FARM and DAIRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 10 January 1925, Page 11

FARM and DAIRY

NOTES BY THE WAY. Pur-e water for dairy cows, and lots of it, is essential. A recent report of one otf the cow-testing associations m America shows that one of its members found that his eight cows increased 30 lbs of milk chilly, or 900 lbs a month, or better than a pound ol fat a clay, after he installed drinking troughs. The increased returns for fat for the first month amounted to about £3 10s. Hundreds of instances of this character, it is stated, could be cited to show the value of giving the cow all the water she needs.

Agricultural Co-operation in the Empire was the principal subject at a series of meetings held during tlje Wembley Exhibition time and attended by delegates from most of the Dominions', including New Zealand. A plea was made by the Australian High Commissioner to get more into the British market when he said, “we do not want to supply any of the things yon can supply for yourselves, but- frankly we would like to see a little less of the ‘Best Danish’ and ‘Best Dutch’ and a little more ‘Best Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand.’ It would do you no harm to take some of the present labels out of your shop windows and put in some of ours.”

A few miles to the east of the Messines Ridge there is a considerable body of Belgian small farmers, who are enthusiastic breeders of dairy Shorthorns. Before the war they knew few breeds of dairy cattle apart from their own red Flemish, and Furnes-Ambacht and the Dutch, but since the roan-and-white English breed has been introduced through the generosity of English farmers it has been taken up, and there are now a number of breeding clubs that can display stock capable of yielding as well as the English-bred animals.

Although, as the Lord Chief Justice pointed out, the formula “as it came from the cow” had come to be regarded in recent years as of almost sacramental efficiency in cases relating to the adulteration of milk, a, Divisional Court over'which he presided sent, back for further consideration a case in which the Southampton county justices had ruled out evidence which a prosecutor desired to bring with regard to analysis of other samples of milk.

Importers of honey will be pleased to learn that, as a result of the poLl recently taken, the Honey Export Control Act is now established. The next step will be the election of the producers of two representatives to the Honey Export Control Board. This election, which will he taken by post, will close at noon on January 27, and the producers may have the opportunity of nominating candidates.

A correspondent of the Christchurch Press states that the recent demolition of an oat stack in Rnaptina dispossessed no fewer than .between 25 to 30 young stoats. It is believed all were killed, the parents escaping by taking refuge in adjoining stone heap. How the animals live is a matter for conjecture, as no rabbits are to. l>e found in any number within two miles of the stack.. A lamer „iu , the..neighbourhood who lost in one night 47 choice pullets volunteers a few strong opinions which he thinks must help to solve the problem.

A Kenningtoii resident, Mr. W. Swale, is the owner of a remarkable dog, a. three-year-old pointer (says the Southland Times). lhe canine is an expert at catching eels from the \Vaihopai River, and has already a total of about 40 “kills” to his credit this season. In the experimental stages Ins modus operandi was to seize an eel near the head, but as this entailed a good deal of discomfort through the thrashing of slime and water by his victim, lie has now got the means of capture down to a fine art, and drags his prey ashore by the tail, then proceeds to give the quietus to. his “take” and carries the body carefully to his owner’s residence.

“The natural beauty of the holiday advantages of this country have been well impressed on many Englishmen,” stated a New Zealander who returned to- Auckland -by the Ruapehu recently, after visiting the Exhibition (reports the Auckland Herald). “I know that I am only one of many who have tried to do a little in the publicity line. The Englishmen seemed to he particularly keen to learn all they could about the fishing, and I know at least three sportsmen have expressed their intention of coming to New Zealand to indulge in this sport at the earliest opportunity. The New Zealander thought that in normal tin>es New Zealand lacked sufficient ..publicity abroad. “I feel sure,’’ lie said, “that if a publicity campaign were organised on a proper scale the money spent would be more than repaid. All the Englishmen I met were obviously keen to learn all they could about the dominion. The personal contact bv New Zealand visiters and English people during the Exhibition did an incalculable ampunt of good % and 1 1 think~I am right in saying that the tourist traffic next year will show an appreciable increase.”

Mr. A. M. Montgomery, the wellknown Scottisli stud-master, lias sold for export to Canada the Clydesdale horse Silver Signet, bred by Mr. Janies Cruickshank, by Signet, and out ol the Girva.ii Chief mare Doreen.

Tn the Scottisli Farmer. Sir Maynard Hedstrom, Commissioner of Fiji, indicates the rapidity with which the dairying industry inis advanced since the war. A dairy settlement scheme was instituted for returned soldiers, on 8,000 acres of first-class virgin land. Cattle were imported form New Zealand and from Australia, an expert instructor was engaged, and an up-to-date' butter-factory erected. Two- other 1 arge dairy concerns are now in operation in Fiji, and the butter turned out is first-class quality.

The. efficacy of milk recording, states Scottish Farmer, is shown by the fact that of the' 30,000 cows tested- under the Scottish Milk Records’ Association, 394 per cent, were in class I. in 1914, and 65 per cent, were in the same class in 1923. The average yield of all cows in Scotland is 4,7001 b., but that of record cows is 6,7301 b. Major Dudgeon, whose Avrshires scored, so handsomely at the London Dairy Show, has in nine years seen his returns creep up from 5,0001 b. milk to B,ooolb. milk to the cow, which he attributes to milk recording.

The English Jersey Cattle Society’s annual show and sale washehl earty in November. The enp for best animal was won by E. A. Strauss’s Gipsy Amira, the hull Penshnrst Yellow Price being second. The top price. 70 guineas, was paid for Mistress Lace, a prize winner in Mr. Bruce “Ward’s herd. The average for 50 head was £36 15s lOd.

The Glasgow Corporation purpose holding a second Scottisli Dairy Show which promises to prove a healthy rival to the London Dairy Show. Classes are provided for cattle, pigs, goats, milking contests, butter and butter-making, cheese and cheese-making, bacon, ham and lard, milk inventions, etc. Factory managers in Australia should consider the advisability (if competing at this show, which takes place in November.

DAIRY PRODUCE. A CHEESE YEAR. Close observation over a period of years, the conditions ruling m the advice of men of experience, 'all point to the wisdom of the endeavour to make New Zealand, as the years pass, more and more a cheese country. Years ago when the conditions were progressive and all on the up-grade, the potfey was adopted of dual plants' a-rul many factories installed them, some having to strain their resources to effect the addition. The opinion lias been expressed by far-seeing men that the addition lias not been altogether good and wise. However, the plants came in and have been used in due | succession. Only one factory in Taranaki it is understood, lias, held to one output and stuck to butter throughout. ’Hie tendency is—and this men of knowledge and experience encourage—to use the cheese plant more and more. One ! man of wide and long experience advises the making of butter till, say, the middle of October, and then the continuance of cheese making until March 31. Basing the last year or two on this policy and averaging received, he states that factories adopting it would be a head of those holding off cheese making until later than October. From the farmers’ point of view too, he adds, there is another advantage, for the butter from April onwards would be available for local consumption, and there would he skim milk for pigs afid calves. _ Comparing this year with last, it is interesting to note that right until the end of January both cheese and butter prices held, with the exception of one week towards the end of December, with a steady demand. This wa s maintained until the. second week in February. The supplies of butter in the world’s markets show ’a very considerable increase on last year. Cheese on the other hand shows a falling off of about 10 per cent, or about To per cent., looking back two vea-rs. .Statistics show that Australia is making three times as much butter tis lastyear, and is exporting twice as much.

WOOL MARKET. A LOCAL FARMER.’S EXPERIENCE. There have been many cases in which farmers have had varied experiences in connection with the disposal of clips. Some have been good, some adverse. A fanner from out east from Hawera, said he had sold two years’ clip at 2'd. He' was offered last- year lid, but decided to show his faith in his opinion a rise was coining, by holding qn. As will be seen he secured double last year’s figure.

SCOTTISH HERDS

TWO DISPERSAL SALES. British Friesian cattle are still in active demand in Scotland. It is not often that a whole herd is dispersed, but sometimes circumstances do arise which make this imperative. A choice herd built up at Hatterick. Bridge of Weir. Renfrewshire, by Messrs John and David Brewster has had to be sold because the owners failed to secure a fresh lease of their farm. It was well stocked, but the animals were not specially prepared for sale purposes. At any rate, 37 cows had the creditable average of £47 Is, with a fop price of Oogns, which" goes to show how level the animals must have been in merit. Ten two-year-old heifers averaged £4B 12s 4d, and in this case the highest price was loOgns, given for

ono-of imported blood for the mixed herd-at the West of (Scotland College \ Farm at Kilmarnock. The 23 yeaning *■ heifers sold averaged £34 4s Jd, with a ■ toil figure of 98gns paid by Messrs AY. and K. Wallace, the well-known Eng- , lish breeders. Twelve heifer calves had an •' average of £l9 19s Bd. The imported bull Melford Zeppelin, of pure Holland blood, now .10 years- old real's ised 120gns. Sometimes British breeders • "o to extraordinary lengths (says a‘Scottish writer) to secure an animal of. pure imported blood, be it from Holland' or South Africa. The well-known milk record herd o Ayrshire cattle, established a good many.-veal's ago by Dr. C. M. Douglas, . of ’Archlochan, Lesmahagon, Darnarkshire, has been sold off by Ins widow. ' All along the herd has been developed on up-to-date lines. For many years it has been tuberculin tested, and only those animals which came through the ordeal satisfactorily were kept tor breeding purposes. Trade was remark’ably good for the cattle, which were brought out in natural condition, without being forced in any way Ihe 44 cows and heifers averaged £39 4s btl. Viscount Novar claimed two best animals at- £IOO each. In the case it was a cow, Archlochan Phyllis, a. particularly handsome daughter of Archlochan Goldfinch, out of Archlochan Patience. Phyllis is a grand model of a , cow with all the appearance of being a oood milker. In the second instance . Lord Novar got the two-year-old heifer Archlochan Silver by Dunlop Oystercatcher out or Archlochan Swanny, the - milk record of the latter being 1361 ‘ gallons -at 3.75 per cent, butter-fat m 55 weeks. This is a handsome heifer * which chn hardly fail to turn out a first- ~ -elass dairy cow. Other females went as high as £7O. Six hulls averaged £ls ‘ ISs 4d. and six heifer calves averaged £ls 13s 4d, the average for 56 head sold being £34 11s lid. Mr John Drysdale, of Edinburgh, picked out some - extremely well-bred ones, which are almost certain to go to South Africa,, where his sons are so successful as breeders of beef and dairy cattle. The attractive cow Archlochan Lady passed fo him at £36. He got a couple cf dandv two-venf-old heifers —Archie chan Chrvstal at £54, and Archlochan Priscilla at £3l. The Ayrshire *' business in Scotland is looking up.

THE MEAT OUTPUT. It is of interest to note the movement of the figures in connection with mutton, lamb and beef in the various districts of the Dominion for the 12 months to September 30, 1924, and the comparison with the previous year. In the North Island, Auckland and Poverty Bay both show a substantial increase in cattle and decrease both in sheep and lambs. Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki and Wellington, on the other hand, provide tin increase which much more than balances the other decrease, except..; in .lambs, which showed a decrease of some thousands. Coming to the South Island, Marlborough alone shows a decrease all round, Southland an increase in sheep and a decrease in lambs and cattle, Otago an increased number of. sheep and cattle killed and a slight decrease’in lambs. On the other hand, Canterbury shows a very marked increase all round, cattle and sheep having more than doubled and lambs showing a material increase. The net result shows the position to he that, while in both islands the figures show a very large increase in sheep and cattle, there is actually .a small decrease in lambs for the North and a large increase in the South Island. For the year 1921-22 there was a very much larger number of lambs killed in the South Island, and a reduction in the number for the North Island. The figures are interesting and instructive, and seem to point to the need for prudence in the lamb business.. / AMERICAN TESTING. SOUND BUSINESS METHOD. We know of no institution which will contribute more to the progress of dairying than cow-testing associations. If every farmer in the United States were a member of a. cow-testing association we would soon find several millions of so-called dairy cows marching to the shambles. The cow-testing association would also bring to all dairy farmers the character of work they are doing with their cows and it would lead them to make calculations for determining whether they were doing profitable work or not. We have no single factor in darying capable of bringing so much to the dairy farmer as cow-testing associations. If we have any surplus dairy products at the present time they are being produced by cows that do not pay for the feed consumed. Cow-test-ing associations would find these rascals and would be profitable to the dairy farmers to locate them —Hoard’s Dairyman. POSSIBILITIES OF RHODESIA. RAKAIA FARMER’S IMPRESSIONS

Mr C. Rudd, of Somerton, Rakaia, has just returned home after an interesting trip of five months’ duration through i Rhodesia. Mr Rudd landed at Durban, the port of Natal, where a week’s celebrations were being held to commemorate the centenary of the town. At Pietermaritzburg, the capital, Mr Rudd attended the Royal Agricultural Show in June. He w?as impressed with the very fine show of merino sheep, but the display of long-woolled sheep did not compare favourably with New Zealand standards. After visiting the Victoria Falls and travelling up the Zambesi river, a trip was made to the World’s View at Matoppo Hills, where Ce n il Rhodes’ grave is carved out of the solid granite. The view here was most impressive. In many of the towns of Rhodesia there are statutes of the great pioneer, and invariably they are placed facing north, towards Cairo and the way of the iron road. Southern Rhodesia had iust received responsible Government, said Mr Rudd, and the first Parliament was then sitting. Mr Hatfield, late of Wanganui, < was one of the members of the new Parliament, and there was also one lady member. The franchise in Rhodesia was very comprehensive as far as the whites were concerned. Mr Rudd was struck with the fre- , tjuency and the respect with which New Zealand’s doings were quoted in many South African newspapers, while at the opening of the Rhodesian Parliament "the speeches' contained many eulogistic references to New Zealand’s legislation, its system of taxation, land policy and franchise. As an experienced farmer Mr Rudd took special note of the agricultural and pastoral! possibilities of the land. He travelled by rail for 87 miles through the Mazoe Valley. This district contained the richest farm land of the country, but. unfortunately, fever was prevalent in parts. There were great possibilities before the land, cotton especially was one crop which was being raised extensively. Several ex-New Zealanders, now Rhodesian farmers, were met with, and apparently were quite pleased with their prospects. After leaving Bulawayo, the southern capital, Mr Rudd visited Livingstone, the capital of Northern Rhodesia. Throughout the country game was plentiful, and he saw plenty

■wf buck and some crocodiles and “hippos.” As regards the security of human life and property, he thought Rhodesia, with its black population of nineteen-twentieths of the total population, offered as great, if not greater, security than the Australian cities of Sydney and Melbourne. On the journey back to New Zealand a visit was made to the wheat belt in Western Australia. There the methods of farming were quite different from those employed in Canterbury. Land was cheaper, and the practice of hare fallowing was followed. The average return was only 12 bushels to the acre, but with the methods of farming in vogue this was a paying proposition. In the handling of the grain for export manual labour was reduced to a minimum, electric elevators being employed extensively. The wheat belt had now been pushed to a point 150 miles further into the alleged desert than it hacl been thought wheat could be grown. At the. Adelaide show, held in September, Mr Rudd was again impressed with the fine showing of merino wool. There were also splendid displays of fat lambs and of farming implements. Asked as to the possibilities of his adopting a new homeland in the near future, Mr Rudd was reticent.

FEEDING MANGOLDS. APT TO BE OVERDONE. At the present time, both among practical farmers and others connected with the dairy industry, there is considerable discussion as to the value of roots in the ration of a dairy cow, ivrites Mr. W. Boutflour, Agricultural Officer of Wiltshire. There are oases of well-known agricultural scientists and successful dairy farmers who attach great importance to the feeding of roots, but, on the other hand, the writer now knows scores of farmers who put down the value of roots at very little, but who formerly were great believers in them. The question is: Who is right? Taking. Wiltshire as a whole, roots form a considerable item in the ration of the dairy cow, and to get thos% roots farmers go to a great deal of expense in manures and labour. The chief root grown is the mangold, and, speaking generally, quite good crops of them are grown in the country, with the result that a liberal ration of mangolds is very largely fed, very probably in the neigh.bofurh.ood of 56 pounds per day. In connection with this point, very few farmers realise how many manglods they feed. The mangold is undoubtedly of a very laxative nature and will soon cause the animal to scour. Let us try and picture what is happening in the cow’s digestive apparatus in a case of scour. In normal circumstances, as the food passes slowly along, the digestible nutrients of the food are absorbed through the walls of the intestines. In a case of scour, however, the food passes so quickly through that the digestible nutrients are not absorbed and the cowit is not getting its correct amount of nutriment. If large quantities of mangolds are fed, then the cows will soon become very loose, and, as a result, they will not turn i out the maximum amount of milk. \ On this 1 account alone the writer has ,in many cases recommended a Reduction, and in some cases a total withdrawal, of manglods from the rations of milking cows,, with the result that, in all cases there has been an increase in the yield of milk. This is a very startling discovery, because, for generations, the farmers of this country have been brought up to look upon mangolds as the salvation of the dairy farmer for winter feeding. To put it very briefly, and in‘plain simple English, the result of feeding mangolds in this country during winter has been to reduce the yield of milk. This has been especially moticeible on those farms where hay only and no straw is fed in the maintenance ration; in the case of the largely arable farm, where straw has to be fed, a reduction in the quantity of mangolds has given a bigger yield of milk. The writer, with his present data, is not. in a position to recommend that mangolds be omitted where large quantities of straw are being consumed, but he certainly would . recommed the feeding. of mere than 4G .to 50 pounds pea 1 day in any case. The fact that increased yields of milk have been obtained by a cutting out of the mangolds (and not replacing them bv other feeding stuffs) lias been demonstrated on many farms, comprising some hundreds of cows, and as this is so absolutely opposed to commonly held opinions, one is compelled to seek for the reason for this fact. Some explanation can be obtained on account of looseness, but a further explanation might be- on the ground of incomplete insalivation of the food. Before food can be of any use fo the animal it must be digested and absorbed through the wall of the stomach. In the matter of starchy foods of fibrous nature this is largely accomplished by the thorough grinding and mixing with the saliva in the mouth. During the process of mastication the food takes up a large amount of water due to its being mixed up with mangolds both before eating and also after in the first compartment of the stomach, then it is obvious that there is not going to he the same flow of saliva into the mouth and the consequent thorough absorption of saliva- by the foods whilst it is being chewed prior to passing further along the digestive apparatus. These explanations on the score of looseners and incomplete insalivation may he. to a certain extent, hypothetical, but the. fact remains that an increased yield of milk has been obtained hv the decrease cf elimitation of the* quantity of mangolds, so much so that many farmers who were formerly ardent believers in mangolds as a milk producer will next year he growing none at all or very little. On the herds where this has been done there are cows which are about the 1000 gallon mark in the first six months of this recording year, and in the case of one farmer, there wilL be, in consequence, a surplus of thirty tons of mangolds. The writer anticipates a considerable amount of disagreement on the question of the feeding value of mangolds, but, with the evidence already in his possession, he has no doubt in his cun mind that, on farms where hay.forms the major portion of the fodder, r an-

golds are very mucli over-rated and not an 1 economic proposition. Anyone on a hay farm, who has cows efficiently managed and fed according to yield and it is at all sceptical, should try a little experiment on his own either by halving the quantity of mangolds or withdrawing them altogether.

ONE TON CHEESES. There was rather an unusual and interesting spectacle in the, streets of the West End of London one afternoon this week. It will be remembered that the monster cheeses from the Ngaere Factory, Taranaki, which have been on exhibition at Wembley were recently bought un by various well-known ‘firms at- fancy prices. Messrs. John Barker and Company were successful in securing two, and when the packmg-up at Wembley began on Manday, they sent one of their motor lorries up 'to the New Zealand Pavilion to claim their goods. _ Six assistants, immaculately clothed in white, went with the lorry, and in due course the cheeses were suitably mounted for transport. . The two were raised on platforms a foot in height. At front and back of the open lorry were groups of flowering shrubs. Around the base of the cheeses were other low pot plants. On both sides and raised well a/bovo the cheeses were two. decor sited planks which ran the whole length of the lorry. On each of these was the legend for all to see: “New Zealand Monster Cheeses from Wembley going to Barkers.” At the front of the van a square notice board announced the fact that the cheeses were the largest in the world! A notice board further back bore the inscription. “ Tlies ,e cheeses weigh one ton each —22401 b. At each side of the driver’s seat were the New Zealand flag and the Liuon White-clad attendants took up suitable positions, and the lorry drove slowly away from Wembley to the West End of London and so through the principal streets. Thousands of people naturally had the benefit o-f the show before it came to its destination at Messrs. Barkers. The advertisement was an admirable one and the Government Publicity Department ar e now negotiating to have the lorry bearing the monster cheeses in the Lord Mayor s Show. If permission is given, Messrs. Barker and Company are to eliminate their name from the notices overhead, but, of course, leaving the customary name on the van itself.

DAIRY FACTORIES OVER-RUN. Writing in the Otago Daily Times recently a farmer’s wife says: — “In one of your issues of recent date there appeared a letter from one who signed himself “Puzzled Supplier,” in which it was stated that the balance sheet of the Otago Co-operative Butter Factory showed an over-run of nearly 2q per cent. Now, it is obvious that if this statement is not correct, it. would have been rectified long before this, and the minds of those Of us at the producing end would have been set at rest. On the contrary we are left to our assumptions. I do not profess ta know much about over-runs or the managment o.f a factory—my mind, like a. lot *more, being too much taken up with slaving at the producing end of the business, but in your answer to “Farmer” some little time ago, you stated that according to Mr. Singleton, Director of the Dairy Division, the highest over-run is was possible to obtain was about 22\ per cent, and that anything in excess of that could only be obtained by penalising the supplier. That answer, given by probably the highest authority in dairying matters in New .Zealand, means that in this case, assuming that the Co-operative Butter [Factory of Otago had an over-run of [24.70 per cent., that this company 'manufactured about 2ilb more butter for every 1001 b of butter-fat received than it should have done, and that the only way such a thing could be done was by penalising the suppliers —in other words, cutting down the tests and I weights, or both. By the same authority, we are to assume that', if the overInin, as stated.in the company’s balance 1 sheet is correct, for every 1001 b of [butter-fat paid for, instead of their bei ing able to manufacture 124.701 b of [ butter, the maximum they should be | able to manufacture is 122.25. This is apparently borne out by comparison with other local .concerns—the highest of which, as far as I am aware, do not exceed that figure. It would seem therefore that for every 1001 b of butterfat shown in their balance sheet, they must have actually received about 1021 b butter-fat: as it is obvious, according to Mr. Singleton, that the company could not manufacture 12431 b butter from 1001 b of butter-fat, therefore they must have actually received about 1021 b of butter-fat. Converting this into cash it . would apparently represent a difference of between . three and four shillings on every 1001 b of butter-fat produced, and on a butter manufacture of about 550 tons the total would amount to roughly well over £3OOO. It this is the state of affairs it is high time we women woke up to our position. With high prices ruling for land, dear labour, and the high cost of living, we at the producing end of the business have to slave anything up to 16 hours a day in order to carry on, and the farmer needs every penny he legitimately earns, and he is entitled to it as soon as possible. I am very disappointed at the position, and have perhaps expressed myself somewhat crudely, but, being a mere woman, my failings may he overlooked. I trust, honever, that the matter will not rest here, and that some abler pon will take this matter up and let us have it. ventilated.