FARM TOPICS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1612, 21 January 1903, Page 65

FARM TOPICS

Professor W. A. Henry' contributes to tlie ‘‘Breeders’ Gazette,” Chicago, a series of articles on "Agriculture in Denmark,” in the course of which he says lie was not particularly impressed with the excellence of the cows of Denmark. They are not of the strong dairy type, but more of the general order, though not particularly large. He says: —"Denmark has never produced any phenomenal dairy cows, so far as the writer is aware. In summer the cows rarely roam the pastures at will; they are either confined in the stable, where green food is brought to them or are tethered by a rope fastened to* a peg in the pasture. -As one passes along the railway or highway, he often sees a line of cows stretching away across the field—so to 100 ox them. These cows are watered from a, waggon driven afield,- with a faucet reaching from the tank delivering water into a small trough attached to the vehicle in the rear. The waggon passes along close to the row of cows, the faucet is turned and the trough fills ’with water. As each cow satisfies her thirst, the ivaggon passes to the next, until all have been supplied. The cows are milked in the pasture, and a waggon takes the cans of milk to the creamery.”

The sources from which John Bulbs table is supplied with butter are shown by the compilers of butter statistics to be very widely spread about the world nowadays says the “Grocer.” Of the total 260,000 tons we are supposed to have consumed, used, or disposed of in some way last year, rather over 140,000 tons came from “furrin parts,” 32,000 tons from our own colonies, and 5000 or thereabouts were made at home in these islands. The main contributors in order of quantity are Denmark, Australia, France, Holland, Russia, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada, United States, Belgium Germany, Norway, and Argentine. As 15*,000 tons is the mean figure in several cases, Ave may take that as a unit for comparison, and we find that Australia. France, and Holland are pretty much on a level as contributing about one unit each, Russia sends a short unit, Sweden and United States furnish a unit between them, and New Zealand and Canada furnish ’another. The other butter suppliers of Britain are of much smaller account, with the great exception of Denmark, which sends no less than 75.000 tons, or as much as five of our units put together. Denmark is one of the smallest of lands, but as most people knoAV. is mighty in butter-making. Why should not Ireland, Avhich is so spiritedly

coming to the front, do as well as Leiimark‘i And if Australia can beat ail in the list except Denmark, why should not some other of our colonies make equally satisfactory progress. Let them go the right way about it, and not be above lea-.ning, i ?d we shall see what we shall see.—Exchange. * * * * *

Carefully-conducted experiments, as well as everyday experiences of stockowners (says tne "Fanners’ Advocate”), go to show that clean milking, exercises a very mater ial influence upon the quality of the milk and butter produced by cows. It is well known that in the hands of careless milkers cows which would otherwise continue giving a good flow of milk for seven or eight months after calving are often run dry within four or five months of having produced their young. The great cause of trouble on this score is incomplete stripping. The necessity for the thorough removal of all milk in the udder is rendered of special importance by the fact that it not alone induces a cow to continue longer in milk than she lvould otherwise do, but that it also ensures a considerable improvement in the yield of butter obtained from, the milk produced. The last milk to leave the udder is, as is well known, many times richer in butter fat than that which, is first drawn. Too much emphasis cannot, therefore, be laid upon the necessity of thoroughly stripping dairy cows at all seasons of the year. * * •* * »

A warrant officer who had long acquaintance with the transport mule in India describes one old mule that, he said, knew as much as most men, having been twelve or fifteen years in the transport service. This mule preferred acting as, leader of the train (that carri \i no 1.-t/i) and wears a bell round his neck), bat when he had to carry a load would not allow more than regular tion weight to be put on his back. On one occasion the baggage to be carried included a coffin, and the old mule wag selected to lake it; it*weighed only about 251 b., but tin mule, says the narrator, evidently measured its weight by the size, and groaned in the most pitiful manner when it was lashed on to him 1 . He staggered and stumbled as though it had been a ten-inch gun; he firmly refused to take his place in the line, and lay down to eulk. Finally he began to roll, snd the. ceffin had to be hastily cut free to prevent its being smashed. _ It was then put on another mule, which, having been blindfolded in advance, accepted the load cheerfully. *• * * *

A customer of John Tubb, the Winr chester ho.vr-e dealer and lively man, made a singular mistake one day. He bad hired a horse and carriage for the day, and the beast bolted the best part of the way home from Cranberry Park to Winchester in the evening. Arriving at the stable yard, tbe customer remonstrated warmly with Tubb, saying that this was the hottest specimen he had ever palmed off on him. and generally relieve’cl his- feelings. Tubb said nothing till the man had finished, then quietly drew hfs attention to the fact that when the horse had been harnessed for the return journey the reins had been buckled to the rings of tlie collar instead of the bit! —"Live Stock Journal.”

Hoi •ses. like human beings, frequently run down in constitution, and in order to effect a recovery, they require not only careful treatment but as much rest as can be conveniently given to them, and at the same time a carefully administered course of medicines. As a tonic m such cases, nothing can be better employed than one consisting of three drachms of sulphate of iron, 40 grains of sulphate of quinine, five drachms of sulphuric acid in one pint of water. From two to three glasses of this tonic should be given twice a day.

The danger of watering horses after feeding was well shown in an experiment carried out some years ago on the Continent, where a number of worn-out horses were purposely killed for dissection. with the .object of determining the effects of giving water shortly after the animals had consumed full feeds of grain. As might have been expected, a large quantity of the undigested grain which the animals had consumed a short time previously Aras found to have b*en carried a long way into the intestinal tract, fully twenty feet from the stomach, and though it had been there for only a short time, there were indications that it had already commenced to set up an inflammation of the mucous membrane or the delic3 ’’e W pring of the intestines. u » * » ®

The French Government some years ago appointed a commission of scientific men to investigate the subject of the use of salt for cattle, and the conclusions they arrived at were most favourable to its use for farm animals. For milch coaa t s the alloAvance for each animal daily is 2oz; for fattening and stall-fed oxen, 3£oz; for fattening pigs. Uoz; for fattening sheep, loz, and for horses, loz. For daily use these alloAA r ances need not he exceeded but from our experience of using salt for farm stock, we much prefer laying doAvm rock salt in convenient places to adding common salt to the food. When supplied ih this way the animals can themselves, and it may be taken as a certainty that they will take no more of it than may be required. The only objection to giving salt in measured quantities as giA r en aboA T e, is that through forgetfulness the supply Avail not be given regularly, and, as pointed out already, “the composition of the blood is constant,” and therefore, the chemical supply should be regular. But Avithout going into the question of the composition of the blood, the feeder of farm animals can aIAA r ays see the advantage of using salt if he Avill only observe their improved appearance and condition when th-rr are alloAA r ed its use regularly. Its action in producing a healthy melloAv skin can bo easily noticed in the handling, AA'hile the coat of hair is thick and soft. These advantages are avo Gi obtaining, even if we say nothin*’’ J W improved condition.