FARMING NEWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 247, 16 September 1935, Page 5

FARMING NEWS.

RURAL RAKINGS. At the meeting of directors the Shannon Dairy Company, held on Tuesday, it was decided to pay out at the rate of lid a lb on all butterfat supplied during August. ... An estimate of wool production in the Dominion last season has been made by the Government Statistician, based on exports and local consumption and the variation of stocks. The estimated production was 275,900,0001 b, compared with 300,500,000 lb in 1933-34 and 288,400,000 in 1932-33), Production was the lowest since 1930-31. The Putaruru group of the New Zealand Co-operating Herd 'testing _ Association comprised 31 herds and 18t>5 cows last season, and the satisfactory average production of 231.781 b of buttertat m 259 days was recorded. Among the leading herds was one of 53 cows averaging 328.26 lb of fat per cow and one of 21 cows averaging 292.711 bof fat. The group’s top cow produced 5031 b of fat in 266 days, lwo herds averaged over 3001 b of fat per cow, eight more were between 2501 b and 3001 b, and 13 were between 2001 b and 2501 b of fat. Of the cows thore were 25 producing from 4001 b to 5001 b of fat and 333 giving from 3001 bto 4001 b. _ln the Tokoroa group 12 herds comprising 856 cows had an average of 194.181 b of butterfat in a short season of 241 days, or eight months. The best herd average was 292.421 b of fat for 64 cows in 257 days and the top cow gave 5401 b of fat in 307 days. Unfavourable weather conditions have marked the opening of the 1935-35 dairying season, so far as the Waikato is concerned. The frequent cold rains and piercing winds have had an adverse effect on stock, and seasonal ailments have been more, prevalent among the herds, resulting in a higher mortality. The growth in the paddocke has been slow in coining away, and in many places supplies of hay and other fodder have been exhausted, and farmers are buying. An increase in the number of pukekos in the district has resulted in a number of Putaruru farmers obtaining permits from the Department of Internal Affairs for the shooting of the birds ovor a limited period. The pukekos, which are protected as native game, have been causing durnagt to gardens and it is a rare occurrence that they have been sufficiently troublesome to demand extreme stops.