The Northland Farmer

Northern Advocate, 26 October 1935, Page 14

The Northland Farmer

THE FARM

for research on primary production generally. In deficiency diseases of animals and plants the two countries could certainly help one another. Australian research has shown cobolt deficiency is responsible for a trouble in stock 1 similar to our own bush sickness. Another minor! mineral, boron, has been proved to be the cause of a grain disease, and manganese deficiency causes trouble in pineapples. The Cawthron Institute in this country has shown that the addition of small quantities of boron to the soil corrects a trouble in apples and improves the quality of the fruit. It is also throwing new light on bush sickness, and it has done splendid work in connection with the over-sea transport of fruit, the information acquired in this connection having an important bearing on the oversea transport of all our perishable produce. The biggest thing done by Cawthron was the introduction of the natural enemy of woolly aphis; a serious trouble of the fruitgrower which has been completely controlled. The Institute has also introduced a parasite of the timber borer, which is doing good work. The control of the white butterfly also looks like being a big success. In connection with all this work the New Zealand Research Department has played an important part, by reason of the special grants it has provided. The Department has also been partly responsible for the important work of seed certification and has been entirely responsible for the soil survey work now in progress, a work of the greatest importance when the farmer learns fp apply the lessons it teaches, and which must be valuable in the bringing in of new country. The Research Department is responsible for tlie establishment of the Dairy Research Institute at Palmerston North-. Apart from promoting, encouraging and assisting research work our own Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is acting as a clearing house for interchange of research knowledge between New Zealand and other countries, and this service is of the greatest importance to research workers in general. The Department has been -hampered again and again in the carrying out of .essential research work by want of funds, of which pig recording was a striking case, and it is sincerely to be hoped that Sir George Julius will be able to arouse our political leaders to a sense of their responsibility. The Lamb Market. One of our most dependable products is undoubtedly lamb. It is well, therefore, that lamb meat is steadily increasing in popularity with British consumers. The proportion of lamb in the combined imports’ of mutton and lamb into Britain increased from 59 per cent, in 1928 to 75 per cent, in 1934. Undoubtedly the preference for lamb over mutton is increasing. While this is so other countries are not blind to the fact. Competition is rapidly developing, and the saturation of the market cannot be far off. With keen competition and ample supplies quality will be more important than ever. It has been suggested that we should discard the long-wool ewe with the Southdown ram in favour of the English Leicester, ewe and the Southdown ram. While the English Leicester ewe, the type that was largely responsible for prime Canterbury lamb, will give the finer bone and neater carcase, and the consumer is demanding more and more the small joint, the product of the long-wool ewe, mainly Romney, with the Southdown gives a most desirable lamb carcase, and the Romney ewe is much more valuable from the wool viewpoint than the English Leicester, especially the finer-woolled Romney. From an all-round profit earning point the cross lamb is hard to beat.

Quotas and Tariffs. . Quite a number of people, New Zealanders as - well as Australians, who have- been .to Britain to investigate the marketing of. Empire produce have declared ,on their. return that the future policy of Britain will be tariffs instead bf quotas; that quotas are to go. These .opinions do not square with the public statements of British politicians and others. Undoubtedly Britain intends to introduce tariffs, with good preference to the Empire, but apparently it is not going to say goodbye to quotas. Tariffs alone would be useless against some Continental countries, who would dump as heavily ever, no matter what the tariff. It is rather obvious that even with tariffs the principle of the quota will still be necessary,.." ' ! L,■ I Th’p Great Problems. An important world conference on agricultural affairs was held recently in Belgium. It was the general assembly of the International, Commission of Agriculture, and among the 110 delegates were representatives of the League of Nations, the International Labour Office, the International Institute of Agriculture and the International Co-operative Alliance. The Commission was convinced that the two main problems to be solved in order ; to overcome the, agricultural crisis were the Wheat problem and the edible fats problem. It is the latter With which this country is the more cc-nqerned. It was thought the London wheat agreement ought ,to be prolonged" and improved. As to edible fata^it^was ;thoughh ; that European countries ought to take steps to prevent consumption of tropical fats and whale oil which were the normal production and consumption of butter a.nd lard. The Commission . also.'laid’ stress’ on the necessity to improve prices of agricultural pro-' duce, by reducing the cost of production as well as by increasing consumption. Good News. - things said by Mr H. E. Davis, London manager of the Dairy Board; at Whangarei, make very agreeable reading. He said, and he has hbw had'sufficient experience of BrL tish markets to make a reliable statement, that the blenders took only about 7£ per cent. .’of New Zealand butter (while they took 30 per cent, of Australian) and that forty per cent, of' the retailers in the United Kirigdpm were selling butter branded New Zealand. This rather discounts some of the statements made by New Zealllndefs who have paid flying visits to Britain. ' Ut is very satisfactory to know that the Whangarei.meeting, ,of ■ North Auckland, dairy companies approved the group marketing scheme of the Dairy- Board. . , l^e-Blitter-Market. -

It would be foolish to expect pre-sent-prices of-butter to be-maintained for any length „6f. time. 'The. fedsons for the higher values of the present are transitory. Some Continental butter has got into Germany instead of it all being! dumped bn .the,' British market. In the first nine - months of this year .Denmark sent to Britain 84,998 tons, 1 against 100,283 tons in the corresponding period of last year, but in the same'period Russia increased its exports to Britain from 18,542 tons to 21,963"'t0n5,' -the'Netherlands increased froih 13,612 tons to 18,670 tons, Latvia from 6847 tons to 8034 tons, and Lithuania from 5772 tons to 6883 tons. Other Continental countries and the 1 Argentine sent reduced amounts, but many of the Continental countries are concentrating on the British market/ Take the case of the Netherlands, which sent in the first nine months of this year 18,670 tons, whereas in the corresponding period of 1933 she only sent 6904 tons. And the Netherlands are also increasing their cheese shipments to Britain. Take the figures- for the first nine months of the past three years; 1933, 4371 tons; 1934, 4422 tons; 1935, 7818 tons. Switzerland is also being forced to give more attention to British markets. She increased her cheese shipments from 513 tons in the first nine months of 1933 to 866 tons in the corresponding period' of this The total imports of butter into Britain for the first nine months of this year fell, from 383,981 tons last year to 374,629 tons, while cheese imports fell from 112,329 tons to. 102,340 tons. Scientific Research. The visit to the Dominion of Sir George Julius, chairman of the Commonwealth Council of Research, is very tiihely in view of the rather niggardly way political boosk-of research work is translated into practical support! in this country.',Sir George says it is aßbgedy :that the New Zealand Council of Research is not given more money to spend. He thinks there is, great scope for co-operation between Australia and New Zealand

With sheep breeding rapidly advancing in the dairying districts of the bb taken if the main breeds, the Romney and the Southdown, are to be maintained at a satisfactory standard. At one time the Auckland province and Taranaki were regarded as providing conditions quite unfavourable for sheep-breeding, being looked upon as only cattle country, and certainly the drier districts are better sheep country. Sheep will thrive under conditions that would never suit dairy cattle. Our finest types of sheep have been developed- under dry and light, soil conditions, and it is well to remember this fact. The best Southdown stud this country has probably known was the old Nelson flock in Hawke’s Bay when managed by Gimblet. It was developed on an old river bed. The late Mr Henry Pannett, of Springston, Canterbury, one of the country’s best Southdown judges in his day, declared the Nelson Southdowns were the ideal type, and probably because they were bred for some generations bn old river-bed country they had a fleece which was declared by a noted Bradford- authority to be the best Southdown wool he had handled. The sheep were very light in the face, and there was, therefore, an absence of dark hairs in the fleece. Romney will do on much better country, and the Lincoln likes even better conditions. But the Romney is the sheep for the North and for every farmer who is not a sheep specialist. It is easy for the Lincoln to lose constitution when not done well and carefully managed. Veterinary Profession. The Minister for Education has promised that consideration will be given to the matter of granting bursaries to enable New Zealanders to go abroad to study for the veterinary profession. It is certainly high time this was done, especially as no provision is made at any of our university colleges to train men for one of the most important professions in the country. Seeing that the work of the qualified veterinarian is not remunerated to anything like that of other professions it would be thought that the necessary training- would be made as cheap as possible. There is a lack of vision in this matter that is rather deplorable. Real Progress. The National Dairy Cattle Show of America is setting dairy cattle shows in general a much needed example. It is requiring that all dairy cattle

Edited by C. E. Cuming. “J 4 a°„d W tXelop the meet fertile territory in New Zeatod.

exhibited shall have some evidence of production. This is as it should be. On the Continent many dairy cattle shows attach supreme importance to production. The females are allowed a certain number of points for the milk and fat they have produced and other points for type; the males are partly judged according to the production of their dams. We prefer the American idea where every animal is required to have reached a certain standard of production, and then the judging decided according to the usually accepted ideas of what constitutes type.

A Liming Incident. It is well known that one effect of lime is to release available plant food, to make more effective any fertiliser applied o the soil. An interesting experience at “Grasslands” emphasises this fact. In May last a field received 3 cwt of super, Ik cwt of ammoniated super and 2001 bof potash salts. It was grazed, and grazed hard, in the winter. In August, on the 28th, it received 9 cwt of lime, as no lime had been applied to the field for several years. Within a week there was an amazing growth, a growth one would expect from a heavy dressing of ammoniated super. Obviously the lime had made available the residue of the fertilisers applied :in the previous May, a definite proof of the value of lime in making completely available any fertiliser employed. A Great Dealer.

The late Mr J. Connelly, M.P., was considered by many South Island people to have been the biggest operator in sheep in New Zealand. His big deals were many. In one day he bought from a South Canterbury farmer 12,000 lambs and sold him 10,000 ewes, and from another man 850 cattle. Another deal was the purchase of 96 trucks of sheep at a Central Otago sale and within a few days bought 2000 more of the same lines from other speculators. Within a week he had disposed of the lot except 1200 Corriedale ewe lambs he retained tor his Cheviot Hill property. One year he visited Marlborough district, and between Monday afternoon and Tuesday at 3 o’clock he bought 17,500 lambs. A gentleman in close touch with the late Mr Connolly told “Straggler,” a well-known southern farm correspondent, that besides being a great dealer he was a man with a big heart. He had assisted many through the bad days when their financial resources were exhausted. ; In one case he paid a firm a cheque for £970 to stock the property of a farmer who had no security to offer, and it is satisfactory to relate that , the indebtedness was paid off within eighteen months. His generosity to returned soldier settlers was magnificent. Chicken Sexing. The poultry world is being intrigued by the great commercial success of the chicken sexing work introduced by the Japanese. To all parts of the world Japanese. experts have gone to introduce the absolutely reliable method they have developed of telling the sex of chickens when these are a few days old. It now appears, however, that the discovery , is a British one which the clever Japanese have developed, to their great monetary advantage. The discoverer was Professor Crew, of the Animal Genetics Department of Edinburgh University. It was about ten years ago that Professor Crew worked out the idea, and at the time he had with him at Edinburgh two Japanese scientists, Dr. Masui and Dr. Hashimoto. These gentlemen, on their return to their native country in 1925, took up the idea and began to consider it from a practical viewpoint. After some years of experience they became quite ex-

pert, and, training others, passed it on to the world. Last spring the University of British Columbia sexed one million chicks, and by this saved, it is estimated, £ 10,000. What is looked for in chicken sexing is a small eminence on the inside of the vent, and every cockerel, without exception, has this eminence. Usually pullet chickens do not have an eminence to be seen. The eminence, it is claimed, also gives the clue to unsound birds, and this in itself can represent a tremendous saving. It is estimated that to become a really first-class sexer one must examine a minimum of 100,000 birds. Japanese experts have* been known to examine 1400 chicks an hour with a proficiency of 95 per cent. For commercial efficiency 300 chicks an hour with 90 per cent, proficiency is regarded as the minimum. MODERN PIG-KEEPING

Grading Imperative. The most essential thing to the pigkeeping industry of this country is a national system of grading pig carcases. At the present time there is a system of grading, but a system that can hardly be regarded as satisfactory, and one that is certainly open to abuse. A standard of grading is laid down by the Department of Agriculture, to which the meat export companies are supposed to conform, and to see that the system is carried out according to the approved plan, inspectors of the Meat Board periodically visit the works. The system is elastic, and one can understand that it is decidedly elastic between the occasional inspections. The work, will never be satisfactory till the work is absolutely controlled by Government inspectors or graders, and the system is quite uniform throughout the country. In the case of baconers a national system is most necessary. Only then will exporting interests aiming at the export of high quality carcases be protected as they should be, and grading be truly educative. Grass Control.

A vexed problem is the best way to control the grass in the small paddocks. Sheep present the easiest solution of the problem, but sheep, like pigs, do .not like grass that has got, away. Cows are out of the question, as they would soon knock the fences about, though (if it be feasible) tethering would overcome this. Young cattle stock present perhaps the easi-„ est solution. One man remarked the other day that the only thing to do was to use the mower, but it would be a pretty awkward thing to use the mower in the restricted space. If any reader has a satisfactory way of keeping his pig lay-out' grass right we would like to have his experience. Healthy Pigs. Two of the surest ways of having healthy pigs is to observe strict cleanliness" in connection ’vyith everything concerning them and, while giving them a warm clean bed, to allow them to breathe fresh air. Cleanliness Is the best way to fight bacterial disease as well as worms and other parasitic life. The other day an interesting experience was presented. On a new and very up-to-date plant the young pigs were all in a bad way, and deaths were rather common. At first it seemed as though they were badly attacked’ with pleurisy, but a veterinary surgeon called in (Dr. Gruenvald) at once declared the trouble to be worms. Now, the very up-to-date layout was located on the site of old sheep-yards, on fairly well contaminated soil. And probably this was the seat of the infection. It is .very probable that many cases of pleurisy are due to the pigs having their vitality lowered by worm infestation and so are an easy prey to the more serious trouble. The use of rotational fields and concrete platforms for feeding purposes are two good ways to fight worms, but probably the best way is to use heavy dressings of lime, quick lime for preference where the land is definitely infected. It is a wise policy to “worm” all the young stock on the farm, in order to prevent pasture contamination and the consequent spreading of the trouble.

Licensing of Boars. In view of the number of crossbred boars and ill-bred pedigree boars being used in Britain the National Pigbreeders’ Association has again asked the Government to introduce legislation to require the approval and licensing of all boars used for breeding. The association believes that this is absolutely necessary if the average standard of the pigs 'in the country is to be raised. Meanwhile the association is strongly urging its members to be more severe in culling, and not to sell for breeding any young boars that do not satisfy the standard of the breeds. And in New Zealand it would be well for the reputation of some breeds if culling of breeding stock was much more severe than it is. At ’ the present time there are more pedigree culls than grade culls in the country, and as a result the farmer is being discouraged from buying pedigree stock. The breeders have only themselves to blame. Value of Whey. On a tour of a number of pig layouts recently it was seen that the most thriving and most healthy-look-ing pigs were being fed on whey. As before remarked, management is the most important factor in successful pig production. The pigs were being fed the whey four times a day, and on one outstanding plant (that of Mr W. J. Rose, Karapiro) a small quantity of lime was put into each of the drums once a week. Mr Rose also uses a small quantity of molasses, just sufficient to colour the whey a light pink. The condition of his pigs was certainly a credit to him and a striking advertisement for whey feeding. TO CORRESPONDENTS. A rumour has recently , gained currency to the effect that the New Zealand Co-op. Pig Marketing Association has gone into liquidation. This is entirely wrong. The rumour is evidently based on the fact that a reconstruction scheme effected four years ago has only just been recorded in the “Mercantile Gazette.”

PREGNANCY IN COWS.

There is an old theory that if a cow which is supposed to be pregnant does not calve, and fails to come in season again, it will eject a petrified calf if drenched three or four times with the milk of another cow then in season. This theory has been proved correct by Mr G. Hodgson, of Kaimamaku,

one of whose good cows, which had been in this state, successfully reacted to this treatment yesterday. Three drenches, each of two bottles, were used in a period of ten days. Mr ' Hodgson recalls that some time ago he discovered, on killing a cow which had apparently become barren, that it contained a petrified calf that had been carried for three and a half years.