DAIRYING ALL THE YEAR ROUND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2258, 10 June 1897, Page 4

DAIRYING ALL THE YEAR ROUND.

DAIRYING ALL THE TEAR ROUHD. Until recently Denmark, Sweden, and Normandy were the chief exporters of butter to Great Britain, but their natural advantages in this connection, or as they affect cheese production, are by no means equal to our own, and it is only by superior organisation in making and marketing that they obtained and have kept such a strong foothold in British markets. The rapid extension of the factory system has placed na on a level with the countries nfiised so far as

the skilled manufacture of cheese and butte is concerned, and for combined advantages of soil and climate in relation to pasture, grain, roots, and forage crops on arable land, the country or colony equal to New Zealand has to be discovered. If any European cr American country be taken into consideration, it will be found that at one season or another the climate is less favourable to a high average in quantity and quality in the ordinary fruits of the soil, taken together, than our own. No country in tha world has as great natural advantages for dairy-farming as New Zealand, in consequence of the abundance of grass food that may be grown here all the year round, and which on well-managed farms, except when snow-covered temporarily, even in the depth of winter affords a substantial bite for the farm live stock. The firm, full-bodied seeds of the various cultivated grasses annually placed on the market are evidence in support of the Tigorous growth of the parent plants. The average yield per acre of our. grain crops nearly approaches that of the United Kingdom, where superior cultivation is ths general rule, and the remarks apply alike to the root crop productions ; bub as an example of the neglect of exceptional natural advantages for the cultivation of forage crops it would be difficult to beat the case of New Zealand. The consequences ef the neglected opportunities are experienced by dairy-farmers more acutely than by any other class of stock-owners. During the sunimerjmonths the whole dependence for milkcow feed is placed upon the pastures, and if a drought, however slight, sets iv, the milk yield at once diminishes. Should this occur about midsummer, the cows require especial attention, for it will be found that if a cow which bas calved in spring is allowed by any mismanagement; to lose or reduce her milk after the turn of the days, it cannot be got back again. At this time the cows oughb to lie ouo at night only, and stand in cool, well-venti!aied houses or sheds during the day, as the flies worrying them and keeping them in a constant state of agitation, will not only reduce the quantity of cream, but the quality of the butter is very much affected by it, although the quantity of milk may nob be so perceptibly reduced. After the cowb are milked in the morning, they should be left to rett themselves all day, kept very quiet, ard supplied at intervals with some cut green food, as should be provided for their use. Immediately before milfcing-time in the evening a small feed should be given for mastication during the milking operations, and when the flies have ceased to be troublesome, turn the cows out for the Bight j upon the pasture. This plan should be continued till the day temperature is sufficiently reduced for the cows to enjoy the day air, when the method should be reversed, the cows j being taken iv at night and turned out in the morning, but an ample supply of succulent forage should be given at night, and a lighter feed in the morning. The change takes place generally about the middle of February — some seasons earlier and some later, varying somewhat in different localities. As the nights grow colder and longer and as grass becomes scarce the supply of green food must be increased, and particular attention given to the comfort of the cows'. Farmers in the Home country who excel in the management o\ dairy cows even pay particular attention to the temperature of the drinking water, and supply it during the winter at that of 80deg to 90deg. They contend that if a cow has to drink water at a lower temperature, or spend her time in a cold atmosphere, she i 9 being used as a machine for warming herself aud the water, whereas she can ba more profitably employed in producing milk. It certainly does nob pay in the=e days of fchtu-p competition to use food and living animals as machines for heating water and maintaining the normal temperature of the body. As tho ! winter advances both dry food and green etuff j must be gradually increased, and a mo*b excellent food made up of chaffed oaten straw aud green rye, oats, or barley mixed, and trodden on a barn or other floor, and left to undergo a slight fermentation, should be kept constantly in stock. The necessity for turnip feeding iv quantity must be avoided by the winter dairyman, who should cultivate mangels to a greater extent instead. The objection to mnngel-growirg is the heavy cost of the liberal manuring necessary to ensure a successful crop, andag&in the labour required for carting and storing the roota bcFoco the advent of severe froßte. The storing is an absolute necessity, as freshly-taken-up mangels are certain to injuriously affect the health of cattle to which they aro given, scouring being I the most trouble, and besides mangels are more ' nutritious when matured in the pits for not legs than two months. So cared for the roots will i keep well till October, long after Swedish turnips have sprouted and becomoinnutritious. A

supply of mangels, supplemented by autumnsown forage crops and oaten straw treated as suggested, will enable i a cow-keeper to send out a full supply of milk throughout the spring month?, instead of hio being compalled to turn tha cows out on the youug growth of grass, as is ordinarily the case, and with tho attendant evil coiißeqneiices — " CAttle-scour " and peaching of the pastures. It may be necessary to observe that throughout the winter the cows should be turned out a little time each day, but only for a very short time in bad weather. They must, however, never be shut out or compelled to siay longer than they like, and immediately they return to their byre (which they will do if not stinted in supply of palatable food) should be let in and tied up, as they know better than we do what euito them best. The system of management described here, as will be perceived, is based on the assumption that the only caMle food available is that which must be grown upon. Where bran, linßeed cake, and inferior grain aro procurable at low prices the farmer could keep an additional number of cows, and vastly increase the fertility of hia farm. la any case, with the judicious cultivation of successive forage crops, the proper utilisation of straw in winter, proper cowhouse accommodation, and ralaya of oows timed to calve at proper interval!, tha full milk supply may ba obtained throughout the year." As the question of the- effects of the food of cows upon their milk has caused much discussion, the following abstract from Mr John Speir8 J s report of his experiments, published in the Highland Society's Journal, will likely be of advantage. The experiments were conducted with a large herd ucder observation, and among the conclusions arrived at are the following: — (1) That at least two foods — viz., youug grass and brewers' grains — have a tendency to lower the percentage of fat in the milk. (2) That most changes of food spobci to be followed by an increase cf fat, bub there is a ttrong tendency for the milk to return .to its normal condition. The maximum or minimum of fat seems to b^ reached in about ten days, and within over 30 the probability is that the milk will b8 returned to near its normal condition. (3) That the solids other than fat seam to rise and fall in the same manner as the fats, although to a Jess degree. (4) That an increase of oil in the food does noS seem to give any increase of fat in tha milk. This was clearly shown during the period that linseed cake was given to the cows. This food contained twice as much oil as the previous food (oats), yet only on one occasion (second week) did the milk contain a higher percentage of fab. (5) That the effect ot the food is more marked on the quality of butter produced than the quantity. Like the fat ia the milk the yield of butter seems to attain the maximum about; the middle of the second week, »iter which it decreases, attaining its normal about the end of the fifth week. Owing to the higher prices which wheat and o&t3 have been making during Price Levels the past two years there is a of general impression that the tide Commodities has turned from the bottom Sbice 1567. level and that the improvement will be permanent. For some years after the fall in prices set in in 1875 it was believed that the dspression was only temporary, and that there would be a return to old rates for agricultural products in European markets at least. The tendency, however, continued atill downward, as has been also the case wifa many other leading commodities. Political economists have devised as a register of the movement of price levels & system of "index numbers " based on the average wholesale prices of a number of the principal commodities brought to market. Mr Sauerbech, a very high authority, bases his index numbers on 45 articles of commerce, including food?. His latest tables published include last year, and are well worth attention. His starting point is the average prices of the 10 years 1867 to 1877. Calling this 100, he then shows in each, following year the proportion which the price level of that year tears to the starting point. The following are the figures : —

This is a dismal record of falling prices, and the year ending December 31, 1886, is the lowest of them all. The testimony of these index numbers is that the fall in price levels is still progressing. The Southland «etilers may indignantly dsny that they are rabbit; farming, but Rabbit they are uncommonly reluctant Farming. to have the rabbits destroyed. The department wants to start poisoning oa the Ist of July, but as all concerned are making a pretty penny out of rabbits trapped and frozen, they are loud in their demand that poisoning shall be postponed until the Ist of September. They are obviously afraid that if poisoning on a general, scale commences iv winter, when feed ia scarce, there will not be such a good harvest of rabbits next year. If general poisoning is postponed until September, by that time the young grass and crops will have come forward, and bunny will not look at oats or pollard or anything but what is succulent and green. That would ensure a plentiful eupply of rabbits for next season. Of course there is nothing to be said against turning the rabbit 3to a good account, but it is obvious that they muse either be treated as a pest and destroyed, or a blessing and preserved. No doubt they have conferred a great benefit on some who have been employed killing and preserving and otherwise dealing with them, but this is at the public expense. The production of wool and grain is much lessened by their presence, and 6he unfortunate farmer thus pays a double tax — first by the direci diminution of his produce, and then another levy is made on him to subdue the pest. It would be much more reasonable if these farmers who desire rabbits to remain, and preserve their grass and crops at the same time, were to contrive uotue feasible means of wire-netting their land. The New Zealaad Dairy Association, through their manager, Mr Spragg, have Dairy issued a series of proposals to Mutters. supplieru which ought to be of geceral interest. It may be mentioned that between January 1 and Decembsr 31, 1896, New Zealand butter Factories aud dairies not only supplied local wants, but exported 7,991,53G1b of butter, valued at £281,742, or an average price of about B^J per lb. The price paid by the New Zealand Dairy Association for milk was as nearly as possible 2^d per gallon, thus leaving a very small margin of p/ofit. The association now propose to receive milk for a longer term than the usual one of eight months. For the present a 10-month season is considered preferable, but should it ba found desirable a farther extension m&v be considered another year. The

association further purpose to repeat the system of last year whereby a farthing a g&llou wiy | be added to the price of milk supplied to I creameiies where the total quantity avorsgeg 9000 gallons por week. This is in order to encourage large supplies of milk to individual creameries, and is to apply to all tha season ; but in the event of the season being extended, the advance will only be calculated upon milk supplied during th'a eight months from September to April, which have hitherto constituted tho season. These proposals appear to be manifestly to the advantage of dairy owners, and seem to poiub to the time when supplies of milk will be received continuously at factories all the year round, and so lead to that system of winter feeding which authorities conour in recommending.

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