NOTES BY THE WAY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 19 June 1926, Page 16

NOTES BY THE WAY.

The \yield of root crops in the district round Rowan shows that the land is equal m producing capacity to most other parts or Taranaki. There is always a, copious rainfall, sometimes perhaps too' much, and a season such as tae present has just suited tne iarmers, as it has those in other districts away from the seaboard.

The value of swedes when well grown and free from disease is#stressed by runners all over South Taranaki. In some districts where other conditions have been good, the milk supply went up last month, an unusual leature at this time of the year. Yields or swedes have been on the average unusually good, and one farmer says he got nine two-horse waggon mads oil a chain square of swedes. the feed available can be estimated.

Mangolds are gross feeders, and will take a liberal supply of farmyard manure. They do exceptionally well in such an area as an old pig yard, where some of the best local yields have been secured.

If farmers by means of the competitions can be taught or impelled to grow twice as much on the same area as previously cropped, the area can be halved and still as much return secuied. In addition, more time can be given to proper cultivation, which is the .secret of success.

Id many of the boxthoru hedges one sees a lot of fern, in some cases almost taking charge, but in the barberry there is much less evidence ot the fern. The past season is _ said to have been very favourable to fern and other “original’ 5 growth.

It is good to know that reports (mine from many parts of Taranaki of a crusade of tree planting. It is said that thousands will be planted this season', and it i,s certain that mote still could be done. Some dairy factories, ‘notably Lowgarth and Pihama, and some county councils have given a good lead, and through their agenct many bits of rough land are now covered with young trees .growing vigorously. The* large majority of farms, especially on the Plains, are well provided With shelter in the form of boxthorn hedges, trees, or pieces of native bush, but away up towards the mountain it- is heartbreaking to see good cattle in paddocks which have “nowt but wire fences to shelter them from the bitter winds that sweep those districts, and where more than ever warm shelter is essential if the best is to be got out of the dairy herds

Writing of some of the country round Palmerston South, a Taranaki motorist recently returned from a visit remarks on the fact that on the country from Kilmog is to be seen “the yellow bloom of ragwort, which appears to be spreading fast over the rouglnsh country.”

Root crop competitions in the Otorohanga district were held last week, when the winning crops were as follow : Mangolds, 78 tons per acre; swedes, 54 tons. A chou mollier competition was also held, the latter being considered a very useful crop to encourage.

DANISH AGRICULTURE COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM “Agricultural education in Denmark” is the subject of a report prepared by Professor YV. Riddet for the Auckland Univejsity College* Council (says the Auckland Star). It is a comprehensive survey of the educational system of Denmark, with particular reference to the part played by specialisation in agriculture, which, people will be surprised to learn, does not enter into the country’s education system in the primary or secondary school stages. General training, on the lines adopted in other countries, is the object of compulsory and free education for children between the ages of six and fourteen years. No vocational instruction is given in the primary schools. Following this there are the secondary and technical schools and the universities on the usual lines.

But Denmark has adopted a unique type of adult education in the establishment of people’s high schools, which are the property of associations or private individuals, are residential institutes, and give a general education. There are 59 of these, attended by 2854 male and 2081 female students. Fees range from £3 to £4 a month, and there are two terms, winter and summer. In the winter term, of five or six months, men students, whose work on the farm is restricted by short days and hard weather, go into residence at the high schools, while the summer courses arc devoted to female scholars. There are no examinations.

The specialised agricultural education is obtained from four courses:—(.l) Higher education of university degree standard; (2) agricultural schools; (3) framers’ advisory work; (4) farm apprenticeships. Hor the higher agricultural educations the only centre is the Koyal Veterinary and Agricultural Co.l lege in Copenhagen, separate in site and administration from the university of Copenhagen. It is a State institution, noii-residential, supplying free laboratory apparatus, and with fees amounting to about £5 per head per annum. In 1 923-24 there were 2!) professors, 4 tutors, 14 lecturers, 28 assistants, and 4!)4 students in veterinary, agricultural, surveying, horticultural,' 'forestry and dairying courses. Labortary, library. 1.1 acres of field and glass-house plots are features of the equipment. A diploma, the equivalent to a university degi oe, is awarded to successful students. Graduates take up paid instructional and advisory work, only about ,‘!0 per cent returning to the land as farmers, (.’he college also carries out a consider able amount of research work. There are, in addition to the college, twenty-four special agricultural schools throughout the country, providing elementary agricultural “ education, and local advisers who assist the farmers in various ways, and at twenty-six of the people’s high schools agriculture is taught. In .1923-24 some 1732 male and 418 female students attended the agricultural schools, and 232 scholars of the high schools chose agriculture as a subject. The agricultural schools are like the people’s high schools. in that they are free of State supervision, though receiving a State grant, and the staff has a director and several assistants in each case. The cost is about £25 for the complete agricultural course. A lecture room and one or two labora

tories provide the teaching accomr.'.;-'Ja-tion, and associated with each school is a’farm which is run partly as a local experiment station and partly as a commercial concern. There arc no examinations held, and no certificates awarded. There arc 1371 dairy factories in Denmark, and dairying instruction is provided a.t two schools,- the Dalum Agriculture School and the Ladelunci Agricultural School. The dairying instruction at these schools is quite dis tinct from the agricultural instruction also given there. The course is essentially practical and specfically for factory’ managers, though- a theory course is also given. On completion of the apprenticeship course a certificate is awarded. There are also a number of “small holders’ schools” established on the lines of the agricultural schools. These provide a course lasting five months, and special attention is paid to smallholding culture, such as dairying, poultry-keeping and pig-rearing. Short courses of about ten days’ duration are arranged when small farmers from all parts gather to learn the most up-to-date improvements in farm practice. Special courses are also provided at the schools for training assistants in herd-testing. ■Besides a small number of highlyskilled advisers supplied by the State, there arc also about 180 general advisors who arc responsible to the various agricultural and small holders’ societies. Those provided by the State are specialists in particular branches, and deal with problems confronting the general advisors. The latter, belonging to the farming organisations, belong to two classes, advisors in field husbandry and in animal husbandry. They initiate local manurial and other experiments and co-operate with the agricultural societies in local research work. Far in appreu tieesliips on large and small farms are now established, generally with a three-years’ apprenticeship on - the larger farms and a twoyear,s’ training for the smaller ones. These features are dealt "with interestingly in the course of Professor Riddet’s report. LIME IN THE: RATION.

The question utf tire mineraii i ©quiiremenft, -iii) iairi/iu;al feeding ,iis -ait- the present -time receiving iimreh at Dent-ion, turrd the 00-nstajut need ot the a.niimiail body for mineral matter is a now being feimiphawised, as -in the paisit the rieceshity lor a suifiAoie-ncy of calories in the diet, a siahiisiiiaicitoiy mutniitAve ratio, -and am adequate supply of viiitaimAnes has, each iai tarn, teem the subject of kpeoiiai attention and in-veislbigatiiom. On the subject of mineral .requirementis- the following iinjteuesiting -noiteis are given by F. T. Shutt, Canadian Dominion Chemist, -in a, bulletin iastaed! by the Oaaadiaii Agrieu I tonal Department. One of the most important of the mineral constituents which enters into the -{issue of the antimsd hotly is lime (dalehmi). it oceans in isnuaiß traces in muscle and in the blood stream; teeth are largely cioinippised of calcium, compounds, but the llairgeist deposits of calcium dm -the 'body are found in the Rikieleiboin. (the bones), which depends foir its rigidity upon lime phosphate. Thiisi and other mineral eowtAtuents ‘are inibimmtely atswooiiaifced. with the organic: .matter of hioneis- (chiefly collliagbn land fat), a,ml the reHative pimportionis oil these two kinds- oil .miatter vary consiiidmMy .accot-diimg to; the ag© of the hiiiinniail, type oil’ bone, the part of the bon© under consideration. etc., etc. fit Would, liowever, .be a fair estimate to place the average' phosphate of lime tontent of bone- "at 50 -per cent.

the; lime requirement of an animal. lib© Jim© requirement of 'an la-minal 5 may be subject to- icomsiide.iialble vaitmatiom laciciomding to age, function, etc. A fcjmiall amount is co nisi bandy required to replace that lost by ©Lindriiabiq-ji in the solid excreta. •after till© has served its ip impose' in th© body. There hue, however, special demandlsi for laiig-e-r quantities of calcium. While the skeleton As being built up during both the pi ©-natal period and. from birth to maturity it As mosit iuiipoitonit that the diet should mot be deficient in calc-flu,m, otherwise both mother land young must knife, r. I,D haw been, eaileullaibed that a. pregnant cow should bave> ait least 0.33 per banit. of ctail-cdtrail in her ration In. cu-dea •'to supply her own -needs and to- build a i-ib.-cing isk-eleta.l istrueture in the develop i'nig cm ill’. 'lbis would .meani that if slhe iis .receiving 2511 b of 'dry matt©! daily that tihiisj amount should contain iilbout O.Eib calcium. Pllgs are -apt to .suffer from lurk of Calcium in their feed more, perhaps, than a,ny other kind of farm .amiimials. Tiber© -are three- reiasolms. why : (1) Producing two libbers of pigs pen yieiair mia-kas great demandls upon tin; •mineral supply of the ,mother body. (2) 'Growth As rapid in pigis-. (3) In tire ©ffciat to* keep down the fibre content of tlnaiir ration, parti cu-1-a.iH.y foil - -the young pigs, they are fad la.rgley upon cereiailia ;a,nid their by-pro-j duets, e.g., miidiclll-i ngjs, a-ncl this .class, of feed -is generally low in caildcuun content. Egg-s and miilk, which may be considered laisi -pie-nfeicit foods for the young, hire 'inaitu,rally rich An. phosphate of lime. It is evident, therelloii'ie, that their inb reared l production in (kumei-it i(;;!ited n.niiilliads will calll for .a. comparatively Vaiilge -supply oil t,h«so ininorail co'n.sftit lie 1 uts .in tiheiiir food. The isioiurcc' of the Aim© supply .m-msit he the feed muid drink. The “hiardneiS'S Inf wafons is. Am the maiin, due to lime prose-nit lia.ngely •»« cailc-iiiin canibonate, U,nd tbiiis iSouiice of lime, mo doubt, liii.'iiiidbcis for many iiiinAniiailisi no inerjm-S-vidciralhe xni'pply of flreir jiiAnenlail miait-‘te-r. Feoilis diiffeir greaitly in, their cd-pi-n.in cioiiitent. Hira.n, lo,r* ex.aiinplc, is mot biiiglh in c.ittildiwiini., and. tbiiisi -may he to- 1» true of most cereail, products'. Dcpeiiidieaice' must tb.e-icfor© be liairgei'.iy vhtoixl on the for-.urosi to imcreiaisc the “mlmeitial coimteinlt of the .rat-ion. Among Hue foirogiei-s. th© legumeis are paiilticulianly rich in lime, luconve in, .this oon■luoctAoin beadiinug tbe lii«t. Tb© feeding bf luceirnei or oithe-r legumAnou.s. hoi.v fodidiersi to dairy stack wfiffll pmctii.nally Dbvuvt© all noiceissity --of is-uppleincnting the .ration with lapeciiall .nuimeral contiiiin.iriig feeidis. Attemt-iion may he- drawn to n< class of feeds, iso rick An thesfei dCsirabi!© mine"lal camftibiitiU'&nitw wis vtn> merit- the' iiiame of mAnei'iiil m-aitteir concen.tir’aitels, viz., meet -and b-oine meal, bone meal, rtc. In b'rinre meal the phosphate of linre (bone phosphate) approxi,maters 53 par cenvti. ; An meat and boil© meaul amd •mie'alt aind bone siaraip -the, phosphate oil liuue exceeds 20 per cenit. Tb© caili-i irnii (-ontciiiti of a- -numlbier of feeds' may be gAveu n© foilll.ow-s. The fi.guirieis iindiicaito the wild© difi'en'enie&s that exist h eitw.ee n •niimn.y cominnoinily •used feedia tin this reisnect d

Oel’iciiini. Gomltem t of Feeidis> (dale-nil aited rm dry mini titer fo&sife) : Cforn. 0.G2 per dent.; barley, 0.22; outs, 0.0 S; bran,

0.13; icotitoiiiseed 1 meal, 0.24; oil claike, 0.35; turnips, 0.61; lucerne, 2.15; ued Plover, 1.75; itlmothy, 0.39. In sumimer, ivhi'le fora (ring for feed iim (tlie fields, wind ©specially if the -paistuiras cfmiifaaiin cdlraveirts, flie (proibiaibiilliiity TjjS that the ainimais will provide tlieimkelves with a. .siufKeieney oil calcium.

SOUTH AFRICAN SHOW. RECORD JOHANN ESiB U RG 0.All! FRI.NO. The twKnUtuetli aiunuiaJ. exhibition of die Wlbwalteiiyiiaiiid Agricultural Society w-ats opened iu Milner Piaitk, Johannes- ' burg, an Wednesday, March 31, by General ivemip, Minister of AgricuUitru-re. illie billow wais a. record in miamy ii©specits. It wUis the biggeist show ever inelid iby the siaoiety, and easily the best, says a Rieteiimairitzibu'rg correspondent of the Oka-go Daily limes. The e-nitrieisi in various uomijpetitians totalled 3114, .as against 2319 in 1925, and 2656 in 1924. The cattle section totalled 1199 entries, compared with 951 test year, and 738 in 1924. The piedoniiinating .breeds of a wonderful seopioui were Friesian® and Ay-itetlniires. lhe show was attended by 102 British farmers, npw (touring; in. South Africa, and same of them acted as judges, 'lhe uliimatic conditions were perfect, and tli© laittendainicie lor the live days was a record —namely, 98,955 —although the globular 100,000 was longed for by the show authorities. The remark able feature of the cattle section lias heen the vast ianprovemieut in the young shock. Another feature occassion iug some -surprise ltais been the niumheir of unexpected deoiisdons in the cattle awards. The supreme grand championsihip of the ■; how has been, won by Messrs. Dryisda-le and Watsons Ayrshire hull, Tiobsilaincl Light Brigade, which was the grand champion of the daily class. The reserve supreme grand dhiaimpion was Mrs. 1). M. Tenniilo , ’.s i.slhortihonn cow. Bia&hfull Bet. wihiidh was grand ehiainiipipn, of the beef class. In the latter class the reserve was Air. Meeser’s Friesland Ivaral VI I I , which: was uilsoi reserve in the dairy breeds. Sir Aib.e Bailey’s Twylord Edgar, .H'ereford, was reserve in the beef bireedls.. etreifoirds’ •■wans. -fch-e v-ttron.jj;-'©sib class of the beef breeds; the Sussex, while sitrong, was not much greater numeriioailly .than lgst year. At the Rand Show sales on Saturday, April. 3, there was an unexpectedly brisk demand far Fhieslands. The competition wais the best witnessed in the Uiniian far isoane time past. Huge prices are, of course, a dream of the past, and 'breeders -are satisfied with the figures which rule to-day, and which .permit of a profit, though not a large one. In laddition to the herd of the Golden Valley CSitiluis Estates, 28 bull's from different breeders sold 1 -ait an average .of £59 10s. The top price was £l6O, paliid by Air. A. Usher, for the Nel’s Rust bull Lucas Aleyer H, sent by Air. D. S. Gradwell. Other prices were £lls and £125. Thirty-six cows and heifers; were also sold, at an ,average price' of £46 ; the top figure being £B3. Altogether 51 bulls 'and 132 female Hniesilaniidlsi were sold for £-9287, the mor© than- excellent -average fo.r the bulls being £57 and for the female £4B. Three Ayinshiires were solid, for £l7 10s 6d £3O, .and £4O; two Shorthorn bulls at £lO and £22 10s each. Ten Aligns ib-uHlis sold .at ia-n average of £32, tire top figure being £55; -and one cow at £ls. On© D'e von went for £3O, and three Galloways at £25 'each . A. big crowd of buyers a.nid -sipecta-tors in- the -gale- pavilion £i!eit tlbe -appearance of ATeissivs. Jiohn Roderick and Go., the auctioueeis, who cliispoised of the Golden Valley . Flri-esiteinds, which until reiciently were the- foremioist .South African herd. The herd was sold in 1.19 lots. i.ncHaidiug oatlv.es, 96 females and 23 bulls. The total of the wale rials £5924. The I cuoafes -made the qu-ite excellenit (average of juist over £4B, a-nd the b-n'lllls £53. The hiiigh.eist nri.ee was pa-id -by Air. AVilli-aimson. £2OO, foir the hi x-yeaa'-old Jornge Pekms, who was Grand Champion, of Johannesburg in 1923 and cha-innion of Johiamnetsbuirg in 1922 fl.nd 1925. A threrevenc-o-kl, FJ'iPindisik-uiil Alula- Tremnw Henna.n. l'eti'l'-ed £l2O. The .o-nlv cither bull to reach the centmw wl'-jis the yea-rling Mairleus Herman TV. Mr. O'. J. A.livier

mid £209 for Hoirlens Rielcs TQieibe, six-year-old cow, * which .wais the cliaimpion of the Natal Royal! in 192425 and also of Jio'ihlanneslburg iu 1920. Htairlens Ricks II.; calved, in July. 1920, fetched £150; a-nd GaiHleng. itrite-unie, approaching «iix years old, m|ad© £IOO. Bower prices, but a, 'bug demand, met tli©' Ib-ig ©nltiry o-f Heirefoa'ds ait the pedigree isia-le.. Twenfty-mi n© hulls were an average .of £37 10®, three figures being reached in one instance Only. Thirty-three cows and heifers sold at -an .average of £lB, the h.ighast amount being £25. Three beef shorthorn bulls sold a.t £35, £42 .10s. and £47 10s; -and three femiailes at £22 10s, £25, and £45. Three South Devon, bulls changed hand-s ait £2-7 and £2O twice. . Sussex was a. popular breed, and 22 bulls sold a.t aai la-verag© of £6O. Only one raailiised three figures, that being Air. Or,fo rd’si two-year-old Boisnvorth Treasure, son. of Lode Prince, which twiice won the championship, and sired 76 per cent, of -the winning Sussex animials ait the Rand' Show laist year. For this ami-mail Dir. Lourenitz paid £2BO. Five Sussex cows were «oild at from £l7 10s to £75. The -mra.nd total o-f the -sale wais £13,365.

MAMMITIS IN COWS,

ITS CAUSES AND CURE

A northern exchange, states that the commonest cause of mammitis is the introduction into the quarter by way o± the teat canal of bacteria oi geims. Some of the ways in which this may take place are:— By the presence of an actual case of disease in a herd when the germs from it may be to other cows; by the use of dirty milking machines; by dirty hands, and by cloths used to wipe the teats and udders; by unsterilised teat siphons, and the introduct ion into the canal of pieces of straw, wire, and such things, and by flies. Insanitary conditions of sheds and yards and milking utensils tend to harbour and increase these germs, and so to make the chances of udder infect tion much greater than when hygienic surrounclings sire provided. Otlier causes include injuries, tuberculosis, and actinomycosis. The disease is a sudden one, and one or more quarters may be affected. A mild and an acute type of the disease can bo distinguished when a cow is suffering from the mild type of the disease. The chief signs are shown by an examination of the milk, which is watery and contains clots. If tasted, it has a salty taste. This type usually clears up in a few days under treatment. When the disease is present in acute form the milk changes noticeable in the mild type are accompanied by heat, redness, swelling, and pain of affected quarters. Later milk secretion diminishes, and the milk becomes thick, yellowish, viscous, and may be bloodstained. The udder becomes swollen, hard, tense, and the teat duct feels full and firm. Abscess formation may take place. The cow is dull, off feed, and may have a temperature. In very acute cases symptoms are more severe, the udder becomes dark, death of its substance takes place, and the cow usually dies.. Discussing methods of treatment, the veterinary officers state that the first and most important step is prompt isolation of affected cow from the rest o.t the herd. She should be removed right away from the milking sheds and yards. The following drench may be given: Epsom salts lib, ginger 2oz, treacle lib, and warm water 2 pints. She should be fed on a light diet such as green feed and bran mashes. . In case of mammitis it is very necessary to withdraw milk frequently, every hour if possible. Follow this treatment up with light but thorough massage of the udder, using hot camphorated oil. Fomentations with fairly hot. bo'racic solutions are also useful in bad cases. A teat siphon, properly sterilised by boiling before being used, may be employed when the teat duct is blocked. Cleanliness is important. The affected milk should be drawn off into a tin containing a strong disinfectant. The hands after treating the patient.

should be thoroughly washed in an antiseptic solution such as lysol. The following practical points in connection with the control of the diseasQ are suggested: Separate affected from healthy cows. Milk them last, or, better, have a separate milker to attend to them. Sanitary conditions of cowsheds, yards, dairy, and milking utensils, and cleanliness of milkers will help considerably to prevent this disease. Be careful of the bought cow, she often introduces mammitis into a herd. Cows heavily infected in all quarters can. after acute symptoms have subsided, be fattened for slaughter or left to themselves, when they will either wither up or recover during dry period before the next calving.