team or tractor and implements. and arranging for the allocation of the work from day to dav. Tt : U- obvious that expert men could readily be obtained to- carry out the work, if the conditions were made sufficiently attractive bv the provision of bousing accommodation. permanent employment and -adequate pav. The farmer would, of course, pay for the sendee, and the scheme would he selfsupporting. The justification for the dairy company providing the service is the security afforded bv maintainin o, and increasing the supply to the fac” torv, which is vital to its continued existence.”

TABLELANDS DAIRYING. The Department of Agriculture has set out to demonstrate at the Glen Tunes Experiment Farm that dairying can he carried on the year round on the northern tableland. To keep up production, of course, involves the laying down of pastures, the growing of fodder crops, and systematic feeding. Whether it will pay to do so remains to be seen, even though we know that Northern Hemisphere countries do it. Dairying is engaged in on New England- at altitudes rising to over 4000 feet under a- severe winter climate. But it is not snow-bound, and the stalling of. the cows is rare. Some of the dairymen maintain an attenuated cream .supply throughout the winter, but it is not sufficient to keep the factory staff regularly employed. The department runs an Ayrshire herd at Glen Lines farm, and has proved that, despite the climate, consistently high production is possible with this hardy breed. An eight-year-old cow. Miss Dot. has recently completed 365 days official test for 19,265 lb milk, 4 per cent., test, fnd 778 lb butter-fat. This is close up to the Australian record for th° breed, which stands at 19,761 lb milk, 4 per cent test, and 782 lb butter-fat, which probably would have been exceeded by Miss Dot had -she not contracted mammitis in the last sub-period of her test. In addition to pasture the cow was hand fed right through, beginning in July with 401 b ■silage ami chaff and 101 b of concentrates da-ilv, and varied to 10 to 121 b hav and chaff and 16 to 201 b concentrates. GRAZIERS AND LUCERNE. One of the. crops that this country does not overproduce is lucerne. There is no such thing as seeking an export market for surplus lucerne hay. And yet no one. claims that the areas suitable for its growth commercially have been exhausted, or that the opportunities for its profitable production have been fully exploited. Every drought, partial or general, finds lucerne bav soaring to famine- prices, with never enough to meet the demand. The value of lucerne in sheep feeding, either in the green or as an insurance in hay against the dry time, is gradually making stronger appeal to the gtaziet. Along the Lachlan, from Cowra to Oondobolin, for instance, lucerne growing has rapidly extended m the last few years, practically all with sheep-feedmg and drought" reserves in view; At the time of Dr. El wood Mead’s visit- last- year a proposition was put forward by the Government- for developing and" settling a large section of the remaining portion of the Murruinbidgee irrigation areas for lucerne growing, under a guarantee from the associated graziers to purc lase the hay at a fixed minimum price. There was some enthusiasm over the idea- at the time, because the memory of the last drought was fresh in mind. Tt has all died out. and there is nothing doing. These schemes look well on paper, when all the eventualities which the practical mind sees are not- considered. The day of the organised fodder growing and "conservation scheme i.s not yet Still there- is plenty of room for individual enterprise.

FROZEN MUTTON TRADE. The frozen mutton and lamb trade, vud a .speaker at a big sheep function m Sydney recently, wa s only in its ill.anew Although merino sheen were cl J a,aable -. there were areas in the > tate that invited the co-operation of wool and sheen growing and other branches of agriculture, and to get the best results other breeds of sheep were required. The crossbred had sprung into prominence as being the best scavenger and giver of quicker return, ft did not require Government interference or tampering to achieve success in this direction His advice was to go on with the good work. The more they were left alone the better the results that wryald he achieved. New Zealand had given them a lead in this duection, and New Zealand lambs enmved a reputation, hut they could not produce better lambs than Australia.

The quality of the lambs was quite as good in Australia, ami the only thing that was necessary was to put a stop to wasteful methods. When they discovered that there was a, demand for a certain type of lamb they should face the task of supplying this demand, instead of persisting in other methods. During 1912 the value of the frozen mutton and lamb exported from the State was £.550,557, while 10 years later it had increased to £1,659.327, so that they were making rapid progress, but he was of the opinion that there would be a tremendous increase in the near future.

Mr Chaffey said they could be perfectly optimistic and, enthusiastic regarding the future. Other countries were endeavouring to increase their flocks in order to take advantage of the shortage of sheep and the high markets. South Africa, France, and other countries were paying more attention to their sheen than they had ever done. He was of the opinion that the shortage of wool and cotton was a good augury for this season, and for some considerable time in the future, provided they saved their sheep by the better conservation of fodder and water. They should take cave that the disasters of the past were not repeated. It was regrettable that the distribution of new blood had been interrupted by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in England, because it was essential if adequate returns were to be obtained from the science of sheep raising. He congratulated the breeders on the manner in which they were building up a great industry, and said that Australia was riding to prosperity on the hack of the sheep. A FINE JULY. RAIN WANTED BY FARMERS. * As far as weather is concerned July is generally one of the worst months of the year in Canterbury. So far this month the weather ha s been unusfially fine. Some very severe frosts have been experienced, but very little rain has fallen. City folk have appreciated the weather-this month, and have been congratulating themselves on getting through the winter so well. Farmers, however, are apprehensive that the unusually fine weather this July will be followed either by heavy rain in thfe spring, when they wish to do their sowing, or by a dry spring and summer. Plenty of rain in July is welcomed by the farming community. There is not much farm work this month that rain can interrupt, for the bulk of the ploughing and -winter sowing is done and it is too early for the spring sowing. A good fall of snow is also desirable in July, for, though it may do some damage and cause losses amongst stock, it results in water being stored in the sub-soil that is invaluable later on in the year. Snow also kills many pests, though the hard frosts experienced this winter will have assisted in this direction. Of course the fine weather experienced this month lias been beneficial to stock, which so far has come through the winter well. Before the winter set in farmers were doubtful as to how their stock would fare on account of the threatened shortage ,of winter feed. Thanks, however, to the weather, the stock has done well. Still, some good rainfalls before the time for sowing would be appreciated by most farmers. CURING OF HIDES. Mr. W. Lyndon, Auroa, supplies the following, based on his own experience: 1. One tin of burnt (slaked) lime to three tins of water. Do not put the hide in till the heat has gone out of the mixture. Leave the hide in till the hair comes off, about four days. Then remove the hair and fat and meat which is on the hide.

2, One tin of bran to three ting of water. Leave the hide in the mixture four days and repeat four times. , 3; 11b of alum, one cup of sulphuric acid (which can be obtained from any dairy factory),, to three tins of water. Dissolve the alum first, then add the water, and lastly the sulphuric acid. Leave the hide in from three to four days. 4. Salt brine that will float a potato. Leave the hide in from three ato four days. Rinse out in clean water, then hagn out to dry. CARRIAGE OF LIME. At the last Fanners Union executive meeting in Hawera Mr. J ; Forbes referred to carriage of lime on the railways, which was given free for a hundred miles. He said' th-at Unfortunately Taranaki, which most needed lime, was far from the lime-producing districts, and farmers had to pay a considerable amount for their requirements. He suggested that the better way would be to make all users pay a little, and so the Department would get more revenue. He said that lime had been freely used on his land for forty years, and the results were wonderfully good. It was unfortunate that in Wairarapa, where land values were comparatively low, lime was readily accessible, while in Taranaki, where farmers were bled by high values, they had to pay 28s to 30s per ton for lime. On his motion a remit was sent forward to the Dominion Conference suggesting that the question of carriage of lime should be reviewed, so as to adjust the cost to districts where it was extensively used, being brought from districts where application of lime was not necessary. IMPROVEMENT OF DAIRY HERDS. INTERESTING REMARKS (Notes on Paper by Mr. H. C. Johnson.) It lias always been the custom for the Stratford Jersey breeders at their annual smoke concert to have amongst the toasts a short paper read by some member on a subject of interest to the breed.

This year Mr, H. O. Johnson, of the Technical High School, agreed to speak, and he chose a subject of great value in that of the improvement of dairy herds, giving in the course of his remarks many valuable hints and suggestions to dairy farmers. He drew attention to the fact that on one-tenth of the area of the Dominion there were a million and a half dairy cattle, and it was the job of the dairy farmer to make it carry more hv better pastures, intensive cultivation, and generally improved conditions. Then they must also see that improvements are made in the product of the herds, and this could be brought about largely by supporting better and cleaner milk. There was also, he said, room for reforms in marketing, but the point on which he wished to dwell was the improvement in the herds, firstly bv better feeding, so that thev could have a surplus of food beyond that required for their physical development—sustenance, flesh forming, and energy growing—which they would turn into milk. It was essential to get in the food supplied a proper eeonomiq ratio, so that the animals would give the best returns, and this had been worked out by practical scientific men. A well-balanced pasture, would give the ideal ratio. If cows were well fed throughout the season they would winter well and come

in fit to stand the strain of that difficult time. Generally speaking, the flush in this dairying district was in September, and that was when the value would be realised of proper and ample feeding Mr. Johnson said he assumed that every breeder had in his mind’s eye his ideal animal. It was a difficult process to build up a- herd, and the problem would be for the breeder to get always the type most suitable and fitted to work up to that ideal. He deprecated strongly the use of the scrub bull, without authentic records and performances, and said the breeder who used such an animal was gambling with all the laws of nature, and thus had the odds strongly against him. If,, on the other hand," he used a pedigree sire he was certain to get good heifers, and would thus be able to continue line-breeding. He strongly urged that real culls should be put out altogether, and not sent to the yards, where they would be bought by less experienced farmers, and so no improvement effected in the breed. If cows were used with a well-defined line-breeding, and this was persevered in earnestly, they would improve production and keep the* Jersey on the pinanc-le of fame which she has reached, and so also beep up the best ideals of the breed. STUD SHEEP SALES. RECORD PRICE, 3050 GUINEAS. What is certainly a record price for a ram sold from the auction platform in Australasia, and possibly in the world, was realised last week at the Australian Mercantile, Land, and Finance Company’s stud ram sale at Pyrmont. It was entered as one of three special stud rams by the Austin Wanga_ nella Company, Ltd., and was described in the catalogue as “one special stud ram, age 2 years, sire 9.1, dam specially selected, labelled double stud ewe. Shorn July, 1923.” Bidding started at 800 guineas, several flockmasters trying to catch the auctioneer’s eye, and rising by 100 guineas at a time, it went on until 2200 guineas was reached. By this time only three were left, and the third dropped out, leaving the contest between Mr. McLarty, of Bundrue station, and Mr. J F. McNab, a well-known sheep expert ‘in the Riverl ina. At 2900 guineas the 10Q guinea rises stopped, and 50 guineas were accepted by the auctioneer until Mr. McNab gave the winding number. The ram was bought for the owners of Barratta station, Deniliquin, on the advice of Mr. McNab. Austin Wanganella station’s record as a seller of sheep is interesting, and the auctioneer stated that in 1919, 1920, and 1921 they topped the record in the Sydney sales. Another ram from the same stud reached 1000 guineas. He was not entered in the highest class, hut was a splendid animal. Two ram s from the great breeder F. S. Falkiner realised 1600 guineas and 1000 guineas respectively.