THE RURAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23004, 6 October 1936, Page 3

THE RURAL WORLD

FARM AND STATION NEWS

By RUSTICUS.

Items of interest to those engaged in agricultural and pastorai pursuit* vrith a view to their publication in these columns, will be They should be addressed to Rusticua, Otago Daily Times, Dunedin.

Feeding at Milking Time

Opinions differ regarding the best time to feed a milking cow. Where special feeding bails are used it is better to feed before milking. If only a small amount of feed is to be given,principally concentrates, to balance the roughage consumed at pasture, this may be given in the bails during milking. To give a full feed during milking, when the cow has not time to eat it with comfort, usually results in much restlessness and nervousness. In such a case feeding immediately after milking would be preferable. Ringworm on Horse Ringworm is a contagious affectioncaused by a fungus which lives upon the surface of the skin or in the hairs of the area affected. All affected animals should be isolated, and, if possible, looked after by separate attendants. The buildings should be cleaned out and walls, mangers, harness and other fittings washed in a hot solution of washing soda, then disinfected with a 5 per cent, solution of carbolic oi creosole. Remove the hair around the seat of infection and burn. Finally paint the raw surface with a 5 per cent, tincture of iodine or a 5 percent, solution of silver nitrate. The dressings should be carried out twice a week for a fortnight. If the area affected be large it is advisable to treat in sections, as the use over a large body surface at one time is not safe. Feeding Young Lambs In the case of orphans, twin lambs or ewes with no milk it will pay to rear lambs artificially. The milk of the ewe is much richer than cows milk, so there is no need to dilute the latter. The best substitute for the natural food is fresh milk from a hightesting cow. Skim milk may be made suitable by the addition of linseed jelly or a good calf food. One quart of linseed, soaked overnight in four quarts of water and boiled for one hour in the morning, will make the jelly, a large tablespoonful of which to warm skim milk makes a good mixture. A soda-water bottle with a rubber teat is usually employed. Some sheep masters prefer to teach the lamb to drink with two fingers in the mouth, lowering the head into a basin of milk. The basin should be held high, as that is ths lamb's natural position in taking nourishment. A vessel with a number of teats has been recommended for lamb-rearing. Great care must be taken to keep vessel or bottle and teats clean and wholesome. The milk should never be boiled, but warmed to the normal temperature of cow's milk. Too much food should not be given at first. For the first dav about two tablespoonfuls at a " time, feeding every hour, or four tablespoonfuls every two hours should be sufficient, increasing .the quantity gradually. In a fortnight every three hours will be often enough, and gradually the period may be lengthened to four times a day. Even skim milk is sometimes not procurable. Powdered skim milk mixed with linseed jelly makes a good substitute for natural milk. There are also calf foods suitable for lambs which do not require the addition of milk. If lambs suffer from constipation, a teaspoonful of castor oil may be given, while a' little lime water will cure scouring. It is a good plan to encourage the lambs to take to dry feed as soon as possible. Crushed oats and bran in the proportion of two to one make a'good ration. Feed for lambs should be placed where ewes cannot get at it. The Wool Market

Reviewing the wool sales that have taken place so far the Australian Mercantile, Land and Finance Company, Ltd., states that the offerings in the first week of the current season compared rather unfavourably with the wools in the opening catalogues last season. On the first sale day competition was keen, but restricted to the few Yorkshire and German operators, who were opposed on some lines by buyers for France and Italy. As the sales advanced the competition appeared to become weaker and more restricted. There was every indication that orders were limited and that buyers were just feeling the market wdrily. By the end of the first week of sales the market was easier generally. Then there was a recovery. Undei 4 wider competition and more confident bidding from Yorkshire, Germany, Italy, and occasionally America, with a little demand from France and other European countries, and on suitable lines Australian mills, the tendency was towards a higher level of values than at the close of the first week. The best style and average v/ools came into strong demand at opening rates, and the dusty and burry fleece and very burry skirtings improved appreciably, till at the end of the second week of the sales these sorts returned to about the opening rates. During the series some clips recerded higher prices than last season. At the Brisbane sales which followed, all the best features of the market at the sales in Sydney were reproduced. The wool sales, so far as they have advanced this season, have disclosed the pleasing fact that competition for wool is widespread, says the company. It would not have been surprising if much more marked irregularities had occurred than has been the experience, and the relatively satisfactory prices for the better wools has been all that could have been reasonably expected. The market requires only the normal support of Continental countries to ensure payable prices for the inferior wools, and then there should be very little doubt that the proceeds from the wool clip this season will be remunerative to growers.

Dairy Farm Wages On Thursday, October 1, the Agricultural Workers Act, 1936, came into force. This Act applies to workers employed on dairy farms only, a dair.v farm being defined as one where dairying is the principal concern and where 10 or more cows are milked The Act applies equally, whether labour is employed by farm owners or share-milkers.

Wages to be paid:— 17s 6d weekly, under 17 years. 22s 6d weekly, 17-18 years. 27s 6d weekly, 18-19 years. 32s 6d weekly. 19-20 years. 37s 6d weekly, 20-21 years. 42s 6d weekly. 21 years and over. Female workers are to receive the same rates as youths and men of equivalent age. Where board and lodging is not provided 17s 6d weekly shall be added to these wages. A holiday of one month, at a time convenient to the employer, on full pay plus half-lodging allowance, is due to a worker for each year's service, or may be given as one week at the ex piration of each three months' service. Where a half-day off work is allowed weekly the holiday clause has been amended to provide that a two weeks holiday will be due the employee yearly, instead of one month's holiday. The Act covers persons employed for any period exceeding one week. Casual labour is not affected. Thus there is no regulation governing casual workers employed on dairy farms for hay-making, fencing, drain ing, cropping work, etc. There are no clauses governing hours of work, whether of weekly paid employees or casuals. ~ , c Regulations provide, however, for the accommodation of employees and it is understood that there will be insistence that this be satisfactory. Stud Sheep Export Following the recent successes of New Zealand stud sheep at,the Inter-

national Palermo Show, held at Buenos Aires in August, the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., received from their agents in Montevideo and Buenos Aires urgent requests by cablegram to forward further consignments of highclass Corriedales, Lincolns, and Romneys. To fulfil these instructions, 21 stud sheep from flocks in the Wairarapa and North Canterbury districts were selected and despatched by the Port Fairy, which sailed last week for Montevideo from Auckland. Included in this shipment is a stud Corriedale ram hogget bred by the New Zealand and Australian Land Company at Hampden, Otago, and purchased by Gibson Bros, Buenos Aires, on behalf of one of their clients. With a view to pioneering and opening up the market in the Argentine for Southdowns, a stud ram has been forwarded by Mr William Rayner. The Cliffs, Masterton, who has been shipping annually to South America consignments of stud rams of other breeds'for some time. That his faith in South America as a market for New Zealand-bred stud sheep is justified has been shown by the high prices obtained for Dominion sheep in that country, Mr Rayner having received excellent prices for sheep forwarded by him during the depression years. Mr Rayner has also forwarded a rising two-shear stud Lincoln ram. claimed to be a superior sheep to the one which was awarded the supreme championship at the Palermo International Show. Mr R. W. Matthews (Featherston) has shipped four Romney rams, and from the Myellal Stud (Masterton) Mr H. J. Rayner sent two one-year-old stud Lincoln rams. The Canterbury portion of the Argentine consignment was selected from Mr P L. M'Gregor's Corriedale stud at Dunsandel, four ram hoggets from these being included. The Corriedale is also in keen demand in Uruguay, and six ram hoggets are being shipped to Montevideo by the same vessel, three rams being taken from Mr D. Sidey's Glenovis sfud. and three from Mr O. T. Evans's Taruna establishment. • Butter-fat and Cheese

The interesting and highly complex problem of the cheese yielding capacity of milk and its relation to the payments to suppliers of factories has been expertly and technically dealt with in a 360 page bulletin byDr F. H. M'Dowall, of the Dairy Research Ipstitute, Palmerston North, and issued by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Dr MJDowall's findings and pronouncements on the subject are entirely confined to the problems of estimating the cheese yielding capacity of milk and dividing equitably the proceeds from the manufacture and sale of milk as cheese. He does not deal with the wider question of the type of cow which might be expected to be the most profitable cheese producer, but in his able estimate of the particular values with which he deals he provides a new solution which should prove interesting and possibly acceptable to all parties concerned.

1936-37 SHOW SEASON

ROSTER 01 FIXTURES

Agricultural and pastoral shows and live stock parades have been arranged for the 1936-37 season is follows:October 30 and 31.—Timaru. November 4.—Kelso. November 5.-Ashburton. November 11, 12, and 13.—Royal Show at Addington. November 17.—Waimate. „ November 21.—Taieri, at Outram. November 2& and 25.—North Otago. at

November 26 and 27.—Clutha and Matau at Balclutna. November 28.—Winton. December 1 and 2.—Gore. December 2.—Central Otago, at

Omakau. . _ . . December 4.—Maniototo, at Ranfurly. December 4.—Wyrfdham. December s.—Tokomaxrirc Farmers Club, at Milton. m ■ J December 8 and 9.—Southland, at in-

vercargill. „ , December 11 and 12.-Otago, at Tahuna Park.

Nlw ZEALAND WOOL SALES

.PROGRAMME FOR 1936-37 The' roster of sales 'arranged for the coming season by. the New Zealand Woolbrokers' Association and the .New Zealand' Woolbuyers' Association is as follows: Auckland, November 28. Napier, December 4. Wellington, December 9. Christchurch, December 14. Timaru, December 17. Dunedin, December 21. Wellington/January 11. Napier, January 16. Wanganui, January 21. Auckland, January 25. Christchurch, February 1. Invercargill, February 5. Dunedin, February 10. Wellington, February 19. Napier, February 24. Wanganui, March 1. Auckland, March 5. / Christchurch, March 12. Timaru, March 16. Invercargill, March 19. Dunedin, March 24. Wellington, April 3. Napier, April 8. Wanganui, April 12. Christchurch, April 16. Dunedin, April 20. Wellington, April 24. .

NEWS FROM CLUBS

Members of the clubs will regret to learn of the departure of Mr A. L. Thompson,' M.R.C.V.S., who has returned to England to further. his studies in connection with veterinary science. Mr. Thompson was a popular lecturer: to the clubs. His place in the Department of Agriculture at Dunedin win be taken by Mr H. Doyle, and no doubt Mr Doyle will be just as willing to devote some of his time .to club work as was Mr Thompson.

The Portobello Club will be celebrating its second birthday at a social function to be held on the night of Thursday, October 8. .

The speaker for the club session of 4YA, Dunedin, for 7.30 p.m. on the evening of October 19 will be Mr F. L. C. Scrivener, who will take as his subject " The Value of Research Work to the Farmer."

The Upper Waitaki Club held its monthly meeting at Otekaike on September 29, there being 14 members in attendance. It was decided to open a Post Office Savings Bank account and also to subscribe to the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture. Mr B. B. Blackmore was the speaker for the evening and he gave a much-appreci-ated address on " Farming in the Western States of America." ■ Mr A. H. Chapman will address the next meeting, his subject being " Farming in South Australia." A meeting of the Waikouaiti Club was held on September 25 in the Oddfellows' Hajl. There were eight members in attendance and the Lincoln College scholarships were discussed. It was decided that the club's nomination be withheld until a full attendance of members could decide on such. The speaker for the evening was Mr B. B. Blackmore, of Waitaki Boys' High School, who gave a very interesting talk on " Farming in America."

The Alexandra Club held a meeting in the Technical School on September 11, there being a fair attendance of members. General business was discussed.

The Hilderthorpe-Waltaki Young Farmers' Club held its meeting on Tuesday, September 22, when there were 11 members present. The lecturer for the evening was Mr M'Latchie. The lecturer for the next meeting, which will be held on October 13, will be Mr Grocott.

An international stock-judging competition for members of Young Farmers' Clubs was held in conjunction with the Royal Show at Bristol last month, when teams from the United States of America, England, Scotland. Northern Ireland and Wales competed. England with 1630 points was placed first, America next with 1577 points, while Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were placed in that order. It is interesting to note that the leader of the English team was Ida Longlands, a Northumberland girl. Speaking before presenting the judging awards. Sir Merrick R. Burrell, this year's Royal Society president and vice-chairman of the National Federation of Young Farmers' Clubs, spoke of the rapid way in which the movement was spreading throughout the world. He referred to the facilities for social interest and amusement in rural districts provided by the Young Farmers' Clubs With bands playing and crowds cheering. Cyril Atkinson, the joint individual winner of the international judging contest, was carried shoulder high through the Middleton-in-Tees-dale when he returned after his success. A celebration supper and concert was arranged.

Potato Certification The Department of Agriculture would like potato-growers to be reminded that applications to enter potato crops for certification close at the Dunedin office of the Department of Agriculture at 11.30 a.m. on the 3rd ultimo, by which time the entrance fee of 10s must be paid. Late entries are subject to a late payment fee of an additional 10s. Any crop of one acre or more being grown from seed of " mother class " standard is eligible for entry for certification.

THE WOOL TRADE

BUOYANCY OF VALUES BUYING BY JAPAN »■ In spite of the Japanese situation, which has produced general nervousness over the past month, the general buoyancy of values for wool has materially assisted in sustaining confidence among consumers, states the Sydney Morning Herald in a review of the wool market. At the sales in London, Australia and South Africa the demand displayed wider distribution, good competition coming from Yorkshire and the Continent. "Japan's desire to obtain wool is responsible for the relatively higher level of values at the South African auctions," states the review. "Her marked activity so far in that quarter has certainly diminished the opportunity for Continental and English buyers to obtain supplies of the African staple. While Japanese operators are not likely to continue buying the exceptionally large proportion of the African offerings they have to date secured, the effects of their purchasing enhance prospects for an increased volume of buying by Yorkshire and the Continent in Australia.

"Sooner or later the basis of prices in Africa and Australia must come closer to parity. Japan will not pay more for wool in Africa than is dictated by the strength of competition, and a reduction in orders from elsewhere would give her the chance to bring her operating limits closer to world basis.'

"In Australia hopes are held that Japan will again buy with fair freedom in the Commonwealth. A feeling exists among some growers to refrain from offering their clips in anticipation of higher prices for burry, topmaking wools if Japanese purchasing is again experienced. "Probablv prices would show some rise owing to competition from that quarter, but it is well to remember that other factors can also play a part. France, by wav of example, is in an unsettled condition, and the absence of demand from that quarter would affect prices. Considerable truth exists in the statement made by a member of the wool trade in Sydney that if Japan were bidding in Australia all concerned would be satisfied to accept quickly the prevailing scale of prices."