THE RURAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23221, 19 June 1937, Page 3

THE RURAL WORLD

FARM AND STATION NEWS

By RUSTICUS.

Items of interest to thone engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuits* with a new to their publication in these columns, will be welcomed. They aktndd be addressed to Rusticus, Otago Daily Times, Dunediaw

SUMMER SHOW SEASON DATES FOR 1937-38 Agricultural and pastoral shows for the 1937-38 season have been arranged as follows: — November 19 and 20.—North Otago, at Oamaru. November 20.—Taieri, at Outram. November 26 and 27,—-Otago, at Tahuna Park. November 27.—Clutha and Matau, at Balclutha. November 27.—Winton. December 7 and B.—Gore. December 11.—Wyndham. December 14 and 15.—Southland, at Invercargill. \ * Secretaries of A. and P. Societies are Invited to forward particulars of show dates for inclusion in the above list.

NEW ZEALAND WOOL SALES ROSTER FOR 1937-38 SEASON The following roster of New Zealand wool sales for theT937-38 season is announced. It has been arranged by the New Zealand Wool Brokers’ Association and the New Zealand Wool Buyers’ Association:

The April dates are tentative only, and are subject to alteration and/or cancellation, according to the quantity of wool offering. Wool Outlook Promising Although a decline has to be reported, wool prices are still satisfactory. Even at the level of values recorded at Australian clearing-up sales this month growers should gam reasonable returns, and there are no signs to suggest that the new clip will have to be sold at much lower prices. On the contrary, it is not unreasonable to expect that the general demand for the new clip will be animated. The statistical position of raw wool is as strong as ever. Supplies are not increasing, new uses are being found for wool, and organised publicity in the ini crests of wool is about to be undertaken. And, despite the competition of substitutes, the outlook in general for the wool industry was never more promising. So growers might well look forward to the new selling season without misgivings arising from reports of a decline in prices at this stage of the season. Food and Wool Quality

Uniformity and strength of wool fibre depend on adequate nutrition. Malnutrition of the sheep leads to improper function of the wool follicle, so that only a slender, weak fibre is produced. This fibre may be so weak that on coming through the skin it immediately breaks. Thus any sudden deprivation or lowered nutrition is reflected by a tenderness or actual break in the wool produced at that time. Continued lowered nutrition is accompanied by the production of wool which is finer than normal and tender Lack of character is often the result of an Impaired nutrition. In drought years wool is termed “ hungry fine, and is often tender. Sheep having this vitality reduced by internal parasites may produce a tender wool, and similarly ewes rearing lambs may show a tender fleece. Breaks in wool are also brought about by a sudden change in feed, as, for example, when povertystricken sheep are suddenly placed on good feed. A flock should be kept under constant supervision, and all opportunities should be taken, for handling yarded sheep and examining the fleece as it grows.

Famous Ram Preserved Strathaird, the last of the sons. of the famous Boonoke-bred stud merino sire 2F., will be preserved for posterity in the Sydney Technological Museum, to which institution, at 12 years of age, he was recently presented by his breeder. Sir Frederick M’Mastcr of Dalkeith, Cassilis. Taxidermists are now at work on the distinguished sire, and using photographs taken from various angles in the days of his prime they hope to reproduce a lifelike representation of one of the boldest and most typical sires of his day. F2 was purchased at the Sydney sales by Sir Frederick M’Master, for 1600gns. and proved probably the greatest sire that IBoonoke has over parted with Among his many outstanding sons at Dalkeith was the famous ram David, which was purchased for Boonoke for SOOOgns, after winning the Sydney Sheep Show grand championship. The blood of F2 to-day thoroughly saturates the Dalkeith stud, and is still producing champions, the latest of which was Jubilee, grand champion at Sydney last year, and a grandson of David. Rugging Stud Ram Weaners

An interesting experiment carried out last season at Sir Frederick M‘Master’s noted Dalkeith stud merino station, at Cassilis (N.S.W.), has demonstrated the value of rugging young stud rams at weaning time. At Dalkeith each season it becomes necessary to wean the ram lambs at four months old, in the middle of winter, and invariably it has been found that the young rams suffer a temporary setback, and even become susceptible to the infestation of parasites. Last season the young rams were rugged with 15oz waterproofed duck rugs imme diately after being weaned, and so beneficial were the results that the sheep not only suffered no setback, but showed a marked resistance, both to worm infestation and blowfly strike The yearling rams on Dalkeith this season are characterised by exceptional size and vigour, and Sir Frederick M'Master attributes their outstanding quality largely to the benefits of rugging for eight months, following weaning. Apart from the improved condition ox the young rams, the cost of the rugs (which are expected to remain usable for two seasons) was fully compensated for by a heavier fleece of higher value. The policy of rugging at Dalkeith will be extended considerably this season.

CROP COMPETITIONS JUDGING OF SWEDE TURNIPS THE WAIKOUAITI-WAIHEMO DISTRICT The judging of the swede crop competition in the Waikouaiti-Waihemo district, conducted by the Otago Farm Competitions Committee, was carried out by officers of the fields division of the Department of Agriculture on Tuesday. This is the first time that these competitions have been conducted in this district, and both the number of entries and the interest taken were very gratifying. There were 10 entries, of which the average yield was 49 tons lOcwt per acre. This yield must be regarded as very satisfactory considering the generally unfavourable season that has been experienced. Club root was quite bad m a few crops, notably some that had turnips in the previous year. Dry rot and soft rot occurred in most crops, but were not serious in many instances, Brown heart was not severe in any crop, although it was present in small quantities in several crops' Cultivation, both before and aftei sowing, had been scanty in some instances, due to the bad condition of the soil. Other crops which were more favourably situated receive ample cultivation which appeared to be reflected in their yields. The following are the details of the first four crops:—

THE PIG INDUSTRY NOTES BY M. J. SCOTT, BA. B.Sc, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE No. 16 THE FEEDING OF PIGS THE FEED SUPPLY Among those who inquire about the feeding of pigs, the man who is short of feed, either because it is not to be had, or because it is too dear to buy, is met most frequently. The man who has abundance of feed, whatever its kind, is seldom inquiring. The man who has plenty of feed may have it by chance, but more usually his plenty is the result of, his own planning. Organisation or planning is not a very pleasant pastime, but it is far more necessary with the feed supply of pigs than it is with that of cattle and sheep, and for this reason pigs are not popular as a live-stock project. Organisation with pigs is Important because at least 80 per cent, of the value of a pig is the feed it has eaten; because pigs get ver, little of their feed from the paddocks—they are mostly hand-fed; because they are fed on relatively concentrated and, therefore. valuable foodstuffs; and because they have two peak-production periods each year, and so do not fit into the single yearly peak of natural growth in

the way that cows, sheep, and other animals do. The questions of cost and distribution of the food supply require special consideration. SKIM MILK Where skim milk is the chief summer feed, the question of value or cost is not so important, hi the one of distribution is very much so. Some source of winter feed supply is essential if value is to be obtained from a costless milk supply. It is easy to feed pigs on skim milk for someone elsc|s profit whenever too much feed is bought or if insufficient attention is given to a cheap winter feed supply. Where grain is the chief source of feed supply the question of distribution docs not arise, since grain can be stored till it is wanted, but the question of cost is all-important, and cheap supplementary feeds are required. Both milk and grain are high qualify feed supplies, each will bear dilution with cheap, low-quality feed, and in both cases profits are determined solely by the amounts of cheap feeds that are used. Organisation and planning of a feed supply is. therefore, of considerable importance. THE BASIS OF PROFIT

The necessity of cheap feed Is not peculiar to New Zealand, but it is the very essence of profit here, because of the relatively low prices of pig meats. Many farmers get returns as high as 60s per cow for pigs. Some attribute their success to the fact that they produce weaners, others that they produce baconers, others to a thrifty strain of pigs, others to the care they exercise m looking after their pigs, and others to the skilful use of small quantities of grain. A consideration of their circumstances leads one to the conclusion that none of these things is the prime cause of success. They are merely incidentals, and the common factor of all successful pig-feeders is that they have used, along with their milk and grain, cheap home grown feed—viz., roots or pastures in such a quantity that about half the total feed used is grain and milk. FEED QUANTITIES REQUIRED To feed a sow for a year and produce two litters (14 pigs) to the weaner stage, feed equivalent to about 3000 gallons of skim milk or 1J tons of grain is required, To feed the sow and litters to the pork stage (901 b carcass) 4 tons of grain or its equivalent are required, and to feed the suw and litters to the bacon stage (1401 b carcass), 6 tons of grain are required When weaners are 14s per head and pork and bacon 5d per lb, the gross returns for feed used (milk alone, grain alone, or milk and grain) are about £6 12s per short ton of grain, and about ijd per gallon of milk (on the basis of 500 gallons, 31s per cow) This is a gross theoretical maximum that may be achieved with grain, since grain can be stored until it is required, but is certainly not attainable with milk because of its poor distribution throughout the pig-feeding year If now half the feed units are replaced by pasture or roots, the costs and returns are somewhat as follows:

Using the case of porker production as an example. 4000 gallons milk (or two tons grain) plus 20 tons of roots gives a gross' return of 14 pigs x 901 b x 5d per lb, equals £26 15s. Roots cost, say, 5s per ton, total £5, and so the 4000 gallons of milk (two tons grain) show a gross return of £2l 15s—i.e., £lO 17s 6d per ton for grain or 1.30 d per gallon for skim milk. Some may consider it unprofitable to produce roots at 5s per ton. Never theless, the whole success of pig production depends on roots at this cheap rate, and it is certain that if the too* crop at 5s per ton is itself unprofitable because of low yield or high growing costs, then roots cannot be used to enhance the profits. Others may ob ject that roots are a dangerous or unsuitable pig feed, and the answer to that objection is that many use them with success and satisfaction.

Centre. Opening time, 1937. Auckland 9 a.m. November 27 Napier 9 a.m. December 3 Wellington 9 a.m. December 8 Christchurch 9 a.m. December 13 Timaru 8 pm. December 17 Dunedin 9 a.m. December 21 1938. Wellington 9 am. January 10 Napier 9 a.m. January 15 Wanganui 9 a.m. January 20 Auckland 8 am. January 24 Christchurch 9 a.m. January 31 Invercargill Dunedin 9 a.m. February 4 9 a.m. February 9 Wellington 9 a.m. February 16 Naoier 9 a.m. February 21 Wanganui 2.30 or 4 p.m. February 25 Christchurch 9 a.m. March 3 Timaru 9 a.m. March 7 Invercargill 2 p.m. March 11 Dunedin 9 a.m. March 16 Wellington 9 a.m. March 22 Auckland 9 a.m. March 26 Wanganui 9 a.m. March 30 Napier 9 a.m. April 4 Christchurch 9 a.m. April 8 Dunedin 2 p.m. April 12 and/or 9 a.m. April 13 Wellington 9 am. April 22

Name Yield Tbns Cwl Points for: Appear. Yield Quality ance Tl. C, W. Hall ... 59 9 59'/, 23 8 00'/, Montal Hospital farm .. .. 98 15 58% 23'/, 7'/, 89% C. M'Callum 58 13 56% 24 8 88% Bushey Park estate .. .. 58 5 56% 23 9 88%