AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCV, Issue 10920, 31 March 1896, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL JOTTINGS.

[“ Canterbury Times.’H It is with very much pleasure that we note that the Department of Agriculture has, at last, issued a pamphlet on the poultry industry; the title of which —“ Poultry and Eggs for Market and Export”— indicates its object'—certainly a praiseworthy one. The system of breeding for these purposes is well laid down, and the characteristics of the various pure breeds are described generally with accuracy, though we certainly take exception to the Leghorn being classed as a winter layer—at . any rate in this island—and to the Game being included amongst the sitting breeds, its natural wildness making it one of the worst sitters a poultry farmer can have. Possibly the author-, Mr J. A. Henderson (whom we do not remember to have heard of otherwise than as the successful exporter of a trial shipment of eggs to London at the end of last year) .has not taken into account the changes which a different climate and soil make in the nature of several of the breeds of poultry.. We are pleased to see the merits of the Houdan recognised, and trust it may be the means of directing more attention to this most useful and valuable variety. In regard to houses, it is to be regretted ' the author does not show a better acquaintance ~ with modern methods. The objectionable plan of placing a lean-to poultry bouse against the ’wall of another building is recommended, although it is now well known that the parasites of fowls will spread through the building, and infest horse's and other animals. The recommendation to place the nest in the roostingplace is also condemned. by all modern rearers. Separate nesting and roosting houses are absolutely necessary, not only to avoid harbouring vermin, but for the quietness of layers and sitters, and to avoid exposing them to the foul air of the general poultry-house. The financial result of a year’s poultry-keeping and the statement of the quantity of food consumed are interesting, but the cost, about 4s a head, is too great, and can be reduced nearly one half by soaking and boiling the grain, using dried brewers’ grains, and chopping the vegetable and animal food of the birds fine with a mincing machine. By these means the cost on a successful poultry farm in Canterbury was for each of the last two years no more than 2s Id per head. In 1894 wheat was the grain used, and in 1895 oats almost entirely. The yield of eggs is overestimated ; nine dozen is the rule where fowls are kept in large numbers. In fact, 100 eggs per annum is a safer estimate where winter layers—sitting and table fowls —are kept. The average price, too, Is per dozen, is over-stated. The average price in Christchurch was lOdin 1894, and 11.95 d (a shade under Is per doz) in 1895, when sold to private houses, as a known poultry farmer can do. If any part were exported the average would be reduced; indeed, it is doubtful if eggs can be profitably exported from New Zealand, the season in which the price is under 6d per dozen being very short. The export of poultry would pay far better, as was shown in the series of articles published in the Canterbury Times about two years ago. Even with rearing for sale in the colony we have reliable figures showing that in 1895, from the produce of eighteen adult fowls, there was realised ,£lB 6s net for dressed pullets and cockerels for the table and for eggs, the birds being sold at from 3s 6d to 4s 6d per pair. Of course rent and labour are not included in either these or Mr Henderson’s calculations. The remedies for diseases are not always the best, and the treatment recommended for gapes by removing the “ worm ” from the windpipe with a stripped feather is an exploded absurdity and (physical impossibility; the poultry books advise this cure, because they copy each others’ absurdities without testing the advice given. The advice for preparing and shipping poultry appears to be good; it is according to the methods successfully adopted by the Victorian Government expert; but as regards the rearing and keeping of poultry for the market or export more modern and accurate instruction is needed. Still the work is welcome as showing that the Government is interesting itself in the. poultry trade, which should be a large and profitable industry. The wool market continues to steadily improve, the prices with which the London sales closed on Saturday being the best of the series. Merino descriptions, as was anticipated, gained most ground, and are now at a level of values that compares very favourably with that of a year ago. Most of the New Zealand clip of merino has yet to be disposed of, and after their sufferings of last winter nobody will grudge the runholders this good fortune. The prospects of a maintenance of the present prices, and even of some further improvement are decidedly good. Stocks are light everywhere, for the small addition to American stocks by purchases at the recent London sales will give an opportunity to reduce any accumulation of the raw material that there may have been in that country. On the Continent of Europe, old stocks have been almost entirely worked up, and of the new Australian clip a larger kuantity than in any previous year has arrived direct and gone into consumption. At the London sales which have just closed the withdrawals must have been almost or quite the smallest on record, the

proportion being only about 2 per cent. Then coming to supplies, a reduction of at least 150,000 bales iu the Australasian production is positively ascertained* there will be no increase in South African supplies, and if the River Plate yield shows any increase, which is unlikely, it ■will be in cross-breds. Manufacturers everywhere are reported to be well engaged, 80_ that om* favourable view of the situation is not unreasonable. The smallness of the American purchases in London indicate that speculators in the States do not attach much weight to the efforts which are being made to restore the M’Kinley tariff on wool, and we have seen that any uncertainty on this point- that may be felt in England has .not, been strong enough to affect the market, though the latest news from Bradford may . mean that the Yorkshire merchants and spinners have not been able to raise their prices ip, proportion to the advance ill London. Tills, however, is too frequent a phase of the market to be worthy of much consideration.

The great difficulty of fixing a standard of quality for milk sold for domestic use was shown in a paper read recently by Mi Smith, of the Edinburgh Dairy Supply Company, to a meeting of the Glasgow Dairymen’s Association. He produced a tabulated statement of the percentage of butter-fat contained in the milk of three hundred and eighteen individual cows, representing fourteen different farms and dairies, both in town and country, from the Mull of Galloway to Aberdeen. Twelve of these dairies represented the sweet-milk supply, and in eight of these twelve dairies the cows produced milk ’ with under 3 per cent of butter fat—that is, equal to 5) per cent of all the commercial cows in Scotland were producing milk which, if sold by itself, is liable to be- condemned as adulterated, if, as is suggested, the standard of fat were fixed at 3 per cent. These results also were obtained at the best season of the year for milk analysis. In the spring and early summer the percentage of cows under 3 per cent would be increased. It was evident, therefore, that to subject any seller of milk to penal proceedings on an arbitrary standard of 3 per cent of fat would be a very great injustice, and ought to be resisted. Mr Smith’s figures went futher to ' show that a legal standard for milk, ' if it is to avoid injustice, must be ' a coihparatiVely low standard, and that the object of those who wish to obtain a ‘ good price for good milk will more readily be attained by moving in the direction of selling on a basis of quality. Poor cows poorly fed was a difficulty that could not be ignored. ■ Mr Smith stated that ten years ftgo he had a clause in his contracts to tlieu effect that the milk must contain not less than 3 per cent of butter-fat. He, however, preferred' the system of fixing the price on a basis of 3| per cenjb, with -<d per galloffi per -25 per cent of butter-fat Up of dciwn. If this system were adopted the publifc,would soon get to know that they were ;g-etting value for their money, and it would have the further advantage of removing all temptation to tamper wifth the milk. Mr Smith’s arguments gain .force when the English case of a few months ago is recalled, in which a dairymai a who had been convicted of selling diluted milk afterwards caused the inspector to milk the cow himself and take asarotple for analysis, the result being identical vrith the analysis on which the conviction was obtained, actually less than 2 per 'cunt of fat being contained in the milk. L‘The consumer, manifestly, suffers an inj/ustice in-having-to pay the same price for i such a product as for milk with 3£ or 4 per cent of fat. ’ Mr James Hunt, of: Hampton Park; Bristol, gives the home Jaigricultual papers particulars of the method! adopted in' the neighbourhood of Bristol jfor. making swfeet silage, sending a sample tjaken from one of 120 stacks put last summer in the .immediate district. He says i—No weight -or pressure of any kind was made use of, hut just round the outside of the stack was well trodden by a mam, as it was being built up. The stack wi is circular in shape, and finished off with a. peaked roof,, just like an ordinary hay or corn, stack, .and no thatch, dirt, or ' covering of any description was pul ;l upon it. The centre of the - stackt was trodden 'as little as possible, s<> that it might lay hollow and heat to en - lure “ sweet ” silage as far as possible. Tiuenty in-calf heifers were shut in the field in which the. silage was made all the winter, without shelter of any kind, and fed witl a all the silage they, would eat, and no hea ets could have done better. Just through I the severest of the weather about 4lb to j 51b per head of dry hay was given daily ;. Half the heifers have calved down. .with good hags and strong calves, and even now prefer the silage to other food. , Not a scrap of waste is to he seen ahoul j the field upon which the silage is fed, and half the stack is left standing.. The greater part of the' waste, fi pm four to six tons was in the roof, v.jhich was well trodden together when bei) i g made up, and as the roof sank a good , c leal and got very flat in places, the rain sou ked "in and caused waste which would nc f; have occurred had the stack been property covered. The North British Agriculti: rrist, in acknowledging receipt of a sai aple, says;—“The sample of ensilage sent i. p evidently mostly natural grasses, ebeksfo' o ( predominating. It. is of excellent qualify, j and we. doubt not, as our correspondent ii idicates, made first-class fodder.”

When sacaii ne ( Polygonum . sachalinense) was bej.i j,g boomed as a fodder plant a few : months ago we advised caution in acca />ting the wonderful statements made r especting its virtues and productiveness ; It would appear that the caution was i fell founded, for Messrs W. Atlee, Burpe, ( pd Co., the famous nurserymen of Philai, lelphia, in their 1896 “ Farm Annual/’ writ eas follows: —We condemned this plant on , the highest European authority, and aft pr having, fully investigated its merits. ( The. experience of the past year shows .that the extravagant claims made for tb‘e , plant were. without foundation. In ad ditionj the reports of scientists, and others: e /bow that it is comparatively, worthless as i a forage plant in America.