ON THE LAND

North Otago Times, Volume C, Issue 13135, 6 November 1914, Page 3

ON THE LAND

f > AOBICULTUAI, «y *> i ' Annual Show, afiPalmWtonJNMh.) Ar^W^^AMo'clfttWii 'Aijnu'al Show, atLßa'ngiora. ' ,;§ IX-ial-OANTEIIBtIRY AV'ftnd"' I )*] A«soc|a- ' ' Show, at dirty--thilrcl'i!-/ ' ' ' *' j. 10-20-NORTH OTAGO A, and V, Assootat " tion's Annual fihou, at Oamaru., lft-OOURTENAY A. and, P. Association'* Annual Show, ntKlnvrt. "i ; 10—PENINSULA HorsoShbw and Paatornl Afisofialion'sSlipw at Diivancholljis. 25 20—QTAGO A. and P. Association's "Annual Show, at Duncdln.

INCREASING THE &UCERNE YIELD. t , , ' v

A Califoininn luroino grower dcscubcs how lie liit upon a plan foi incioashig the .yield. t He states that his luccino bad becu giving unsatisfnctoi.y yields foi-j seveml ycais, and, as an expeiimcnt, bo fertilised two plots With floweis oi siilplnn; one with iion sulphate, ono with supei phosphate, two with giomul phospliato lock, while check plots icceiving no fertiliser woro loft between each of tli'o others.

The ]tlot icceiving tho giound phosphate lock gave no incionso in yield ovei tho imfeitilised plots, but tho plots jeeoiviug hWis of sulphur, iion sulphate and supei phospliato had double llio yield of the unfertilised plots, mid (ho lucerne had also a better mid moio tluiftv stand. Tho fact that Hie plot healed with phosphnto lock gave no increased yield, and thai the yield .of those - treated with flowers ; of, sulphur,, containing only the element oi sulphur,: equalled those treated with iron sulphate i mid superphosphate, containing sulphur and other elements, indicated that tho sulphur was the clement responsible for the increased yield in each case... This experiment, it i 9 explained, grew, out of ~th% .fact tlmt the soil seemed jto.show.no.increase.in yield with tho use of potash, nitrogen/lime,, or rock phosphate, and as the two .fertilisers producing increases contained sulphur, it was,concluded,that sulphur iiacl,bpen. undervalued, and the tests were then decided .on. .The most economical .form in. which to purchase, it. as. stated, id the crude powdered sulphur, which"; waa. purchased.at 2 cents per/pound, '■'

POOR PERCENTAGES.

AT LAMBING TIME. '• : SOME REASONS EXPLAINED. - In most quarters,the. reports in regard to lambing percentages nro quite satisfactory, lmt others nrei not so. This article by a practical farmer, deals with somo of .tho causes of poor lambing and tho lessons they teach.

• Broadly speaking, thero aro two main reasons for : small lambings:—(l) A wrong breed of sheep, and (2) wrong management. v .p.f .cour/se, .these two causes becom'c interwb'veii at various points, and both may bo in operation at the same time with disastrous results, but it is under those two headings, that the whole matter rests. No wonder that owners, big and small, seek to know where the faults lie, because with land and sheep at present values, the.most has to be got,out. of the'flock to make shcep-farming pay. Mutton jfinft lamb arc much niore dependable as. far as price is concerned than wool, Therefore tho biggger the percentage of lambs the better, the chance of making sheep-farming pay, even though wcel recedes unexpectedly in its value. It must not be supposed that we wish to oncourago tho -breeding of'" mutton and lamb at tho expense,of the wool. It is quite possible for both to go hand in hand. . .'

In some flocks there appears to bo a large percentage of ewes which are barren. Although well treated, a certain proportion of tliein never get .in lamb. On tho other hand thero are flocks which have earned for .'themselves and their masters an ■ enviable''rcp'uta-

nm.nj >houl<l T Jjq n t ,|l.o r tli^' fi ir I( tMj two ) f A nj»tUn\e tho\ owes, do, bM f gooil, tion of;tfip di) ma ,-\vhl<;l| JiaveJijifj lambs, find loaf thorn. , It lsJhorpfoic, not dpsnaVlo to fionil away ( nil the di>; owes if tjjej nio of "good bico'iling apl tyj)o, : unless.-tJiQi'&'rißiov^d euco.-thAt tiL j ey l have liot'lmil a lamb ; Tlio r uddor will usually toll tlm iftle.- ; A groat^deal inky; l)e!:donor1>y: sclcctioaiinigettlng:; upi'a, flock of hony lainbiiig f If tlio owc-lnmbs \ from.,, twins' mvo^kept l systematically year nftor yenr, that agency alono will/do much • tlio flock a piQlific oho Anil if'flip rams can ,boprocured from twluay : : so much tlio,.better. Dairying,lias.taught us that n groat deal, if: notMnost; ;of tlio-■ inlluoiico • transmitted by'parent stock sto thoir .voiing oncß. fi'om tlio siro.' Oil' a small farnmt;is ai vAry. simplo niattm to got llio twin eno lambs. A sopainto. pnddock of 'good young grass should for; owes; uitli turns, and as« tlip turns 'mo dropped they,.with their mothora, should, ])( v gradually drawn •. out unto-this: pack dock At tlio" end of Ipmbing the larmor will liavo (jlMns hvins;;m one paddock* and. his-smglo. in wiother, ..At docking .timo '.it ia:>a - aimpla :iiifittor -to placo ,some, priyatomark on tho ewo lambs out of the '• r" : r- -jj:-:rv •••> •; (loi)l)les, and. Ilioy kept, fop breeding, and;.so on year, after, ( year, AVhere it is not possible to draw out the ewes wit lu I wins while'lambing is. going on, there .is 'a', very; simpleiMthod for getMng the ewes; frpmi:tjfie ; (loutlep. at. weaning timej,or.while,they are on UieiTj nipthors; ; Tho singles,'- of course, got fat ' the. soonest because ,1 he ,ewe has p'uly ono. lamb to \fepd. Therefore) he will pick, u fi tic oil y ? ail>'t.h e'es,/ih ej;' It er. Trig- ihft iattest.' Tlje jarnier.'slioiild then' lake tli'e : fiext iibsf ewe lambs fot holding over, purposes, and be,-.'will .i'fintij^hat; lie; ho?, got a,, good many/ of the;, twins, .il By ( . following np this method of he will ;d(j much towards building up a flock which, will possess prQlific I '. qualities. ;,There is a goodjdeal in;this".method of than*, aging the choice of lainbs for tlio futuro ewft flock.,- ,It|has ; .beoii found that.if siieep.-so bred, change , hands, and arc tnkoii to frosh country,; and aro' given (lifferoiit treatment, they will still retain their heavy lambing propensities. On tho other hand, thero are sonic llocks which lire treated well in most respects, but which for some reason or other are infertile, to a largo .degree. It thoroforc behoves everyone to give some attention to the matter of selection for fertility, ;as well' ns f°'' wool nnd ; inuttoii. Almost any of the numerous varieties of sheep will have big percentages if bred, and managed, properly. Merinos have the lowest lambing tallies, but tho: Leicestors, ; Romnoys, Downs, and- so oil may all be made to have heavy lambiiigs. . Coming,now to the'management of flie llo<>k,'a,,jjrcat deal more depends upon' tiiis phbe of the: matter, than is generally.' supposed, particularly \vj,th regard to tjio time that the rams .iro put out the ewes, Some farmers' trouble very little about "tho-ewes in the autumn. ( Tlio. lambs are taken from them, and as long as they arc not actually, starving they are supposed to be all right. - : In fact, maiiy, hold tlio opinion that the owe docs not require to be kept well. They-suppose, and act on tlio supposition, that tlio owe will not got in lamb if it is fat at tupping time! That is an erroneous' idea, however. Of course, tlio ewe may become imliealthily fat. Tho ovaries may become ho overcharged with fatty matter that thoy mny'noUfG able .to fulfil their functions, lii that case

jpll/s§st !&nHrf!!!^ s||;§an^ iiiiiiMS taken nwn'y hom tlioii mothois'in lcaRonnble tunc.' Wllcio grain gio^n, jdut;! tfi ) lefii turnips, jape,'or kale, .should■'be gro|vji so'that lvenning may, takp ; plnco cVily. The]cwps,' if' jllnccd on fair*"focd/'aVfer weaning,'will comolto the rn'ms strong ahft : road i ..h tul -*will>inak o-,m(| 11 >on s} oji-, /or thfl mm ]))/ seeking him jvhon they <io! cpmii^ ho in good although tliey ( may- ho, too/(it antl\soft., Tho^flhoiild; BlliilSlMSiii P li.fr/, wJipn t -, tJm ? rajrxi s.'? are' eu//jvftJiS them | should'not be too rougli^Oi^t^O^ Vi njg 1.1 d; Oi ewes. in la: season; / but : if. the'' - ground' is hilly «nd ,tlio it i;is isa f eat; to "one -rain, 'to .every 50. ewesJ;;; Of: course, as I -have -said!' if '.the' ewes' "are strong and rigorous, Ihejvwill.W ram wheh' 'they' get in ' season. : ,' During tjie'.ijeHod of-gestation, in the condition.!' -VThey may/bo.-fqcl on -tiir" i»ij)B,i v lbntij plwiUl, < be, ■ given, • exercise.v .jclie ,Tim.r]pff'||jift|d 'be (irgocid one, <ind it'ijiej.can^bo;)urnod tlie,fro!it h^ 1 . gojie offriif : the. morning, so', nutch -As, lambing time .appr.oachcs.they.iified'carofiil.watehiuf; to-see that tl)% do not reioiye a check in any way, Sometimes ' the turnips' aro finished bofore the' ; gr,iss springs to any. oxtcntj and tlierh c6mes''a 'tinnv pf pinch, . Thi» ; - tejl?-, ! on ;;tbo./prospective mothers very, detrimentally, 'Rough, weather--just before lambing is a snro source of loss. ' Especially is snow to be dreaded. A few forced fast just before lambing,.through snow, for' : instanco, : /is i bouiid 'to i cahse mortality' among the ewes, and ~ a jeertain amount of abortion. 7n a time of snow just, previous to lambing, it is diftlcult to know >vhat to. do with ewes, If thoy are given too mueh.dry feed, the results are-bad;' if they aro Jcft "to starve, the results aro again*M>ad..-. Of. the two evils, most farmers- will, of course choose the former, ..but- tho feeding should be done judiciously. When they are lambing, mid for a'shorttime prior to that event, owcs dfl liot'do well if put ou too plentiful, and tod goodj; Ift they liavo suftieiont /without having to wander in search:of it rtftcv their latiib' is; dropped, so. much • tho bettor. ■AVium the lamb is a few : days old, it will do noJiarnnto put tho owes on as good feed as can bo procured/, -

: Such, then, are a few observations on the subject of'small,,lambing per 7 centages/'thcir causes and roinriflios. Some .who get.big tallies, however, do not reckon ;tlieii\'percehtagcs'in./the' way thoy should, ' They -leave allelic dry ewes out.; of; their calciilatibiis, whereas they should 'bo certaiiily : included. For purposes, of comparison some uniform system 'of arriving\nt poioontngca-fihould ! bo. ajloptcdj : nn(l> tho niost .geiJeial iSi:ro,eioiiiji; all !tlio ? qVres". parted,at '•;■'■■ ■.■'■■ : :, i