CURRENT COMMENT

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 20 February 1932, Page 11

CURRENT COMMENT

Cows Coming in in Autumn,

Gradually we are approaching the ideal of commencing our dairying season in the autumn months of the year. Quite a number of farmers are bringino- their cows in a little earlier every vear and many cows will be calving in June of this year. It is the experience of these men that their production figures advance with the earlier calving, and there is little doubt that .with cows in general commencing their production in March and April, they will attain an even production throughout the season that is impossible under present conditions. Better average production will not be the only advantage. There will be much less liability to disease, seeing that the cows will come to profit in greatly improved condition. Autumn calving or winter dairying will not only load to directly increased profits to the producer but it will be an advantage in the oversea marketing of our produce. The old bogey that milking through the winter will “pug up” our farm lands in an exaggerated statement, except perhaps on some swamp areas, seeing that milking is now in full swing in two of the worst months of the year, in August and September. The best half of the year in this country is generally from January to June, and too often the worst half is from June to December. Autumn calving would mean that both man a nil beast would have their resting period in the best months of the year—as it should be.

Grazing Pigs on Grass. At that time of the year the majority of pig paddocks have more or less a surplus of rough unpalatable grass, which is of very little value as food. This should be mown where possible and if it is not suitable for hay it is advisable to store it for bedding. Once the pasture has 'been cut a fairly heavy dressing of ground lime, five ewt. twice a year is recommended. The necessity of using artificial fertiliser is confined to very poor land, for it is found that where pigs are fed on pasture the tendency is for the land to become rapidly richer in all minerals except lime and iodine. Through cutting the grass off the pig pasture, and liming, although there may not be a great quantity of fresh growth for the next month or so what does grow will be of some food value, while once autumn rains come there will be valuable food available which should prove practically sufficient to sustain the breeding rows during the first two months of pregnancy.

Breed’s Remarkable Progress. The remarkable progress of the Jersey breed iii .Southland is reflected in the strength of the various dairy cattle Sections at ithe big provincial show at Invercargill recently. The actual number of Jerseys entered was sixty-seven as compared with sixty-six Friesian s and sixty-five Ayrshires. In years gone by the Jersey occupied a very small place in the dairying affairs of Southland with Friesians and Ayrshires strongly in the majority. The rapid rise of the Island breed until at the Southland show this season it just headed the other two, whch have for so long been firmly entrenched in the province, has been one of the features of modern dairying progress in the district. Ten years ago there was a' single supplier to one of the Southland factories using a Jersey bull; to-day nearly every one of those thirty-four suppliers have Jersey bulls at the head of their herds.

Milking Capacity of Sow. The capacity of a sow to raise large and well-developed litters largely depends on her milk-producing ability. It has been proved that there is a considerable variation in the milk capacity of individual sows, just the 'same as there is in milch cows, and, as would be expected, that the sows which produce most milk produced the largest litters. The number of' bonhanrs in the litter and the weight at weaning time gives a good idea of the milk capacity of the sow. The average daily production of milk for a sow has been found to work out at about half a gallon per day. Sow’s milk is very much richer in protein, ash and fat than cow r s milk, the total solids of sow’s milk being I£> per cent, as compared with 1.3.6 per cent in cow’s milk. This fact emphasises the importance of feeding the sow well during the suckling period on food rich in milkproducing constituents.

Hundred Head of Stock on 40 Acres. In describing the method of a leading breeder in England, whose herd has headed the Norfolk Herd-testing Association, the “ Dairy-farmer ” of England, says that this breeder, Air. IV. W. Calkin, has since 1927, adopted the rotational system of grazing combined with complete manuring. The pasture land, of which there is only forty-five acres, was divided into five-acre plots Avith wire and post fencing. The plots are dressed Avith phosphate and nitgrogen in the early spring, and again after they have been grazed. The stock is allowed to remain on each plot from three to four days, so that each plot is grazed about once a month. “I am always trying to get young grass” said Mr. Calkin. ‘‘l never like to see it more than five or six inches high. In ithe first year of this intensive treatment iiiy pastures produced daily three gallons of milk per cow, and kept fiftyfive cows, nine horses, and twenty-five head of young stock for the greater part of the surumor. ‘‘To have been able to keep 101 head of stock on 45 acres is not a bad advertisement for the system. Hr. Calkin gets much more grass than others on similar type of land to his own —and at a lower cost.

Interval Between Milking. The Imperial Institute of Animal I ; u shun dry and Dairying in Bangalore, India, carried on some testis on the effects of interval between the morning and evening milking on the quantity and quality of milk. 'The results of these tests are interesting and deserve ,some consideration: (1) By keeping

( equal intervals between the (two milkings the out-turn of milk and fat at each milking remains practically the same, although there is a little increase in fat percentage in the evening which may be attributed to the aetviity of the fat secreting cells during the daytime. (2) The total quantities of milk and fat for the Whole day remain almost constant, irrespective of the interval between milkings. this fact is of great importance from a practical point of view. (3) By keeping an unequal interval between the two milkings one can get more milk with the longer interval and richer milk with the shorter interval and can thus arrange the supply of fresh milk and its products according to The local demand.” Liquid Manure.

A means of economy which has been largely missed in 3'ears gone bv is the utilisation of the. manure from and round the milking sheds and on various parts of the farm. The droppings must be very valuable and contain much of what has been taken out of the land and that should he restored to the land. On many farms one tins seen it stacked up in heaps but not regularly used. Expert farmers of long experience are convinced that the land requires more of the natural manure to supply something the artificial manures have not in requisite quantity. It is worth the attention of farmers to see the invention of two young Maoris of Mapaia for spraying the manure in fine liquid form on’ the land. Farmers need in these strenuous times to take heed of every such saving to counteract the lower level of prices which seems certain to rule.

Cabbage Butterfly. Whatever may lie said by those who have had no actual experience of its destructive qualities, the cabbage butterfly and its caterpillar are still continuing to wreak havoc amongst Hawke’s Bay rape crops, and in some cases crops have been practically ruined by the activities of the pest. The serious nature of the invasion is further illustrated in the experience' of a Boukawa farmer, who told a “Telegraph.” representative that iso far as liis rape crop was concerned, it was virtually a race between the lambs and the caterpillars as to which could eat the most. He stated that over a quarter of his plot had been practically reduced to the skeleton stage, the caterpillars eating the leaves right out aii<J leaving only the veins. Bullocks go Overboard.

An unique experience befel some drovers near Gisborne recently when four bullocks being shipped at the wharf were frightened and jumped into the river. The drovers were on a steamer and the beasts were headed off, but getting away, they set out to sea and were again turned with the aid of a launch. Three landed on the beach after a two-mile swim. The fourth was drowned in the breakers.

DOMINION WOOL SALES

1931-32 ROSTER

The roster of the New Zealand wool selling dates for the 1931-32 season have been arranged as under: February 25—Christchurch. March I—Dunedin. March 4—-Invercargill. March 11 —Wellington. March 16—Napier. March 21 —Auckland. March 31—Christchurch. April 4—Dunedin. April 7—-Timarn. April 11—Wellington. April 14—-Napier. April 16 —Wanganui.

BOYS FOR THE LAND

SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE.

Writing in a very common-sense and practical strain, Oliver Ireland lias ail interesting article in the Auckland “Star ’ on farms and farmers. He writes as one who was born and bred on the land and later retired to town life.

He has some valuable comments on the question of getting boys on the land when he writes as follow: “With every go<jd wish for the success of the proposals to make farmers of our boys, now being brought forward, I am going to suggest that we seem to be beginning “at the wrong end of the stick.” If a “town” boy is to live on the land he should be made, first, a competent gardener. His garden will be .an essential and indispentsable part of his sustenance. In the hardest or times bis vegetables and his fruit will keep him healthy. He should have a working knowledge of bees and poultry; that they will need at least attention if not care. All the time lie should be impressed with tile fact, until it becomes part of bis consciousness. that be is going on the land to lit'O and not to “make a living.” After that Avhen be lias learned how to milk as an expert his success ought to he assured, but be must be taught to measure it by other standards, health, contentment, and pride in accomplishment, rather than by the size of bis bank balance. Omar’s philosophy will have to be reversed. He will have to take the credit (of his work) and let the cash ‘go.’ “One who loves tin* real farmer, as I do, could write a volume on bis opportunities. To the enthusiasts who are tackling the problem, locally, I will Avrite a last word for their grave consideration. It is this; Farms can be ‘made,’ but you cannot ‘make’ farmers. and farmers’ wiVes; yon haA-o but to breed them.”