DAIRY FARMING.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 27 September 1910, Page 3

DAIRY FARMING.

IN HOROWHENIIA COUNTY

WHAT FARMERS ARE DOING

The advance which lias been made and is being made in dairy farminp, in New Zealand is phenomenal. The country and climate are so well adapted to the industry that it is not siu-piisincr it has attracted «>nu of the most enterprising and virile elements in the populations both of the dominion ami the Old Country. To-day, dairy farmers throughout the land are peropnring for spring and summer, and in Hie ITorowhenua County they are exceedingly busy. During the winter tho lana has been thoroughly top-dressed, and crops are being put in for market purposes. A good many dairy farmers around Levin go in for several different pursuits—in the words fif Mr Jack Johnson, of the Horowhenua Village, Settlement, "we don't look to one basket of eggs t<> fill the pur.sp." Mr Johnson "has a model farm, anl he possesses r. splendid herd of any-;. .lint at tilt present time, wihile he is busy milking, he is also sowing crops of vegetables for the Wellington market. During the winter he went in foi top-dress inn; extensively. "J advise every farmer," he'told n Chronicle, reporter, "to top dress with basic slag at the rato of about 3cwt per acre. It not only gives one season's grass, but you' get the benefit of it for several seasons.'

Mr Johnson ,\ n great believer iti mni/ie. Ffo knows a great doai about it. and declares that it is oiu of the best milk producers as regards qualitv he ha.s ever fed hi: cow.M on. Flo will, roughly spr-ak ino;, put clown two acres with it in the_ next few weeks. |-f P will have siiflicient maize for feed from Janunrv till the mkkile of May. "A lot, of |veople," remarked Mr Johnson, "ran_ flown maize at first. Tbev said it wns no good. They ihavo cihanged their tune since. ' T prophecy that it is an article of feed that will grow enormously in popular favour."

-Mr Johnson's stock consists oi Shorthorn;;. Ayrshires and Jerseys. Ono of bis Ayrshire's last yenii brought in C2I -Is. He has kept clear of He-refords. Asked the reason why, Mr Johnson asserted that he found that whore there. wa.s one_ £o:>d Hereford {.here ware ten bad ones.

"The Wellington milk market,' observed Mr Johnson, "is in a- very unsatisfactory stare at the pmsem time. Wo have been getting 7d a gallon, l.iit we are not, at all pleased with l,he offer they mako for the summer time."

Different dairy farmers have different methods of lending cows foj milk production in winter, and M Johnson steadily adiheres to one particular method. That is, be feeds [us stock on mangolds every morning. Ihe reason lie does tliis is becnusp tlio row is nnder a man's ov« for at least endit nv nine hours aftei has eaten them, and he can doteet pioking or anything that mav possibly go wrong „.,-«, tllo mim i At night t.inns he gives them a good heavy feed of green oats and a med, iti-tn feed of hay. He grows considerably more feed than he requires boeaiiso he believes in preparing f, ' n had season. "Same pcor.le. ,r S nid Mr Johnson "believe in feeding in the shed r believe in feeding in the paddocks so that if there is anv γ-iste of seed ,t is distrihutert ore, the paddock and ; nto t]]o ~ and keeps the pasture fresh " The prospects for dairy farmers ii. he countrv he says, rG ~evei ''etter. The 'district was gett, o more under the plough, and one I? a result, got more off the land Closer settlement, however, was nee essnrv before the countv c0,,1d mX" tie headway it ought to do, aiul e hought that large estate s , k " ,ln " M