SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 8

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

The Weather and The Farm.

Sheep.

fPCOH OTTB Ow» CO*B,S9K«n«NT.) The weather during the month was for the mobfc parb dry and calm. Two or three inches cf enow fell on one- occasion, but it disappeared in a few hours. The rainfall was of ' small amount, totalling, with the melted enow, only o.sSin, which is about one-ntth the rainfall that occurred in the corresponding month 'A last year. As a consequence of the fine weather, agricultural operations are very far advanced, and in a number of cases there was time \o spar© for carting oats to the sidings or for laying in a supply of lignite f*>- -Hiel. Discing and harrowing were commenced •early in the month, .and th© majority of farmers are now ready to sow and complete the tilage with a mini mum of labour. A number have been sowing oats during the last week or two, but the majority prefer to wait a little longer, as the b&st time for sowing jafcs is about the middle of September. The wheat has been sown in due time and the dry condition of the soil ias encouraged a few to try this crop on land which is not usually dry enough for sowing at the most suitable time— viz., tb.2 latter half of August. It is probable,- however, that the aggregate acreage of wheat will not be increased. The area under oats will, I think, be. still further reduced this _ season owing to the labour difficulty and the high price of cheep. A number of farmers are sowing no more than 10 per cent, of their acreage in oats, and there are a few who are sowing less — just as much as will suffice for farm requirements. There has been an abundance of turnips this sea-son in most places, and a week or two since sheep were turned on the whole crop to slop the growth of shaws, which deteriorates the feeding value of the roots. Lambing will not be general till the middle ~ of September^ or a little later, although' a few lamba have appeared 1 here and there. It is nol: the weather that is against early lambs, but the scarcity of grass. The ewes do well on turnips as long as there roots retain their nutritive properties, but the lambs are the better of having grass in addition to milk when they attain the age of about a month, so that it is not an advantage io have lambs appearing early in the spring. Ewes in many places are in high condition, and they have to be removed off the turnips &t night and during a portion of the day in order that they may not fall victims to fatty infiltration of the liver. This -i 3 a condition to which fat turnip-fed ewes taking too little exercise are liable to get in a few weeks before lembirig, but fatal results, have been averted since the cause and treatment have been studied and explained by the Veterinary Department. In a fine season such as this farmers are apt to forget that it is important to _p_rjOYide temporary shelter forlambs'. Not a season pusses without a stormy day or two now and again, and at such times large numbers of lambs arc lost just for want of temporary shelter. There is not much trouble in setting up « number of hurdles in different parts of the paddocks in which the ewe flock is running. If the hurdles have cornsa-cks taoked to their sides, and have a covering of tho same material or of straw on top, newlydropped lambs can be put into shelter before they get chilled. By taking the precautionary steps mentioned there should nob be many more lamb lost in stormy weather than in fine. Chilled lambs should not have milk poured into their stomachs immediately after they are able to walk, a-s owing to the low temperature of tho stomach the milk curdles and caus.es death. Young lambs can do a considerable time without milk, and they usually gf>t vt soon enough by their own efforts from the ewe. When lambs are hand-fed, they need the milk of newly-calved cows, as that of cows, long in use is too constipating, thereby causing the death of the lambs.

Veterinary.

At this time of the year ca«es of reel or black water (Asthenio htematuria) In cows ai'e met with hero and there. The ailment receives its name from the colour of the urine, -and it is caused by deficient nourishment. This disease may affect cows not giving milk, and even bullocks depastured on poor land. The disease is therefore called either the parturient or nonparturienfc kind. The treatment is the same, however ; bufc it is usually ■sufficient to remove cattle not giving milk to better pasture in order to effect a, cure. The parturient red .vater usually appears in from eight to 14- days after oalving. Feeding cows too long on turnips alone is a frequent cause, as there is not sufficient nutriment ir. the^e rcois alone, and some are of opinion that the disease is move apt to be caused by feeding on swedes than on soft turnips. If this is so, it would tend to confirm the opinion of a few veterinary surgeons that an unclue amount of sugar in the food has something ito do with the ailment. But be this as it may, "all authorities are agreed that the disease is induced" by food containing an excess of water and diminished proportions of flesh and fat-forming matters." Drastic purgatives should be avoided, but a. mild oleaginous purge such as one pint of raw linseed oil may bo given with advantage, even when there is looseness of the bowels. The following prescription is also a good one : — Epsom salts, gib ; gentian, 2oz ; ginger, 2oz ; sulphur, 2oz. This should be mixed and given m a, little law Jinaiefl'

oil. But in most cases it is not necessary to give any drugs. Affected animals should bo removed from the turnip paddock to pasture, and given two feeds a day of crushed oats and ohaff, and also, as a drench, t^ice a day flic or six raw eggs beaten up and mixed with a pint of new milk. If Ihe animal is not wrak, twice the number of eggs mentioned may bo given once c day in tho same way, instead of twice. In this disease the albumen of the blood is being lost in the urine, hence the importance of giving eggs and whole milk, which are rich in albumen.