THE RURAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23320, 12 October 1937, Page 3

THE RURAL WORLD

FARM AND STATION NEWS

By RUSTICUS.

llcma interest to those engaged in agricultural and pastoral pumStb with a view to their publication in these columns, will be welcomed. They skettld b« adc rasped to Ruaticus, Otago Dally Times. Duo mho i

SUMMER SHOW SEASON DATES FOR 1937-38 Agricultural and pastoral shows for the 1937-38 season ha've been arranged as follows: October 29 and 30.—’Timaru. November 3.—Kelso. November 4.—Ashburton. November 4, 5 and 6.—Royal show at Palmerston North. November s.—Northern A. and P Association at Rangiora. November 11 and 12. —Canterbury, at Christchurch. November 17.—Waimate. November 19 and 20.—North Otago at Oamaru. November 20.—Taien, at Outram. November 23 and 24. Otago at Tahuna Park. November 27.—Clutha and Matau at Balclutha. November 27,—Winton. December 1. —Central Otago at Omakau December 4.—Tokomairiro Farmers’ Club at Milton. December 7 and B.—Gore. December 11.—Wyndham. December 14 and 15.—Southland at Invercargill December 17.—Maniototo. at Ranfurly. December 27.—Tuapeka. at Lawrence. 1938 January 8. —Blueskln, at Waitati. January 15.—Waikouaitl. January 21.—Palmerston-Waihemo at April .18.—-Mackenzie Highland Show at Fairlie.

NEW ZEALAND WOOL SALES

ROSTER FOR 1937-38 SEASON

The following roster of New Zealand wool sales for the 1937-38 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 quantitv of wool offering

Stud Bull Sold The sale of a Milking Shorthorn bull from the stud of Carline Bros., Galloway Alexandra at a high price to Mr A. Struthers, of Silverside, Mosgiel, is reported. The bull, Galloway Sir Rosanor, is red and white in colour, rising two years old and shows splendid quality. He Is choicely bred, descended from outstanding stock bearing a strong infusion of Matangi quality and Dominion blood. Sired by Coldstream Limelight, whose sire is Coldstream Quality’s Alf, champion Milking Shorthorn bull and winner of nine firsts and four championships, his dam Coldstream Rosalie, is by Dominion Concern from Coldstream Blush Rose, who also has a splendid butter-fat backing.

v NEWS FROM ' CLUBS

The Waikouaiti Club had its monthly meeting on October 1, when it was decided to hold a stock-judging competition at Bushey Park Estate with Mr Twaddle as judge. The speaker for the evening was Mr S. H. Saxby, of the Department of Agriculture, Dunedin, who gave an illustrated lecture on “ Grasses.” » » 9 On October 4 the Enfield Club met and correspondence regarding the Grassland Association, Pig Keeping Research and Stock Judging competitions

was read and received. The meeting was not altogether in favour of the latter, as It was of the opinion that members had not had sufficient practice in stock judging to, warrant the sending of delegates to Palmerton North and also that at the present time, at any rate, the club could not stand the expense. It was decided that the field day to be held on November 4 should take the form of a tour of agricultural farms in order to study lucerne, mangels, wheat, oats and pastures. The competition for this month being the “ Best idea or observation on the farm ” was won by D. Anderson and A. Anderson, H, Watson being second. Mr S. Hook, meat inspector at the Pukeuri freezing works, gave an address on “Conditions of diseases in Stock at the Freezing Works/’ and this proved one of the most interesting talks yet listened to.

The Eastern Southland District Committee is holding a stock judging competition at Kelso on Thursday next (,October 14) to select competitors to send to the Royal Show at Palmerston North.

The South Taieri Club met last Thursday at Berwick, when the question of sending a member to the stock judging competition at Palmerston North was fully discussed. As the competition was thought to be an excellent scheme it was unanimously decided to send a member. A local stock judging competition is to be held in order to decide who is to represent the club.

Mr S. H. Saxby was the lecturer for the evening.

The “Young Farmers’” talk from 4YA on Monday next at 7.30 p.m. is to be given by four members of the two Taieri clubs. Each five minutes’ talk will be op a subject with which the speaker is intimately connected, and Should prove of considerable interest. The speakers will be Messrs W. Kofoed. A. C. Drake. G. R. Bathgate, and J A. Neill. Although "Young Farmers” have given talks in other provinces, this will be the first time that it has been done in Otago, but it is hoped that it will be the ’forerunner of many other similar talks. This is an aspect of the movement that should become very popular, and every endeavour is being made to encourage clubs to assist in all such branches of the club movement.

The following is a further article by Mr S. H. Saxby in the series on pasture plants:— Burr Clover (Medicago denticulate). —Although not a true clover, this plant is very similar to them. It is an annual plant, and occurs as a weed throughout the warmer districts in New Zealand. Its fertility requirements are similar to those of white clover, but it does best in a fairly loose soil. In the north this plant is a serious weed of good pastures, as the large amount of herbage is unpalatable to stock, and smothers out better plants, such as rveorass. This results in very

THE CEREAL CROPS

open and sometimes quite bare partners during the summer, when the plant is dead. As with other annual plants, the prevention of seeding by rational grazing or by mowing will help to keep this plant in check When it is very bad in a pasture ploughing and resowing are necessary. In Otago this plant occurs only in isolated localities, and, like many of the annual clovers, does not seem to have spread very much. FARMING IN NORTH OTAGO A GOOD RAIN LAMBING IN FULL SWING (Contributed) “ Hope deferred maketh the heart sick,” we are told. We are not by any means sick yet. It would be a wonder if we were, with the prospect of a very good season ahead of us. We have had a good rain, a little more than an inch and a-half. But the point is that we wanted a lot more. What we had has stimulated the grass in a wonderful way, and it has given an impetus to the growing grain crops while it was just what we wanted for mangel seed sowing. To be exact, Oamaru experienced 1.63 in of rain during September, but further inland, especially in the Kauroo Hill district, much more fell. The district has for the past three or four years had a very scant rainfall—only a little more than half what it usually gets; consequently this splendid rain, estimated at well over two Inches, was very welcome. What made it more valuable is that it was followed by mild conditions most conducive to growth. Coming as it did from the west, the rain was warm, and the newly-born lambs did not suffer. Towards the end of the month conditions changed, gnd we had several days with hard frosts at night. These frosts gave a decided check to young grass, which had commenced to show up well. The paddocks look green, but there is not sufficient grass yet, and It is very noticeable that most lagoons and dams are dry. People who have been long in the district say that this Is a bad sign. It is now many moons since we had a rain sufficiently heavy to fill the lagoons, and as many farmers have to rely upon these they are hoping that some time during the present month there will be a downpour sufficient to meet all requirements.

Wheat, oats, and all kinds of green feed are looking well, and the latter is supplying a lot of feed for ewes and lambs and milch cows. The area in wheat this year appears to be smaller than is usual in North Otago, notwithstanding the Ministerial visit which was to put all things right by bringing costs and revenue more Intp line with the needs of the hard-work-ing wheatgrower. The general opinion among fanners, especially those on the downs, is that costs are too high in comparison with the return received, and that more money, with less risk, can be made with sheep and grass and clover seed. It will be a thousand pities if farmers give up growing wheat, for it provides work for a large number of men, and in seasons of good rainfall, when heavy crops are the rule, it provides a very useful addition to the year’s revenue. On most well-managed farms green feed is frown to provide suitable feed in ugust and September. There are some varieties of wheat which, if sown at the latter end of March, will provide excellent feed in August and September, and then, if given a drastic harrowing, will afterwards develop into a payable crop. Yeoman wheat is one of these varieties, and some of the Tuscans will do likewise. If the Goyernment, or the Wheat Research Institute, were to experiment along these lines and let farmers know the best dualpurpose wheats to put in. and how late thej can be fed in the spring, a big step would be taken towards popularising the wheat-growing industry. Two strings to the bow leads to greater safety than one. THE LAMBS Lambing has been proceeding under very favourable conditions —the light, mild rains, and the warm, calm days being exactly suited to the youngsters. It is satisfactory to note that the death rate this year seems to be below the average. The lambs are doing well, and in small flocks all over the district tailed lambs may now be seen. In some small flocks where the ewes had special treatment in the autumn by way of flushing, some very high percentages have been recorded—l6o to 180 per cent.—but taking the lambing on the whole, it must be said that there hardly seems to be so many twins as usual. The ideal conditions prevailing will help, and on the average it would appear at present that the lamb crop in North Otago this year will not be much below that of last year—down about 5 per cent. THE WORK OF DOCKING This is a very important work, and it will soon be general. Many farmers are wondering whether it will pay them to invest in some of the modern contrivances which are now on the market for docking lambs—contrivances such as emasculators and searing irons. There is no gainsaying the fact that these implements are slower than if the work is done by the old methods. In other words, where time is money they are more costly But on the other hand, jf they result in saving a single lamb per day they will pay for interest, depreciation, and

labour. On a very large number of farms under the old methods the death rate was negligible, and very few stiff lambs resulted. But on some farms, especially on the heavier stocked ones, a very high percentage will be noticed stiff and weak after docking. This stiffness is caused by a germ which finds entrance usually from the stump of the tail, and is the cause of many lambs being condemned at the freezing works when the trouble is diagnosed as arthritis. This often causes serious loss, and on many farms trouble. With this complaint the greatest care should be exercised. The makers of the tools above referred to claim that bloodless castration and the searing iron reduce the evil to a minimum; but any farmer who does not feel inclined to make the investment and experiment will be well advised to follow these simple rules which have proved effective on farms where the arthritis germ is rampant;— 1. Boil all instruments for 20 minutes. A 71b treacle tin is the handiest for this. Then add the correct amount of disinfectant, and carry the instruments in the tin to the docking yards. 2. Make the yards in a thoroughly clean place, with no horse manure or dirt about. If the sheep have been on green feed such as oats, wheat, etc., put them into a clean grass paddock a day or two before docking. 3. Do not *dock too young. When the lambs are about a month old is a good time. The bigger lamb has a much better chance of resisting infection than the smaller one.

4. Pick your day for docking. This is very important. A warm, calm day is best, but on .no account dock on a cold, windy, or wet day. On such days the resistance of the lambs is at its lowest.

5. Do not get the sheep in in big mobs. If 200 lambs are got in in a mob that is quite enough. Years ago it was not unusual to see 1000 to 2000 lambs got in for docking at a time on stations, but there is always a lot of mismothering when so many lambs are dealt with at a time. PRICES

All the stock markets are firm, with a hardening tendency. Fat sheep are selling well, and the same applies to fat cattle. At some recent sales the offerings have been very meagre, and butchers have been forced to go outside for their supplies. Store sheep, including ewes and lambs, sell well, but they have only been offered in comparatively small lines, scarcely big enough to test the market. The same applies to hoggets, only very small lots coming forward for sale. The forward sale of lambs for delivery in February started some time ago, when a few sales of lambs of outstanding quality were made. As most of these lambs go away fat, and as there is generally enough rape given in to fatten the remainder, and perhaps a few more, the prices realised can hardly be taken as an indication of the general run of prices. Sales of such lambs have been made at 255, but there are plenty of good paddock lambs, of which in a good season 40 to 50 per cent, will go away fat, and these can be purchased at 22s 6d." Buying months ahead is an unmitigated gamble. Much can happen between now and February. TEAMS AND TRACTORS North Otago is well supplied with contractors, all equipped with the latest machines. In addition to these a number of farmers, as soon as their own work is done, go out and work for neighbours. This large force, some members of which work three shifts a day, have cleaned up the work, and it is pleasing to see that most of the turnip and rape ground has been ploughed and cultivated. The best and cheapest implement is “Jack Frost” and leaving the ploughing and cultivating for turnips until October is only playing with “Miss Fortune.” THE MANGEL CROP The early-sown mangels went in under ideal conditions, and the sowing was followed by a good rain. This should mean a good strike. The mangel is one of the hardest seeds to get to strike in dry weather, and unless the seed is sown in the finest mould made very firm, the ridges soon dry out in hot, windy weather. One way to overcome this is to put the drills up with a ridge plough and then roll with a Cambridge roller, sowing the seed on this, and if thought necessary roll again. FEED FOR NEXT WINTER We have said before, and we must not forget, that it never pays to be short of feed in the winter. October is the month we usually shut up what paddocks we have for hay. But before doing so it is a good plan to chainharrow them to spread the manure and assist the grass to vigorous growth. Wire, and any odds and ends that may be lying about, should be picked up to avoid future trouble when mowing Lucerne is growing well, and it is most satisfactory to note that more and more farmers are going in every year for what has been correctly described as the great mortgage lifter and the king of fodder plants.

Centre. Opening time. 1937 Auckland 9 a.m. November 27 Napier , 9 a.m December 3 Wellington. 9 a.m. December 8 Christchurch 9 aim. Decembei 13 Tirharu 8 a.m December 17 Dunedin 9 a.m. December 21 1938 Wellington 9 a.m. January 10 Napier 9 a.m. January 15 Wanganui: 9 a.m , January 20 Auckland ■ Christchurch 8 a.m. 9 a.m. January January 24 31 Invercargill 9 a.m February 4 Dunedin 9 a.m. February 9 Wellington 9 a.m February 16 Nanier 9 a.m. February 2! 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. Apnl 4 Christchurch 9 a.m. April 8 Dunedin 2 p.m. April 12 - and/or 9 a.m. April 13 Wellington 9 a.m April 22