Farming Column

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1933, Page 2

Farming Column

HOW WE MAY BEAT THE DANES. BEST WEAPON IN DAIRY WAR. Cables >say Danish dairy fa,tuners hope to take- in their stride the fiscal penalties imposed on them at Ottawa. But can they? A new Zealand dairyman received a letter last- month from ! a Danish competitor of the New Zealand “cow cockier” ’ : He " was :; one ,-28' . men placed on <i S4O acre Government subdivision. He farmed 11 acres for dairy, pigs and poultry. Some of bis neighbours ’reared families on five acres. They paid the Government interest on the land; interest and depreciation on the buildings. Owing to the pressure of the 10 per cent, preliminary tariff imposed by England earlier in the year, some of them could not meet their interest payments, and weie twice granted a moratorium. It would, therefore, appear that the tariff increase of 15s per cwt on Danish butter, despite the cable on confidence, may see a decrease in Danish shipments to England. That will be all in New Zealand’s favour. The issue, however, will even then not he simple. The Old Country is receiving steadily increasing dairy supplies,, especially from Australia and New Zealand, These may have to be cleared at lower prices. That means increased competition with margarine at levels which will interest consumers of that commodity. If New Zealand is to reap its due reward from the new tariff, keep the Danes out; and win a wider sale in the United Kingdom, it may have to reduce its costs of production, but thi s must not be at tlie expense of quality; that must lie improved. The Danes are down to bedrock. We must follow them, particularly in the field of science—not “top hat” science but the “cowbail” variety, the lessons of which can often be imparted best by chin wagging over the farmer’s fence. As soon as possible New Zealand should immediately adopt a scheme to ensure that ■ from milking shed to the finished article only the purest milk and cream are treated, and that in the most hygienic manner.

Dairy produce made at this side of the world lias need of' much greater care in: manufacture .than that made in Denmark . for early consumption. But that country is much more fastidious than the Dominion in its methods. The Dane i$ convinced of the need for the scientific ' preparation of his products. His country, for its size is the most progressive in research, Tlie Polytechnic Academy, .for instance, is a £1,000,000 scheme being extended at the rate of £IOO,OOO. a year. . One of. its chief functions is dairying instruction and investigation in which no fewer than 1000 students continually undergo a five years’ course, . Contrasted with Denmark, New Zealand is most backward in supervision and research, and the fate that recently befel bur cheese is the strongest of reasons for supporting and extending such technical organisations as we possess.

Our dairy industry has rather two much of the Topsy about it. It just growed, up; and very quickly at that To win the war with the Danes, we must captui’e' something of their age old capacity for closer settlement, their hygienic, practical shoulder-rub-bing science, economy in production, and a more courageous marketing of our products on the too well served British, and other markets.

CAUSES OF TAINTS IN MILK. When taints or abnormal flavours occur in milk, the most frequent cause is that the cows have eaten some strongly-flavoured plants a shbrt time previous. Other possible reasons are: (1) Proximity to the milk of plants or, foods with a strong odour j (2) the activity of contaminating bacteria; or (3) the effect of the milk on metals with which it has come into contact. As regards the influence of foods, it is well known that most plants of the Brassica family—a s turnips, swedes, c-ab, bages, rape and kale—impart an objectionable flavour to milk if eaten in any quantity a few hours before milking. But, if given immediately, after milking, the unpleasant flavour is dissipated within a few hours, and the yield at the next milkng will be quite all right. Silage from oats and vetches is sometimes blamed as a cause of taint in the milk of cows to which it is fed. Yet, on the other hand, such silage is greatly in favour wit'll nuiiiliers of farmers, "oh tlib ground that .its use much improves the colour of the cream and butter obtained from the milk. The truth appears to he that silage produces unpleasant flavours in milk only when it lias been badly made, and in itself possesses an objectionable smell. Silage of this sort, if used fer dairy cows, should be fed only in small quantities, being preferably thrown out on the pastures, so that the cows can consume, it soon after the morning’s milking. RAGWORT PARASITE FOUND. In connection with the recent discovery of a number of ragwort plants that had beei attacked by a natural enemy, Mr j. McKenzie, of Te Puke, reported to the Te Puke County Council that lie had noticed the condition of the plants some weeks ago and had collected a. number of lmmze-winged

flies with which they were infested. These flies evidently laid their eggs in the foliage. A small worm was hatched which fed on the plant, thus sapping its life. The result of the investigation to he made at the Gawthron institute wil] he awaited with interest.

THE DEHORNING OF CATTLE. Dehorning shears should always he made as mean, and sharp as possible before use. To dehorn cattle with blunt shears is cruel, in that the crushing adds, to the agony which is momentary when sharp shears are employed. (Dehorning, with dirty shears is unpardonable, as it is liable I to cause infection, formation of pus in the matrix and frontal sinus of the head, and that also means prolonged discomfort, and even intense suffering for the unlucky animal. If a dehorning saw is used it, too, must he clean and sharp. There can, we think, be , little question that dehorning by means of tlie saw is more painful than dehorning with shears. Bleeding, following the operation, is about the same whichever instrument is used, j "Were it humane to employ blunt i dehorning shears, bleeding would be ' considerably less than from the use of keenly sharp shears. Everyone knows how profusely a wound bleeds when made by the sharp edge of a piece oi broken glass or by a razor, and how much less is the bleeding when the cut has been torn through the skin and tissues by a blunter object. When a very sharp knife wounds the skin and flesh the blood vessels are cleanly severed and blocd pours out in an unobstructed stream. When the tissues are cut with a blunt knift the blood vessels are slowly severed, comparatively speaking, and the mus-

cular tissue of the vessel wall ’retracts instantly and helps to hold back the blood. Coagulation of blood and an outpouring of “wound cement” then complete the process of haemorrhage stopping and healing proceeds. Arterial blood is bright scarlet in colour and spurts from a wound . Venous, or impure blood, is darker in colour and flows in a steady stream or drips or oozes from a wound.

Bleeding after is most likely to prove troublesome or alarming when the operation is performed in very hot weather, or when the cattle have been driven fast, ■ or struggle much when being restrained. It is best, therefore, to dehorn early in the morning, in cool weather, the cattle having rested all night, and to handle them as quietly as possible at the time of operating. Slight bleeding is readily stopped by elevating the head of the animal and tying it in

that position, and persistent bathing with very' hot" or very cold water containing an antiseptic, It is hotter, however, in all cases of bleeding to bind sterilised cotton upon the poll of the head. Tlie cotton should first be saturated with a 3 to 5 per cent, solution of coal tar disinfectant, or other standard disinfectant, and then be secured in place by means of a bandage. The head should then be kept high by means of a rope tied to the stanchion uprights and the cotton left in place for 12 and 18 hours, according to the severity of the bleeding.

Then the bandage may be severed and the cotton allowed to come off with forcible removal. Tf it is not convenient to apply cotton and a bandage, the irrigating with the antiseptic may be done by means of an overhead bucket or tank, rubber tube and nozzle, or by use of an ordinary fountain syringe raised well above the animal’s head. A cherry red-hot iron sometimes is used to stop the, bleeding, being lightly applied to the centres from which the blood flows. Healing is slow, when that treatment is given: it proceeds quickly when clean bandaging is done Some operators apply cotton smeared with pine tar and secure it in place by pandaging. Pus will he likely to form when much tar is applied, and also forms when iron solutions or power have been applied. The simpler treatments are preferable.—“N.Z. Dairyman.”

MONEY FROM MILK. Milk is tiie most important contributor to the farmer’s income; taken as an average through the world; eggs rank second, before wheat and rice, and immediately after milk, says a, pamphlet on “Dairy Produce” issued by the Empire Marketing Board. Striking comparisons are given showing the importance of dairy produce to the countries of the world. More milk is used for drinking and cooking than is made into butter and more into butter than into cheese or any other product, states the pamphlet. Empire countries are second and third on the list of butter ' and cheese exporters, but make a poor showing in the list of egg and preserved milk exporters. In most countries eggs are mainly produced for home consumption, Denmark alone exporting as much as half its total production. Butter represents nearly a third of Denmark’s exports, and over a fifth of New Exports of eggs and egg products take third place in China’s exports. The United Kingdom is easily the world’s largest importer of the fivo products dealt with in the pamphlet —butter, cheese, preserved milk, eggs, and egg products.