AGRICULTURAL NOTES

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 239, 27 September 1930, Page 12

AGRICULTURAL NOTES

The cause of a cow holding up her milk is mainly nervousness. In some cases the presence of a calf induces them to let down tho milk; at other times the reverse is the case. Sometimes the trouble may be overcome by only partially milking out and then coming back again to finish up after milking another cow or two. A handful of hay in tho manger will sometimes distract the attention and the subject will forget to hold up her milk.—Vet.

To feed calves well, and then turn them to short commons, or a mere sustenance dietary after the age of weaning, is foolish in the extreme. Many a promising calf has thus become lean and stunted of growth, and many a promising heifer has been starved into a poor cow. Good management and good feeding play their part in the rearing of live stock as well as does good breeding, and without a combination of superior breeding, feeding and general good management cattle of a superior quality cannot be obtained.

According to the official computation, the stocks of wool held in New Zealand at June 30, were equivalent to 81,500,0001 b of greasy wool, as compared with 27,500,0001 b a year ago. This gives some idea of the extent to which wool has been held back on account of the low prices ruling.

Some dairy cows are particularly thin skinned, and arc more liable tn chapped teats than others. The pain and irritation which they suffer during milking leaves no doubt as to the necessity of a speedy remedy. It is noticeable that sores heal more quickly when machines are in use than with hand milking. This applies to small cracks, but in cases where the crack is n fairly large ono or due to a skin eruption that has burst and formed a sore, machines may havo a tendency to suck blood, and do more harm than good. Tho practice of keeping a little vaseline or grease in each cowshed is a splendid one for use when stripping.

Size in cows, as in other animals, is to a certain extent hereditary. But suppose you take the case of twin calves of equal size and quality, nnd if you feed the one well ami judiciously ami half-starve the other, you find that tho liberally fed animal makes the more vigorous growth.