CURRENT COMMENT

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 28 May 1932, Page 7

CURRENT COMMENT

Economy in Firing. A sign of the times may be indicated by the fact that recently motorists have met numbers of old lorries laden “to the gunwale” with rough firewood, apparently collected on some farm bv unemployed men. The wood has been sold to householders or put away by the collector for winter firms. The approach of the cold weather makes the supply of faggots, roots and branches a welcome sight. Fat Cattle Down. One of the best examples of the depressed state of the fat cattle market at Hastings was to be found m the prices ruling for the really first-class draft of 20 prime P.A. bullocks, entered on account of Mr. T. H. Lowry. To. Mr. Lowry must go the credit of breeding the test type of heef that has teen put through the Hawke s Bay yards this season. Reared on the “Okawa” hills, these fine cattle are transferred to Mr Lowry’s fattening property at Omaranui for finishing, and here, in the capable hands of his manager, Mr. Geo. Stevens, they have every chance of turning into first-class beef. Yet on last week’s market rates, these fine cattle were worth only from £5 18s 6d to £7 12s 6d

Demand For Hay. A* serious position is reported from the Wairarapa where feed for winter is very scarce. This week Mr. S.. Freeman, Instructor of Agriculture in the Wairarapa, together with Messrs Clark and Heckler, representing Wairarapa farming interests.went to Hawke’s Bav in connection with the -purchase of supplementary fodder, in the form of meadow hay, lucerne hay and threshed hay, for the alleviation of the starvation conditions ruling in certain properties in the Lower Wairarapa. ' t will he remembered that conditions in this district became so serious that some weeks 'ago representatives of farming interests there petitioned the Government for aid. Dairy Heifer Demand.

Gisborne lias not been alone in purchasing supplies of dairy heifers from Taranaki (says the “Herald”). Waikato buyers have been active, while numbers have also reached Hawke’s Bav. . The demand in Hawke’s Bay, however, is apparently poor, _ and disappointing prices were obtained, values at Waipukurau running from £1 to £1 16s 6d.

Waikato values are much better than this Nothing is available about sales of lots from Taranaki, but a line of 80 marked heifers realised £lO 10s recentlv. while other values ranged up to £5 15s. with small and poor conditioned from £2 upwards. Those coming to Gisborne left Hastings last week, and there should he a g'oOfl rl era and here, buj tney are offered their value will remain a matter of conjecture. ' Early Lambs in Australia.

In Mdie Statements issued by the Australian Department of Markets from time to time; the opinion has been expressed that Australian farmers should endeavour to produce early lambs and to market these at the earliest 'possible time. The expeiience of past seasons has shown that Australian lambs exported during September and early in 'October. would always command a premium in price on the London market over those shipped at a later date. > The reason for this was that during the latter end of the year the British market was comparatively hare of supplies of “fresh” lambs. New Zealand supplies were showing the effects of retention in cold store, and the main volume of shipments from South America had yet to arrive. Treatment of Young Pastures.

Particular care should be taken at this season in the handling of recently established pastures. The voung plants should neither he allowed to become long nor subjected to continuous close crazing. Undergrazing is probably the more serious fault in the management of vounrr permanent pastures, and this is certainly so if Italian ryegrass has ben included in the seed mixture. Undergrazing of young pastures tends to shading, with 'consequent weakening and possibly destruction of certain more slowly developing valuable species. On the other hand, persistent close grazing of young pastures checks the development of the extensive root systems which beget vigorous pastures. ’Young pastures are usually most effectively grazed by a relatively large number of stock for a short time or.lv this avoids selective hard grazing of the more attractive smecies which is apt to occur under light stock in r >. Wei I -controlled grazing leads to a stooline opt of vonng plants in contrast with the drawn habit that follows undergrazing.

autumn harrowing A SOUND PRACTICE. “The question of just mu< ?' harrowing can bo done will be de time and labour, but all of the paddocks should get at least one good harrowing each season j. W. Palmer, Instructor of Agriculture in Hawke's Bay, in reply to a qucs tlC “it is not wise, perhaps, to do too v uaddocks at once, for paddocks, oZ given°a thorough harrowing, are more or less non-productive for a week or so following the operation and k too much of the farm is done at one time of the year it leaves the farme sk ?'wherss“St out later there will be a big accumu lation of droppings. These should scattered by means of the chains or tripods. This operation should be carried out before the Spring growth starts; otherwise the paddocks will become tussocky right from the hrst ® “There are now several goods makes of harrows on the market, and the two main points a farmer must consider in buying a set of harrows are, firstly, to decide that the harrows are capable of doing severe work, and, secondly, that the draught is within reason.”