THE RURAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23108, 6 February 1937, Page 3

THE RURAL WORLD

FARM AMD STATION NEWS »♦<►- f ' By RU3TIICUS. Items at interest to those engaged in agricultural and pastoral puraulte, With a view to their publication in these columns, will be welcomed. Thay should b» addrwed to Ruttjcu.s, Otago Daily Times, Dunadia.

1937 SHOW SEASON ROSTER OF FIXTURES Agricultural and pastoral shows have been arranged for the 1937 season ac follows: 1937 March 6.—Upper Clutha, at Pembroke. March 10.—Lake County, at Lake Hayes, Arrowtown. March 20.—Temuka and Geraldine, at W incliGStGr March 29.—Strath-Taieri. at Middlemarch. DOMINION WOOL SALES DATES AND ALLOCATIONS Dates of New Zealand, wool sales for the 1936-37 selling season, with the maximum aggregate quantities of wool which may be offered at the sales are as follows:

ness and heavy yield of lucerne is associated with an extensive rootsystem. Usually top-dressing lucerne with phosphates in summer profitably increases its vigour. British Hereford Society Some interesting items from the Hereford Herd Book Society's report for 1936:—The gross receipts amounted to £3172 16s Bd, as compared with £3115 13s 4d last year. The expenditure amounted to £3311 16s sd, against £3033 7s 3d for the previous year, thus showing an excess of expenditure over income acounting to £l3B 19s 9d. This excess was more than explained by the special item of £175 16s sd, being the cost of the secretary's visit to South America. The society gave £521 lis id as prizes for Hereford cattle at home and overseas. The, total mem bership of the society on June 30, 1936, was 605. Seventy-nine export certificates were issued during the year, as compared with 45 in 1935. They represented cattle shipped to the following countries:—Argentine, 38; South Africa 15: Australia, 13; Uruguay, 6; Kenya Colony, 3; New Zealand, 2; Brazil and Falkland Islands. 1 each. Essentials in a Good Boar It is most essential that as many good points as possible should be embodied in the stock boar. The first, undoubtedly, is that he should be pure bred—that is, one which has been bred for a certain number of generations on certain lines or a standard more or less defined. In order to be certain of this, and of the fixity of those good points of the boar which are apparent, an old-established herd should be visited, and the choice of the boar be made after seeing the parents. It is a generally-accepted opinion that the male animal exerts a far greater influence on the external points of the joint produce than does the female parent, the latter in turn influencing the internal portions to a greater degree. "It is therefore necessary that in selecting a boar one should be sought for compactness of frame, as long and deep in carcass as is possible consistent with strength, well developed in the hindquarters, with a wide chest, ribs well sprung, head of medium size, but wide between the ears and eyes, the latter being bright and lively, indicative of sexual energy. Autumn Sowing of Pastures On many farms a summer task of prime importance is the preparation of ground for the autumn sowing, of pastures. In this task many seem to appreciate but imperfectly the great value of thorough cultivation in the production in the seed-bed of the fine, firm condition which so usefully fosters successful establishment of seedlings. The value of firmness of seed-beds is indicated to some extent by the superior pastures that often are found along "headlands" of fields or along tracks where there is greater consolidation than in the remainder of the field, this being due to additional passage of stock or machinery. The advisability of fineness in the seed-bed may be realised readily by considering what must be the fate of many of the small seeds used in pasture-seed mixtures when the soil is in a coarse or lumpy condition: any of these small seeds covered by lumps cannot with their limited supply of energy push their shoots to the In districts in which the ravages of the grass-grub have been much in evidence during recent seasons, it is inadvisable to sow pastures in land which in the Immediate past has been occupied by a cereal or by grass. On the other hand, the more land was without a plant-covering from November to December, the period in which the eggs which develop into the grass-grub are deposited in large numbers, the more likely is the land to be free from the grub during the following 12 months. Autumn Top-dressing On many farms some at least of the pastures advantageously may be dressed with phosphates in February or -thereabouts. When the supply of moisture in the soil is sufficient -to admit of growth, then the*application of phosphates at the time mentioned usually increases the leafy growth of pastures from shortly after the phosphates are applied until well into the beginning of winter. Hence the feed position during the critical winter and early spring period is strengthened. Further, {hiring the following spring and summer, the stimulating influence of the phosphate continues, although not so intensely as if the phosphate were applied in the winter or early spring. Hence the application of phosphates in the late summer or early autumn tends

SHEEP DOG TRIALS OTAGO PROVINCIAL ASSOCIATION Sheep dog trials under the auspices of the Otago Provincial Sheep Dog Association have been arranged as follows for the 1937 season:— Heriot.— February 3 and 4. Tahatika.— February 24. Ratanui.—March 3. Miller's Flat.—March 4 and 5. Wakatipu.—March 11 and 12. Warepa.—March 18, 19, 20. Kyeburn.—April 1,2, 3. Kuriwao.—April 9- and 10. Waitaki.-April 13, 14, 15. Omarama.— April 19, 20, 21. Patearoa.—April 22, 23. 24. Clutha.-May 6,7, 8. Waihemo.— May 12, 13, 14. Strath-Taieri.—May 17, 18, 19. Tarras.—May 20, 21, 22. Wanaka.—May,24 L 25,2iJ. ~ . ... Lowburn.— May 27, 28, 29. Tokarahi.—May 31, June 1 and 2. Palmerston.—June 3,4, 8. Ngapara.—June 7,8, 9. Tuapeka.—June 10, 11, 1.2. Export of Eggs During the past egg-export- season a total of 11,281 dozen —eggs were shipped from New. Zealand to London; compared with; 11,915 cases—3s7,4so dozerr-during the 1935 season. The quantities from the respective centres were as follows: Auckland, 1928 cases; Canterbury, 5953 cases; Otago, 3400 cases—of 30 dozen each. r'-f:. Superphospate and Lucerne A North Canterbury farmer sowed an area of lucerne in February, 1934; one portion was manured with superphosphate, a second portion with Nauru phosphate, and a third with reverted superphosphate,: each .being applied at the rate of ljcwt an acre on limed >land. The growth on the portion 'dressed with superphosphate was well ahead of the others in April, and the effect of the reverted superphosphate was no better than that of Nauru phosphate. Lucerne Culture Young lucerne sown in November or December is often fit for mowing in February, but it:Bhould.not be mown until flowering has commenced, unless weeds, threaten, to weaken the lucerne plants. by the shading that they cause. Moving prior to flowering militates against the development of the root-system, and persistent sturdi-

:o a more even growth of grass throughout the year than does the spring application of phosphates, and :herefore efficient gra2ing n ..nagement Df pastures can be obtained more easily under autumn application than under spring application of phosphates. It should be borne in mind, further, that both autumn application and spring application of phosphates increase the absolute gap between the peak of high production and that of low production of permanent grassland, and that botn therefore intensify the need for provision of special feed for use during the critical periods in which the amount of feed directly available from grassland is customarily below the current requirements of the stock, unless substantial under-stocking is practised. THE PIG INDUSTRY Notes by M. J. Scott, 8.A., B.Sc. (Department of Agriculture) No. 3. UTTER PRODUCTION (Continued) It is nearly impossible to define the treatment of the sow, since every man has his own ideals of looking after animals. Further, sows, like every other animal, are subject to the accidents of time and the consequences of the circumstances under which they live. They may suffer attacks of indigestion and other internal disorders, rheumatism, colds and chills, that just seem to happen in soite of the very best treatment they may receive. Any one of these things may be sufficient to cause a sow to reduce the number of living foetuses. There are as well a further number of man-made causes which can produce the same effects, and it is with these that the owner is most concerned. Thus irregular feeding, sudden changes in quality or quantity of feed given, absence of water for 24 hours, exposure to excessive sunlight or to inclement or extremely variable' weather, damp quarters, maltreatment by the owner, or anything else that may be classed as poor treatment may cause a reduction in the number of live foetuses. Sows that lose weight during the gestation period cannot do this and at the same time store body weight in the form of a litter that is perfectly normal and thrifty Litters from sows which lose weight, either grow slowly after being born, or if the sow improves and has plenty of milk the litter grows rapidly and sudden and unexpected deaths occur with symptoms similar to those associated with pulpy kidney in lambs. It has been said that mineral starvation is a prime cause of poor litters. It can be, but insufficient food or unsuitable treatment when the food is adequate are possibly more usual causes of small and weakly litters. It is most important to see that the sow is sufficiently well fed so as not to lose condition during the gestation period. ' DEATHS AFTER FARROWING It is at this stage that the greatest obvious losses occur. In almost every country these have been measured from time to time, and the average loss during the first three days amounts to from 20 to 30 per cent, of pigs born. By preventing this loss we could increase the efficiency of sows, and most of this improvement would be profit.. In the past the use of farrowing rails has been recommended, and these are very widely used. Since the losses continue to occur it would almost seem that the recommendation is not sound. When one considers the circumstances, that the little pigs are unaware of the danger of being overlain, that they are" slow to move, and that initially they do not know that safety lies in getting behind the farrowing rail, it almost seems that farrowing rails are not the' solution of the difficulty. The use of short straw or sawdust for the sow's bed is also recommended in order to facilitate the escape of the little pigs from danger. The fact remains, however, that if each little pig had the speed of Malcolm Campbell's Blue Bird, he still may not escape the first disaster because he does not know where to head for. The dead pig gets no second chance of escape. Short straw, however, may have some advantages later, in that it prevents the young .pigs from hiding in it and so obviates the possibility of their being walked on by the sow. KEEP SOWS FIT The more rational approach to the problem seems to be by way of the sow. It is a common experience that the greatest loss occurs with old sows, and with sows that are over-fat. Here are the clues to sow treatment: Don't let sows get over-fat prior to farrowing, and see that they are upset as little as possible at and prior to farrowing. Sows on grass in spring tend to get over-fat, and in order to, keep them right it seems necessary to bring them into the farrowing pen three weeks or more before farrowing, and there to feed them so as to keep them in thrifty but not too fat condition. This procedure achieves the second desideratum in that the sows have time to get used to their new quarters and should have time to settle down. Sows are often brought in just a few days before farrowing; their food is changed, their activities are curtailed, the temperature, amount of sunlight, condition of their bed, and every physical circumstance is changed. If the sow is temperamental and resents confinement, this upset is added to all the others, any one of which is sufficient to prove her undoing, at this critical stage. As a rule the older the sow and the higher she is in condition the longer should be the period allowed for settling down. , j , . . . If the sow is not too fat, and is happy in her surroundings, she has every opportunity of finishing up with a maximum number of the offspring that are born. Every progressive farmer makes the utmost use of laboursaving devices, and farrowing rails are widely used. In the. writer's observations, however, as many pigs were lost at birth in pens with farrowing rails as in pens without them. From the condition and circumstances of the sow, one could almost predict the outcome of farrowing wherever the sow farrowed. English practice recommends placing the little pigs out of harm's way in a hay box as soon as they are born. This entails the attendance by the owner during farrowing, but if such attendance meant the saving of two to three pigs per litter the time thus spent would be well repaid. SOWS EATING LITTER This is often a sourse of loss, ,again attributed to a variety of causes. Some say that it occurs where the mineral or protein content of the sow's ration has been low, and that it can be prevented by attention to these matters, or by smearing the young with kerosene or other offensive smelling material. Others attribute it to the sow being irritated by the sharp canine teeth of some of the piglets. While these may all be causes of this perversion, the writer is inclined to the viewpoint put forward by M Linden that the sow ate her litter in selfdefence. Where sows have experienced unkind treatment at the hands of their attendant, or where they are upset by surroundings to which they, are unaccustomed they exercise their deeply ingrained maternal instinct and consume their litter, knowing that the piglets are incapable of protecting themselves and fearing that they may be the victim of a direr fate. Wild sows exhibit this characteristic to a greater extent than the domestic animal does. ___

1937— Feb. 5 Invercargill 26,000 Feb. 10 Dunedin 30,000 Feb. 19 Wellington 30,000 Feb. 24 Napier 30,000 Mar. 1 Wanganui 28,000 Mar. 5 Auckland (No limit) Mar. 12 Christchurch 26,000 Mar. 16 Timaru (No limit) Mar. 19 Invercargill (No limit) Mar. 24 Dunedin 30,000 Apr. 3 Wellington 25,000 Apr. 8 Apr 12 Napier Wanganui (No limit) (No limit) Apr. 16 Christchurch „ (No limit) Apr. 20 Dunedin (No limit) Apr. 24 Wellington (No limit)