HAWKE'S BAY FARM AND RURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2757, 16 January 1907, Page 22

HAWKE'S BAY FARM AND RURAL NOTES.

The geiieral run of farmers wean about the first two weeks in Weaning January. Some wean the Limbi. earlier, the idea being that by so doing the best feed there is on the farm can be given to the lambs, that the extra good feed compensates the lamb for the loss of the milk, and that there is plenty of time to fatten the ewe before the winter. This is a good plan in a dry season, when the ewea dry off early. The lambs get no milk, and till they are weaned have to compete with the ewes for what feed there is, which is not fair to the lambs. In ordinary seasons, when feed' is plentiful, I think it is better not to wean as long as the ewes have even a very small quantity of milk, and the lambs will winter much better than those that are weaned early. Of course,, if there is rape or some such crop for the lambs, weaning can safely be done early. An important point in weaning is to see that the lambs have water easily accessible, and whe-re they will readily find it ; if it is not in a position easy for them to find, they should be driven' to it. Newly -weaned lambs require plenty of it. i It is not an uncommon idea that ehcep can get along without water. It is true that they can keep alive without it for a surprising length of time, but the ordinary cheep canI not thrive without it, although the.re a'e certain isolated ca6es, where it has been proved that sheep never had access to I water during their lives, and have kept lin fair condition. In Hawke's Bay, at [ anyrate, half the battle in a really dry summer is good water. As showing the care that is required^ in using poisonous exterminaCaJifornian tors, one of the Lindsay Thistle. settlers recently lost quite a large number of sheep and cattle in consequence of their having eaten round the blackberry bu3b.es. that had been syringed: with some arsenical preparation. The stock inspector was called in to solve the mystery of the death, which was not a a difficult matter.- I have previously stated in this column that coar&e salt is an excellent exterminator for Californian thistle on grass lands. I have not tried it with blackberry, but have no doubt it would be effectual and certainly it is safe for stock. In a paddock which I ploughed this sprini? there used to be a crop of this thietle, which I thought was killed with salt, and in a momnjpt of over-confidence I ploughed where the patch had been, instead of missing it, as I should have done. The result is that the thistles are almost as thick as before. With the grass land carrying a good sward it is not a difficult matter to exterminate moderate-sized potatoes. Provided it is not done too soon after salting, it is a good plan to sow the bare patches with grass seed, and scratch it in with a hand' rake. The sooner the bare patches are covered -with grass the better, but apparently it does not do to use the plough on them. The long spell of dry weather has cau a odi a scarcity of feed in the General. dryer parts of the province, and, in consequence, there I has been a considerable fall in store stock. Lambs have not been fattening, and have generally gone off in condition, so that , unless a good rain comes the outlook is not I cheerful. Beneficial rains have fallen duri ing the week, but not enough so far to do any lasting .good. From the bush down to about Takapau the grass is showing up green, but without more rain it will soon be dry again. Along the foot of the ranges thoy have had plenty of rain, so much that there hab been considerable difficulty with tho hay. As elsewhere, fat stock have <leclinod m value. In stores, two-tooth wethers arc worth about 13s, fair lambs Bs, forward lambs 10s. . HEPERE.