FARM and DAIRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 25 July 1925, Page 13

FARM and DAIRY

NOTES BY THE WAY. The Control Board isi firmly of the opinion that unless butter boxes are going to be wired nothing less' than 5-inch ends should be used to ensure safe carriage to destination. An application- of 15 tons of manure in a rotation of mangolds, oats, clover hay and timothy hay has given in Canada, over a,"similar unmanured rotation, an average increased crop which is worth at present prices 15s 3d for each ton applied. This experiment, which has been conducted at the Cenral Experimental Farm, Ottawa, durng the last thirteen years has been designed to learn the value of manure, commercial fertilisers, and manure supplemented by commercial fertilisers. The commercial fertilisers have given, over unfertilised laud, increased crops which are worth 92 per cent more than the cost of the fertiliser applied.

Mr E. T. Hainan, Cambridge, England, is responsible for the statement that a bullock eating lewt of roots take's some nine gallons of water a day from that source. Concentrated feeding stuffs supply in the form of water about, one to one and a half gallons to every cwt. When eating grass or other succulent green feed eight gallons of water are derived from every cwt consumed.

“Development of th e Kraft process in the manufacture of cheese was classed bv J. A. Ruddick, dairy and cold storage commissioner, speaking be. fore the Rotary Club, as the best thing that has happened in th e trade for years, inasmuch as it has meant the opening of new markets to Canadian cheese, and within recent months has added several cents to the market pric e of that commodity. At the rate at which the- Kraft cheese trade was being developed he said that it would not, he long before it would absorb all the cheese produced in Canada, but for the probability that Old Country manufacturers would also enter it. Mr. Buddick saw no ground for apprehension in the decline in the production of cheese from the high mark registered in 1904. He believed that it was a most- fortunate thing that such a circumstance -had taken place, because if that high mark had been maintained, the market would he over-supplied and the price lower. It meant simply that the milk formerly made into cheese had lieeu diverted into other channels.”

When dealing with the question of pigs at the Hospital Farm, a member of the board said that generally speaking purebred sows had small litters, whereas a. good cross usually produced a large .number when farrowing. The other aspect was put by . another member when he remarked that the litter of the purebred would be worth, a good deal more.

A’ note in the farm report of the Hawera Public Hospital reads that “on June 27 one milk bucket was stolen and also the milk contained, therein.”

The efforts being made by the Department of Agriculture to pom bat cattle tick are shortly to take further definite shape as fas as Taranaki is concerned, and dips are to he erected at both Mokau and Pio Pio before the commencement of next summer.

A debate to the Jersey Breeders’ Conference at Te Awamutu the other day (says an exchange) grew eloquent in extrolling the virtue of the animal that had drawn his companions and him together. “The Jersey cow,” he said, “is mor e than a machine. She is a living, highly nervous, and rather sentimental being, and in a great degree governed by the force of habit. These traits she possesses, and, in addition, if a good cow, all the qualities of an efficient, durable, and capacious machine. It is, therefore, significant that the dairy farmer has a task even greater than the manufacturer of any other class of commodities. He must not only commercialise liis efforts as do other - manufacturers, but in addition he must cater to the individual traits of each living machine on his farm.” A farmer commanding such picturesque language is lucky in not having been beguiled into seeking a seat in Parliament. (It is very good, but some of it sounds like the re-, marks of the Official Demonstrator).

MANURING GRASS. In an official trial carried out at twenty centres in England, the yield of hav from the manured plots averaged as much as 34 ewt. per acre, whereas the average yield from th e unmanured plots was only 23 c.wt. per acre. At Cockle Park, on pasture land which produced only 201 b. of lean meat'per acre, the application of the right O.ass of manures for this soil was sufficient to raise the production in meat to 1051 b. per acre. Such results are typical of wiiat is being recorded in almost every country. It is not generally realised that the most essential plant foods are withdrawn from gra>*s land even more freeiy than from the arable land. An aver, age crop o f wheat, for instance, removes from the soil 601 b. of potash, 501 b. of nitrogen and 301 b. of. phosphoric acid per acne, while an aVerage crop of hay of about 30cwt. per acic removes 120*16 of potash, 90lb. of nitrogen and 251 b. of phosphoric acid. The nitrogen is restored to some extent by the fixing action of the clovers, hut the supply of potash and phosphoric acid is constantly drained away in succeeding hay crops. In the same way the process of grazing, especially on dairying lands, depletes the store of available notash and phost,boric: acid; as these elements are. largely taken an in th c production of milk, and in the formation of bone and muscle in the young growing stock. NEW SEASON’S PRODUCTION. Advice from individual dairy companies as to prospects and expected increased or decreased production would he aopreeiatec 1 at the present time. The 'wi uter has undoubtedly been a severe one, hut so far as can be gathered no decrease in production is expected in the spring. It is* because districts vary so much in this connection that we ask for the information mentioned above. A WILD DOG. I Mr W. Tavlor, of Breakfast Creek, (New South Wales, has lately received i a reward 'of £35 for shooting a wild dog. The dog was very cunning and successfullv evaded not only the traps but the- drives th e settlers made against it time after time. It is estimated to have caused damage to farming stock amounting to seven hundred pounds.

PRECAUTION

THE COMING YEAR

Another dairy season is about to commence, and every farmer should prepare himself for it to the best of his ability. There are certain simple medicines aud instruments that he should keep in stock, for he is certain, sooner or later, to have an opportunity of using them. Even the best-managed herds do not escape occasional ailments, and by having- the means of cure at hand he may save himself from considerable loss.

DAIRYING SCIENCE

ORGANISE, FERTILISE AND

FERTILISE.”

Speaking at a farewel social tendered to Mr. W. lor ns, at Martin borough, Mr. M. McLeod said that the many failures of men on the land had been caused mainly by inexperienced men rushing in on high-priced farms. He contended that men should have at lease- seven or eight years’ experience before launching out on their own It was commonly said that any “mug” could be a farmer, but modern practice bad proved that to be. a fallacy. Farmers must specialise and produce the best. There was a discriminating public on the other side of the world demanding the best, and New Zealand ers should get the idea out of their heads that they could' send them anything. Fertilising was the only solution of the problem of producing more. Unless manure was put on freely and the quality of the product so improved New Zealand would go down in the race for the world’s trade. The farmers’ slogan should he “organise, specialise, and fertilise.”

AYRSHIRE BREEDERS

ENJOYABLE SMOKE CONCERT

At a smoke concert arranged by the South Auckand . Ayrshire Breeders’ Association last week, the toast of the Ayrshire herself was proposed by Mr. J. G. Wallace, who briefly referred to the development of the breed. The Ayrshire cow was a particularly hardy animal, destined to play a leading part in the dairy industry of the Dominion. In responding to the toast, Mr. Mills, of Hawera, addressed the gathering brieflly on the subject of line-breeding, which he stated was a, very dangerous practice when adopted by beginners who did not know what points they had to look for. While he admitted that the really successful breeders had attained pre-eminence through line-breed-ing, he would declare most emphatica'lly that for every one who had succeeded on these lines, thousands had failed Th e Ayrshire had not been subjected' to line-breeding, and he ventured to say that their present constitution was mainly due to the fact.

DAIRY SHIPMENTS. S U GGESTED REG ULATION S. The Dairy Control Board has already announced the fact that tentative arrangements have been made for the regulation of dairy produce shipments. It is xn'oposed that butter he shipped as follows: August to November. —All butter to be shipped as piromptly and regularly as possible. December to March.- —-Ninety per cent of the season’s production _to be shipped during each month. This involves a reduction of approximately .5 per cent in December, 5 per cent in January, 2 per cent in February, and 1. per cent in March. April.—Eight andia half per, cent of season’s production to be shipped. May.—-Six per cent of season’s production to be shipped. June. —Five and a half per cent of season’s production to he shipped. July.—Five and a. half per cent of season’s production to be shipped. This represents an approximate increase in April of one per cent*. May 2 per cent. June 3 per. cent, and July 4-J per cent.

FOREST TREE CULTURE

IN CANTERBURY

The Canterbury Education Board re. cently discussed', the question of the planting of trees by school pupils, the matter arising from the following clause in the report of the Agricultural and Manual and Technical Committee. •

Air. Banks brought up the question of Forest Tree Culture, which' he stated had recently received a good deal of prominence, and recommended that unused lands in close proximity to schools should; be planted with exotic trees by pupils. ( Mr. W. A. Banks said that operations might be commenced this season in the school grounds at Ashley Gorge and Robinson’s Bay. He favoured redwood as the best timber for • planting in those districts. Jr. W. H, Wdnsor said the schools should endeavour to get away from inferior timbers. They could’ afford to wait for better classes of timber to grow, whereas commercial concerns could not. Redwoods in the Gardens were an example of how well such trees could grow up, and of the excellent timber they could produce. Regarding hardwoods, he was of the opinion that New Zealand should grow only those which belonged to Tasmania. He would not favour planting the red gums of Victoria or New South Wales, which were not hard enough. The Oregon pine or Douglas fir was the right type of tree to. grow, it being a splendid timber. At Haunier an admirable- plan of planting had been carried out. Oregons had.been planted there with pines of a softer variety. The softer pines had sprung up fifty or sixty feet- and the Oregons after temporary stopping bad shot up again and weref showing beautiful “sticks.” There was the nucleus of a splendid Oregon forest at Hanmer. Proceeding, Air. Winsor said that in the Waimaiii County near New Brighton, in the sandhills, was -an are-a of 341 acres owned as a recreation ground by the Government. It would not, however, he used for such a purpose for centuries. He proposed that the Government be asked to allow the area to b e used by the schools, the pupils attending which should plant, say, two acres each year. Seedlings could be raised -in the school grounds, an endowment being granted for the purpose, and a “forest conscience,” as snoken of by Air. F. Tate recently, thus created.

Air. C. T. Thompson said he.would like the suggestion to he taken further. The Education Department had land in different parts of Canterbury and a committee should he appointed to, go exhaustively into the question and present a report.

FRIESIAN MATTERS. The Prince of Wales and Ids suite and staff during their South African tour have secured their supplies of wholesomf; milk from two of South Africa’s best milking cows —FTiesians supplied by the Government Elsenburg School of" Agriculture. These animals were berthed in the Royal train and will accompany the Royal Party during the whole tour. The South African Friesian Cattlebreeders’ Association has received advice that the necessary legislation pro. viding for the interchange of >stud stock between Great Britain and the "Dominions has passed the final stages in the British House of Commons and the House of Lords: The association is considering the.question of sending a. shipment of pedigree Friesians from South Africa to England in the near future. At the meeting of the Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Friesian Association, in discussing the question of payment for milk supplied to cheese factories, Air. W. R. Wright, oi Rnhotu, said that he considered payment could be made Quite equitably on the production of cheese per pound of butter-fat. A factory manager had told him that in November when the average butter-fat test of inilk supplied to hi s factory was 5.5 per cent, the production of cheese .per lb., ol butterfat was 2.89 lbs., while in the following May ’ at the same factory when the butter-fat test averaged five per .cent, the quantity of cheese fell to .2.39 lb. to every pound of butterfat. Air. Wright contended that the present system of paying oil, the blitter-fat percentage for' milk supplied to cheese factories was penalizing the Friesian, Ayrshire and Shorthorn breeds.

THE AYRSHIRE. COMING TO THE FRONT. „ LECTURE BY AIR F. MILLS. “I am speaking not so much for the benefit of Ayrshire breeders, as for those dairy men who believe that Ayrshire cattle are the worst in the world,” remarked that prominent Hawera Ayrshire breeder, Air F. Alills, official demonstrator to the New Zealand Ayrshire -Breeders’ Association, in addressing a gathering at the. .Rualcura State Farni. The. Ayrshire was rapidly becoming the foremost;dairy cow in the Dominion, said Air Alills, and indeed was likely to displace even the popular Jersey. Although so far as type went the breed was very similar to others the cattle .were much more sturdy and able to withstand a much wider range of climatic conditions than other breeds. The home of the Ayrshire was Western Scotland, where the conditions were such as to make the breed hardy. Taking as a comparison the Friesian breed, Mr Alills said these were a very fine type of stock. They came, however, from the fertile plains of Holland and Denmark, where the land was the richest in the world. They thrived well on rich lands in this country, but did not do so well on poor country. With regard to the Jersey, when the ideal conditions of the Channel Isands, its home, was considered it was not to be wondered at that this breed was not able to withstand conditions such. as were experienced in the. “Win ter less North.” There were people who thought the New Zealand climate in- all respects ideal for cattle, said Air Alills, but there were districts throughout the country where the conditions were far from suitable for all breeds. If, however, any breed would do better than another throughout the whole, of the Dominion it would "be the Ayrshire with its hardy constitution. He did not claim that under perfect conditions the Ayrshire would excel all other breeds, but under hard conditions it was likely to do much better tha-n the average animal of other breeds, Points of Superiority. Mr Alills made,it plain that he had nothing against the Jersey. He recognised the breed as a very fine one, but in his opinion it was not suited to New Zealand requirements. One point in which the Ayrshire was superior was

in the quality of its milk. Ho did not mean in test or butter-fat content, but in the fineness of. the butter-fat particles. New Zealand was going ,to become a cheese-ina king and not a, but-ter-making country, lie, said, and as the various countries unsettled by the war began to get into their stride and reorganise their dairy industries there was bound to be tremendous competition. The animal that would, give the best cheese-making milk was required, and that was not the Jersey, hut the Ayrshire. In cheese-making it was. not the butter-fat content that counted, but the size of the fat globules. Another point in which the Ayrshire excelled other breeds for. utility purposes was in the larger milk yield, he said. In view of that fact it seemed surprising that suppliers! of towns did not go in more for a breed that would give a large, quantity of good grade milk, instead of a smaller quantity' of high-testing milk. The reason why Ayrshires were not more generally used .throughout New Zealand was mainly that popular prejudice was against them. They hud a reputation for short teats and bad temper, and were consequently left alone bv the majority of dairy farmers. The former of these two objections was rapidly being eliminated by .careful breeding. ' Bad temper was. nothing but a fallacy. .There were certain indict dual animals which displayed bad tent per, biit so did animals of all othei breeds. 'Taking them on the average, tfie Ayrshires ...were a s . qiiiet- ..as any other breed. Another important reason fof the few Ayrshires iii the country was that they had not become “fashionable.” If the Ayrshire were to become the “fashionable” sho.w-ring qnd dairying animal jt would quickly oust ill other breeds. What the Clow Should Be.

American . scientists .had recently drawn tip the specifications of what might .be considered the ideal dairy cow,, said Air Alills. The. -.best /points of animals of all breeds • had-.-beeii combined to make up this “perfect” beast. The Ayrshire was the only approach to ibis ideal in any one breed. The head shoulj show a good width between the eyes and above them. Below the eyes the •lead should narrow sharply to a fairly wide nozzle and broad mouth, while the nostril should be open and the jaw strong. Notice should he taken of whether the , jaV was. under ,qr overshot, bile perfect type, having firmly• meeting kws. ■ Tlie eyes- should be Ijright, large •iiicl clear and the horns neatly curving dp from "the head. Tlie neck-should b e fine and of good length,., with little loose skin on the underside and a thin brisket . The shoulders. . should taper outwards from the spine} tide blades starting a little below the vertebra and blending into the , body Ur was. looked or in a hack. The sloping shoulder rave the animal a firmer stand on its feet.

There should be a. good spring in tlie ribs, giving room for the lungs, heart, etc., and blended into the shoulder line. The ribs should not be Roop■haped, as that was a. sign of beef,.but should widen outwards from the spine n the same way as the .shoulders..-The vertebra] column should he prominent >.li along the back. The loin should be level over the hips, which shouhl .he of good width, with prominent hip bones. ; The pin .bones should be well mart, and the tail fine in construction. Che thighs should be thin from the back and 5 slope outwards as did the ribs and shou’ders and from the side should be wide. The main part of the animal’s weight was on the back legs, and therefore there was need' of a wire tliigli to carry the necessary muscle. It also gave protection to the udder; which should be attached liigh between the thighs and should hang so a s ; to healmost rectangular in shape. The udder formation should be firm with plenty-of veins. The skin of the animal.-should- be moderately thin, not thick, but not as thin as brown paper. It should be loose and have fine hair. The ideal animat was really a series, of wedges. The body from the side should taper from the hindquarters to fife neck. Tlie shoulders should Re wedge shaped from the spine, and the thighs have the same appearance. '

AIILCH COW’S AIINERAL FOOD NEEDS.

The cow in milk requires minerals-for two purposes : ,To meet the need for replacing the amounts lost in the “wear and tear” of her own tissues, and for inilk formation The . first need —the maintenance requirement —has not been accurately-determined. Estimates have, however, been .made by. Continental workers. According to thei<e, translated into-English terms, a cow of average weiglit needs ,per day something like an ounce and a-half, of lime and about fourfifths of an ounce of phosphoric acid The other mineral elements are required in smaller amounts, but the actual requiremeats are not- even. approximately known. . , , ." Tlie amounts drawn, off from the milch cow’s body iii,,the milk can be calculated fronrthe known, average, composition of the niilk. A gallon,of cow’s milk contains roughly a quarter of an ounce of lime, a third of an ounce of phosphoric acid, and a sixth of an ounce ot chlorin. These are the three minerals most likely to be deficient in the food. In view of the fact that not_ more than half .'bf ihe mineral matter in the food is . usually assimilated, double these amounts should be present in the food for every gallon of milk. From these calculations it is evidentthat a cow giving four gallons of'milk per. day nqeds, for. maintenance and for niilk production a daily supply of three and a-half ounces of lime, three and a-third ounces of phosphoric acid, and something over an ounce of chlorine. Ope very thorough investigator’s estim. tiles of the requirements of lime and phosphoric acid ate higher than-these. It is assumed by him that only about ii third of the .minerals in the food can *be assimilated, and consequently for milk production three times the present in the yield of milk are allowed.