FARM TOPICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25084, 23 December 1944, Page 5

FARM TOPICS

NEW WOOL USES j WARTIME DISCOVERIES j LONDON. Dec. IS There had been many wartime discoveries of new uses lor wool, some still secret, and it was believed that some of them would be continued in peace- j time, said Mr Douglas T. Boyd today. Mr Boyd, who is chairman of the Australian Wool Board, and the executive of the International Wool Publicity and Research Fund, was reviewing the recent meetings of the executive in London and Bradford. "Our meetings were part of the never-ending battle to keep Wool as No. I fabric, and to give consumers the very best tilings into which wool can lie made," lie said. Use by Americans Mr Boyd described the executive's visit, to Bradford as one of the highlights of the conference. Present research, he said, was directed toward improving wool as a textile and "glamourising" it, and investigating whether wool could be reduced to proteins, similarly to those of synthetic fibres. The outstanding result of research had been unshrinkable processes. It was hoped that many American servicemen who had proved the value of correctly treated woollen underclothing would pot discard it in civilian life, thus adding enormously to the number of wool users. Considerable progress had been made in moth-proofing, and, though the process was not yet widely used for textiles, it had been successfully employed in feltings, carpets and upholstery. Value of Wool Grease Felt had replaced rubber in antibumping devices in tanks, and was also used in many mechanical devices, such as polishing machines for precision work Wool givnso was tne best rust-re-sistant obtainable, and without it no Impounder 'gun could have been lircd in Now Guinea. "We realise that our campaign must he correctly planned, with co-ordinated research, economics, and publicity programmes, and with the three wool-pro-ducing Dominions co-operating," Mr Boyd continued. "It does not mean a great thunderclap of activity, but gradually expanding efforts, with Governments and manufacturers combining with the woolgrowers. Our allies are the research workers and consumers. Without them we cannot progress." CARROT SILAGE UNITED STATES TRIAL The possibility of ensiling carrots with some other crop, which in itself might make silage, was tested recently in the United States by the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station. In the common method of storage of carrots the tops are removed and largely wasted. Carrots were successfully ensiled in a mixture with over-ripe corn and green alfalfa. The tops as well as the roots of the carrots were ensiled, thereby saving much labour and at least one-third of the dry matter of the carrots over the usual method of storage. When the carrots were harvested they were piled near the silage cutter and forked into it with the corn, about a ton of carrots for each two and a-quar-ter tons of corn being used. The silo was opened two months after filling and was found to be in good condition with a pleasant silage odour. The pieces of chopped carrots retained what appeared to be their original physical condition. The silage containing the carrots was highly palatable to the cows, gave good returns in milk and fat production, and exerted a positive, but small, favourable effect on the yellow colour of the milk and butter-fat produced. 1 ANNUAL STOCK WASTAGE IMPORTANCE OF FEEDING "The annual loss of stock in New Zealand amounts to approximately £16.000,000 and if this can be reduced by only £4.000,000 it warrants cooperation between the farmer and the skilled veterinary surgeon," said Dr N. Siegel, of Pukekohe, when advocating support for the veterinary club movement in an address on animal diseases given to a meeting of the East Tamaki Young Farmers' Club. Dr Siegel emphasised the necessity of feeding a well-balanced ration through the winter months to combat prevalent nutritional diseases, including milk fever, paralysis and acidosis. Milk fever which was caused by a shortage of calcium could be largely prevented by the practice of drenching cows with a calcium drench. He also advocated an injection of calcium in preference to the inflation ol the udder which might introduce infection. Acidosis, he explained, was responsible for much of the undesirable flavour found in milk and cream in the early spring. It was due to a flush of grass which was short in carbohydrates and he advocated balancing this by feeding hay and molasses. After describing the various aspects of abortion, sterility, internal parasites and other prevalent diseases, Dr Siegel concluded by saying that the veterinarian could not replace judicious feeding, and management, but could only assist in the maintenance of healthy stock. GIFT CALF SCHEME AID FOR EX-SERVICEMEN A scheme for making stock available to returned servicemen who intend to settle on the land is being worked out in the Stratford district., Taranaki. Details were recently discussed by representatives of the Stratford Returned Services Association and the Stratford sub-provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union and are to be passed on for consideration higher up in their district organisations. The scheme provides that gifts should not be restricted to calves. It is proposed that a controlling committee of threo representatives each of the R.S.A. ami the Farmers' Union should bo set up and that powers of administration should be delegated to local committees to be formed in the various parts of the district. Proposals for the collection of gift calves include that wherever possible the cattle will he held until coming into profit. In eases in which this is not possible, the calves will lie collected Irom the donors before the end of February. The calves will lie distributed to ex-servicemen and surplus animals will be grazed or sold, tho proceeds to be paid into a central fund to bo used lor assisting servicemen settling on farms. MILK THAT WILL NOT SPILL dehydrated and compressed A gallon ol milk was slammed down un a table by Sir Joseph Barcroft, scientist and Fellow of the Koyal Society, ;it ii food education meeting mi London recently. It did not spill. Ihe reason was that the milk was dehydrated and compressed. It originally came from a cow in I Australia three years ago. After going through various processes it finally emerged as a solid milk cylinder about six inches in height, which Sir Joseph said would be found perfectly good inside even though it had come through the tropics without refrigeration. "The nutrition value of processed loods is as good—if the food is pro:ossed w hen fresh —as ordinary cooked i loods." he mi id. "In a recent te<t '2OO j men of the It A F. who were given fresh j ■oeked cabbage left more on their plates than, another 200 who were given dried •a bhage. "But." he added, "the farmer need lever fear processed foods. We shall ilways want our background of fresh neat, eggs and milk."