ON TEE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14806, 9 October 1911, Page 10

ON TEE LAND.

THE JERSEY COW.

t The Danish farmers have been recom- | mended by their own- Royal Agricultural 1 Society to use the Jersey con- in order to i meet with the greatest success in their work. The society has arrived at this decision after a series of trials of ail the ! leading breeds. The Jersey is doing a great work in America. Since the present year commenced no less than 7£o cows, : tested by the officers of the experiment stations, have been accepted by the American Jersey Cattle Club, their average yield of milk having been 784 gallons, containing 5.4 per cent, of fat. At this rate the butterfat produced averaged 4211b, equal to 4&oib of commercial butter. The capacity of the Jersey, as a butter-producer may be shown by the fact that 39 cows gave over 7001b of butter in a year, while 84 gave over 1000 gallons of milk, three cows exceeding 1500 gallons. Four of the cows yielded over half a ton of butter in the year, the highest yield of all being 11261b-®. figure' so astounding that were it not authenticated; by the Jersey Cattle Club it would be almost impossible to accept- It is worth re--marking that the best average was made by cows above the age of five years, or which there were 240. These cows, which we may regard as in their prime, reached an average of 92S gallons of milk and 4yslb of fat, equal to nearly 5501b of butter, the highest yield of milk being 1725 gallons. The averages of younger cows taken m half-ve-arly stages decreased with their ages. The younger cows-—these under two yearsaveraged 605 gallons, containing 3241b of fat, but only 19 of the whole number tested gave less than 500 gallons. Wherever J ersevs have been tested for any length of time against cows of other breeds they have produced the largest yield of butter, and their power of production appears to be gradually increasing. .

AUSTRALASIA'S SHEEP INCREASE. Within a century Australasia has increased her first total of 29 sheep to 116,034,000, or practically one-fifth of uie world's total. The aggregate number in the worid is estimated so he 582,722,000, and of this number South America contributes 92,345,000, Africa 49,621.000, North America 63,000, Europe 177,757,000, _ and Asia frequently quoted as " Australia s ma in wool production," possesses flocks representing 60,000,000 sheep, the United States contains 57.216.000. while Russian Socks tally up at 42,301,000 sheen; The United Kingdom is not far behind with 31,751,000 sheep, and is followed by Uruguay 26.256.000, Asiatic Russia with 20,000, Cbpe of Good Hope with 13,607,000, British India with 18,053,000, France with 17,455,000. and Spain, once famous for its fiEC-woolled Merinos, with 15,471,000 sheep. _ Africa is a country that is showing considerable advance, and her improved Socks are being built up by the introduction of worldfamous strains of the Australian Merino. As a result the .type of sheep has improved and the quality of the wool has gained largely. At the present tire*? South Africa has almost a monopoly of the African sheep industry, if we except Algiers, for the total of 49,000,000 odd is distributed thus:— Capo of Good Hope, 13,807,000; Algeria, 9.632.000; Orange River Colony, 7,431,000; British East Africa, 5.105,000; Transvaal, 3.011,(XX); German East Africa, 1,560,000; Soudan, 1.,421.000; Natal, 1,068,000; Tunis, 833,562; Rhodesia, ,200.000; . and remainder 500,000.

PERIODICAL LIMING. The advantages to be derived from the -practice—nowadays too often neglected—of periodical applications of lime, have been described by no less an autnority than Mr. Hall, of Rothamsted experimental i station, to be. as follows :—• i 1. It improves the texture of the soil : by coagulating the finest particles of the clay and rendering the land dfier and more friable. Drainage goes on more readily, the land is warmer, and if is more readily worked to a good tilth. It is difficult to exaggerate the value ot this action of lime on the heavier soils ; it often means that it is possible to secure a seed bed when the unlimed land is still too wet to work, and the character of the root crop, parr ticularly, swedes, depends more on securing a good tilth than on manuring. 2. The insoluble reserves of nitrogenous I and potasjsic material in the soil are brought into action and rendered available for the plant by the presence of lime. I 3. All the leguminous crops usually culi tivated on a farm flourish much better when there is a good supply of lime in I the soil. Clover, in particular, is very | intolerant of acid soil conditions, and is much more subject to clover sickness when I lime is deficient.

4. It seems to be established that the soil organism (azotobacter), which fixes nitrogen without the aid of leguminous plants and is a great factor in the gain of fertility when land is laid down in grass, cannot develop properly unless there is a good supply oi carbonate of lime.

TEMPERATURE IN MILK. KEEPING. The keeping - quality of milk is very largely a matter of temperature. In a recent experiment a sample of milk was divided into two parts. One wae placed at a temperature of 50deg., or a little below, and the other at 70deg., or a little above. The lower temperature is that of an -ice chest and the other that of an ordinary room. At 50deg. the multiplication of bacteria was five-fold, at 70deg. 750 fold. Milk kept at 98deg. (heat of the cow's body).-will curdle in 13 hours, while the same milk kept at 70deg. will not curdle for- 48-hours, and if kept at 50deg. (the temperature of an ice chest) may sometimes keep without curdling for two weeks or more. These figures show what a decided influence the dairy-farmer can exert on the keeping of his milk by lowering of temperature by only 20deg. For a short time after milk is drawn from the cow, the bacteria which are present fail to grow, but after, a brief preliminary period has passed i the bacteria begin to multiply. At a•• temperature of 90deg. this preliminary period of nogrowth is very short, lasting only two to tour hours, after which the bacteria develop with such an extreme rapidity that the milk-is almost sure to sour in the course of 12 hours, or even less.

In milk kept at a .temperature of 70deg., this precious no-growth period lasts us rally about six hours. After six hours the bacteria multiply _ so fast that in the course of 12 hours they at© way 6to be reckoned by millions, and the milk is almost sure to sour and curdle inside of 36 hours. If milk is cooled at once and kept at 50deg., the preliminary period during which the bacteria do net; grow at all is much prolonged. If is' found in some experiments that milk kept at 50deg. may contain, when it is 40 hours old, no more bacteria than at the start, and sometimes even less. This shows that, a temperature of 50deg. makes it possible to keep milk perfectly good for at least 40 hours, provided this temperature is attained quickly and maintained. Even after the bacteria begin to grow they may develop very lowly. Milk may ■be kept* for many hours longer at these temperatures without showing any signs of the,effect of bacterial growth. There- , fore,. as far as concerns the keeping of milk, the maintenance of a low temperature is a factor, of more significance than any other factor connected with dairying. The number of bacteria present in milk after it has become 24 hours old or more is dependent far more upon the matter of temperature than it is upon the original cleanliness and care in production. It is not meant to imply that the regulations for,: cleanliness should not be followed, but their efficacy is neutralised by nonattention to-temperature. - ' -

PREPARATION OF THE SOIL.

A thorough preparation of the soil is one of tlio chief factors in successful management of the soil. Soils that arc badly run down by continuous crapping may be restored to their original state of productiveness by the* use of fertiliser?, but the cause of small returns is not always duo to a lack of fertility. Many conditions may prevail which prevent the plant attaining a healthy development. "Better conditions, obtained by drainage, liming, -etc., may be necessary before the plant can avail itself of further additions of plant food. Thei more perfect- the condition of the soil is matte, the better will plants be able to obtain the highest development; there will, then, be greater conversion of food into crops. Our soils are the medium in which wo can at pleasure convert potash phosphoric acid-nitrogen into crops; therefore, is it not advisable to keen the medium in the highest state of efficiency? Feed your crops as you do your animals, not me. j to appease hunger, but that the highest returns may be obtained. Give them a rich, palatable, well-balanced ration that they will readily take, and be. in consequence, invigorated and developed.

HEREDITY AND ATAVISM. Breeders of stock recognise several laws which apply to all animals. Among these are tfco laws of "heredity*' and "atavism." The former is explained to a certain extent by the phrase " like begets like." This lawis reliable only when dealing with purebred stock of known breeding and fixed traits of character. By atavism, on the other hand, is meant a reversion to the type of some more or less remote ancestor. The occurrence is commonly • known as "throwing back." The result is the revival of soma tendency which had previously been eliminated by persistently breeding against it. All domestic animals have their origin in some wild species. Through many generations past breeders of cattle have culled out animals that showed undesirable characteristics and bred only from such as possessed those which it was sought to perpetuate. In this way the various breeds have been formed and perfected, but behind them all lies their wild ancestry. If stock are permitted to breed indiscriminately they tend to revert towards their original types with amazing rapidity; thus showing the potency of this power of "atavism" or "throwing back:*'or, in other words, the strength of the blood of the original species. Where a breed has been kept pure for a long period the tendency to atavism is held in check. '• 1

BREVITIES. • ' Just 120 Years ago Captain Philip started Australia with 7 horses, 6 cattle, 29 sheep, 12 pigs, and a few goats. There is no known system of afterwards expanding the stunted frame of an improperly nourished yearling. A widespread knowledge of the general principles governing our agrarian industries is becoming daily more apparent. In not one case in 20 will anv work on feeding or agriculture in general bo found in the library of the average farmer. Where in former times many operations were carried out by more or less haphazard rules, science has established rational methods. The first attempts at extracting beet sugar were failures; now more than half the sugar production of the world is obtained from this source. It would be difficult to enumerate or even approximately attach a value to the benefits which science has conferred upon the agrarian industries. Draught mares may be -worked right up to foaling point. Their' task should be. however, made lighter as the time of parturition approaches. ■ _ An unmistakable and increasing demand has manifested itself _ during the past ten years for agricultural education. Existent | facilities to meet this are insufficient. The concern created by the possibility of exhausting our stores of nitrates in Chili has been relieved by the production of fertilising nitrates from the atmosphere. Our fathers were compelled to learn from the school of experience, but the farmer of to-day has the sources of information open to him and obtainable for the asking. The education work which has been done through the medium of farmers' institutes is believed to be of great benefit to the farming interests, and is growing in popularity. ( It is unwise to allow the growing foal to follow the mother, if she is working, for too great a length of time at. a stretch. Such a course would soon have a deleterious effect on its growth. Draught foals should be especially well fed. Such fodder as crushed oats and bran, being nitrogenous food?, help to make I muscle. Where such are given proper development is encouraged. ; The foal during the first year of its I existence grows nearly as much as it does i during the next three. It is, therefore, esj sential that there should be no stinting of ! food during that important period. The farmer seldom makes a good "boss." j Generally speaking, he is a much better workman than administrator. He shares the inaptitude of all artisans to explain 1 clearly and fully what he desires done.

Slovenly farming and dirty seed stay the wheels of progress, and keep, the credit balance from accumulating. It frequently happens that in'the case of a careless farmer the credit balance is a negative quantity.

A foal thrives better in the company of other foals than if kept "on its own." It cannot be accustomed to the halter too early in life, .and by kind, but firm treatment from the outset it will soon learn that man is both.its master and its friend.

- During the growing stages the foal should be encouraged to take 7 plenty of exercise. It is not desirable, however, that this should be overdone. If allowed to run with its dam in the paddock the dictates of nature will insure its getting just the right amount. * .

The farmer works hard, and his- hours of labour and rest, his meals, his whole living, arc not regular. This reacts upon the labourer and renders him less efficient, less interested in his employer's welfare than he would be under more regular hours and better administration of work.

A mare stickling her foal should for a clear month at least after foaling not be worked. •' Her function ' at. such a time is to administer to her offspring the nutriment necessary to its adequate development. It is unfair to expect her to " act Hamlet and to shift the scenes as well."

The sow should give her first litter when about a year old. If bred to farrow at an •earlier age she is not likely to raise such a good litter; if allowed to go much over that age, on the other hand, she is adding to the cost of production quite unnecessarily, and may bring injury to her after usefulness as a breeding animal.

John Naismith, a noted agriculturist .in the latter half of the eighteenth century, wrote: —"Agriculture has been regarded by the wisest men'of all ages as the most important employment of mankind, and the firmest Biinport of a State; and being of the most laborious kind, and attended with uncommon hazard and difficulty, seems not only to merit, but demand, every possible degree of public patronage."

It has been observed at the Ontario Agricultural College that for every day's-delay in spring seeding, after the first week had passed in which the seeding should have taken place, there was a great decrease in the yield of grain obtained. By actual experiment it was proved that there was an average decrease for each day's delay of 561b of oats, 531b of barley, 291b of spring wheat, and 231b of peas per acre. This was due : to 3 the loss of moisture through evaporation.

Many farmers are given to sowing " catch" crops at the eleventh hour. "It may yield something," _ they say, "and whether it docs or not it costs nothing to put in." On the face this statement, so frequently made, is a most peculiar one. Surely the feed which the teams consume while engaged in preparing and seeding the ground costs something to produce. And then does not the labour and the wear and tear of implements and gear amount to anything? Most assuredly, the average farmer is weak in logic. -