NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2400, 1 March 1900, Page 5

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

The "Stock Act Amendment Act, 1695,* makes it compulsory to dip Dipini'o sheep between the Ist day ol Sheep. February and the 30 th of April in each year, and failure to comply with this renders sheepowners liable to a penalty of not less than threepence per head or more than two shillings per head. If, however, it can be shown to the satisfaction of the stock inspector that owing to want oof. f water, or any other sufficient cause, the dip ping cannot be done before the 30th of April, then he may grant an extension of time for a period not exceeding 31 days. Sensible people do not require to be compelled by law to do that which is for their own profit ; but it is a factsjthat prior to the passing of this act there were' owners so shortsighted as to neglect this operation, and by so doing endanger the welfare of the flocks of their neighbours. I should hope that there are not any such people in the country now, but in case there may be • some who merely put their sheep through a dip for the sake of avoiding the penalty for nondipping, I may say that such perfunctory compliance with the letter of the law will not serve them ; for if a stock inspector finds vermin in a flock, he can order such sheep to b« redipped. If a sheepfariner finds that a neigh- ' bour's sheep are not clean, he is perfectly ' justified in informing the inspector that hii own sheep are in danger therefrom, and in requesting him to examine the sheep of the defaulting farmer. Though'" the act says sheep " shall be dipped between the Ist February and 30th April," it does not follow that a man ;

who. dips in January will be called upon to redip] between those two 'dates, unless the condition of the sheep requires-it. Ido not. however, sea why anybody should run that nek, for February is quite soon enough to dip, and it is just as well to comply with the law when it is to one's advantage -to- do so. Sheep cannot be so profitable when they are not in a . Wealthy and -thriving condition, and how can they thrive and do the most credit lo their food if they are worried-and tormented, with an" army of bloodsuckers? Then, again, there xc the injury done to their fleece to be considered, and the loss of wool and damage incurred '■ through constant rubbing against fences; to say nothing of the liability of getting cast on account of their desire to be always rolling 1 on the ground in a vain endeavour to allay the frightful irritation caused by ticks and lice. c

As I have said, it should scarcely be necessary, to advocate a policy of A For facts which the advantages are so, And apparent to every sensible Figures. person; but, nevertheless, it is advisable to point out the yisdom of doing it thoroughly and not for the 'ole reason that it has to be done. A proper apparatus, an effective dipping material, and care and intelligence in using it are indispensable to good results being obtained. It is Df too much importance to ,be hurried over and slummed in the doing; and yet I am afraid that too many fai'mers do v.ot pay sufficient regard to the financial benefits derived from opping. I believe that the money loss on ctofs- ' bred and long-wool sheep through non-flip-ping, oi bad dipping, is fully equal to two shillings per head ; but in order to be on j;he Baf e side, I will put it at' one shilling. Now, at the most, the cost of dipping paddock sheep is not more than a halfpenny per head, and that will include interest on average cost of dipping bath, draining yards, etc. This is an enormous profit, and means 2400 per cent., that is, for each £100 laid out in this way a return is gained of £24-00, and that, surely, should be sufficient inducement to spend the halfpenny per head instead of grudging the cost and spoiling the job in order to try and do it foi a farthing per head. I do not wish tc disparage any dipping material, nor to recommend or advertise any particular one; but I can say without fear of contradiction that the best results, in. my experience, have been obtained from a poisonous dip. The non-poisbn-ous seem to me to kill the ticks in the fleece at '..the time, and also to give a temporary saponaceous^ touch to the wool ; but the results ere anot^ sufficiently lasting.- The true value of a sheep dip cannot be gauged just after the dip■ping, for ijb is essential that the result should „ prove effective and lasting enough to destroy \all the egg? as well as live ticks, and also pre1~,Y.e»l ~,Y.e»f --re-inf ection for the greater part of the

year. lam convinced that there is no additional danger in using a poisonous dip if the directions are carefully followed, and also that it is the most" effective in lasting results. If sheep are dipped in Februaiy or March, and no ticks or other vermin are found upon them at shearing time, there is no doubt about the effectiveness of the preparation used, and I believe that sheep require to be dipped twice with nonpoisonous dips in order to keep them as clean throughout the year as with one application of a good poisonous dip. In. using any dip, care must be taken to use the right strength, and to- give the sheep a good soaking and a good long swim. When the bath gets very foul, it should be emptied and re-filled with clean water. Dirt in excess injures the fleece and weakens the strength of the dip. Heavy rain immediately after dipping is liable to wash the wool and dimmish the permanency of the material; but this disadvantage is more apparent in respeel to a non-poisonous dip than to a poisonous one. lam aware that opinions differ very much in regard to tho comparativei value of various dips, and also in regard to the relative value of poisonous and non-poisonous ; but I have only given my own opinion, formed upon my own experience, and do not wish to dictate to others.

In these times of high prices for fat lambs the object is to grow feed Rape that will fatlen quickly, and For Lnjnlts. for that purpose rape is the most popular plant. Lucky is the man that has a good crop of healthy lambs and a sufficiency of good rape to make them prime freezers. There is danger, however, in rape for sheep and some discretion is necessary in slocking it without causing an undue number of deaths. Lambs are kittle cattle, and very little will put them wrong, and therefore it is that putting sheep, especially young sheep, on rape is a matter requiring watchfulness. Severe scouring is sometimes induced when sheep are first put on to rape, and to counteract this a good supply of salt is necessary, together with an occasional change to a dry pasture. They should not be turned into a good crop of rape witli an empty belly, as a ravenous hunger causes them to eat too 'greedily, bringing on severe distension of the stomach, and perhaps death. If their hungei is satisfied before going into the rape they will pick at it quietly, and thus become used to the plentiful and succulent diet gradually. As the season goes on we may expect light, autumnal frosts, and the frosty rape is apt to bring on a dangerous bowel disorder. This danger is lessened by removing them at night and returning thorn to the rape after the morning sun has thawed and dried the frosty leaves. There is less danger to lambs when rape is. fully matured before being grassed, and it is

much better management to allow it to become so than to stock too soon and have trouble with the sheep. As sheep fatten they get broader in the back and more likely to become cast, and this danger is greater when the rape or turnips are grown on raised drills. When the stomach is loaded with soft and watery food a sheep soon dies after getting | fixed on the broad of its back, therefore it ' is scarcely necessary for me to point out that they should be seen two or three times a day, and more particularly earl}" in the morning, I in. order to put up those that may be cast on their camping ground.

I have received a pamphlet from Australia setting forth the value and A New uses of gypsum, also known Australian • as "plaster of Paris" and "sulInlustry. phate of lime." The author says that "although thousands of tons of fertilisers have annually been imported to Australia, no attempt has been made until recently to put to some practical use the great natural deposits of gypsum, obtainable at a comparatively trifling cost at our very doors." The pamphlet was compiled by Mr A. H. Hasell, proprietor, in order, to let colonial farmers know the benefit of using this fertiliser. He quotes many good authorities in favour of gypsum, and gives results of experiments made in Europe with this manure, showing how it acts beneficially when, rightly applied. Ido not' question the claims made in favour of this manure by Mr Hasell, but farmers who know anything about the matter need not be told that gypsum is only an indirect manure. That is, it is useful in conjuncaion w.ith other manures, and also a? a fixer of nitrogen in farm3'ard manure, but of itself it is not considered of much- direct benefit. It is one of the fow fertilisers that can be used beneficially in conjunction with farmyard manure, and prevents " fire fang " and escape of ammonia in dung heaps. It is really a form of lime combined with sulphuric acid, and it acts much in the same manner that lime does in setting free other constituents, and rendering them available as plant food. It is good as a top-dress-ing for grass, clover, and growing crops of various kinds. Gypsum was known to the ancients, but it was not until the middle of the last century that it began to attract attention as a fertiliser. When Benjamin Franklin visited Europe he was so struck with the good effect of this plaster, that he took a quantity of it back with him to America, and, in order to bring it prominently before the public, he caused a meadow near the City of Philadelphia, to be dressed with it in the form of these words: "This has been plastered." The darker green and the more luxuriant growth of the grass and clover thus treated were very apparent, and it was an excellent advertisement for the plaster of Paris. It is a very cheap manure, and deserves more attention than it receives. Mr Hasell says he can put it free on board at Melbourne at 21s per ton. AGKICOLA. t