AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20152, 12 January 1929, Page 17

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

The stud Merino ram Emperor Charles, I,red in Bundemar (New South ales) stud, and sold in 1926 to a well-known South African breeder at the age of fnc vears for £2OOO, has at tho age of seven years, cut 361b. of good, clean wool for twelve months' growth.

The British Empire is now producing 30 per cent, of the world's raw cotton. With the. vast, irrigation works. which are being constructed in the Sudan, and the developments in East, West and Sou h Africa, the. Empire will shortly be selfcontained so far as cotton is concerned.

During the year ended 30th. June last 11,300,000 head of cattle were tested for bovine tuberculosis in tho United States of America, that total being 1,600,000 more than in the previous twelve months. The percentage of reactors during the twelve months was 2.4, compared with 2.9, toi the proceeding year.

The Commonwealth Statistician has issued official production statistics of the Commonwealth for the 1926-27 season, number of sheep totalled 104,267,101, while 410553 lb. of wool were produced, valued at £69,430,000. The. totall value of pastoral production was £lll.loo,UUU. Agriculture yielded £98,294,503, and 17,750,000 acres were cropped.

When a cow has formed the habit of holding her milk it is hard to break her of it. Feeding the cow some grain or bran while she is being milked will in some cases help. While the cow is eating her feed her attention is distracted by the feed, and she will forget about holding her milk. If this will not cause ihe cow to give her usual amount of milk there is nothing that can be done for a case of this kind.

lhe urgent need of finding new markets overseas for South Africa s surplus cattle was recently" discussed by tho Natal Farmers' Union In the Union of South Africa now, it was stated there were between 12 and 14 million cattle valued at £40,000,000. To-day the Union was consuming only 5 per cent, of its annual increase of cattle, and in 10 or 15 years' time, unless there was a very considerable increase in exports of frozen meat, the only use for much of the stock would be as "fertiliser. A motion urging the Union Government to take action was agreed to.