FOR THE FARMER

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 2515, 17 December 1927, Page 2

FOR THE FARMER

HAY STACK FIRES.

A COMMON DANGER. HOW IT MAY BE AVOIDED. Last season was remarkable for the number of stacks throughout the Auckland Province that were lost through. spontaneous combustion. Many stacks that appeared to be safe for some time after building developed so much heat subsequently that fires were a common occurrence in the month, of February. So serious was the loss so occasioned that the fields division of the Department of Agriculture were asked to investigate the matter, and at the recent conference in Auckland much valuable evidence was discussed, and preventive measures suggested. By common consent, the hasty stacking of half-dried material is blamed for the great majority of fires. Haymaking has become an operation of some magnitude on modern dairy farms, and wit a the advent of up-to-date stocking apparatus there is a tendency to accelerate unduly the transference of hay from swathe to stack. Green grass and clover ferments rapidly, and unless the material is properly dry before stacking, this fermentation can easil' reach a*point where spontaneous combustion takes place. ■

Many farmers leaves the swathes of hay untouched until they are raked together for stacking; this means that the underside is still moist when stacked, partly from natural sap, partly from contact with the damp ground. Any farmer who emits to turn his hay at least once is running considerable risk of fire. Moreover, dampness brought about by rain or dew will cause heating, even more seriously than will natuial moisture. Hay that has been wetted by rain must be shaken out and given ample time to dry before stacking. In a wet season it is naturally difficult to get the hay thoroughly dry, but where a farmer is faced with this problem there are several precautions he can take. In the first place, where there is a. likelihood of rain intervening before stacking can be accomplished, the hay should be put into cocks. Properly made and raked; cocks will throw off a good deal of rain, and if they are left for several days and thrown out well before stacking a considerable amount of “sweating” will be found to have taken place; this reduces the amount of heat that will be subsequently developed in the stack. It is advisable to cock clover, lucerne, tares or dense crops of mixed - grasses and clovers whatever the weather is like, as this material is very difficult to dry properly in the swathe without leaving it exposed to the weather ioi an unduly long period. A second precaution is to build several smaller stacks rather than one large one. Although comparatively small stacks have been known to fire. The heat escapes far more easily from the smaller weight of material. A third, precaution is to Construct “cbimnies” in the stack. This can be done quite simply by building the hay round a sack stuffed wjth the same material; as the stack rises this sack is drawn up, leaving a hollow flue from the bottom to the roof, which will permit of the heat escaping freely. The mouth of such a chimney should not be covered, although in the event of heavy rain a sack may be placed over it, or better still, a loose wad of straw or fern may be inserted. One such chimney will suffice for stacks up to ten tons; larger stacks have two or more all along the centre line. Top-dressing has sometimes been blamed for stack fires, but there is absolutly no reason to suppose that it is the direct cause of combustion. A well-manured crop is, however, always more difficult to handle than a light one because of its greater density and the increased amount ot clover. The greater care required is of course amply repaid by the greater weight and higher feeding value of the crop. Among minor points may be mentioned the use of salt, which is thought to reduce the degree of fermentation; this is not quite certain, but there is no doubt that it is a good practice to salt hay. Stacking should always be carefully done; thick clots of badly-made hay are very liable to develope into “heatcentres,” and should be shaken out of the stack. The farmer who has built his stack and is subsequently apprehensive of its safety has two courses open to him. Either he can open up the stack to let the heat out, or he can add weight (such as earth) to smother the incipient fire. The former plan involves a certain amount of risk; if the heat has passed a certain point, the admission of air will simply fan the flames and bring about an open conflagration, so that when this operation takes place it is highly advisable to have a good supply of water handy. Farmers who have difficulties this season with thenstacks are asked to communicate

with the Department of Agriculture, the local representatives of the fields division being Mr. Jenks, of Te Kuiti.

A BUTTER-FAT RECORD.

The highest figure in butter-fat production ever reached by a single cow on a New Zealand Government farm was attained in September by the pedigree Friesian cow, Dominion Wcodcrest of Weraroa. With twice-a-day milking, under ordinary farm conditions, this cow produced 2379.31 b of milk at the Government Central Development Farm at Weraroa. This is equal to a fraction under eight gallons daily. Dominion Woodcrest at Weraroa tested 4.5 during the month so that her butter-fat production was 107.051 b. This is a fine example of the productivity of Friesians in New Zealand. Over 2000 gallons of milk a year have been produced in New Zealand by each 120 cows.

STABILISING BUTTER PRICES.

A proposal to amplify the Paterson plan and to stabilise the dairying industry throughout the Commonwealth was submitted to a meeting of representatives of co-opera-tive butter factories held, in Sydney recently. The plan was designed to prevent factories from competing for the Australian trade, and to protect them from interstate competition. This was to be brought about by an all-Australian price of butter, which would “obviate cut-throat competition and stabilise the industry.” A pool was to be established in each State, and the equalisation of prices would be operative in each State. In this way each factory would receive a similar return for all butter sold, those sending all their butter to the London market sharing the profits on local sales with those confining their operations to Australia. The all-Aus-tralian price would, of course, return a handsome profit to those in the industry, and any discrepancy between it and the London parity would be regarded as a loss, and be apportioned equally among all the factories in Australia. The bugbear of f.o.b. selling would thus be overcome, as London buyers would not be able to operate in Australia unless they paid the fixed price. The co-operative ideal of consignment selling would be realised. It is suggested that promoters of the plan might find that actually it would not be easy to obtain the assent of all States to fixing their prices in accord with tjie wishes of that State which happened to have at least, or the most butter ready, for the market.

KING COUNTRY DAIRY HERDS.

SOME INTERESTING FIGURES. It will surprise many to know that in the King Country there are some of the best grade dairy herds in the Dominion. Amongst them can be mentioned those of Messrs. Reeve Smith. (Aria), Mortenson (Pio Pio), J. T. Walker (Rangitoto), and F. Phillips (Otorohanga). It is intended to write these up from time to time as the information is available. The following interesting fact in regard to Mr. F. O. R. Phillips’ Jersey herd will be informative and interesting to dairy farmers in the King Country. MEADOWLAND PEDIGREE JERSEYS. The Meadowland pedigree. Jersey herd has been carefully built up from the greatest butterfat-producing strains in New Zealand. Included are such well-known cows- as Jersey Bank Treasure, 7171bs fat at 10 years; Jersey Meadow Sunday,. Glllbs at 4 years; Holly Oak Talata, 648ibs; Treasure’s Dot, 5651b5; Ivondale Victoria. 5631b5; and many other tested cows. Grannie-K.C.B. bulls were used at Meadowland before Mr. Hale purchased Grannie’s Kniglit. Mr Phillips has been a constant purchaser of Holly Oak stock, and at the recent dispersal sale of the Holly Oak stud, managed to secure many of the old foundation cows. There are now in the herd 22 daughters of Grannie’s Knight (one of them is out of the dam of Pretty’s Flirt, lOlOlbs), and no less than ten of the 24 daughters of Soumise Tom sold at the Holly Oak dispersal. This is one of the best producing families in New Zealand, as the 15 daughters of Soumise Tom tested average 6471bs fat. One of these daughters of Soumise is Prim’s Lisp, a full sister to Anscerine, the dam of Holly Oak Annie, 1056 lbs fat. She has just dropped a heifer calf by Grannie’s Knight, and thus a full-sister in blood to Holly Oak The herd also includes three daughters of Owler of Puketapu, the leading New Zealand sire for show and producing stock. The senior herd sire is Holly Oak Gander, full brother to Holly Ook Annie, 10561bs fat, and British Empire champion. One his daughters at present under test is milking up to 561bs per day as a second culver. Over a dozen of the Meadowland

cows are 75 per cent, same blood as Gander, and are leaving exceedinglypromising calves. One is a daughter of Signal’s Lioness, 7261b5, and another is out of Dulcie Bell, 7201b5. The junior herd sire is Combination’s Tidy Prince, imported to New Zealand from T. S Ccoper and Son’s herd, U.S.A. This bull is bred from the best families on Jersey Island, and is siring calves which are unmatched for promise of both type and production. Probably no herd in New Zealand contains so many high-producing cattle or such sires as are at Meadowland. As the reputation of the Meadowland cattle extends, there is a demand for young stock from as far north as Dargaville, while several have been sent to the South Island. A sale of young pedigree cows was held last July—one purchaser secured a cow which gave 84ibs fat for November, while another purchase gave 871bs for the current month. Many of the young cows at Meadowland are milking 501bs and over per day. There are always six or seven under semi-official test. Last year one of them, Briar’s Gift, yielded 96.55 fat for November, nearly 41bs of butter a day. There are two herds of Grade Jerseys at Meadowland. Until last year when some of the herd were transferred to the Sunrise herd of Mr. Clyde Phillips, the Meadowland Grade Jersey herd was the highest producing grade herd in the Auckland Province. In 1925-26 81 grade cows averaged 3751bs fat under test, while the best 40 made no less than 432 lbs fat —a record which has till now not been beaten by a grade herd of 40 cows. These cows are now divided into three herds, one of which averaged over 511bs fat for November, 1927, while 61 cows in the Sunrise herd of Mr. Clyde Phillips’, which is nearly all Meadowland cows, yielded for the current month 53.291b5; 50 cows and heifers average production 72.701b5; top cow 87.30. The cow Pearl has now produced 264.391bs fat in 85 days. The pedigree cow Snow View Charm (bought at last. Meadowland sale), produced 87.301bs fat in 30 days, with a total to date of 1601bs in 55 days. One grade cow yielded 87lbs fat for the current month, while another gave 961bs for the thirty-day period.