AGRICULTURAL DIARY

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 9 March 1935, Page 16

AGRICULTURAL DIARY

—: • STOCK AND STATION PRACTICE NOTES AND CURRENT COMMENT NEW POTATO VARIETY Three Lincolnshire potato growers have been fined for selling potatoes without being registered under the Potato Marketing Board. - It was the first prosecution of the kind under the Potato Marketing Scheme.

One of the fundamental needs for the' improvement of grassland is the development of pedigree strains of grasses and clovers, adapted to the requirements of particular districts. B.ecause climate, soil, and methods of management differ in various districts, strains must be developed to suit these particular sets of conditions. As an extreme example we have the well known difference between Danish and Akaroa cocksfoot the one developed for seed production with light grazing for Danish conditions, and the other for grazing under New Zealand conditions. The aim of breeding herbage plants is thus to produce pedigiee strains giving increased returns from stock grazing these strains, involves breeding for higher production, especially for periods when feed is short,,; persistency, drought resistance, disease' resistance, ability to withstand grazing, high nutritive value as well as capacity to produce seed.

The whole of the Scottish sugar beet crOp amounting to 70,000 tons, has been converted into sugar at the Cupar factory, the cash value of the beet crop to the growers being £140,000.

“Was it to be thought that there could be maintenance of the wage level if there was. to be a free flow of foreign goods into this country, made sometimes under bad conditions?”

Dr. Burgin (Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade).

Lord Alness has had the distinction of having the latest new potato named after him. The new potato —an immune Second Early—was produced at the Scottish Society for Research in Plant Breeding’s Station, at Corstorphine, Edinburgh, and will be known as the “Alness” variety.

The Napier Telegraph states that some growers of ryegrass are holding Seed in the apparent hope of a further rise in market values. On the other, hand, under existing economic condi- - tions, there must be a definite limit j to the . price that the farmer can af-j ford to pay for his seed, and it is quite understandable that, rather than, exceed these limits, farmers will sow down temporary swards of Italian, Italian rye and cowgrass, in the hope that next season values will have declined as a result of increased supply. The present ruling values certainly leave no cause for complaint on the part of growers, particularly, when they are compared with those which ruled at this stage last season. Recent quotations for permant pasture seed off the mills around the district range from 6s 3d to 7s 6d a bushel, according to sample, while the outside price for permanent pasture seed off the mill last season in Eebruary was about ss. From 7s 6d to 8s a oushel is being offered for mother seed off the mills, compared with 6s last February.

A New South Wales farmer visiting this country has remarked that it seemed to him extraordinary that steps are not talcen to eradicate ragwort. There is a saying that when ragwort comes in the farmer goes out. Is it not time that this problem of noxious weeds such as ragwort and gorse was faced? It is more than a rural problem. It is a national problem, for gorse and ragwort are spreading all over the country, in rural areas, suburbs, and even on vacant town sections. There is ample legislation, made-and provided for the eradication oT noxious weeds, and measures for enforcement which, on paper at all events, are sufficiently drastic. Yet the evil is spreading instead of diminishing, piling Tip an ever-increasing hill of costs for its ultimate eradication.. People plead that they cannot at present afford to employ labour to keep the weeds down, and in the circumstances of the times the. authorities are reluctant to apply pressure. Hence there is no inducement for anyone to set about the task if a neighbour’s neglect.will render his efforts useless. The evil must be attacked systematically if eradicative steps are to be effective. When the young calf is changed over from a diet of whole milk to one of skim milk, some form of concentrate should be added to replace the butter-fat that has been removed in separating. Experience has shown that an excellent addition is a thick gruel made from 31b of crushed linseed and 27b pollard, carefully stirred into 3J to 4 gallons of water, and slowly boiled for at least half an hour. One pint of this should be added to each gallon of pasteurised skim milk, also one wineglass (2oz) of limewater.

Lime-water of the requisite strength is easily made on the farm. There need be no. fear of making it too strong, as water will only dissolve a certain limited amount of lime—| grain to the ounce, or 10 grains to the pint. Add a bucketful (say 201 b) of lime to about 10 gallons of water in a wooden barrel, ;stir well, and allow to settle.. The clear liquid resulting can be used, and water added and stirred daily until all the soluble portion of

the lime has dissolved—the lack of alkaline flavour will indicate when this point has been reached, and a fresh supply of lime should be added to the barrel. Besides being a necessary mineral constituent for all classes of animals, lime acts also in correcting acidity in the stomach. It also makes the curd portion of milk more readily digestible, particularly by young calves. This gruel should be added in small quantities at first, so that the calf may become acquainted with the flavour, also so that its digestive system may adapt itself to a new class of of'food. If fed in full quantity at first the animal may either refuse the food or will be rather severely scoured by it.