THE DAIRY FARM AND HOW TO RUN IT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9544, 22 June 1911, Page 2

THE DAIRY FARM AND HOW TO RUN IT.

Mr Bort Voale, of Woodviilo, addressed the Dairy (,'onforeneo yesterday morn, ing'on the above subject. Ho stated it was a diflicult matter to do justico to a subject which was of so much importance, to the dairying industry, Tho man who thinks ho knows everything and takes no heed of the opinion, of. others ; s not as a rule the man whorises to the possibilities that are . attained in dairying. Tho man who took, a farm with the solo object of quickly., selling was becoming .a ourso. Dairy., farms could be clawed under a variety l ., of qualities of land, He intended,- to deal with the farmers of between 50 .-and 300 acres. Dairy farmers could be classi : ,. lied according to their carrying capacity.; in a more or less advanced say, from 1-,-j aeros up to acres t0..a. : cow; and the values of land should .be basjd upon its condition, quality and; natural advantages. For some yoa.rs past farms bad been selling at increased-: values, without having increased r-jirt; carrying capacity. Tho farmer should baso his calculations as to what ho could;, reasonably expect to do under normal' conditions from the averago cow, ak/.a'ii: average prico por lb for butter fat v in'. normal years, Areas should not exceed-. 10 acres on a .50 acre farm and 20 aci;e#.. on 300 acre.?. Shelter was necessary, .and; sliprails were an abomination. ; T!io; actual test of successful dairying is'.tlie" net amount of returns per acre of land; after allowing, say, 5 per cent, on capital viiliio of land, stock, etc., and the value, of the labour and outgoings expended; on the producing of that return, whejv.. there is a surplus or deficiency on those: figures. Then only can tho farmer :say. he has had a profitable year or otherwise, He recognised that thero wero a number: of farmers whose methods woro soundTthere wero others who were ,ijdf, It was to these ho appealed. The., first important thing to a dairy farmer' is the herd—and to do this, attention must bo paid to tho individual qualitiesof the cows, and nothing kept, but pure.-'-bred sires of known merit. The speakerwould not lay down any rulo as to what; breed of dairy cow a man should kopj_>V but stated the so-called dual (urp'oso':

cow was a fallacy. Tho broods he fancied woro Jersey, Holstein-Frioiian and Ayrshire. The former was par excellence in butter-making,' and tho two latter had possibly greater merits in cheescmaking from a commercial standpoint. _Ho gave instances of his breeding which wero highly successful. Ilis practico was to carry, a beast to acres through tho. year. Milking should be dono regularly and cleanliness was essential. _ The health of cows should be studied; if a cow. was-ailing-a thermometer would" at. once'. 6how tho farmer if anything serious was'tho matter. The cows needed. constant- ..watching during July, August, 'September and October. Cows usually kept their condition on grass until the .end of June, thoii they should bo,fed whether in milk-or not. He recoMmpiKHxliorio aero of grass hay be cut. to :each ;fiyo /cows, and if possible -J acre of: oatoiivslieaf, or : oaten straw, after threshing, lj.acrca of swedo turnips for each 10.cows; -.to bo fed to dry cows only, and store pigs in : winter. One acre of mangolds.;for;each 20 cows, or.;carrots if preferred.;.Th'e'so; : .tp..'be fod.;to;'co'ws in. milk, with. hay/}..Gbpd : ' ensilage; is : cqual to ,r6ots; v In'-,;'autiimn,.. -if possible;:';lie-Olgpf-VgrouJid: Toady-;for .the" .■plough, :iin?-ior-;.wiritcr '.■and/'.ilieavy .'it shoiild./;'be' : -^ : two tons; : tb : :'tlio^ : a'cro';if; very .6pur/' : :Man-: '■ sbwnvih;dcfober-aii(b liay'paddocks; should ; Swedes slipiild ? bo edTrh. about '^hes: ; middle.!bf,;;Noypmber^ ; Miin-. golds'went'slb : sced"to tho'acre,'.; and sc)vt. ■mangold;yiianure;. .with"a.:.littlp■ ;sulphatp: of ; atrtnipnia :p.r/mtrato^of.;soda';::;turnips : ; : ; 10 td;.;l2oz : f to; tho aero and .'Kiwi" turnip '.] manure.,. - of -J oarly.;;ahdv-late' : ;yarietics.< ofC'best. He; seed; ':with;; ; 2cwt... to 3e.\vt ! o[' : i 'biisic:slag-.'.t'o- thp : ,aero.;in'July,;: andy:neyer^cu't^;fieldrpf: : liay ;unti!'laid\ dpwn)tjvo "seasojis. i:i; G(ire;sli6'idd ; .bevtakeri?; ■foViseloct.;only'; : best'.;:™ fi):owing^bariey:yn;^a:;'dry■ :seasqri" : is-.' a. : , fail urivspiiifct iiiies,;; and; ■ iyhcn'liife '.happe.n>.. :, ed;vas?&phvafter:dia^ haf r'b\v pel :';'t li b.Jstubblo ;..; ; eel- . : ')y ith ■■ gra's's ■, aiid-'pllcU;^^ ;in : .>December;-. aerof in . Saeli ; month"/should''be;':*no'ugK■.f 0r.,.50'ido.ws. it.Was best, sown "'-'in'-.'-drill!*; 24 inches;. a}>iii:tjs::ro : ;aH6>V:' v ifc>.being ,hoed, aiid'. fewi;. of superphosphate and .-|;acr« . 'of i ..."Maize slvbu|(i ; :bp.':ciit;ir ; fow;.hpurs : :befqrb> feeding, snd^not-before:; lfc; ; is : in' ilpwei:.. .■ -The - • Siifc^gsrui;--daiFyjiiail; - rria;k€ ; &' . 'o.i. byo-produdtA;. ahd: : .his ;exp'drionop was '.that iFie,.siti-pTusv"cattl 6■;sc>ld. eacji" year ' ■ and net profit..On ..pigs: ...should, amount .-.tp ;4Q'.'.po;f' cent.; of.4lie : .' : ,7alue. '.of. b.'utter-fa't; i-jifv.IQcI per lb; \A'fanner should roaf;'2| ' ;pigs vand. 1 calf 10.-eacii two. cow>.' hi--;;ti.iise- cultivation paicl;.;,He' ..found that '.', with mangold's,, ground's. ploughed. tw'te ,ga;ye ; -30. per-'celit; -niore; \ycight-of;; roPta :\than- thit ploughed onqc. The speaker .'• ;i;irged. farmers to dovo'fc ; the; Winter ■ months to improving-' -fencos/ i!.-a)'ui; advised travelling to |et fresh .ideas.; ': ; Bookkeeping for .successful, dairying yyks: quite as necessary as good quality of ■ sfpcki The capita!, value of. farm., cattl>, pigs. etc,,, should, bo set'tip, and the , soil fc;e of inconio ■-frp'm. each and 'but-' . goings and ex.ppnses.' ]3e;preciatioik,on should be ."allowed.: each, yean ;' Alhiuiibor: of questions wore 1 --toted, and ■ satisfactorily .jfii'swlefed, and a hearty : vote of thanks' accorded Mr Veal? for his' very interesting address:.