FARMERS’ UNION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 9 July 1925, Page 4

FARMERS’ UNION.

ERASER ROAD BRANCH. (From Our Own Correspondent.) On Monday night the local farmers were favoured by a visit from Mr Geo. Ford, stock inspector of Hawera, who gave a talk on “Feed, its relation to the diseases in. cattle.” Speaking as a man of large experience, Mr Ford carried conviction, as experience is the best teacher. It cannot be gainsaid that, in the race for butter-fat and the money it brings, the farmer is losing sight of the fact that all this depends not merely on the cow itself, but on th© power the cow has to produce the butter-fat. This power again depends largely on the cow’s constitution, and, to go further, everything depends on the cow’s feeding. Proper feed insures the certainty of constitution, of butter-fat production and of the fat cheque. At this stage of the dairy farming in Taranaki special attention must be paid to tbe soil, now much improverished. and hy means of proper manuring the right "feed must be grown. How many good hav paddocks are there between Patea and Auroa? The lecturer pointed out that, as there are two ounces of lime and one ounce of phosphoric acid in 40 pounds of milk,, then so much lime and phosphates must ho taken in by the cow from her feed, to balance the output in her milk. How many farmers provide for this? Dealing with the diseases sterility, abortion and udder troubles, _Mr Ford demonstrated that good feeding would act as a preventive, in that disease can only attack ill-nourished systems with success. It was a well-delivered argument that the farmers enjoyed, many points presented being quite new. In the course of the lecture many useful recipes were handed out by Mr Ford, but of course feeding and care of soil are the first essentials. It is expected that Mr H. E. Johnson, of Tokaora, will address the next meeting, -probably next week, on the subject “Friesians 'as cheese producers.” We would like a representative gathering to meet him.