BY THE WAYSIDE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 231, 12 September 1934, Page 5

BY THE WAYSIDE

Of Interest to Farmers LAMB LOSSES OCCUR The harsh weather conditions which are at present being experienced tn Hawke’s Bay are regarded with considerable disfavour by sheepmen throughout tile province, as it is undoubtedly .causing a certain uegiee ol mortality among the lambing Hocks. in Central tlawn.es Bay several tarmeis hare had their lambing paddocks inundated with water and the lambs are having a very miserable time. At present it is impossible to state with any degree ot accuracy the extent ol the losses that have occurred, but several tanners with whom the writer was speaking yesterday predicted that they would be fairly heavy, particularly amongst late lambing Hocks and two-tooth ewes.

Rain and water everywhere, but generally not required, is the position on most farms in the district at the present time, with the broken w-eather as yet showing no signs of abatement. The rain fell steadily for two days and with the accompanying cold wind, made the farm life very undesirable. The effect of the weather was to be noted at the Waipukurau sale yesterday when a number of cattle entries, which were to have been ottered, were not sent in for sale, but were withdrawn Farmers were also few among the audience who followed the sale.

That the present was one of the wettest Septembers that had been experienced for a long time past was the opinion expressed by several tarmeis to the writer yesterday, some farmers going so rar as to say that this was the first really wet September they had experienced “September is usually one of our dry months,” remarked one farmer, “but this year we have had more than our fair snare of rain. However, the pastures should stand up to the summer months better than usual this season.”

Recent eference to the Suffolk breed of sheep as a means of improving the quality of tbe New Zealand fat lamb, made in these columns in an article by Mr George Gould, of Christchurch, threw some interesting light on this breed which has so far met with onlv a moderate reception in New Zealand. At least one Hawke’s Bay farmer has been running a small flock of Sutfolks on his property for several years, as well a.< his flock of Romney and Romney crossbred sheep. One Haw-ke’s Bay resident, who has had a considerable experience of farming in the North of England, said to the writer that the Suffolk had become a very popular breed in the North of England, where it had displaced the Border Leicester to a considerable extent. This he attributed to the excellent fattening qualities and good weight of the Suffiolk.

A very healthy demand for purebred Red Poll cattle was reported by a Hawke’s Bay breeder of these animals to a reporter, when discussing the present trend of beef cattle breeding. This farmer said that he had sold all his surplus stock and still had orders which he could not fill. A similar position, he said, ruled with other breeders of this popular animal. ,