FARM NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2087, 22 February 1894, Page 8

FARM NOTES.

Horse-shoeing . a PiiOKHssioN. - • Robert Bonner says, and there is a world of truth in it : — " I expect to see the day wheu horseshoeing will assume its proper place as one of the professions. Doctors and lawyers keep their diplomas framed and hung in their office. Why should not the farrier be compelled to pass an examination and do the same thing P A horse's feet and limbs are the most important parts of his body. He seldom has troubles which cannot be traced to them. And yet even colts, forced as they are, frequently show signs of breaking down in those delicate members. What misery is in store for them ? Their lives are short at the best, and then to think that they should be filled with agony. It is horrible ! The man oc woman who can by care, by the formation of public sentiment and by education as to intelligent action, forward this great cause will be relieving more suffering and doing more actual good than by almost any other way known to the world."

Signs of a Good Butter Cow. — Breeders of purebred Jersey cattle describe the fashionable breed of butter. cows as follows: — "A good butter cow should have a long face, wide between the eyes, the ears alert and expressive, and placed a long way below the horns. A cow with eyes near the top of the head knows no more than a man with eyes so placed. She should have a large muzzle, slim neck, and yellow skin, especially inside the ears; the breathing should be regular, the back and abdomen strong, the udder wide where ib connects with the body, the teats squarely placed, and the tail slim." Mr George Jackson comments on this description as follows in the Jersey Bulletin: — "Practically these indications are worthless, except those which allude to constitutional health — robustness — and the conformation of the udder, and are just as liable to be possessed in perfection by animals of poor dairy abilities as to indicate superiority. The perfect udder in sizo and form, with teats to match and large abdominal proportions, suggesting Btrong digesting and assimilating abilities, are almost certain pointers for great dairy qualities, and the value of the cow possessed of these may be confidently gauged thereby, regardless of the length and shape of her face or tail, or the location of the eyes relative to the top of her head. A slim neck is popularly believed to be infallible and indispensable to the profitable dairy cow, and that a cow with a thick neck and beefy shoulders can, under no circumstances, attain pre-eminence, either in milk yield or buttermaking ; *but that this does not follow has been demonstrated often in the writer's experience. One notable instance is recalled of an important Jersey cow deep in the celebrated Dairy Pride strain — made famous both on the island and in America for wonderful butter yield' — which decided in favour of her purchase notwithstanding the unfavourable symptoms which she displayed to a marked degrte. Her neck was thick from her car 6 back, her'shoulders were beefy and coarse, nnd she could boast of none of the usual furnishings that adorn the ideal dairy or butter cow, except that her udder was beyond criticism, and her build indicated ample storage for food."

Crossbred gPias. — The question of prolificness among pigs is a most important subject. As far as my experience, extending from 30 to 40 years, enables me to form an opinion, I fully believe that the valuable quality of being able to produce large litters of pigs is equally as hereditary in the boar as in the sow. I use the word to produce in the broadest, sense. ,1 have in my time occasionally bought a boar from a herd whioh I knew was not noted for the large litters of its pigs, and I have almost invariably noticed a reduction in the number of pigs compared with the numbers begotten at the same period by boars of my own breeding, and which I knew were from prolific strains. Another frequent cause of small litters is the over use of the boar. Even with some of my boars, which were note>l for tbeir numerous progeny, I have observed that the litters of pigs have been fewer iv number ard weaker when too frequent use has been made of their services. One great poiut in the securing of large litters of strong and healthy pi#a is the choosing of the boar and the sow from prolific and healthy strains, and then both parents should at the time of copulation be in a vigorous and robust state of health. It would be'far better to lo3e the three weeks tbau to njate boar and sow when either is overwrought, or in a weakly condition trom any other cause. To me an average of s unelhiu" lega than six pigs at a litter appta-s to be almost; incredible. During tho last 10 days three of my aged sows and three which hnve uob Previously brought up a

litter have farrowed a total of 77 pigs, or litters of 17, 8, 11, 14, 12, and 15— an average of 12 - 56 — and this from sows of which half were wh»fc are by some people called immature. There is some trutb in the fear expressed by one writer that persons over-feed their boars and sows, bub I fear that the reverse more often hold 3 good, while as to crossbreds being more prolific than purebreds, I don't believe ib. I would not fat a well-bred gelt whioh had a small litter, but I would prefer a prolific one to keep for a sow. — Sanders Spencer, in the Farmer.

Greasy Heels in Horses. — This is caused by dirty stables and carelessness generally in regard to the animal so affected. Sometimes the heels become inflamed and tender, followed by cracks, with bleeding and lameness. In other cases there is a discharge of whitish greasy fluid, with an offensive smell, from the skin about the heels. In worse cases there are fungus-like growths from the size of a pea to that of a marble, liable to bleed when rubbed. This is due to a fungus or vegetable growth. Dry quarters and cleanliness are preventives. If the heels are cracked use only warm water and hard soap, and be sure to dry the legs and feet after washing. When quite dry anoint the heels with white precipitate ointment. Continue this course, and in a few days the disease will be cured.

The Farm Must Feed the Farmer. — The first duty of the farmer is to grow and produce from the soil everything that is required for the support of himself, his family, servants, and live stock — and this can easily be done by every farmer. He must be provident, and make provision during favourable seasons of fodder to tide his live stock over periods of drought and scarcity. It will not do to "trust to chance " in this matter, because their is a certainty of periods of drought occurring frequently. He must be a "gardener," as well as a wheatgrower and grazier, to the extent, at least, of providing fruit and vegetables for his own household. It is a most foolish thing to be dependent upon supplies of fruit and vegetables from outside sources, when you own land and possess the ability to raise these things upon the farm. The production of all these requisites of comfortable life upon the farm can be easily secured by a rational apportionment of time and labour. Half an hour per day would be ample time devoted regularly to the garden, orchard, and summer fodder fields. — Adelaide Observer.

Cbeam Separators. — An interesting account of the genesis of cream separators is given in a bulletin of the Ohio Experiment Station. It is shown that the fat of milk is its most valuable constituent, and the buttermaker aims to separate it as completely as possible. This fat exists in the milk in the form of extremely minute globules floating iv a heavier liquid. When we let milk stand undisturbed these minute globules rise towards the top and accu1 mulate in the upper part of the milk, crowding out a considerable portion of the liquid in which they are suspended. This upper part of the 'milk where the minute fat globules are the most numerous is the cream. It is plain from 'this explanation that we may get more or less bulk of cream from the same milk according to the time allowed for the globules to the, and according as they are able to crowd out the liquid more or less completely; consequently the bulk of the cream is a very inaccurate measure of the butter value of milk — a fact that has been proved by abundant experience. The object of a separator is to hasten the process by 'substituting centrifugal force for gravity. If we swing a bucket of water rapidly round at arm's length, we feel a pull on the arm. This is caused by the so-called centrifugal foree — the force which tends to make a revolving body move away from the centre of motion. The faster we swing the pail the greater the pull, and accurate experiments have shown that the centrifugal force increases as the square of the velocity — that is to say, if we swing the bucket twice as fast the pull becomes four times as great ; if we swing it three times as fast it becomes nine times as great, and so on. If we were to put milk in the bucket in place of water, and swing it very fast, the centrifugal force would pull the milk against the bottom of the bucket just as gravity does when the bucket is at rest, the only difference being that, if the bucket were swung very rapidly, the centrifugal force woutd be much greater than gravity, and the pull on the milk correspondingly greater. The result would be that the cream would rise to the surface of the milk just as it would under the influence of gravity, but more rapidly in proportion as the centrifugal force was greater than the force of gravity. The earliest centrifugal separator was constructed exactly on this plan, the milk being revolved rapidly in small buckets by means of suitable mechanical contrivances. In this apparatus the cream could be raised in from 15 to 20 minutes. The next step in the development of the machine was to replace the series of buckets by a bowl rotating about & vertical axis. The next step forward, and the one which made the separator of practical value, was the construction by De Laval, in 1879, of a machine for continuous separation — that is, one into which milk could be run at a regular rate as long as desired, and separated into cream and skim milk.

The Careful Fabmer — No one nowadays can afford to be extravagant. It is ruinous to leave waggons, carts, strippers, stringbinders, winnowers, and other machinery made partly or wholly of wood out in the heat and cold, wet and dry weather, without shelter. It is bad enough to expose iron implements, such as ploughs, harrows, scarifiers, &c, to rust and spoil, but it is madness to expose the firstnamed to be ruined in a single season. We must be very careful both of dead and live stock, aud provide ample shelter for all. Bags must be protected from mice and rats, and grain and 6eed must be well looked after. Above all, the seed must be both clean and well selected. By constant selection and reselection, and by keeping the fields clear from weeds, it is possible to double the yield of wheat or other grain. Too many people think it is the land which gives the increase, but it is the skill, labour, and intelligence of the man who works it that improves the yield from a farm.—Exchange.

Care of Vehicle's — Attention to little details in the care of a carriage will much prolong its days of usefulness. The wearing portions of the axles should be well and frequently oiled after every 20 miles run. Wipe off the skeins with a woollen cloth, also remove all oil and dirt from both ends of the hub. For light vehicles use castor oil. Never allow a waggon to be used when it is so dry that it creaks, as the vehicle then needs increased power to move it, and there is danger to the axle and the hub in the rapid wear. In all light waggons use leather washers to take up the wear on the ends of the hubs. If the fifth wheel has been properly constructed no oil will be needed on it. The thill coupling should be kept in good repair and close-fitting. All bolts should be kept in place and rattling of any portion thereby avoided. Do not allow mud to remain too long on the painted surface. A few pails of water dashed on the waggon when the mud is damp will usually rinse off most of the dirt, and by the use of the small hand spraying pump it can be left in a presentable condition with but little or no use of the sponge.' If mud is allowed to

dry on the carriage it soon deadens the lustre of the varnish and renders the p'iiut less durable. If possible tvll waggons should stand upon an earth surface when not in use. The moisture of the soil prevents shriuksge of the woodwork of the wheel, and the tyre is thus kepb close-fitting for longer time than when standing upon a wooden floor. Paint first wears off from the side of the felloes, and on waggons much used this portion should be painted or oiled at least every spring. — Exchange.

Tohebculosis. — No doubt whatever now exists that tuberculosis in cattle is communicable to mankind and to other animals both through eating the flesh or consuming the milk and products from the milk. The bacillus of the disease has been found in butter, in cheese, as well as in the milk and the flesh of cattle. Cows appear to be most susceptible to the disease, and may be very badly affected without its making any appreciable appearance to the ordinary observer. Tuberculosis is far more prevalent than many people think, and where milk is gathered from wide areas and mixed together for manufacture into butter and cheese the danger to the community is greatly intensified. Not less than one-seventh of the deaths of the human family are attributable to tuberculosis ; therefore we should endeavour to stamp out the source from whence it chiefly arises.