FARM AND STATION NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21710, 30 July 1932, Page 21

FARM AND STATION NEWS.

By Rusticps

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS “Interested” (Allanton) .—According to the statistics for the period ended January 31, 1931, Otago has 32,148 horses, compared with Southland’s 25,007. Canterbury heads the list for the Dominion with 56,111. The New Zealand total-is 295,743. “Potato-Grower” (Owaka).—-There is a certification officer attached to the fields division of the Department of Agriculture. You should get into touch with him. Virus Diseases in Potatoes In answer to requests from potatogrowers for further information with regard to the detection and definition of virus diseases in potatoes, there appears in an adjoining column a lengthy article dealing with the subject in greater detail than was possible in the brief statement .of the case, published in these columns on Tuesday. ' Lambs and Breeds The English market requires a rather light lamb, well developed, and sufficiently fat, according to Professor Perkins, Director of Agriculture, who spoke to York Peninsula (Queensland) farmers recently. Certain characteristics in the flesh counted on the English market, he said. The dark-faced sheep, represented by the Down breeds, usually commanded a better price than tne white-faced sheep like the Border Leicester or the Dorset Horn. So far as he was concerned, all the long wool English breeds—Border Leicester, English Leicester, Romney Marsh, and Lincoln — were out of court. Rams of these four breeds produced the halfbred ewe used to produce the fat lamb, but were not used as an immediate sire for export purposes. , 1 The choice therefore was narrowed down to the three Down types—Southdown, Suffolk, and Shropshire, and then the Dorset Horn with the white face. Another breed found in the south-east was the Ryeland, which also had a white face, but a better development than the Dorset Horn.

Points to Consider “Where you are using the merino ewe there are certain points to consider,” Professor Perkins told farmers. “An important one is the possibility of lambing difficulties. These arise freely with the Dorset Horn, chiefly because of its breadth of shoulder, and a bleeder is apt to lose not only the lamb, but also the ewe. That represents a percentage of losses,, which should be avoided wherever possible. Trouble also arises in many cases with the Shropshire, because of the size of the head. The Southdown does not present any difficulties, and losses from the Suffolk would be less than either the Dorset Horn or the Shropshire. “From the point of view of getting high average prices per lb, the .Dorset Horn should also be left out, especially if you consider the lambing losses. No sheep has better conformation in the eyes of the butcher than the Southdown. It has better hind development than any other breed, and mated with a merino ewe produces a lamb suited to English requirements. "The best breed of ram for the farmer to use, then, is the Southdown, Suffolk, and Shropshire in that order of preference.”

The Future of the Horse The revival of the horse in parts of Australia has brought in its train activjty in associated trades that has given quite a fillip to business in country towns, as well as to minor city factories. The demand for horses, such as lorry, van, and farm types, and lighter sorts suitable for sulky and saddle, is well maintained at encouraging prices, and there is also general interest in breeding. Saddlers and harness makers are finding that their trades have come “back from the grave,” as it were. For them there is an increasing volume of work, such as they have not known in the last 10 years. A leading Sydney firm reports having sold more saddles in the last couple of months than in the previous two years. Incidentally a saddle-tree maker who had been at a low ebb is turning out 250 a week. The farrier also has come into his own again, while the coachbuilder has taken a new lease of life. The latter’s role, however, is mainly confined to sulky work. It is remarkable to see how the varied collections of derelict sulkies that crowded the yards of coachbuilders and blacksmiths in largU country towns have disappeared. They have been reconstructed and recommissioned to take the place of cars on the roads. With it all many hundreds of men of these old trades are finding re-employ-ment.

Items of interest to those engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuits, with a view to their publication in these columns, will be welcomed. They should be addressed to “Rusticus,” Otago Daily Times, Dunedin.

The nitrogenous manure acts like warmth, bringing forward the grass about three weeks earlier than would otherwise be the case. Where phosphates are used and judicious grazing is practised, the nitrogenous manure, further to bringing “ out-of-season ” grass, improves the ryegrass composition of the pasture and helps to control certain weed growth. Graziers know that it means a lot to start animals off well in the spring. A goot bite of young, succulent grass in early spring brings cows up to the flush very quickly and thus helps to lay the foundation for a good producing season. It is also very important to have a bite of young grass for early lambing ewes, thus laying the foundation for a good percentage of fat lambs off the mothers —the lambs that return the biggest profit to the farmer.