FARMING NEWS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 238, 5 September 1940, Page 12

FARMING NEWS.

RURAL R A KINGS. Early Shearing. Late last week at Ostenrl (Auckland) more than 400 sheep wore shorn. Conditions on the island have been most favourable this season and as a result farmers have been able to commence shearing operations earlier than ever before at Waiheke. Australian Drought. The Australian Woolgrowers’ Council, as the result of a review of pastoral conditions throughout Australia, states that almost the entire continent is suffering from lack of winter rains. Except in a few areas, however, the position is not desper ate, and in New South Wales especially stock have stood up well to the adverse season. Women as Herd Testers. Three women herd testers have recently boon appointed by the Auckland Herd Improvement Association as a result of the shortage of men testers because of the war. This is the first time that women have been employed as testers in the Dominion. Two of the women, Misses E. A. Parker and D J. Gray, are stationed at Tc Awamufu, and the third, Miss S. Webster, is at Waitca. Before commencing • their duties they attended a special herd testers’ course at Massey College. Whey Used As Fertiliser. A pood example of the use of whey as a fertiliser is reported in tho Norsewood district, where there is a hillside of particularly luxurious grass, which has been nourished by the milk-waste from a nearby factory. The use of milk-waste as a fertiliser has been advocated by tho Live Stock Division of tho Department of Agriculture in Dannevirke for tho last eight years. About 1932 and for somo years previously experiments were made at Umutaoroa and ' Woodville, and resulted in unqualified suc- ' cess at a low cost. The Norsewood experi- ■ meat now shouts its success to the world. • Not, only does whey promote growth of grass, but it kills all weeds. At first land #to which it is applied is burnt bare, but afterwards tho grass comes away devoid of weeds. The Norsewood hillside was once infested with ragwort. To-day there is not a sign of this.