THE RURAL WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22258, 10 May 1934, Page 3

THE RURAL WORLD.

FARM AND STATION NEWS.

By Rxtsticus.

OTAGO PROVINCIAL SHEEP DOG ASSOCIATION THIS YEAR’S TRIALS. The association has fixed the following locations and dates for the collie dog trials for 1934: Palmerston. —May 9, 10. and 11. Waihemo.—May 16, 17, and 18. Miller’s Flat.—May 22. 23, and 24. Clutba.—May 25, 26, and 28. Warepa.— May 29, 30, and 31; June 1 (Otago Provincial Championship). Taapeka.—June 15, 16, and 18. South Island Sheep Dog Association Championship (to be held at Strath Taieri)J une 19, 20, 21, and 22. Conditions in Central Otago .. With an unusually heavy autumn rainfall this year Central Otago is entering the winter season with a better covering of grass than for several years. Even on the higher levels above the main irrigation races the.hillsideg carry a dusky green covering which will furnish valuable feed for the period between now and the ■ first - heavy- snows. No frosts to speak of have been experienced yet to give the feed any serious setback, and aa a result, prospects for . winter fodder are good. There have been some fairly heavy snowfalls on the mountains in the last: few days and temperatures have fallen, blit conditions are still comparatively mild. . Stock of all kinds are in excellent condition and should winter well, although some old timers in the Vincent and Maniototo Counties consider that they lm\ v e. an ,unusually severe winter before (hem. ' '

Among tho Orchards One of the most noticeable features about the orchards all through the Roxburgh, Alexandra, and Cromwell districts at the present is the appearance almoat of neglect which they present.' Of course fruit farms never appear at their best in the very late autumn and early winter periods, but this year they seem to look ■even more untidy than usual. Whether this is a direct result of the discouragements of the past season or not it is difficult to say, but one well-known Alexandra grower, when questioned about it, said, “ Would' you be very concerned about how your orchard looked if you had just picked about as many cases as you usually:pick tons? ” This is apparently view of not a few orchardists, most of; whom haye not been cast down by last year’s experience alone, but by the frequency with which frosts happen along "at the wrong time and ruin a year’s work, i In some cases orchards look quite deserted, the, reason being that crops were so completely wiped out that growers have been left without resources of any kind and have been forced to seek sustenance either on the banks of the -Molyneux River or, by recourse to another of the Unemployment Board’s relief schemes. In many cases the Unemployment Board has granted special relief to fruitgrowers whose crops were destroyed. ....

Irrigation, in Central Otago The: past irrigation season has been more successful from the irrigator’s point of view than, a good many of its predecessors, due in large measure to the increased rainfall this year,' which made the water deficiencies in certain schemes less apparent. In most cases there was more than sufficient water, for requirements and stock, and crops benefited accordingly. Every, year, however, it becomes more and more apparent that one or two schemes which have been established at great cost must always depend for their success on water storage. The summer flow of rivers and creeks in Central Otago can never be depended upon, and until these , sources of supply are dammed adequate supplies cannot be expected; This is unquestionably the case with the Earnscleugh scheme, which suffers from inadequate supply every summer, while in the off-seasons 100 heads of water are being poured into the Molyneilx by, Fraser River. The damming ox the Fraser River is a project which should have formed the foundation of the Earnscleugh scheme. Had It been carried out at the outset a great deal of money could have been saved, as it is imperative that the dam should be built at some time it this scheme is to be successful. To what extent the past irrigation season has been a success from the viewpoint of the Public Works Department in its capacity as collector of water rates, remains yet to be seen, as settlers’ dues are not actually payable until May ■ 14. but the departmental officers in Alexandra are not pessimistic on this point, basing their expectations on the response to rate demands to date. Upper Manuherikia Scheme

Steady prepress is being made with the Upper Manuherikia irrigation scheme upon which the Public Works Department has now been engaged for just over two years. It was estimated when the project was put in hand that it would be completed in four years. The engineers consider that they are well within their estimate at the present time, and they expect that the scheme will be in operation at the beginning of the 1935 irrigation season. The dam is now well on its way, and should be completed early in the new year. Tt will be the largest structure of its kind in Central Otago. | The main distributary races are now almost completed, and the work of laying the large pipe lines and siphons is now in progress. These lines are constructed oi eight foot reinforced concrete pipes which present a marked contrast to the metal fluming used in similar’ circumstances in the old Manuherikia scheme and other part, of the district. One of the siphons

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 b« addressed to “Eusticus,” Otago Daily Times, Dunedin.

rendered necessary by, the formation of the country traversed is nearly a mile long, and altogether the department has been compelled to put in three miles of this type of pipe line.

TOPICS OF INTEREST. OFFICIAL NOTES

Wise-cracks for the week: — "The best farms, like the best minds, are the cleanest.” “ An ounce of exercise dissolves many a ton of worry.” * v » The man who has not anything to boast of but his illustrious ancestors is like a potato—the only good belonging to him is underground.—Sir Thomas Overbury. * * « I congratulate poor young men upon being born to that ancient and honourable degree which renders it necessary that they should devote themselves to hard work.—Andrew Carnegie. * ♦ • The guaranteed ctire for distemper in does mentioned recently _ in , these_ notes brought in numerous inquiries. It is very pleasing to. report that up to the present the guarantee made by the manufacturer has stood the test, and advices to hand show that excellent results have been obtained, .*7 * , *

Mr D. M. Malloch, A.R.A. (N.Z.), and his assistants are having a very busy time in Southland with" the work of the Farm

Accounting Association. The opening of the office in Gore has been a great success, and the association’s experts are having difficulty in coping with the demands for their services. Mr H. P. Aitken, A.RJy. IN.Z.), and an assistant are working this week in the Oamaru district.

The Minister of Lands (Mr E. A. Ransom) has consented to officiate at_ the opening of the Otago A. and P. Society s Winter Show on June 1 next.. It is hoped ’that he will also be present to deliver an address at the annual provincial conference, of the union, which will be held m Dunedin on the 31et inst.

During the past few days Mr A. C, Cameron has been visiting the Christchurch and Tiraaru branches of the Otago Farmers’ Union Mutual Fire Insurance Association and the Farm Accounting Association of New Zealand (Incorporated), of which associations he is general manager. He will address the Young Farmers School at Waitaki to-day on the subject of “ Overseas Marketing.”

■ A conference remit which is bound to cause considerable discussion has been forwarded by one of the Central Otago branches:—“ That the Dominion Executive be urged to ■ take steps to make it compulsory for all bona fide farmers to join the Farmers’ Union.” The remit does not indicate w'hat steps are to be taken, nor how the subscriptions are to be collected, but a footnote states that compulsory mem. bership would enable more work to be done by the union on a very much lower membership fee.

The following office-bearers have been nominated for the ensuing year:—Ulenomaru branch: President, Mr A. Jones; vice-presidents, Messrs G. S. Wilson and A. MTntosh; secretary, Mr A. T. Ward. Waitahuna Branch.—President, Mr J. W. Crozier; vice-presidents—Messrs R. M'Caw and J. M. Rose; secretary, Mr E. Skinner, ' ' . « ■ . • *

On several occasions we have referred in this column to the phenomenal growth of the National Farmers’ Union Mutual Insurance Society of Great Britain. We have just received a statement of accounts for the year ended December 31, 1933. The total funds of the society (which only commenced operations in 1910) now totals £580,236, of which £428,249 is invested. During the financial year under review the saving to policy holders amounts to £87,314, ns compared with the amount they would have had to pay _ to tariff companies. In addition to this saving, the directors have decided to allow a

bonus of 10 per cent, in reduction of premiums on all fire policies renewed during the year. The National Union Mutual Insurance Society, Ltd., is run on somewhat similar lines to the Otago Farmers’ Union Mutual Insurance Association. The Otago Mutual is the “ older brother,” being five years the senior of the British office, * * *

It is erroneously believed by a number of bee keepers that compulsory registration of apiaries applies only to cases where bees are kept for commercial purposes. The Apiaries Act provides .that every apiary must be registered, and also that bees may be kept Only on an apiary duly registered under the Act. In other words, any place where bees are kept, irrespective of the number of hives or colonies of bees, must be dulv registered under the Apiaries Act, and every bee-keeper, even if his bees are not kept for commercial purposes, should hold a certificate showing that his apiai-y has been registered. Any person keeping unregistered hives, or allowing them to be kept on his land, is liable to a fine of £2O.

An excellent brochure has been prepared by the Department of Agriculture, its aim being to persuade dairy "farmers to adopt a regular and thorough procedure for the production of clean milk. The necessity for ensuring that nil milk and other dairy produce used for human consumption is clean and safe is recognised by most dairymen, although there are one or two here-and there whose attitude is by no means helpful to the officials whose work it is to see that the milk supply is maintained at a high standard. The brochure contains vexy useful advice to both classes of dairymen just mentioned and should be well received.

The provincial secretary (Mr A. C, Cameron) recently interviewed the commissioner of lands in regard to 150 acres of cultivated land which happens to be the only cultivable patch attached to a certain Central Otago sheep run. The carrying capacity of the run depends on the winter feed and grazing on this 150 acres.

It is situated in a mining district, and although the area has been bored and declared to have poor prospects, yet certain prospectors have pegged out claims and obtained sluicing licenses. There is now a grave danger or the whole 150 acres being sluiced away or washed away by the Clutha River. Although it is Crown land the commissioner has no power to stop the warden granting the licenses. This is only one illustration of what is happening in other districts, and it appears to Mr Cameron that the time has arrived when the union should endeavour to have the present legislation altered. Surely, unless it can be proved that the area concerned is rich in gold, it is criminal to-allow good, arable land to be despoiled for all time.

Inspectors under the Dairy Industry Act are empowered to order a dairy farmer to remedy certain defects in his dairy utensils, machinery, buildings, etc. Where a tenant farmer is ordered in this way to make permanent improvements to his landlord’s property, the landlord will have to hear the whole cost if the tenant’s term has not more than two years and a-half to run. If, however, the tenant has still more than two years and a-half of his tenancy _ he will have to share in the cost. His liability in this respect will amount to 5 per cent, of the actual cost; of making such improvements multiplied by the number of years his tenancy has yet to run. . (A broken period exceeding six months is .counted as one year.) Thus, if the permanent improvements totalled £SO and the tenancy was to run for a further two years, the tenant would have to pay twice 5. per cent, of £SO, which amounts to 15. A tenant receiving notice to effect such improvements should immediately forward a copy to his landlord. If he incurs any expenditure before doing so he will have to stand the full cost. A tenant should also always bear in mind that if the business of dairying has not previously been carried on on his particular farm he will in every case have to bear the .full cost of any improvements mentioned above unless before commencing such business he obtains the written consent of his landlord.

* » * The West Taieri Young Farmers’ Club opened its season on Thursday evening last, when Messrs J. E. Davies (of the Department of Agriculture) and S. D. Blomfield (general secretary) gave interesting addresses to a -well-attended meeting. Mr Davies’s subject, “ Pasture Management,” is the first of two lectures, the second of which he hag promised to give at the next meeting. BEGINNING IN PIGS i ' “WAR OF THE BREEDS * SELECTION OF STOCK Stimulus to the pig industry given by the marketing scheme in England is doubtless causing accession to the ranks of pig producers, says the Farmer and Stockbreeder, as well as inducing established breeders to reconsider their methods and prospects. The four main factors in success are breeding, housing, feeding, and marketing. ~ , With regard to the constant war of the breeds, it is often forgotten that a strain which thrives in the south country, or on a sandy soil will not do well in the north or on cold clay. One should select the breed and strain most suitable for the purpose in view, and one that has proved its ability to thrive under the prevailing conditions. As with sheep so with pigs—environment is a vital factor. The axiom that a bad animal chats as much to keep as a good one is especially true in the case of pigs. The shortest road to profit is to purchase gilts served or ready to serve from' reputable breeders, but, if this is considered too expensive, weaned litters can be obtained. One point that needs to be insisted upon is performance; that is, the capacity of the parents to produce good litters, copious milk supply, rapid growth, and correct conformation. When the gilts have sufficient frame to stand the strain of breeding no time should be lost in getting them served. Some backward in heat should be given a flush tonic —60 grains Peruvian bark, 10 grains sulphate of iron, five grains powdered nux vomica. ‘lf not allowed to graze, green food must be supplied; but grazing, even if only periodically, is desirable.

CHEAP FOODS NOT PROFITABLE. The character of the boar is a prime factor in success: quality pigs do not come from nondescript boars. The growth of litters should be closely watched, and rapid growers and - sows that are economical in food consumption should be marked for future breeding. Cheap foods are not always profitable. Balanced mixtures, proprietary or homemade, given regularly and wisely produce best results. A good feeding slogan is, “ Weigh foods and watch results.” If feeding wet, try the effect of one dry feed per day with water afterwards. The beneficial effect of salivary action is rarely realised. This is good for a winter breakfast as the dry 'feed acts as a blanket and prevents chilled stomach. Some think that green foods and roots are too bulky for finishing off, but the experienced feeder knows that they contain certain of Nature’s virtues. An occasional dose of sulphur and sulphate of iron is beneficial, and one-meal-per-week fast, with only water to drink is a road to digestive efficiency. Quietness, kindness, and forethought-are amply repaid as a general rule. If old barns are used for housing pigs, make sure of a good floor, good drainage, and regular removal of litter. If pig nuts are used it is well to bear in mind that proper sanitation is cheaper than veterinary fees. Limewashing ensures removal of dust _ and pests from ledges and cor»«rs, and silicate or soda or watcrglass assists the adhesion of the limewasb. EASILY BUILT STYES.

If new buildings are contemplated and the state of the pass-book will not permit of specialised structures, excellent housing can be provided with home labour ami simple building materials. For Warmth, economy, and durability a combination of concrete floor and trough, brick walls, and sheet-asbestos roof is hard to beat. If bricks can be obtained from some demolition site, so much the better for the pocket. “ Airway floors ” for drainage and “ air-space warmth ” can be produced bv laying tapered rods or poles on the clinker when laying the concrete. These can be removed afterwards, or left in if desired. , Bv building a strong cavity, fewer bricks are needed than in the ordinary method. The procedure i» to place the

bricks in mortar, standing them on the 3in edge instead of the 4jin face. This saves one course in every foot, and produces the cavity wall, the outer Sin portions being keyed together by the crosswise 9in bricks. The cavity system helps to maintain evenness of temperature, thus lessening food consumption. These walls, together with a sheetasbesto* roof, produce conditions which approach the ideal. A concrete trough of smooth surface provides for sanitary feeding in a container which can be neither broken nor overturned. _ A cover, fitted so that it is raised by the snouts of the pigs and drops when feeding is finished, is not a merely decorative addition td the eqnqipment: iu many places it is an essential feature, since it helps to protect the trough from contamination and to preserve its contents against pilfering by birds or vermin.