FARM AND DAIRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 8 January 1927, Page 16

FARM AND DAIRY

NOTES BY THE WAY.

•Haymaking and ensilage stacking liavo "been the work of the farmer early and late, in the intervals of milking or shearing. All report wonderful crops, heavy and in great condition, better perhaps than any previously experienced for many a day. One fairly large area on Scott Road has gone out of dairying and this has made somewhat of a hole in the Riverdale milk returns where the expected increase has nor been realised.

Generally speaking, said the sheep farmer of long experience, the Maori if he takes to shearing, is better than the pakcha. He gets wonderful returns. The farmer related, too, how on one occasion a Maori shearer he had drove the machine into a sheep’s intestines, killing the poor animal. “tPy corrv 7? said he “that werr y bad,” and he sat back, quite upset and would not continue for some time.

It is good to see that New Zealand as well as Australia and the Old Country has taken up the problem of noxious weeds. Its solution means a tremendous relief for all countries. In Taranaki there are a number which ate undoubtedly making headway. Acts of Parliament do not suffice to keep them down and penalties are in main cases ridiculed. It will be necessary

to impose something that will not only

be heavy, but continuing and increasing if the careless farmer is to bo taught what is incumbent upon him. However it is good to see that if possible science is to be called in to repair the ravages of a pest that grows more serious every season. Further discussion of a co-operative marketing scheme for the export of pigs from the Waikato took place at a representative meeting in Hamilton (says the Times), and after various opinions had been expressed it was decided to set up a committee representing the cooperative dairy companies in the Waikato with a view to bringing down a recommendation for the adoption of a. suitable scheme which the committee will be entrusted to evolve.

There is no occasion for undue optimism at the moment), but the fact that the Continent is a very keen buyer of certain classes of New Zealand wool, and that Great Britain is struggling to her feet after the mining strike, should help to maintain prices for New Zealand wool (states the Christchurch Star). The outlook is distinctly hopeful for the market, as very little wool has been carried over from last year.

and the probabilities favour a trade revival that will be reflected in better prices for this important staple. Farmers, though rejoicing in the fine weather of the past few weeks, have some of them been caught by the Xmas rain, with paddocks cut and just ready to harvest. One local farmer, who was so taken, says his hay will take' a great deal of drying and be will have to exercise much care if lie is to save it for the stack. All -agree that they have never seen

such a- season for feed. A near-by dairyfarmer a-niicipates having to put the mower over some paddocks, although they have been cut recently. He gives his opinion that the farmers getting the most luxuriant growth are those who top-dressed. He himself, has so treated his pastures annually. As- the result of trials, he considers slag, with a small portion of potash, is the best for local farms and is ahead of super. His returns' of milk are being maintained at several hundred pounds per day in advance of last year—it is not a large heard—and the test four points better. This, it may be .added, is the experience of fa-rmers in many differently situated districts.

A difficulty experienced by some farmers lie-s in the co-operative effort in harvesting practised by so many. One farmer, who ha« been so faced, puts the position thus: “He helps a neighbour siay for one or two days -and needs in return perhans double that amount of time -and labour and wants to nay for the extra. The neighbour mill not, however, allow a charge.” While- it is generous, the action makes it awkward for the former. A squaring of -acconnts would he much more an-preexated and seems a common sen se method.

CONSUMPTION OF BUTTER

Dairying interests should find comfort in some instructive figures issued by the United States authorities, says an Exchange. Putting- the ease concisely it appears that last year the various countries of the world taken together imported 33 per cent, more butter than in 191-3 (Britain imported 26 per cent, more) that since 1913 the world’s population has increased by only 5 per cent, and that trade generally, including all commodities, has also increased by about 5 per cent. The figures as to increase of population and trade are also official having been compiled by the League of Nations. Obviously there must be a larger consumption of butter per head throughout the world than was the case a dozen years ago, and this augurs well for the dairying industry. In 1925 this country exported 1.215.324 cwt. of butter, of which 1 ,186/9:65 cwt. went to Britain, the bulk of the remainder going to the United States and to Germany, the share of the latter being 14,968 cwt. Britain took nearly all the cheese we sent out, 1.371.986 cwt. out of 1.376,754 cwt.

• EIGHTY-YEA-R-OLD BEEF RELTC OP THE FRANKKLTX EXPEDITION'. Eighty years ago an Arctic explorer never again seen alive, scrawled on a scrap of paper “Sir John Franklin is dead.’’ and that was the last word ever written to tell what had become of the Franklin North-West Passage Expedition. which had set out the year before to explore the regions over which Amundsen’s airship and the aeroplanes of other daring men hope to fly. Expedition after expedition was sent to discover Franklin’s fate. The first hoped to find him or other survivors, hoping against hope that some- member of his party might have found a, way to the island land about the North Pole in which so many Arctic voyagers have believed. But except that fateful scrap of paper, written by Captain FitzJamcs. the second in command, nothing of j greater importance, no information, was discovered. But empty beef tins were found on Beechey Island in 1850 and one full one, still sealed.

FEEDING HAIRY COWS

CUTTING OUT ROOTS. MILK AND BEEF. A year ago there arose in England a great controversy over the feeding ol' dairy cows for milk production. One, Mr R. Boutriour, M.Sc., created the controversy by pleaching, what in the opinion of many old hands, was rank heresy. He advocated cutting roots out of the ration altogether, because by so doing the milk yield would rise appreciably. To-dav the Routflour .system of feeding, as it is called, is being practised bv hundreds of farmers and the system gains ground every day.

It -Us -Mr intention now to spend a'year lecturng in Great Britain, then he proposes to arrange for a demonstration herd in each county in England, where his system of feedig will be put into practice. At a recent meeting Mr Boutflour said that a farmer put his cow,s in the order of yield he. would find that the congiving the most milk was the cow making the most flesh. Many- farmers made the mistake of thinking that the milk records of a cow meant the capacity of that cow, whereas it was only the degree of management. They could not take high yields out of cows and break records unless their system was somewhere near the mark. How was it done? Far too many people, he said, thought that if they kept a cow alive it would give milk. A cow only made milk from raw material in the form of food.

Every gallon of milk she produced for which she was not fed was produced at the expense of 21b of beef steak. A cow giving six or seven gallons of milk a day was producing as much energy as a horse doing his hard day’s waggoning. The amount of haylie gave was definitely limited, because he always realised that a cow did not know what was good for her; being a beast, she would make a beast of herself. and eat more than was good for her. On the control of hay more than in the control of the concentrates depended their success in getting high yields of cheap milk. By taking 101 b of hav away from a cow, he had increased her output by a gallon a day. His advice was to cot out their roots, cut out their straw and reduce their hav.

TN AUSTRALIA

HARDSHIPS TO FARMERS.

The recent reports of floods have served to draw pointed attention to the bad time experienced by* some parts of Australia during the past few months. The drought is said to have been responsible for the death of huge numbers of sheep and cattle, and then on the heels of the dry spell came the bush fires—these, it is stated by residents, were not nearly so widespread as -would appear and to have been restricted to, at the outside, “five percent. of the country,” according to a correspondent. But even this must be a huge area of fires and quite serious enough to call for serious attention. And then the compensating ways of providence were displayed and severe rains, amounting in many places to floodsy fell in most parts. Truly New Zealand has ample reason to be thankful for the general absence of extremes and the generally equable conditions -with which the farming e.oninumitv is favoured.

ARTIFICIAL FEEDING OF SHEEP IN AUSTRALIA.

Writing of the drought troubles in Australia, a 'Sydney farming writer says: “One of the subjects to be undertaken is the results of the hand feeding of sheep during the drought period. This has attracted the attention of {die Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. The phase of the problem of particular interest to graziers is that relating to the possibilities of the prevention, or mitigation, of drought losses by artificial feeding. For the first time in the his-, tory of the w-00l industry in Australia this method- of succouring stock was undertaken this year on an extensive scale, but it was almost wholly experimental, and the cost was enormous. Various methods were employed, but maize was the chief fodder used. The result of this vast expenditure is what the pastoralists now seek to ascertain. They realise that unless inquiry be made, and the data placed on record and carefully examined, valuable information will be lost.. Some are of opinion that the experiment has not been altogether a success, and before this can be accepted the effect on the future of the sheep and on the quality as well as the quantity of the wool, must definitely be ascertained.

One effect of artificial feeding is that, like receivers of the dole, the sheep become less active in foraging for themselves, and consequently do not receive a mixed ration. Remarkable variations in lambing results in different districts have been reported, and there is a suspicion that this is traceable to the nature of the food. Whether the low percentage of lambs in some areas is due to lack of the mating instinct, as a result of the food distributed, or to high mortality after birth, is a phase of the subject on which graziers would like information. Those ip a big way are anxious for knowledge lo guide them in future. Some fodders are better than others, but even the best seems to need variation or mixture, and the question as to whether the industry can stand the cost should not be neglected. The whole problem is to be put in the hands of a veterinary officer selected by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.’’

TO THE FARM. HOW TO' INFLUENCES THE BOYS. One of the most commonsen.se articles on the subject of the future of dairy fanning and the way to get the boys to stick to the business with dad appeared in the New Zealand Dairyman of December 20, under the nom-de-plum© of “Fax.’l

IMPROVED METHODS

A Dargaville correspondent of the Auckland Star records that the dairying output is a record in the history of the company-, and pay-out far in advance of that made last month. Farmers in the district are enjoying a remarkable season, and since herd-test-ing- came into vogue have improved their herds considerably-. A record quantity of fertilizer has also been used this season, farmers finding that it pays to feed their land as well as their cows.

THROW! 11 AUSTRALIA

EFFECTS OF THE DROUGHT.

Mention of the recent. Hoods in Australia draws attention to the serious | drought experienced previously. It is interesting to record some remarks made by Mr. F. Gillanders, when talking of his journey across Australia on the Trans-eontinental Express, some weeks ago. He said that the greater part of the western section was fairly flat and very dry, almost devoid of grass at this time of the year. Especially was this so this year, when a serious drought had been experienced. “But,” said Mr. Gillanders, “farmers tell me that if sheep can get water they can exist on what looks like a desert. ’ ’ And that is what has been the principal value in the big irrigation schemes out in the west, the Kalgoorlie district, built, it may be added, years ago through the enterprise of a New Zealand engineer. It is worth notice, he added, that in some sections the desert is so salt, that pipes became I encrusted and eaten through and had to be re-laid. A leading grazier told ■Mr. Gillanders that despite every adverse condition it was a fairly good season and that if only a chance were given, there would be a wonderful recovery, i

FARMERS AND EMIGRATION. (By a SoiU/ii African Farmer.) iie question 01 ui« uuimiuc ‘ \u.iiiiji up oi aie woutl Urf>uaosea at uic of xiie Uii'itiibii i* an .acauemic one ior Lino geuera-uion. line monaf you draw from trie ciiseus.sioiL, viz., tile need lui 1 all incncaomgjy active migration policy, is pracuc.ii, but, if 1 may say so, is, ui practice, erroneous. it wild surprise the people ot Britain to know that tlicic are million,-, oi acres or potentially fruitful land in the Doll) 11 lions vacant, not so ninth because of the so-called hire of the cities', but, because el the remarkably .simple face, that most ol the .staple lood stuffs are now being produced up to the very verge of over-production. In many instances large masses of food go to waste. Throughout the world to-day food i«s net dear. To those who think other\vi -e 1 would say : “Gompare pre-war and post-war prices of load and or other commodities, which the farmer must buy, his clothes, implements, fertilisers, etc., and it will be clear that the balance is against the farmer.” To. the farmer, who must live as a white man should, the prices to-dav will admit of no reductions. And yet how many farmers enjoy the incomes of maim fact nrer s, traders, and other townsfolk? The average income of a Smith African farmer reaches the .stately total of ,-£lO per annum! The vast open spaces of the Empire are vacant, not, because man in his wilful ness prefer,s a town, but because those now on the land can feed all in the towns, and more. Mankind to-day. still less. than in the time of Christ, docs not live by bread alone, but bv motors, wireless sets, iaero planes. and the myriad lacceissovies of civilised life. To .simply these requirements the few must he on the land' the many in the towns and factories.—London Times.

COST OF PRODUCTION

The n-ecl for decreased cost of production wherever oossib’c has been stressed in these columns time and again, and there is no doubt it would be a valuable and timely help if means may be found to that end. The Wanganui Herald suggests the slogan for the country to-day: “Make production pay.” And it is a good sound -suggestion.

“MESSRS COOKY AND SONS

ill is is the heading oi the article aim the gist of it id ia fervent appeal t o fanners to interenst their sons ’n fb« business by taking them into confidence, and giving them a direct int-eren in the farm, instead ol doing like .v' ru vny, making the boys work hard or the farm while at school and then let ting them stay on without any just recompense or share in the undertak ing. He .asks if it is any wonder that their thoughts turn to the town and a trade .with regular hours and a steady “screw.” But if dad makes him a member of the firm, the boy will see that it is to- his interest to stand m with dad and “give of his energy and. brains to continue to build up and improve the farm and the herd.” He adds: “No country or nation '■an progress without .agriculture and craftsmen. Draftsmen in agriculture are *i vital necessity .and a fresh crop of agricultural craftsmen must he trained each year. The training grounds are the farms, and the pupils should be the sons of craftsmen in agriculture. What could be better than a. combination of father and eon really farming a holding? Many a good dairvfarmer carries on year after year quite successfully with the aid of his sons, but it does not- occur to him to give his boys more encouragement and payment. He exacts obedience, and works them bard seven days a. week, seldom asks their advice, gives them nothing to look forward. to, and then bemoans his fate if the boys “clear out.” Farmers all need t-o get out of the ruck and by real farming—“bv cropping, feeding, and breeding. By testing, and selecting and culling. By ton-dressing and iudiei nu slv feed ins? n*f the pasture in smtall nnddoeks. instead of allowing the herd a free run of the place. By the use of modern machinery, and by following a tried and nrovdd system. By reading and studying the experience of success-1

fuil dairymen and experts, as oublished in the dairy press, and applying 'ho;;© very methods that have made other men successful! By being true craftsmen and making dairyfa.rming their life’s work instead of their mere existence !”

Finally the wise farmer will fake the boys into his confidence and, after going thoroughly into the position. will offer them a chance to “share in the management of a business he has builtup with their help. There is little doubt he thinks that it would be readily accepted and that the end of the conference will be that the farmer will write to. the dairy factory and ial.l the firms, with whom he does business to '•lnno'e the name on their hooks from “A. Cocky” to “A. Cocky and Sons.” It is altogether an article on common sense practical lines and to he likeTv to do much good and make many farmers think hard. If it leads only one to follow, the result will be all to the good.