FARMING IN NORTH OTAGO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21940, 29 April 1933, Page 3

FARMING IN NORTH OTAGO

END OF THE SEASON WINTER WORK BEGUN (Contributed,) I have heard city people says “My life 18 a cOrttiiiUal rOUnd ot drUdgery) the same Old monotonous round, dUC thing after another; I With 1 Could get into the country, where it is a jOy to be ahVe. There is something of truth and something of fallacy in such a statement. It is certainly a joy to be alive in the country if the matter is viewed in the right light. If it is rtot so Viewed who would say that the farmer’s life la not a monotonous otte, With the same Old tasks Seaton after season. But the true farmer does nOt find hiS Work Monotonous. It is true, that he has no sOoliet gathered in 0«e ci’op than he hag to pi’dpal-e for the next one, but there i s .always soMething interesting in this. Comparisons are made one year with another, and the faipier’a mind is continually occupied with these, and With Such thoughts as “how can I improve this, or how can I better that” It has been truly said that there is always something of interest oh the farm, especially on a place where the mortgage is not too big, or better still, where there is ao "monkey. It is a great thing to be able to feel, a| farmers cart, that one i» doing some good in the. world. Certainly we do not pose as philanthropists, but we have the knowledge that what we produce enables the community in general to live-, without the country there would be no need for towns or cities in New Zealand, And now we start another year. At. the end of March most of us did not need to look at our respective balance sheets to know that we had made a loss on the, year’s activities. Here it should be said that every farmer should keep a careful account of every penny he spends, and of every penny he receives. How else can he know how he stands; it is just as necessary to keep books on the farm as in the town. Farming has been brought to a fine art, and a great change has come about in the attitude of people in general towards the man who scientifically works his land, and manages his stock. Indicative of this change I read the other day that a minister Of the Gospel asked up-to-the-minute farmer what he was going to make of his son? “ Well,” replied the farmer, “ if he shows signs of being very brainy I am going to make a farmer of him, but if he is just ordinary, I will send him to one of the professions in the town.” It is generally supposed that most farmers made a loss on last year s work. This is finite correct, but there were a few farmers in North Otago Who actually made a profit. This was chiefly the result of a plentitiidc Of feed, and good buying of store stock. Some farmers did Specially well in fattening store cattle allJ others did not so bad with sheep. We are starting tile new fanning year with a welcome rise of a farthing a pound in lamb. Then we have the knowledge that the wool market is firm, and so wo are not without hope in our Work. If only we could be sure that that elusive " corner ” had really been turned avc would be right. THE WEATHER,.

The weather lately has been oil the dry side. We have had one Or two good showers which freshened rape and turnip crops and caused a Slight greenness to be seen in grass paddocks, but there have been so many winds that the moisture lias been fiuickly absorbed. At least two inches of rain is required to do much good. The winds that we have had lately have been cold ones, artd these, coupled with the insufficiency of rain, seem to have precluded the possibility of late autumn growth. It does not look as though grass and roots are going to grow until the middle of June this year as they did last year. THE LAMBS.

Lambs are fattening well and some very large drafts have been going into the Pukeuri freezing works lately. These works are going to have a record killing season this year. Most farmers on the better class of land have their lambs away now, and Quite a number of farmers on the medium class of land, from which the lambs are not usually all got away until about the end of May, are in the same happy position. The fact of lamb bavin* increased in value by a farthing a pound, plus the dry weather, has caused

an inquiry for feed. There is very little rape, and 2jd to 3d per head, per sheep, is being paid for turnips. With oats as cheap as they are, it pays to give the lambs all they want. Some farmers go to the expense of crushing the oats, but this ig not necessary. The addition, of a little agricultural salt when the oats are first put before the lambs make them take to the cereal readily. It is very noticeable that it is the lambs which remain about the feeders that go away fat first, And that after every draft of fats which is taken away the number of lambs round the feeders is very noticeably less. Nature generally seems to provide some sort of compensating balance on the farm; now that we are short of grass for fattening the lambs there are plenty of cheap oats. THE MATING SEASON.

In most of the coastal areas the jams are put out between April 1 and April 20. This year the conditions are not favourable for good results from the breeding ewes—at least they are not nearly SO favourable fiS they were last year. For one thing, there is too much bid, dried grass about. Farmers generally have not yet got fully into the way of cutting surplus grass in order to get the shorter and better feed which would follow this operation; it is grass three to four inches long that contains most nutriment and which stock like best. Certainly a lot of hay was made last summer, but even then a lot of grass got ahead of stock, and this should have been cut, even if no use were made > of it. Generally speaking, the ewes are in good condition, but they require to be flushed before the rams are put out, and short, fresh grass is not available to do this as it should be done. Rape is very good for this purpose, but, unfortunately, there is very little of this left in the district, the diamond-backed moth cleaned most of it up. Failing rape, turnips and oats have been found very good with which to flush the ewes, or paddocks of green feed, but unfortunately there is very little green feed in the district. The mistake of putting out all the rams at once should be avoided; the best ones should be put out first. An ideal method has been stated as follows: Have the rams dipped two months before the mating season, and for three weeks before they are used they should be ted with oats. The ewes should be dipped at least three weeks before the mating season, and for the week before being mated they should be flushed with the beet feed available. Any daggy sheep should be crutched, and any sheep that do not appear to be in a thriving condition should be run off. . The two-tooths should also be rUn off and mated later on. Put out the pick of the rams and leave the sheep in the yards all day. Leave these rams out for about a week, nfld then bring them in and put out the balapce of the rams. The first rams Should be fed on oats and kept well away from the ewe flock, and then put out again after five days. _ One ram to 50 ewes is generally considered ample. For many years the Border Leicester ram was the moat popular in North Otago, There have been occasions when other breeds, such as English Leicesters, Corriedales, and Shropshires had a certain following, but until recent _ years the Border Leicesters in chief demand. North Otago may be said to be the home of the Border Leicester, and there are studs in this district that are second to none in the Dominion. On numerous occasions the champion Border Leicester ram has come from North ,Otago. But fashions change in sheep as in other things, and it locks as though the Border Leicester s sUn is setting. Anyone who was at the fain fair in OdiMfli this month would probably conie to this conclusion. Tho bidding for nearly all the long wools Was very apathetic and many of this clafes of sheep changed hands at Ign to 21gns. Biit as soon as the first pen of Southdowns was offered a lively change came ovet the scene. The bidding was very keen aftd at times excited, and as high as Signs was given for one Southdown ram. W ellgrown, robust rams of this breed sold readily at s}gns to 6|gns. And this on top of a more or less saturated market, for a local dealer had been selling a large number of Southdown rams for some weeks previously at the weekly local sale at Waiareka. THE TEAMS.

The teams are busy ploughing sthbble for grass and oat feed in the spring; and also lea and fallow for wheat. It does not seem at present as though the area to be seeded to wheat will be as large as it was last year, but a lot may happen before the spring. . . . , Reference to the teams giVes a reminder of the fact that there is ab excelleht breed -of Clydesdale horses in NCrth Otago; and that although Australia pos> Besses 6o me good heavy horses, breeders over there still find it pays them to send to New Zealand for some, of the best. This year North OtagO has filled a number of Australian orders for best quality Clydesdales. GENERAL.

Potatoes are being lifted and it mutt be said that yields arfe not coming up to expectations. There is a fair amount or blight in the crops* With; the prospect or the removal of the embargo on New Zealand potatoes into. Australia prices have firmed a little. If our potatoes should be admitted into Australia, they may ,prove profitable, for in Sydney there is a population qf metre than a million people, .arid it costfe sbrriethiriff ritidetf £2 a ton to land potatoes in Sydney frOm Here. . . ... No matter how dry the Sedspn ot how much blight there is about, the mangel crop stands it all. Now is a good time to prepare for aeXt season’s crop of mangels. The heaviest groiind available should be set aside fof- mangels. One to two acres is all that is required on the average farm. The ground should now be skim ploughed fetid be allowed to weather all winter.