ON THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13304, 10 October 1906, Page 3

ON THE LAND.

* FERTILITY, IN EGGS., ' ~,rZ Officials. of the United State* Department of Agriculture have been collecting data regarding .the 7 factors which 'affect:;the ; fertility of eggs, this question having been carefully studied at a number of the State experiment stations and elsewhere. The overfeeding of laying stock is commonly believed to exercise: an unfavourable influence on egg fertility, as well as does a cold season. The way eggs are handled or stored is also believed to affect the - proportion which will hatch," as well' as -do the conditions under which incubation occurs. The vigour and character of the parent stock and the length of time 'the male bird has been with £ho flock are also important questions with respect to egg fertility. At the outset it should be- pointed out that fertility anil '* hatchability" are not necessarily; identical. An egg may be fertile, and still tho germ does not have sufficient vitality to produce "a healthy chick under the ordinary conditions of incubation. In a -series of incubator ex-' pcrimontsTat - the Rhode Island station, .of 5677 ; eggs tested ■ 83"per cent." were found to be fertile, while only 46 per cent, of the fertile eggs,', or 33.6 % per cent, of the total number of eggs, hatched under, the conditions of the tests. '//• t' " ■•'*. ' The various, observations made, while not entirely conclusive, '■•■[ indicate : that, * in -- order to secure fertile eggs which< will hatch the laying stock must not be over-fed, the males must be kept .withV the 'hens, continuously during the .breeding season, and that only eggs should bo used which are .produced after the male has 1 been with the hens several days. Only fowls from ; very vigorous parent . stock and those known 'to produce a high percentage of fertile eggs (hens-vary widely in this respect) should be used; the lions should be allowed -a, rest after each laying period, while. the eggs should fbo handled carefullv, not subjected to extremes of temperature in storage,.and ■ used only when comparatively fresh. " _-• _-, '- -' ;'■ WHY FOWLS NEED GRIT. Everyone connected with poultry knows the importance of some hard material to assist digestion. After the food has. been stored in the- crop it gradually "passes to the gizzard, to bo literally ground up .by. the strong muscles and tough lining of that important member of digestion. : Hard seeds and grain need this grinding process more than softer food. By watching- fowls -one can easily see how much they ■[ desire some .-< hard { substance by their going over the ground and picking up small particles of stone. They are careful about the proper size when they can get it. If .the substance is not in too largo pieces is passes in time through with j the food; but should they swallow ' a piece too large to easily void it stops in the .gizzard and wears away till it becomes small 1 enough to pass on. -.-'/ < ■ ■' ' HEATING HAY. In the ordinary way the hay in a stack will heatmore or less according to the way it has been made—and in the regulation of this consists much of the skill exercised in hay.making. Why hay should heat no .one,has yet been able to explain** "Of course, grass.; iii common -with all plants, is composed of cells, each of which is a living organism by itself, and when the plant is cut through and killed as a whole" the cells still continue to live,- and consequently to give off a" little heat. This heat; accumulates in'a body like K ; a haystack,' and if not attended ,to will some; times end in firing the stack. ' It is this 'lat- . ter ending which puzzles one, for if the heat is practically the result of. germ/life, their .when the heat gets high enough' to ; kill the ' same the action ought to stop; but it does not, and may go on till the stack fires spon- , taneously. The whole matter is a question. ;of greenness and moisture. If the moisture is natural sap,; then, there -will .heating;, . if the moisture is derived from rain, then J mouldiness will.be the result. The.whole j , matter turns' on getting the hay dry enough but not too dry—before stacking. A cer- : tain 'amount of heating is desirable, but not 'too much, just enough to make hay " sweet as a berry and brown as 'a nut," and experience alone- can decide the proper stage at I which to begin carrying it out. I '■■, "* /•. 1 AUSTRALIAN NOTES, ► x , ■■'.'■•-.':.■ .-..-•. .;-".' . ' , • "Fyvie," our Australian correspondent, • writes Last week I promised .for the benefit i of New Zealanders. particulars in answer to "Iseveral inquiries re the class of horses required for the Sydney market, and I thought- ■ the best purpose ' could" be served by stating . the actual requirements of several of, the; leading firms. The leading firm of merchants in Sydney, having a stable containing about 200 horses, require for van /work a horse standing, about 16 hands, that can walk about the city with a ton, and, A trot back with the empty van. .For this \ class, a cross of strong thoroughbred and draught or coacher and draught is most' desirable, and bring prices to" about - : £35. For lorry work they require an active farm class', mare preferred, about 15 to 16 hands, which can draw from ,a warehouse to rail- 5, ;way about 30cwt in a light lorry walking,at 'a brisk pace. Prices from £36 -to / £46. : Greys or piebalds arc rejected. Other ;coljours bring -equal prices.' ■ Geldings/suitable for light delivery vans (four wheelers), bays j or browns, more especially if matched, standing 15.2 to 16.2, of. the coaching class, bring from £70 to £100 a pair, or if by a trotting stallion out of a good strong van mare they sell just as readily. At the last sale of ' New ; Zealand horses' one .of 1 this sort brought 43£ guineas, and he was -on the small side or would have brought more. • A good class of dogcart or cab horse, with a bit of quality and substance, is very scarce, and sells readily. He wants to stand about 15.3 to 16 hands, and would fetch £10 to £50. Cob geldings about 14.2 to 15 hands, with good action and 5 plenty of /substance, bring £30 and £40 each. Phaeton and sulky ponies about 13.2 ,to 14 hands, thick set, with good movements and pace, bring £25 a piece. There appears all through "to be a prejudice against : riding "blood,- such as-the* progeny of Arabs, and weedy racing bloods, so that the/ horse whose name is generally associated with "dead birds," "certs,"; "sure things," and the inevitable bankruptcy or police courts is abhorred by commercial men. Horses suitable for ice waggons, cordial waggons, carcase butchers' waggons are also very scarce. The class required are: — Height 15 to 16 hands, any colour, mares" or geldings, four to eight years, free, active' movers - .a ; light-boned, clean-legged, active draught, for fast - work, -hard' roads, and warm weather. Price £40 to £50 to £60 a pair, not necessarily the one colour As the busy time is approaching for the abovementioned businesses such horses will meet" a good demand,: and a ready gale. One firm of brewers have a strong preference for grey horses, of the heavy draught type for their heavy work, and the light active farm type for their cordial waggons, and consequently horses of this colour will bring excephonal prices during the next few months. The earners are all. short of heavy draught kinds not necessarily of good, quality, but sound and good mouths. ■ : . For exampleOne carrier has 60 to 70 horses drawing ore rom tne mines, a distance of 20 miles, and for the work needs a rough, common class £30 lO M% 4 n lth . a ° f W^ht ' -orth from £30,,t0 £40.-At this time, and during the next few months, all the carriers will-be Rutting on extra teams to 'cope*: with -'the' wool, and later,, the wheat traffic, so that : . these sorts must rise in price. I doubt if; - even the present demand would warrant the •New Zealand people sending 'their best ' draughts, becauso our best buyers arc .seldom willing to go beyond £50 to £55; nnd I understand that prices aro much better in Acw Zealand. Of course, grey, heavy draughts; would 'be :an exception. " ■ * ■ "'

1 ■>"'/• /;>■-/ PRODUCE FROM DENMARK. ; In the supply of dairy produce Great Britain still; remains Derimark> best-cuitoi mor. ■£%%*. butter, and bacon find .a Wadj.' • market-in that country, -where comparatively,, little". attention .is paid to farm -produce.' From Denmark as much as 1,600,0001b of ' , .butter^ were imported last ; seasons/practically;. 8-9ths of ■ tho totaL export of Danish butter. Perverse people who take fright at England's , dependence- ; on/, foreign countries for . food . supplies may see some ray of; light in The , , slight decrease last year;, but the shortage ' has reason's other than those which comfort - them. Germany year by ;year: imports more ~ butter from Denmark, and in entering into " competition ' with England V for Danish , produce higher prices were experienced in '■*■ the British market.-/ Bacon and eggs to the •*: United Kingdom were also slightly less, tlie ', former being/short of'the supply in 'tho pre- .' vidua year 264,000cwt. 'i The reason for if tho decrease is said to be duo to the disease $■ in tho joints, and the consequent prohibition '~ of nearly 50 shipments by sanitary auth- ;' orities at London in January* 1905. In ;* ; February, however, the" Danish Minister for £ Agriculture prohibited the exportation of « ; meat showing any trace of disease, and ship- - 1 * ments were seriously reduced;" " ' "" " - _ : "". UNPROFITABLE DAIRYING. r .'. Want? of success in dairying is often due to . .. poor ' management. In. Now York 1 State j ■' , (says D. E. Salmon, in the County Gentle- '" ? ( man), where for so many years .dairying has i- . been one of tho principal branches of agri-'., culture, tho average yield per cow is but * <H»lb per year. Anyone who proposes to. 1 - . conduct a profitable dairy business, should « *'- ! have- a herd of cows which will yield an I ' average of , not less . than 3001b of butter :; ' ( . per year. There are many such cows, and a " ' ; lower average should not be tolerated. - " There may bo a difference 'of opinion as ; to whether it ( costs more to feed "a 1 herd -'■ •'' | averaging 3001b of -butter than v it does to 'i :/ feed a/herd; averaging 2001b; but- it may ' bo conceded, that the larger .yield .requires £ / more feed than the smaller one. r lt also '; : '•• appears reasonable to assumo that if the" calf of a cow making the smaller yield is>. worth £2 that of the cow making the larger ' yield should be, worth £3. " , The progressive dairyman should '-not ■ bt>" ; satisfied, however, with a hord which ave- - rages 3001b,,,which is only. a fair vield for a " grade herd, but should build up-a pure- I •." : ' IrS h °« d 7' th au UVCragc of not lew- than : 4001 > Such a dairy should -and probably : ' would sell its butter for more than lOd per- i' lb,, and it might also. realise more than'-i! r : *lO per head for its calves. It is unnecos- i sary to. extend these .figures >to a greater :' ' length, . although s 4oolb is. by -no- means to '■' ■■ 00 considered as the limit which -the modern ' ; dairyman should set:as : the height of his ■'> ambition. It was. recently stated that tße : -> secretary of -the / Vermont Board of Agri--1 culture v was. breeding a race of dairy cattle that would : without forcing yield 600tt>"of butter a year; and while this'seems a large ■.quantity/it is not to bo forgotten that in--1 dividual cows have done much better. ■ There is one principal obstacle to 'the development of the dairy cow, which should 110, longer; be allowed to exist. That is the lack of appreciation; of the value of cows which yield over. 3001b of butter a vear. ' '■ Tho average dairyman is not striving to get - such cows, and is not willing to take'thorn from the breeder at thoir real value; and, ■-- consequently, ' there are 'not, as many persons, engaged in producing them as there should be. If wo are- given the opportunity to buy dairy cows which will yield from 3001b to 5001b of butter a year, problems . of profitable dairying and of the imp rove-»mr*J*;-o£ deteriorated farms "nSayT KEQ&S'T'sidered 'solved. '-,-• -.'•'■" .- ■*'■&-•» yp> ''In' the above the cow's Lave not".Wencredited with the value'of their manure, which with well-fed herds would be a largo item,- and -which," when /"soil" improvement is an object, should receive constant attention. If these, fertilising constituents are, returned to itho'- soil whore cropa.are /grown with as : little loss as possible, either by leaching or volatilisation, it is. plain that.. som»-p*ofifc»« • may bo obtained even from the cow thatproduces but 2001b of butter a year ', .//.'■;..•"/-'/;- _ ' '~... *.:.-■■;://; BREVITIES. The high- price Argentine' : - farmers * a-, "-■' paying for, all classes of, stud stock should -', awaken New Z6alanders to the necessity of"" ■ keeping up and improving! their own flocks and herds. - ' ' ' . ',* .'','' $>' ■ "■- ■■'" - •-■ ; '- ■..-'-/ : -.'-." ; "-'-■*" ■ ■ ' ' * ■ ' "Breeding and feeding" should Ix, the . motto hung in every farmhouse in New Zealand, and the man who gains a step in ad- •. vane*, of: his > fellows should bo as much , honoured: as if he. had won a great victory. '. The Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association have purchased a block of 30 acres of land from the trustees of tho late J. T. Thomson for £1100."for now show ground. S It is anticipated that between £500 C and £6000 will be the cost of the ground bj - the time that it is equipped.' , : . .- It is a short-sighted policy indeed which, I for no sound reason, seeks to restrict the "'productive capacity of national'lands <or to fetter the energy of landowners! '. Land,, ther held'by private' individuals, or,by*"the »State, can only- be made- productive ; by., being worked, and the simple question, •''How. can the- land.be best worked fC. is" always*. answered in favour of ..freehold; '.';'"■' . .-.- '.*■' !i. , • : ,-■• , * ■ - A few weeks ago Mr. Henry budding, th«, well-known .Lincoln sheep-breeder,; sold .{or,~ shipment to, Argentina > 'shearling : j ram «for.7l', the record price of 1450 guineas, and; at ;tbe'"* ; last great Scottish pedigree-' stock .-a I *-*., held' at Perth, Argentine ; buyers .gave. ; up itol. 1500 guineas for the Shorthorn yearling bulC .Broadhooks-i Champion,/•which,''', with ' commission, makes . the price 1700' guineas— record for a yearling/ Several other 'animals j were purchased at the same sale for Argentina, at prices ranging' ..from!.- SQOf io 600 guineas. . a «»', .•, 1 -."'',■' ir .- ~-"'•■ '■. ; ■■>'■*."■ ,-.,».. ,;■'!■'.■'■■*>;■;'?"?.-'■>'■'■'■ ■■'■■■ "■■■-■' . j. ' |) Lambing is now general in Canterbury am) "Otago, except in' tho mountainous back ■• country, and a'good "many limbs J have'already appeared' Southland.;- general I report is that the ..lambing has so far been very good, up "ifl " per "laving been recorded, while 'the weather conditions have been so favourable that the mortalityamong't the young lamsssJ«B so far been'unusually low. Triplets have'been quitovcommon in some / places, and-in (Canterbury) district there was '■ seen a crosfebrcd ewe. suckling- five lamb?; nil doing-Well- * . h - «•- ■t./;S»:i;^;,- : :.., \{, J,..,. v .,..".: ■-:■:-.:>::,.!,,:-■.;■ -.'-: : ....'•■■:.',--■■ '.:"'.': The Manawatu A. and P., Association liasireceived twelve entries * for its first cham-*' pion butter-fat competition, to be held at; . the next spring show. The entries '.received: were sent "in by the 1 following:—Messrs. S. r ' L R. Lancaster • (Fitzherbert) two entries, ' ■ Peterson (Fitzherbert), ~ Loyelock v , and/, Me- Z; ' : Kenzie (Fitzherbert), J..p. BatcheldrKPa!:- X merston), j. Kyle (Fitzherbert East) twe ■;-■ entries, ,W. P. Harre (Rata), F. Fairbauk - (Terrace End), A. Richards (Stony Creek) : and the Misses Irene, and Lena, Richard? ' (Stony Creek) one entry each. ..., . ~ C : ■/ - ... ■ I '.-.v' :■ In a . civilised community agricm- , ture cannot be separated from any - other form of industry, becauso every * worker in * the i community is '-icfepen- J: dent upon other workers,"-"'and ! olio has ' only to notice th© effects /city labour, of. a drop in farm produce realise this fact. : If the- city workers only,; understood political economy sufficiently well would see that the mom r wealth farmers' produce ,th© /better . ; ; it "is for themselves, and they would «[■ '-tainly not seek to restrict tho output ot ,*,< .tliodancl by any vexatious legislation. . If they were wise enough in their own intereststhey would, instead of trying to block settlement, do everything/ in their power to encourage it. Now Zealand will "never reach its true limit of prosperity until every acre )-.-. ! in its limited area is worked up to its fullest? : >'"'. ''t iwcitj, ;. : ":. ■ ' .•'.••../I