FARM and DAIRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 5 December 1925, Page 13

FARM and DAIRY

NOTES BY THE WAY.

The English Jersey Cuttle Society's autumn show and sale saw good prices for females, but bulls met poor demand. The winner of the second prize, Sybil's Majestic Greeting, realised SO guineas; but the highest price, 95 guineas, was paid for Sunray’s Aldan, a three wear-old. The winner of the first prize was You’ll Do’s Triumph, a nine-year-old, of line appealance.

The production of butter-fat in the district is now increasing very rapidiv (reports the Oamaru Mail). The long wot winter delayed the growth of food with the result that the September figures were below normal. . A gratifying increase took place during October, when the local Taieri and Peninsula factory handled more than double the quantity handled the previous month. The increase has been well maintained up to date, and there is a noticeable improvement in the quality of the cream.

The value of green manuring by digging in a crop was strongly stressed by an orchardist recently. He stated to a' merchant with whom he had done business that for several years he had used no artificial or stableyard manure, and had relied solely on green manuring from a catch crop of blue lupin. It is stated that experiment and analysis have proved the value of a crop of blue lupin is equivalent to several tons of artificial manure to the acre. Another point worth mention i.s that it has been found that lupin dug in had all rotted away in six weeks. The investigation showed that while the lupin had been absorbed weeds were still unconsumed.

Tiratal (H. 8.) cheese is likely - at some no distant date to grace the tabic of His Majesty George Y. (says the Dairyman), for at the present time an .SO-lb cheese is on its way to the King as a present from Tiratu soldier settlers and an earnest of their efforts to make good and settle down after the war. The idea was a happy onc ; and the cheese has been made, one may be sure, in the very best way. It bears, too, by special permission, the Royal Arms, and accompanying it has been sent a letter expressing the loyalty of the returned soldier settlers and their appreciation of the efforts to repatriate them comfortably by His Majesty’s Government in this Dominion. No doubt, when it comes, His Majesty’s letter of acknowledgment will be placed among the archives of the factory' as one of its most cherished mementos.

Butter from the Maori-owned factory at Ruatorea is now finding its way on to the coast market, and the project is well under way. Many more Maoris are taking up dairying next season, and the company has already another 1)5 suppliers booked. To supply these with the necessary cows, the company will have to go once more to Taranaki, and a further 2320 heifers will be purchased there this season.

A record for pig prices in Echuca (Vic;) .was established recently. A Berkshire sow made £l3 9s 6d. It is estimated that the pig will dress between 5001 b and 6001 b.

A well-known grower at the Girgarre end of the, Stanhope (Vie.) settlement lias refused £I3OO for the right to graze sheep and lambs on 130 acres of lucerne for six months. The owner has a herd of valuable pedigreed dairy cattle.

AGRICULTURE AND DAIRYING. Writing of the Whangarei Show and the surrounding district, the Northern Advocate says: “About 20 years ago a great improvement took place by the opening up of the dairy factories. At that time it was thought land in the North Was of poor quality; in fact, for many years it went by the name of ‘the poor North. ’ Now it could well be described as the ‘Progressive and Beautiful North.' The success of the dairy factories has proved there are large tracts of land suitable for dairying, and the stock turned out at the Show yesterday again and again proved the same thing. There were some wonderfully fine types of dairy cattle to be seen, particularly amongst j the Jerseys. Sheep, too, were on exhibition in large numbers and caused the most favourable comment on all sides. One keen judge was heard to remark that he had never seen anything like the sheep here in all his 25 years’ judging.”

WORLD’S CHAMPIONSHIP IN BUTTER,

The records of the butter championship of the world at the Auckland Winter Show in .July seem hardly correct or fair to Danish butter if they are' according to a statement on the question by a leading Danish paper: Inter alia,' they said: “In February

this year the Danish dairy organisations wore invited by the directors o

the show to partake iiv that exhibition and to send on Danish butter for the competition, but they had to refuse, because Danish butter being a perishable article, produced for immediate consumption, could not stand the journey half-way round the globe and be iu condition, three months old, to compete against new-made butter in New Zealand. But the New Zealand people wore anxious to have Danish butter on the show, and they managed to get a cask through a firm of chemical merchants at Odense. The result of the competition was that the Danish butter came in No. 74 of the entries, a result which will, no doubt, cause great satisfaction amongst the New Zealand producers. The Danes are not surprised,” concludes the paper rather sarcastically, “but they are somewhat anxious to learn if they have also been beaten by the Fiji butter-makers, and we await further particulars in the New Zealand papers in a fortnight’s time. ’ ’

"Commenting on the statement, the. Dairyman (N.Z.) says: “The paper is liardlv correct when it says that Danish three months old would have had to compete with new-made butter in New Zealand. The butter of all competitors had to be iu cool store for the same period, no matter whether it was made in New Zealand or Denmark.”

PEDIGREE: COWS

LATEST C.O.R, LIST

There is a big list ol C.O.R. figures for September and October in grades and ages of pedigree animals, published by the Department of Agriculture in November Journal.

JERSEYS. In the Jerseys, Mr. G. E. Zelcliich’s (Waiuku) Keston Flower with 694.281bs fat, heads the junior two-year-olds and is followed closely by Mr. H. Cole’s (Tikorangi) Tulip’s Minta May with 660.441b5. The best Taranaki heifer is Mr. P. J. Petersen’s Ivondale Dolly Gray, with 470.031b5. Mr. C. G. Gibbons’s (Ngaere) Laclv Uinta put tin 429,641b5, Mr D. P. ‘F. Malone’s* Cloverlea Mlay Mdi'ii 429.421b,5, Mr. L. Kavanagh’s (Hawera) Kotina 409.951bs and Mr. J. C. Duff’s (Auroa) Auroa Molly 409.291b5.

In the senior two-year-olds, W. Pollock’s (Hawera) Bilberry’s Keepsake did 537.9111.i5, D. F Malone’s (Kaponga) Cloverlea Snowdrop 460.261bs. In three-year-olds the best for Taranaki returns were, G . B. Knowles’ (Tariki) Oak Farm Actress 625.081b5, C. P. Crowley’s (Kaponga) Rosy Creek Life 453.261b5, S C. Bennett’s (Kaupokonui) Thorn veroft Queen 418.601b5.

In four-years-olds, Mr. G. B. Knowles’ (Tariki) Oak Farm Magic Wand heads the list with 653.941 b, and is closely followed by O’Sullivan and Sons’ (Tariki) Meadow vale Black Pearl 601.891 b, E Joyce’s (Kaponga) Admiral’s Belle 598.921 b and. Patch’s Maori Girl 592.111 b. In the mature list the leaders are R R. Dean’s (Te Kumi) Dranella 825.421 b, G. B. Knowles’ (Tariki) Bettie’s Silver Leaf 722.521 b, C. G. Gibbons’s (Ngaere) Goneril 718.461 b, A. A'. Ward’s (Tariki) Miro Meadows Topsy 682.741 b, W. H. Tippins’ (Opunake) Avoca’s Queenie 652.551 b, J. Nicolson’s (Hawera) Bay View Lass 625.011 b, F. T. Burke’s (Otakeho) FairyFrolic 503.791 b. FRIESIANS.

Some excellent figures were put up by the Friesian mature cows, T. H. Richards (Cardiff) topping the list with Monavale Queen Bess 950.901 b, closely followed by G. A. Mar-chant and Sons’ (Cardiff) Coldstream Magpie Domino 924.471 b, and John Court’s, Ltd. (Auckland) Zozotli of Ashlynn 905.89 lb. Good figures were put up by Mr. O. A. Gadwallader’s (Greytown) Bainfiekl Topsy 10th, a junior four-year-old, •which recorded 863.891 b. Among the leading junior two-year-olds were Messrs Cameron Bros. (Stratford) Brookside Pietje Johanna 540.251 b, and J. E. O’Shea’s (Ohangai) Pauline Pieterje Alcartra 537.121 b and T. H. Richards’ (Cardiff) By well Daisy Paxton 520.031 b.

REGISTERING BULLS.

DRASTIC REGULATIONS IN IRELAND.

The dairy farmers in Ireland do not only recognise the value and importance of a good bull in the dairy herd, but have taken drastic steps to realise the benefits which are obtainable m this direction. . An important Live Stock Breeding Act has been enacted in the Irish Free State and comes into operation very soon. It is provided under it that all bulls calved on or before December 31, .1924, must be licensed before September 30, 1925, and that persons haying unlicensed bulls of the prescribed age after September 30 will be liable to prosecution, and, on conviction, to a fine of £2O. Through this safeguarding of the quality of breeding stock, there is entertained the expectation that within a few years the annual revenue from exported Irish cattle will reach a higher sum "than has ever been got from the stock-raising industry. Any bull to be used for service after September 1, must be licensed, and to obtain the necessary license the bull must satisfy the inspector appointed of being up to a desired standard of breeding quality and substance, and bo suitable for. crossing with the cows of the particular district. If the bull falls below the standard and a license is withheld, the owner must have the animal castrated within a, certain period, or undertake by permit to fatten and sell it off for slaughter as soon as this is possible.

BOYS’ AND GIRLS’ ODUBS

CALF-RIEARJNG COMPETITIONS. A commencement was made with the annual judging of calves reared by pupils of the schools in South Taranaki. This work is extremely valuable and should tend to further the object of the promoters, which is to foster a love of the country and of farm animals in the minds of the young. And the results following the competitions and specially the care and preparation needed are all to the good. Their value will be appreciated more year by year. O'ne excellent feature was demon strated on Tuesday and Wednesday, adieu the developing and developed animals were seen up to tliree-year-olds. It was important, because they showed into what type tlie youngsters had grown. Generally the results were m n st- satis facto ry. The young farmer .scholars should take to heart the remarks of Mr. Cocker, of Rawhitiroa, who impressed on them the need for keeping their eyes open to the essential feature required on a dairy l'ann- I —dairy type. It is that which counts for production and which will keep the farm and the district going. The inducement to stress this feature, therefore, by the special competition organised by Mr. Peebles, for Rawhitiroa, is strengthened by bis kindly interest and li.i.s practical help in giving a medal for competition for dairy type. The competitions have shown a marked increase in totals this year, and it- is hoped that the interest will continue, for on the farmers of the future depends a very great deal of the success of the country.