THE RURAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23213, 10 June 1937, Page 3

THE RURAL WORLD

FARM AND STATION NEWS

By RU3TICUS.

Item* of intnrest to thone engaged in agricultural and pastors! pursuits. With a view to their publication in there columns, u-.ill be welcom*<L Th«y sKcttld be addressed to Rustious, Otago Daily Times, DunadJf*

WINTER SHOWS

The following Winter Shows have been arranged for the present season: June 8,9, 10, 11, 12.—Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society's Winter Show. 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:— Walhemo—June 10 and 11. Tuapeka—June 23 and 24.

NORTH OTAGO

A GOOD RAIN AT LAST

FOOD PROSPECTS GREATLY IMPROVED

(Contributed) We were just about in the doldrums. North Otago had been so long without an appreciable rain that it had taken on a very brown appearance, and the prospects for winter feed were anything but bright. During May, however, we had a little over two inches of rain, and already a green tinge is showing in the grass paddocks, and especially on sunny faces. We like a good rain in early autumn to keep the pastures and the root crops growing, but we do not always get exactly what we want, and we must make the best of what we get. That we certainly will do. The rain was very welcome, and has put fresh heart into all of us. If only severe frosts will keep away for a week or so we will be happy. Stock is looking not so badly. It is wonderful how well sheep will do on bare pastures if only they have access to plenty of clean water. At the same time, we know that young stock especially should be well done by in. the winter months if we are to get the best from them when they reach the adult stage. There must be a good foundation, and with -roots, hay, and ensilage we should be able to provide that. I have heard it said that in Australia you have only to tickle the ground with a hoe in order to reap a harvest. It is not quite so good as that here, but we have a really good district and though we may have to work a little harder than that, it is worth while for the returns we get. NORTH OTAGO SUCCESSES It is very satisfactory to note once more that North Otago district again shows up well in the Fat Lamb Export Competition. The three pens from North Otago, which took second place In the South Island Shield Competition at Smithfield recently, were sent forward by Mr A. C. Murray (Pukeuri), Mr G. Stevenson (Weston), and Mr J. M. Stewart (Waitaki). These men are to be heartily congratulated. North Otago has always been a good home for sheep, and with the advancement of scientific knowledge and its application by farmers who are enthusiasts in the matter of sheep husbandry, it looks as though our district will be hard to excel in the not far distant future. ■ ■

THE GOLDEN RAIN The first 18 to 20 days of May were very dry, and farmers were beginning to despair of having sufficient winter growth. It was common to hear: "We might as well get no rain till July or August for ail the good it will do now." This was pure and unadulterated pessimism. The earlier we get a good soaking rain in the winter, the better chance we have of an early spring. The rain started about the 18th and on the seaboard it registered about two inches, but further inland, where it was most needed, especially in the Kauru, Five Forks, Balruddery and Otekaike districts, between 3in and 4in were recorded. The districts named have been experiencing a dry time for a considerable period, and some farmers say that this has been the best rain for several years., We have had very mild open weather following the rain, and this is giving the grass every opportunity to make some growth, and now we have a welcome tinge of green in place of the dull drab grey. The rain will also assure satisfactory strikes of wheat and oats, and although work was held up for a few days as a result of the rain, the soil was so dry that the moisture was soon absorbed, and work is now going ahead at full pace. SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING Grass feed was so scanty that some farmers were beginning to fence their, turnips into breaks, and some had already made a start to feed. We do not like to make a start in May or early June unless it is absolutely necessary, for we know by experience that if breeding ewes are fed for too long on a straight diet of turnips, there is trouble ahead. Sound judgment is required as to when to make a start with supplementary feeding, and it is only by long experience that the shepherd can decide how long to keep the sheep on the pastures. If at all in doubt, experiment by taking a few bales of good hay out. If this is cleared up, it is a pretty sure sign that extra rations are required. The growth we are getting now will carry us along for a week or so, but the shorter days and colder nights will soon put a stop to all growth. All farmers should try to arrange for a stack or two of hay, but in some of the dry districts it is not the general practice to make hay. In such localities oaten sheaves should be saved for a season such as this. They can be fed out without chaffing, and if the oats have been cut on the green side nearly every straw will be eaten. They can also be chaffed and fed in troughs, in which case it is necessary to have a sufficient number of troughs so that all the sheep in the mob can feed together; otherwise the weaker ones, which are the ones which require feed most, are deprived of their fair share. Straw chaff with treacle or meatmeal added is also good, sound feed to balance the watery conditions of turnips. Often we see a big mob of ewes given a run-off of just a few acres, which in wet. weather becomes very muddy. This is generally the case where sheep are sent out to graze, but where sheep are fed on the farm all farmers should make an endeavour to grow sufficient turnips for their sheep and provide a proper run-off. The sheep should have access to a fresh, clean paddock every week or so, and a point should be made of cleaning up all the roughage in every paddock before the spring. CRUTCHING Before commencing to use the turnips the sheep should be crutched, otherwise a lot of wool will be damaged and wasted. With wool at its present price, we cannot afford that. Nowadays there are men going round the district with portable shearing plants, and they do the work of crutchlng quite well and at reasonable rates. Care should be taken to see that the sheep are carefully handled, and any ewes with diseased or damaged udders should be raddled, so that they can be identified at lambing time. MANGELS Mangels will continue to grow during most of June if they have good, green, luscious tops now, so if the ground is not needed for some other crop it will pay to leave them growing in the meantime. If a few are required for dairy cows for feeding in July, they should be pulled now, and either .pitted or stacked in heaps. This work should be done in broken weather, otherwise there is a danger of the roots being frosted once they are pulled out of the ground if they are exposed to hard frosts. Deep ploughing for next season's crop of mangels should be completed as soon as possible. WHEAT SOWING Farmers are busy sowing wheat, and in response to the appeal of the Minister of Industries (Mr D. G. Sullivan) are putting in more than they had intended to do. Some of the autumnsown wheat is already up, and is looking well. Farmers who are sowing now are to be commended on their pluck, for wheatgrowing entails a lot of hard work and many risks. The Minister's appeal came a little late in the day, but wheatgrowers are taking his word, and hope to get a price tha> will compensate them for their labour. Velvet, Tuscan, and Red Chaff wheats are the most commonly grown, but the new Cross Seven wheat is also being thoroughly tried out. The farmers of North Otago are always ready to experiment with anything new, and the new oat, which has given such good results in Southland, is also to be tried in North Otago this season. THE TEAMS In districts where hard frosts occur, May and early June is the time to plough lea for rape and turnips, but up till a short time ago. that is to say. before the rain, the ground was too hard to make any impression. There should be no complaint on that score now. The earlier rape ground is Ploughed the better. For soft turnips this is not so necessary. Speaking of teams, calls to mind that some very excellent Clydesdales have lately been brought into this district from Scotland. We already have a very good class of heavy horse here, and it does not appear that the quality is likely to fall off. PRICES May is usually the cheapest month in the whole year in which to purchase sheep. Most prudent farmers made their purchases six weeks ago, flushed the ewes, and turned out the rams. It is on the late side now to purchase for fattening, and the thought of three months of winter ahead and the fear that it might be a hard one creates a feeling of caution which strictly limits the demand. In addition, some farmers have been getting a few deaths amongst their ewe hoggets, and the fear that there might be " diers" in the small lots we see at the sale yards makes them doubly cautious. Ewe hoggets seem to have slipped sovei-al shillings from the peak price of a few months ago, and i\rc now selling at reasonable rales. well below the price of fats. With wool ii. such a sound position they should be good buying at 23s to 255, for if we get anything like a spring they will be shillings dearer then. Only odd lots of ewes are coming on the market. The schedule for fat lambs remains at 9.}d per lb for up to 36's, and the skins are bringing 8s 9d which is the highest price for skins "or a great manv years. Two-tooth wethers are in short sunply, and any coming on the market in good condition realise 24s to 25s 6d. Fat cattle have not altered much in i rice, and it looks as though butchers will have to get their fats from outside the district before the spring. WINTER FEED No one can tell what the winter is iLo'mp, to be. and if we get a hard,

cold one, feed will be very scarce by the middle of September. If there is any fear of a shortage of roots, it is a good plan to commence feeding chad mixed with a small quantity of grain, meatmeal. or treacle much earlier than usual. This not only makes the roots go much further, but. it educates the sheep to feed out of troughs, which is most important. Then if the roots run out, a little additional grain, etc.. will carry them on quite satisfactorily. If sheep are not trained to feed out of troughs, disaster may easily overtake them. Any spare time in the winter cannot be better utilised than by harrowing the grass paddocks, thus spreading the manure and aerating the pastures.