NOTES AND NOTIONS FOR COUNTRY SETTLERS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1352, 27 January 1898, Page 5

NOTES AND NOTIONS FOR COUNTRY SETTLERS.

(Specially Wbitten and Compiled foe the New Zealand Mail.)

SKIN-CUTTING IN SHEARING.

In a late number of The Australasian there appeared a letter from a German manufacturer drawing the attention of Australian sheepfarmers to the trouble that is caused by tar brands and pieces of skin in the wool. Respecting the tar brands, the writer says:—" Things have become a little better lately. We have been watching the matter closely, and can quote about 100 clips which we found to contain no tar brands." A very considerable proportion of the Victorian sheep are now (says " Brnni " in The Australasian) to be found in the small flocks, and in these the tar brand is frequently used. , The skin cut from the sheep that are shorn by the machine is generally in fine strips, but a bad shearer who is :n a hurry to inake a big tally, can take off a large number of these fine strips in the course of a day's shearing. Where the sheep are shorn with the Bhears the liability to cut the sheep is much greater than where the machine is used. A friend who is engaged in the wool trade lately sent me three pieces of wool, illustrative of what may be done where careless shearing with the shears is permitted. They were given to him by a leading; Continental wool buyer, who received them from one of his clients in Europe. In one sample there is a piece of skin nearly eight inches'long, and half an inch broad. In the second the skin is four inches long and one inch broad, while in the third it is over two inches square. In the old squatting days, when, from the absence of the "boss," the word "open Sorby" was passed round the board/I have seldom seen v as bad shearing as these samples indicate. The manufacturer objects to these pieces of skin, because, of the injury they do to the machinery, and the serious loss of time involved in removing them. Ihe Australian wool-grower cannot expect the manufacturer to bear the loss caused by improper material being used for branding the sheep and by the presence of skin in the wool. Ee naturally takes the loss and trouble into account in buying wool, and as every bale cannot be inspected, there is a reduction in the price of all, or nearly all, Australian wool. With the Bhears, ■ cutting the skin is almost a certainty; V, with the machine, 1 skin cutting, wheie J skilled men are employed, can be reduced , to the nierest trifle. The matter is worthy the close attention of ;pastoralists, and where no tar brands are used it should be * so stated on the bale. Skin-cutting is ;, harder to deal with, for in the rush of shearing there is no time to remove the pieces of skin from the fhepes. It might, perhaps, be possible to put a*ide the fleeces on which pieces of skin are seen, and have the skin carefully tetnoved before the wool is packed. As the shearers are the cause of this trouble, they should bear the cost of the work. It would come to very little, per man, and would tend to make them more careful in doing their work

- THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE. Ebb'BBKING id the /remarks-recently made - Sf oui the meat trade by Dr Newman at a ' : :} meeting of the Gear Cornpanyyin-which he • corobatted the idea that shops should be started in ths Old Country for the sale 01 :./': New Zealand mutton> "Drover" in the S, Witness saqs :—"l am glad to say I don't agree with Dr Newman, who, like many of our great men who visit London, seems to have been staffed by interested parties. His remarks show a considerable amount ' of ignorance on the meat question even for an M.H.R.,, and contradict Sir John Hall, who lately returned from London. Even if the fact h*s only lately dawned on Dr Newman, iiea.i]y\every Bfttier in l\ew Z 'aland "has bweh aware for y«-aVs that, we have to compete with •'».*• loent trade of" the whole world. Again, auvp* selling New Zealand, meat liavu done '.-, fairly well, and all that is wanted is a pro- ; perly organised scheme to increase and keep such ; shops well supplied regularly -with our best meat. We know for a fact that retailers selling New Zealand meat make good profits, and we also know that Smitbfield wholesale salemen have made considerable fortunes out of our meat, and continue to do so. If I attached any atten--1 tion to Dr Newman's remarks I should be f sorry for the Gear Meat Company and the future of the New Zealand meat trade, and I have only quoted his remarks to let readers see how simple it is for London people to give our leading men wrong information when it is to their interest to do ■ bo. For years past some of our leading colonists have gone home only to learn nothing, but it is, I am glad to think quite apparent that experienced men like Sir John Hall and others have had their eyes"opened to the need of organisation and "combined action to push, the trade and displace some of those now connected /.with -it, wac are : toan ■ "■';'■• ." .•'.". ; ■. " .- •

THE AGE OF A SHEEP. The following simple rules may be useful in determine the age of a sheep, to those who have no fuller means of learning, says a contemporary:—At about a year or two permanent incissors appear, two large : teeth in the forepart of the lower jaw. This indicates a yearling. The English 1 court of law decided that a lamb is changed into a sheep when these teeth appear. At about two years old a sheep has four permanent incisors, or four big teeth in the J middle of the lower mouth. These frequently appear at twenty months of age. The writer has known a two-year-old to show a yearling mouth, and a yearling to show a two-year-old mouth. At thirty months there are six large permanent incissors, and at forty months there are eight permanent or largo incisors, indicating a "full mouth" or a four-year-old sheep. Extreme age is indicated by the teeth looking like shoe pegs, i.e., round and long, and by a " broken mouth," losing the teeth.

THE NERVES OF HORSES. A writer in the Gable remarks that a curious emotional feature in the horse is the liability of all the other mental faculties of the animal to become abandoned to that of terror. And that terror is catching, as in the case of a stampede, for it is not necessary for all the animals of a troop to be frightened simultaneously at the same object or sound to create a general panic. On the influence of terror on the horse Romanes says: —"I think I am right in saying that the horse is the only animal which, under the influence of fear, loses the possession of every other sense in one mad and mastering desire to run. With its entire mental life thus overwhelmed by the flood of a single emotion, the horse, as other animals, loses\'presence of mind/ or a due balance among the distinctly intellectual faculties; but even the avenues of special sense become stopped, so that the wholly demented animal may run headlong and at terrific speed against a stone wall. . . . There is no animal except the horse \vhose whole psychology is thus liable to be completely dominated by one single emotion."

FARMING LITERATURE. We have received a copy of the Agricultural Annual and Mark Lane Express Almanac for 1898. It contains a number a number of interesting and valuable articles on British agriculture and is well illustrated with pictures of prize stock, etc. Although of course primarily and mainly of use to English farmers, the publication is one which colonial agriculturists may study with advantage, and as the price ie only a shilling we recommend our country readers to add ifc to their collection of farming literature.

THE SPASMODIC FARMER. This, says "North Somerset/' in Farm and Field, is a most familiar individual. All connected with agriculture know him well. In his method of living and the carrying on of his farming operations he is spasmodic. He may bo dull and listless one day, and the next overfilled with energy and industry. At the cider-making season, whilst the fruit is plentiful, he has a day's start gathering apples. 'I he carter "is stopped, and th 9 horses remain idle. In order thai a couple of extra sacks may be gathered, every farm hand is taken away from his usual duties to minister to this applegathering spasm. The next day it is found that through the carter not going to haul away the truck of meal that has been consigned to him he has to pay demurrage. The apple spasm is forgotten, and is superseded by a carting spasm The colt that has not been harnessed for the past month i must be pressed into service to-day, necessitating a couple of extra hinds to tend it. But what matters this to our spasmodic friend ? That truck of meal has to be unloaded. Then, next day the cowman fiuds that whilst he has been away the cows have found out a weak rail in the fence around the hayrick, and, once inside, have levelled tho, whole lot. This has to be remedied whilst the governor is thinking out another spasm. This turns on cidermaking. The apples are mellow.'and must be ground at once. The weather is fine and field work plentiful; but what matters this? The hands must go to the mill under cover. The cider-making is finished, and then down comes the rain, Field work is nearly impossible, and there is na work under cover for the men. Then our friend regrets that he had the cider spasm when he had. Then he has "cropping" spasms. One year it must be wheat, and nothing but wheat. What cares he for markets, routine or rotation ? He must have his fields all cropped to wheat. And he does. And when harvest comes he remembers sadly the old adage of carrying all the eggs in one basket. With other branches of farming it is the same. One year it must be nothing but the rearing of young cattle. No matter whether thoy are dear or cheap, he overstocks, and then, when he totals up his losses, he says ho will have nothing more to do with, them.

He then spasmodically rushes them on the market, regardless of the fact that it is the most unsuitable period in which to do so. When milch animals are at their very dearest he buys them in a wholesale manner, regardless whether .they, are suitable or not, or of the price that he is paying. At election times he is in his element. How restless he is whilst the candidate is making his speech. 9 hare is fire in his eye; his muscles are in a state of tremulous agitation, and when the meeting is over, and he drops in for a glass at the village inn, his impassioned eloquence breaks forth. They must work might and main, hand in hand, and tell tho Government what they want and what they will have. For years past, he argues, the Government have shamefully neglected the farming industry, They must, therefore, co-operate; they must combine. A fortnight later, when the chahman of an influential agricultural society, which is pledged to the benefit; of agriculture, calls upon him and asks our spasmodic friend to join in the movement, he finds that the political spasm has left him, and as he looks up from amongst his group of labourers, whom he is busily assisting in the prosaic occupation of sorting potatoes, his answer to the request is, " What ? No I baint." — North Somerset.

THE COW'S FOOD. New facts about cow feeding have been learned by a remarkable experiment conducted by Director Jordan at the' New York station (says the American Agriculturist). Selecting a good Jersey cow and getting her in proper shape for the test, he fed her for 60 days with prepared foods that contained practically no fat. Everything that she consumed was*weighed and analysed, also the milk and all the excrement, solid and liquid. The figures show that this cow gave m her milk 401 b more fat tban she consumed, while she added 301 b to her weight, and was in a gpcdj thrifty, fleshy condition at the close. This indicates that the vital force in the cow has the ability to convert sugar and starch in the feed into fat. Should this fact be confirmed by repeated tests, it may upset some of the accepted theories about balanced rations. Indeed, some of the intelligent western feeders contend that they get. better results ty feeding their cheap corn, grain, or meal, with corn fodder—a ration that is quite deficient in protein or nitrogenous matter, though rich in fat—than they do when a well-balanced ration is given. Now if a cow can convert starchy elements into fat, s.s Jordan believes, why may she not increase the per c-mt. of solids in her food is varied ? The fact is, we are beginning to find out that processes going on in the "innards 3 ' of a cow are " fearfully and wonderfully made," and but little understood.

FARROWING. The sow at farrowing should be in good flesh, but not too fat. A week or ten days before farrowing she should be confined to a pen separate from the other pigs and in a quiet place. Her keeper should take the time to go into the pen and fondle her sc as to gain her confidence. /-During these few days she will become acquainted with her quarters, and will feel secure from outside intruders (says a writer in the American Swineherd). If he goes in the pen often she will soon be glad to see him, for like any other animal the pig likes company, and gets lonesome when left too much alone. There is no animal that has been domesticated that is more intelligent and tractable than the well-bred pig. When she is about to farrow she will begin te fix up by making her bed in proper shape. To #his end give her clean quarters on a dry floor, with short straw; long, coarse bedding has been the death of many a pig. If the weather is cold it will pay to watch her close by ni#ht and day, and if liable to chili take the young pigs as fast as they come to a warm room and give thern a little warm milk with a spoon; then when the dam has got over her sickness take them to her. fccratch her on the udder, and place the little fellows where they can get warm, and they will go to work in earnest. When the weather is not cold, she will get along just as well if left alone. If she is very sick, in which case she may be up and down a great deal, it is necessary to take a part of them away to save them from being overlain. After farrowing keep her warm and feed a very little warm thin slop for the first few days, and after that increase each day until she has all she will eat up clean three meals a day.

FIGHTING RAMS. A simple but effective American contrivance for preventing fighting among rams is thus described in the West Australian Settler's Guide:—A visor of stiff leather (or, if that is not handy, bullock's hide will do), is shaped to extend from the horns to a little below the eyes, and broad enough, to cover the face. In one top corner a hole is made sufficiently large to slip over one horn, while at the other top corner a piece is cut out to fit the horn i ties of leather or

string hold this firmly to the horn, and the visor is fixed. The ram can see to graze j and walk about, he can see the other sheep ; by slightly raising hi 3 head, but directly j he lowers his head to fight the view of his opponent is lost to him, and the fight does I not take, place. This plan is now generally ! adopted by the stud sheepowners in TasI mania.