FARM AND STATION

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLII, Issue 12823, 15 April 1916, Page 7

FARM AND STATION

ROMNEY MARSH SHEEP

W,- are indebted, says the "Field,' 1 !■- 4 | prominent breeder of Kent- oi Romney ; Marsh sheep for the following notes on : the breed. written bv Mr C. Elgar, F<?*!ther)stoiie, New Zealand:—'"l have several times since the last Ashford ram lair thought of .potting into writing- a lew ideas, on the breeding .of. Roinßey Miish'sbecp and the stage in their de- ! velopment arrive** at'. This development i has been gGuig on very rapidly in the last \ few years. Before going farther, I should \ like to sav I have but one object in stat- ! ing my views, that is,.to try to help the I younger breeders; the'older have nothing, to learn from me, and I should also like to remind nil who'read, these notes that they are those of 4 colonial breeder who has nlways taken o keen interest in and watched the improvement of the breed in its Kentish home. I believe by attention being given ,lo certain characterisitcs of the breed, which are essential to its success; the owners of colonial flocks and other sheep-breeding countries will be able to find in the Bomney Marsh sheep" that which will be of value to them for many vears to tome, but this attention must be carefully given, or the sales will fall off, as they have done,with some other English breeds. "Merely to give the numbers this breed has grown xo throughout the world, great as thev are. will not help tiie points that I wish* t<» make. Its development has been too rapid, bad sires are being used and insufficient rejection of ewes from breeding flocks is taking place. This is a bad advertisement for the breed; but cannot be controlled by ram -breeders in Kent. Great care is needed, while improving the breed, to religiously, guard those qualities that have made it worldfamous. It is well known to us all that Shorthorn cattle breeders have arrived Jit what they term a dual -purpose beast, that [ is, a good milker and beef-maker. There was a period in the history of the breed when milk-producing was dangerously neglected, and from which some herds neverrecovered. Now to go one further, we might call the Romney :■ tri-purposc breed, viz., for meat, wool, and hardiness, and this must he remembered by those who are raising s»ud sheen. "I am not going to attempt to describe the perfect sheep; nothing of practical value would be gained by doing this. I might reasonably -be asked to describe the wool that such an animal would grow, and 1 should then be met with tltc rejoinder, but that is not the wool that was preferi red bv some other export.buyer. Ideas ! about'wool differ. Therefore, the scrt of i w.k>l does not bear the importance it is i thought to bear. A buyer knows what a i sheep should grow the summer after, however. He docs not want hair, or kemp, but he does want wool, and as much of it ; as is-, reasonable to expect in proportion to its quality, 1 have always found quantity in iann products a safe thing to try I for. and what is considered a large quantity of wool can be grown on the Roiui nev without loss in other points of the breed. Given tare in selection, length of staple ami density will do it. The former is very important, as wools of a certain coarseiiess must have it; or, to make myself clearer, -1 should say length must increase as the degree of coarseness increases. A short coarse wool is an unprofitable wool, and is not-sought alter by buyers in the London sale rooms. •*\ow 1 come to what is a well-known world trouble, where sheep compete in salevauls or show rings, that is, the trimming of the fleece, and the dates of shear in**. There is little to be said about it, except the effect is thoroughly bad where sheep are being judged fur their value as a wool producer. However keen an eye a judge or buyer may have, it is difficult .sometimes to detect it, or to know howmuch it has been resorted to. Instead of bleeding out defects, reliance is placed on tlie skilful use of shears. It is hardly worth pointing out it is a bad policy, for the sheep-wiu show all its defects the next vear and the buyer is disappointed in his purchase, and it may mean, and certainly has taken place "amongst oversea buvers. that llicy have not come agam. I How to deal with this trouble should be one of the objects of the Uomncy Breeders' Association. "On the question of meat producing there is little to be said. It is well under-stood-by owners of flocks, and conditions vary so much under which the young sheep are reared the first winter; how this is done affects the earlier or later maturity of the animal. This question ol early maturity is bringing me to the point of mv storv. or what 1 wish to emphasise: that'is. in the desire to produce a good woolgrower and an early maturing sheep, robustness or good constitution, or whatever name one gives it, may lie neglected. It is well to remember the old adage that 'a live dog is better than a dead lion. If you lose from the Romney its robustness, its gieat value has gone. This char acteristic has made it a world-renowned breed, and has enabled the stud breeders to* obtain higher and higher figures, for their best sheep. I have no hesitation in saving from mv experience of many breeds of" sheep that there" are belter than the Romney if wool and meat production only are considered. It is its ability to stand hard times." to digest coarse grasses, to live on grass alone, and to pull through a hard winter after it is weaned which has made it famous, and sir sought after bv the oversea pastoralists."'

WAR AND HORSES

The "Pacific Rural I'res*" says:—During the four months, September to December, 1914. inclusive, about 75.003 horses wcie exported from the I'nited State*. I" a<l<liliou to tliese. several tli.<us:iiid.t m>.»c have been purchased Ivy the atji-ttts <>i the warrinz nations. It ha- been lea red by some "that there would he such large numbers exported as to cause an acute shortage of horses in America, there is. however, no apparent immediate danger The 1910 census jiave _0,182,/89 as tnc number of horn's "ot on farms. there lias probablv not been any appreciable decrease in that number since then. Jhnt number added to the 21,190.000. the number climated by the Department of Agriculture, on farms. January 1. l'Jlo. makes a total of over 24.000,000 horses in America, ami we could sell two or three time- the number already exported -without there bcimi an appreciable shortage ol work horde*. Three times the number exported dm in;: the last four months ot the past vear. or 225.000 would be less than 1 per cent, of our horse stocK. J'Ultl'eiaiore. the kind of horses which have iteen purrhesed are for the most pari very ntedioere animals, which would ordinary «i»ll for less than SIOO per head, aim arc a cla»s of which we can well affoid to be rid. But a small percentage of the animals exported are marcs, and most ol these are doubtlessly either old marts or mm-breeders. ... .„ The bis demand for horses will probablv occur after peace has been declared. At that time all the countries now at war. with the exception of Russia, will.- no doubt, bc.vcrv short of horses lor their a.-ricuUiiral and other work. According to the best information obtainable ttinipeau Russia had. previous to the outbreak ' .>f the wai*. aliout 25.000,000 horses, ami is the onlv country having mo.-e horse* than the United States. America awl Russia tocether have 50 per cent of all horses in ;he world. The world's stock is estimated to be about 100,000.000. A large number of the horses in Russia will he destroyed in the war and the remainder will, no doubt, be needed by Russia tor her own agricultural work. " . . " The demand on America, which lias one-fourth of the world's supply of horses will, therefore, be large, and will prohabiv continue for a number • or-years, for 'the rehabilitation or the depicted horse-stock of any country is a slow proce=- America, however, will be in a pqsi-. tiou to moet this demand if the farmere owning good mares will see that "bred to high-class stallions and 7iroduce the kind of stock for wjiicb there is. always a good market. Tbe production of superior animals of any "kind is generally profitable, while; the produslion of -inferior ones is seldom so. - - ■- -

AUTUMN CALVES.

Great cat*.of the newly-cai\ i-d wjv. »*| essential if the greatest production i* sired. The dairy,, cow ia r a .'highly seus>-l jive animal, we fcnowy only, do

(By "Coulter.'

NiTROCENOUS NODULES,

SKIMMINCS,

::■.•• best under kind treatment, .and with • !ii" regard to her feeding and treatment. At one"time it was held th£t cows calving in the early spring must nedessarilv give a- greater yield;of^milk'during a; mjlkirig' period -than those calving at any other time. It was perhaps naturally "enough deemed that the spring Was the proper time for. cows to calve, and that no method could"; be evolved which . would equal the production of- a cow eoming in, wher* there was the flush of grass worthy of contrasting with the performance of similar cows- calving at wjtat ..may be deemed (under certain, circumstances) an unnatural' time;of.the year. No doubt in a stale of nature tlie contention, would b; right enough, although 'probably* there would He no autumn cajvers. The need for- milk ail/the year round has resulted in the dairyman, however, having cows coming in it all seasons: , As a# matter of fact", cows calving in the autumn months , have,^uuder. trial, produced more milk than cows calving in the spring when fed judiciously.

The majority of plants do not have root nodules, as. for exanyle, the cereals', potatoes, ami the like. The nitrogenic nodules* ur-j produced by miuo-organisms closely related lo tiie bacteria, which make their' entrance .froni the; soil through the tender cell walls of the younger portions of the Toots, and induced a cell growth in the region of the invasion that results in a nmliih, whi.-!i f, able, to I'iV hold and adapt the free ■' nitrogen of- the atmosphere for 'the use of the plant. To a certain extent this number and size of the nodules may I e. taken as an index of the success jl the plant. .Soil from an old pea field will produce nodules upon r.i'a rooU in new laud better than "upon clover or any other crop. This leads to the subject of soil inoculation with crimson clover and hairy vetch. Soil from old pea land has made a stii!ii-ig difference when spread upon other soil and in the larger growth and deeper green colour of tha pea,.plants. •Soil in which peas were gro.vn iu one district has been brought into another for inoculation, and tlie nodules formed in this niixtii:-' Were afterwards-used to inoculate other soils. Besides this-also the growth of leguminous plants iu rotation with cereal " crops fulfils another important function in the promotion of humus on the surface soils.

PURIFYINC WATER FOR STOCK

A simple method of purifying almost any infected water needed for drinking, without boiling it, has been worked out by I)r G. G. Naismith, director of' the Health Laboratories of Toronto, Canada, and l)r R. R. Graham, assistant-chemist. The process is as follows: —Add a teaspoon fill (not heaped up J. of chloride of lime, containing about one-third available chlorine to a cupful of water. Dissolve and add in any convenient receptacle thice more cupfuls of water. Stir and allow to stand for a few seconds iu order to let the particles settle. This, stock solution, if kept in a lightly stoppered bottle, may be used for five days. Acd a tcaspoonfiil to two gallons of water to be purified, stir thoroughly in order that the weak chlorine solution will come into contact with all the bacteria, and allow to stand for ten minutes. This -jjill effectually de : stroy all typhoid and colon bacilli in the water. The water will be without taste or odour, and the trace of frae chlorine added rapidly disappears. Water containing mud in suspension is easily clarified by dropping hot wood ashes into it, or by the application of lime or alum. These two latter substances make the water hard. Chloride of iron may also be used. It is quite harmless, and a valuable constituent lor all animals. Medical men prescribe iron iu one of its several forms as a tonic. One pound of chloride of iron (2d per lb) will clarify 1000 to 25C0 gallons of muddy water, and much reduce the bacterial contents.

Russian farmers bold an average of twenty-seven acres to each family. Swedish school children, under' the guidance of their teachers, annually plant about six hundred thousand trees.

A large consignment of New Zealand fruit (all apples, with the exception of trial lot of pears) will shortly be sent to South America. The total number of cases will be, 1-1,577. In New South Wales theS wheat available for export, after 15,000,000 •bushels have been set aside for local consumption and as-seed wheat, and 3,000,000 bushels sent north to Queensland, reaches n total of 44,000,000 bushels, or 1,200,000 tons. "1 suppose most of the farmers about here own automobiles?" "Oh, yes. They are a sporting crowd. There'.-, only one exception." "1 presume lie's poor." "No. H.-! opened up a repair shop, and if he owneil a car he wouldn't have time to ride in it."

Owing to the scarcity of leather the cost of soleipg a pair of boots in Hamburg is now 17s. The price in London tor soloing a pair of boots varies, according to the quality of" the leather used, 1 rmii is Oil to 3s Oil hand-sewn, and from is 3d to 3s 9d riveted.

"Ii a man wants to learn farming he cannot do it by"sitting down and taking it from a bcok. He must t«Ke his coat off, unci get down to tho practical work."—An observation by Air G. de 6. Bayiis, Government Fields Instructor, at l'nliucrstoii North. On account of the increased demand fur leather, caused by the war, the use of sea lion hides for leather has been proposed in Canada. Already one UritWi Columbian faetoYy, it is reported, has made excellent gloves, belting, and other articles from these hides.

'lhe acreage under toltacco cultivation in Ireland continues to increase. In WIS it was 162 acres, in 1914 220 acres, and last year 230 acres; A recent issue of the ■Scottish Far. uier contains a report of the great annual horse sale at Lanarkshire, when ever £50,0110 wortli of horse flesh was disposed of. Tr.e stock of the late Aaruiersay Prince, owned by John (2 trail, was tho third highest on the list tro the-biggest prices in all Scotland. The average price for, working horses was i-"G8 14s (id.

Three years penal .servitude and live years' preventive detention .was the sentence passed at Biiiuiugliani on an individual who advertised prize fowls tor sale. People sent him money, but the fowls were jicver forthcoming. The New Zealand Dairy Association distributed amongst its suppliers on .March 21 the Mini of £58,561 lis. This covered 952,4001b of butter fat supplied during February. The amount distributed for the corresponding mouth hist year was £144,344 15s 7d. Thus the increase lor the month was £ 14,216 15s od. At the annual sale of pedigree Aberdeen Angus at Perth the highest price was 440gns, given by Mr J. K. Kerr, of Harvieatoun, for Sir-J. M. Grantis BaUindailach bull, which took first prize at the show" the previous, day. L'iio total realised for the 297 buds sold was £13,400, the average being £45 ss, against £36 18s 4d last year, when »1 bulls sold for £12,538.

What, is probably the- highest price obtained for wool in Taranaki is that realised by Messrs Budge and Good, who sold "a-portion of .their clip (21 bales) from the Pohokura property at ..Is 9d per lb at the London January wool sales.—Stratford Post. . At Lancaster eiieese fair 116 shillings -per cu-'b was obtained for grass cheese. Thi§;ift the higliesc price ever < made 'in the general market in the history of Lancashire cheese-making. . - It" is stated that one of the pullets at the" .Delaware College Competition laia* "314 eggs .in 365 days. ' This is, easily- ahead of the ,200-egg hen which for "a- Hong time was the ambition of the utility man.-- The Americans, have ■ been a long time in getting a recordbreaker. Now it has a good one. ■ li i?- confiSentlv expected'that over will be distributed among [ dairy-, suppliers in the Tnrtfnaki pro-, vince .this «ea»on for batter'fat. r ■

Tin.- K,iv.-;ikaiv;i (.Bay of Islands) '.■r,i-:n;ir. .-late.- that. Mr Charlie .'.!'. i-iryer unearthed :> piece of first-class ium ;*t the old Kakauwhi gum field, -.v.-L-hiiiL: Ccwt, and worth at least 130s l-r.-r civi, Forty years ago this was one u! tiie richest* fields in New Zealand. A., much as 200 tons have gone from the field in one shipment; in fact, the :411m could be prized out ivith a crow, bar. .-•'.'.*■-" • . ~

Despite the effort© of the Agricultural Department,- lucerne, growing has not been taken up as energetically as it should be. . Suitable soil for lucerne exists in most farming districts of New calarid; arid this'wonderful, fodder plant where successfully grown is a veritable gold mine, A Hawke's Bay farmer has earned a profit from ten acres of lucerne amounting to no less than £4O per acre. The land used was pre. viously a mass of. Californian thistle; which the jucerne has completely killed out—Wairarapa, Times. The milk-suppliers of the Warea Co-operative Dairy Factory' Company, Taranaki, through their secretary, have sent the following resolution, to Mr W. T. Jennings, New .Plymouth: '•That this meeting regrets the inactivity of the present Government in notraising the very necessary amounts on an ecjuitablo basis from all classes in the . Dominion for prosecuting this war - ." 4 .This was carried against a pr<> posal by the directors that the company should "make a contribution to-the.fund in aid of the wounded soldiers of New Zealand-

The far-reaching effects of the present shortage' of shipping are every day becoming more in evidence (says this Auckland Herald). Within the last week, over 20,000 eases of apples, prepared for export, have been forwarded to Auckland from Nelson and Hastings, through the impossibility, of .securing space in any of the outgoing steamers. The placing of so large a supply on the market has naturally tended to bring down the price of apples locally, although this reduction ts licit, in every case, passed 011 to the consumer.

All amiisiiiji story is goiug around just now. At a country dance recently a young man noticed a girl sitting in a corner-..0f the hall looking very lonely. She appeared to Ire gazing at the. Hoor, and the jrallant young knight went along and asked if he might have the pleasure of\ the dance with Iter. She made no reply, neither did she iook tip. Therefore, in a louder tone,

".May I have, the pleasure?" asked the young man. The girl stirred slightly, and mumbled something in effect, ■'Getover Itosey: come out of that Darky." It, was then discovered that the girl 'was ■ asleep, and apparently dreaming of her work iu the milking-shed.

The Director of Education in South Australia (Mr M. M. Mnughaii) is ol opinion that country boys learn to bemore self-reliant than town boys. Speaking'to a pressman last week, he told a little story illustrating his point. A little boy was with his father, a fanner, when eight draught horses got away and gnllope;'; down the road. The small chap, who is only.four years old, instantly ran in front of them, threw up his hands, and shouted. And •tho -great animals actually stopped in obedience to his orders! Mr Mnughaii said, 'That boy had confidence in himself, and lie will doubtless grow .into a fine, level-headed man." Tn Victoria legislation has been pat-s----od recently for the licensing of all hide, skin, and wool buyers, the Chief Inspector of Stock having power to refuse a license to those who are not fit and proper persons. No license is required for any butcher, scceknwner. <:■;■ farmer who sells only hides, etc.. taken from stock which are his own property, or for their sale if used by the buyer in his business or for -domestic purposes, or for instruction in connection with an educational institution. Licensed persons may buy from unlicensed ■persons, as it would be unreasonable to expect a- dealer in a large way to inquire into tht» bona-fit.'bs of each of his customers: but, with the. above exceptions, they may sell only to licensees. Persons holding licenses are required to post on all premises and vehicles used in the business the words 'Licensed hide, skin, and wool dealer." Police officers and inspectors of stock are empowered- -to enter and search premises where hides, skins, and wool are stored, and to stop and search vehicles. Legislation such as the above has long been asked for by stoekowners as a measure of protection against stealing Farmers.. says the "American Agriculturist,'' frequently suspect dishonesty when creameries report a variation in the per cent, of butter-fat in the cicam ni.v-1 e-ted ; Tlie popular conception is that adjustments of the cream screw on the separator is an exact means of increasing or dccra.sing the irer cent, of fat in tlie •■ eam._ Such is true only when all other conditions are equal each . lime the milk is fi*|-.irated. Tin's belief, coupled with the fact that there are usually no apparent irregularities in the care of the herd, would seem to indicate that the per cent, of fat in the cream should not vary. It is -no wonder that unfairness or dishonesty is often suspected. However, this should not ha so, as other factors, which jriiK'm c u n:e lo mind, will make a difference. • Every bird in your fl'jck should be made to pay its way and give a substantial profit-"besides. "If a hen fails to lay a sufficient number of eggs to make it profitable dress her for market. By keeping clr se watch of the birds in this way yon -..i1l in time weed out all of the unprofitable birds and have nothing but /the payers. It is not a good plan" to have a mixed flock of birds, some good layers and some poor. The good layers, have to pay for the keep of the poor layers as well as for their own, and just there is where tlie profit goes.