THE RURAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24699, 30 August 1941, Page 3

THE RURAL WORLD

11 . ' ■-a Y RUSTICUS. ■ . '1

GERMAN AGRICULTURE SHORTAGE oFpHOSPHATE RUSSIAN SUPPLIES CUT OFF German agriculture is going to feei the pinch of phosphate shortage as a result of her attack on Russia. As Eart of the previous economic collaoration between the two countries, Germany called upon Russia to supply greatly increased quantities of phosphate ore. , , . With the exception of her Very insufficient production of basic phosphate slag, a by-product of blast furnaces. Germany is dependent upon foreign sources for phosphate, which normally is imported in the form of phosphate rock. In recent years Soviet Russia, supplied a portion of German reguirements. but most came from the United States and North Africa. Even for some time before the outbreak of war Germany found difficulty in obtaining adequate supplies of crude phosphate., due to shortage of foreign exchange Another adverse factor, it is stated has been the lack of sufficient sulphuric acid, which is necessary for the conversion of phosphate rock into superphosphate, the form in which phosphorus is most generally; applied as fertiliser . , N Over a period of some years insufficient ~. application of . phosphatic fertilisers, together with more intensive crop cultivation, has resulted in a great deficiency of phosphate in German soils and a consequent falling on in crops. Under the previously existing blockade conditions Russia was the principal source available to Germany for adequate phosphate supplies, which are indispensable if German agriculture is to be maintained. No doubt since the collapse of France attempts have been made to use the considerable deposits of French Tunisia. The output of apatite at the Chibinogorsk mines in Russia has lately been considerably increased, and it is said that ore production approximates 10,000 metric tons daily. Production technique was improved during 1939, and it is stated that the production and processing of the apatite, are now almost completely mechanised. New mines/are also to be opened,: Apatite, a widespread accessory mineral in igneous rocks, is .the primary source of practically all phosphates. AH other types such as the rock phosphate of Naura and Ocean Island, on which New Zealand depends, and the famous land-pebble phosphate of Florida, are secondary and their origin traces back eventually to apatite. ".'■'■■' . '"-."■■".;■•■' : ~"' , What will the German farmers do now? This is just another of Hitlers headaches. ' ' FLIES SPREAD MASTITIS AMERICAN RESEARCH WORK Houseflies are the spreaders of mastitis of dairy cows. And here is how the criminal was caught in the act. Down at the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station cows shown to be free from all traces of mastitis were placed in a screened, isolated building. Flies were confined to a screened cage and allowed to feed freely on milk from the quarters of mastitis-infected cows. Through use of a special 'flyholder" the insects were then permitted to contact the teat openings of the healthy cows. The ■■ disease was readily transmitted by this method.. ; Next to bang's disease, mastitis is the dairy industry's most costly problem. Too many good farmers err in thinking of mastitis as an individual cow problem rather than as a herd disease. In reality, one does see two distinct -forms-- or •vtypes,- namely,, acute and chronic cases. Acute cases show fever, loss of appetite, warmth, hardness and discoloration of one or more quarters, and, all too often* death from septicemia or .Mood-poisoning*. ' . But the chronic cases, though less spectacular, are the dairy farmers' real eneniy; The causative usually streptococci, may lie dormant in the deeper parts o* the udder for weeks or months. Damage is so gradual that owners note scarcely any external evidence of the trouble. However, little by little, Judder trouble" spreads to other cows in the herd and milk profits decrease. To all this is added a public health problem, for some types of " streps '■'■* from diseased udders may cause septic sore throats in people. Of course, flies are not the only means of spreading mastitis. Contaminated milking machines, careless wethand milking, stripping infected quarters on the floor, and so on, may be responsible; SUGAR BEEt IN NEW ZEALAND CANTERBURY PROSPECTS It is probable that a sugar beet industry will be established in the Temuka district, according to advice received by the Mayor of Temuka. Mr W: H. : McMillan, in an interview with an expert, who was brought from England by the Government to advise whether the industry could be established on an economic footing in New Zealand. - Having travelled over the North and South Islands, the expert had concluded that an area round Temuka was the most suitable for growing beets, and he had tentatively selected a site for the factory at Milford. it was stated. To operate the factory, 400 men would be required in the busv season and 150 employees all the year The estimated South , Island consumption of sugar was 30,000 tons a year, and, in the opinion of the expert, that amount could be produced at the proposed factory at Milford. The growing area round Temuka had been estimated at 112.000 acres, and, with an average annual sunshine of 2000. hours as against 600 in Europe, the prospects for growing were very favourable. THE LIFE OF A COW AN 6&D IDEA UPSET Ordinarily in the purchase of dairy animals, it is considered that, other things being equal, the younger a producing animal is the more valuable she will be. This belief is based on the supposition that she has more years of productive life remaining to her Experimental work of the lowa College (U.S.A.). however, tends to modify this belief. According to their results, the "life expectancy" of a four to five-year-old cow is virtually as great as that of a two to three-year-old The possible explanation lies in the/fact that the more mature animal has survived the hazards of earlv voutb and the first frsshenings. At any rate, here is the table of life expectancy, or the average number of vears that a cow will live, as deduced from a study of the length of life of some 6500 dairy animals in lowa: Average Age in No. of years years. left, to live. '2- 3 .„■: .. .. .... 4.1 3- 4 .. .. 4.3 4-5 ~ .. 4.1 5-6 3.8 6-7 ... ';. .. .'. .. 3.4 7-8 .. .. .. .. '-.; 3.1 8- 9 .. .. .. -...: 2.7 9-10 .. ~..., .. 2.7 10-11 .. .. .. .... 2.4 11-12 .. .. .» .. .. 2.5 12-13 2.0

PURE BRED MERINOS RAMS Fr6m~AUSTRALIA VALUABLE~ADDITION TO MOUTERE STUD A recent arrival at Dunedin of interest to merino breeders was a special importation of two stud merino rams destined for the well-known Moutere Stud owned by Mr Robert Jopp. These were selected and purchased by Messrs Dalgety and Co., Ltd., at the July Sydney stud merino sales, and were drawn from the sale team entered on account of Koonoona proprietors, one of the oldest and foremost studs in South Australia. Both' rams are large framed, deep bodied* have a beautiful covering of wool, and show all of the best qualities of the breed. They should prove a valuable addition to the Moutere Stud and help to maintain and improve the already high standard that merinos have hitherto held in this province. REGIMENTED FARMING EFFICIENCY DEMANDED IN GERMANY The German Government requires that the farmer must be Aryan in race, of German nationality and of proved efficiency. He is issued with a " hoffkarte," or farm card. On this card all particulars are filled in, beginning with name of farm, its area, number of fields, description of crops. Everything has to be accounted for, even vegetable garden and fruit trees. Stock returns niust show particulars of every animal and fowl and what they produce. V . The farmer is told how much he is expected to produce. If in any way he falls short, a commission is on* his doorstep to know the reason why. If the commission is not satisfied, all activities are placed under control. He has to start exact book-keeping, keep accounts daily, and send them in monthly. Every three months be has to send in a balanced quarterly report, and every 12 months a report and balance sheet for whole year; If there is no improvement after two or three years, the farmer can expect to lose his farm without a penny compensation. NASSELLA TUSSOCK EXTENSIVE MARLBOROUGH AREA The report some weeks ago that the existence of nassella tussock in Marlborough County has been established has been confirmed rather startlingly by further investigations. The preliminary investigations, according to the Marlborough Express, show that the degree of infestation is considerably greater than was at first thought. In one area not far from Blenheim, it has been found, the tussock is out of control, and an area of at least 400 acres is partly heavily infested and the remainder partially so. In 1935-36 there was only a small patch of tussock on the area now affected, but so strong has been its spread that now the whole of a block of approximately 400 acres is rendered useless. Not only that, but the tussock is spreading to nearby properties, and so far steps taken to eradicate it. have not been successful. A visit to Blenheim will be made this month by Dr H. H. Allan/director of the Plant Research Bureau, who will be accompanied by an officer of his department, Mr Healey, who will remain in the district for some days and prepare a detailed report and survey. /. ' ( , '.-. . SHEEP POPULATION INCREASE OF 708,520 An interim return of sheep in the Dominion on April 30 is as follows, with the final return for. 1940 in parentheses in each case:—• Auckland. 4,191,732 (3,791,988), increase 399,744; Gisborne-Hawke's Bay, 7,051,061 (6,894,159). increase 156,902; Wellington - West Coast, 6,625,639 (6,388,909) ■,. increase 236,730; North Island totals, 17,868,432 (17,075,056). increase 793,376. Marlborough - Nelson « Westland 1,531,368 (1,479,860), increase 51,526; Canterbury - Kaikoura 5,408,039 (5,532,073), decrease 124,034; Otago 6.963,538 (6,975,886), decrease 12,348; South Island totals, 13,902,963 (13,987,819). decrease 84,856. Dominion totals were 31,771,395 (31.062.875). increase 708,520. SOUTH ISLAND SHOW DATES The following South Island show dates are announced: September. 25, Otago Clydesdale Stallion Parade; October 21 and 22, Marlborough; October 23, Ellersmere; October 31 and November 1, Timaru; November 6, Ashburton; November 7, Rangiora; November 12 Kelso; November 13 and 14, Christchurch; November 15, Taierl; November 22, Banks Peninsula and North Otago; November 27, Otago Metropolitan; November 28, Clutha and Matau; November 29, Winton; Decembers and 3, Gore; December 6, Tokomairiro Farmers' Club, Milton; December 6, Wyndham; December 9 and 10, Southland; December 13, Otago Peninsula; January 10, 1942, Waitati; January 17, Waikouaiti; .January 23, Palmerston; March —, Lake County, Mount Benger, and Upper Clutha. MERINO WOOLS IN RUSSIA Merino wools grown in South Russia are quite fine in quality, although somewhat run out in appearance and rather lean and wefty. Wool production in Russia is encouraged by Government assistance and measures to stimulate breeding, and while at present 75 per cent, of the sheep are coarsewool types and the balance fine descriptions, efforts are being made to reverse these figures. The Soviet Union has been an importer and not an exporter of wool, low-grade types having been imported from nearby countries, while large quantities of recovered shoddies have also been used in the mills. In pre-war days, however, Russia was a useful, if somewhat spasmodic, purchaser at the London auctions. CONTROL OF PIRI-PIRI Sir Theodore Rigg, director of the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, commenting recently on the good results obtained with the rearing of the Chilian sawfly for the control of piri-piri, said that in March over 1100 pre-pupae were removed from the earth, the mortality not exceeding 11 per cent. During April, pupation commenced and emergence of flies began in May. The experimental area at Mackay's Bluff. Nelson, had been inspected, and here, likewise, the adult stage of the sawfly was found, indicating that the fly had completed its cycle under field conditions. Supplies from the insectaries at the institute are being used to strengthen the colonies established at Mackay's Bluff, AUCTION OF SHEEP DOGS An innovation at the annual ram sales held at Sacramento, California j U.S.A., was the sale by auction of sheep dogs, the proceeds in some instances going to the British War Relief Fund. The prices realised ranged from £6 to £lO, and in some cases the animals were handed back to be offered again.