STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 7

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

By DaoYM.

Weekly Stock Sales: Burnside, "Wednesdays Ashburton, Tuesdays Addington, "Wednesdays Waiareka, Railway Junction, Tuesdays Fortnightly : Balclutfaa, Fridays Gore, Tuesdays Oamaru, Tuesdays InvercargiL, Tuesdays

( Monthly : 'Ngapara, first Thursday in each month Glenavy, sscond Wednesday in each month Duntroon, second Friday iv each month Clinton, Palmerston, "Winton, and "Waikcuaiti. Periodically : Heriot, Kelso, iiyeburn

The stock markets arc dull 60 far as Burnside- is concerned, and are likely to remain co for three months, as the freezing works both at Burnside and Oamaru are now clcscd, and will not open again until January. It depends upon tbc weather and how lambs come forward whether frho opening will bo early in January or later in rhe month. Burnside has been fairly rjusy during tire pan season, having put through about 140,000 sheep Ind lambs. This, in a fine district like Otago, should be improved; upon, and I believe the company are hopeful that this will bo the case. Farmers during the past two. years in Otago and .Southland have been encouraged by some considerable Success in fattening stock, and they deserve it. as they have used the plough, and have done their bast to provide feed for spring as well as winter. It only requires a little perseverance in this direction, assisted by genial weather, to increase the work provided for our local freezing worka as well as enable us to h^Sld our own legitimata trade in the frozen meat export business. I do not like to see tho bulk of our stock going through Dunedin Railway Station to Canterbury, nor do 1 believe it is gocd for the farming community that the sheep and lambs should go past local freezing works, for eomo one nays for that railage on the stock. The Canterbury buyer apparently pajs in the first instance, but 1 am afraid in reality it comes out of the farmer's pecket. I am hoping fchat we shall be abio to fatten out stock and not ha\ s to send them to be fattened in Canterbury. At pTcsent feed looks well inOtagoand Southland, and if we ha-se not too much cold weather between now and tbe- New TT"ar wo. should t make a good showing "in frozen meat export from Dunedin and Oamaru and the Bluff. At the local freezing works \cry littlehas been clono in frozen beef, as cattle in Otago and Southland do not seem to increase beyond local requirement-. Nor do w.s do anything in frozen pork, for which there ds plenty of demand. But farmers do not take kindly to pig-farming, except on the most limited scale. The .olal mimber of cheep in Australia 011 December 31, ISO 7, was 87,749,946, an increase of about four millions on the pre\ioiis yoar. Ths number of cattle wa3 10,141,214, an increase of nearly one million on previous year, and of hcrsea 1,871,953, an increase of 100,000 on the previous year The increases in New Zealand were also satisfactory: Sheep totalled 22,449,053, an increase of 1,100,000 on the previous year. This is the more satisfactory as' during that year w© exported 4,500,000 carcases of frozen mutton and lamb from New Zealand. Cattle in New Zealand show a decrease of 32,000 Jiead on tho previous rear, flfe total at end of 1907 being 1,816,299. This falling off i& probably not

* 1 in dairy cows, but indicates that there is less interest taken by farmers in the beef trade, and that they stake ail on mutton and Jamb, which is "probably a mistake. Horses in New . Zealand numbered 353,257, an increase of -about 10,000 on the previous year. Of the total Australian increase of 4,000,000 sheep, Queensland is responsible for 2,000,000 in the ono year, and Vicjto.-ia about 1,200,000. The numbsi in New South Wales has hardly increased at all, owing to droughty conditions. §outh Australia only shews an increase of 200,000, while West Australia, on a total of some 3,500,000, shows nearly 400,000 increase. Tasmania, on her 1,700,000 sheep at the end jof 19C6, showed an increase of 14,000 in 1907. In cattle, Queensland shows the greatest inci^ease — viz., half a million head. The shipping season for dairy • produce hae now fairly commenced. The Tongariro sailed jn September 24 wiih 5627 boxes butter, and the lonic on October 8, wit'a 16,134 boxes butter and 3338 crates cheese. Up to this date our butter shipments arrj practically the came as last year, but chee=o is 3000 crates lees. The boats following will bo the Turakina, on October 22, and the Athenio 011 November 5. These carry North Island dairy produce only, except « little butter from Canterbury. Then will , follow the Paparoa, which will bo the firtt eteame-i* to take Otago and Southland cheese. She ieaves the Dominion finally on November 19. The chpes© for her will 00 * pTiided at the Bluff on Saturday, November 7, and at Dunedin on Tuerday, November 10, being shipped in connecting 6teamer j at the Bluff on Monday, and at Dunedin cm. Wednesday. Every 14 days thereafter the same process will be repeated at the Bluff and Dundin, till the end' of May, and possibly into June. Shipments this year will, I think, prove a, record, as increases are expected at all factories. Drummond, the latest of our new factories, will' make about 50 tons this year, and" .> should ere long in that fine district become a- large and useful factory if the local , farmers are not too well off foi cow-spanking. That's The dancer now in Otago and Southland, I am {old. Mr John Sawers, whom I saw lately, ismaking an excellent recovery from his torrible accident, and "will be about coon. I bcliove that even now it is difficult to keep him in bed, as his health is good, and he- is just a bit too vigorous and healthy for a model patient. Everyone is glad all j is so well with him. The Massachusetts Experimental Station has issued a leaflet showing a simple method of testing that will indicate good and pooi- milk yielders. Probably thero is aiot much new in the leaflet, but it may be very helpful to any who will act upon it. lam certain that it is in this direction that dairy-farmers should look for permanent benefit. The markets they cannot mend or control, but in cow improvemeni they could do something. As a matter of fact, the cheese factories can have nothing to complain of in the- wav of markets, as they have all secured. 6d on truck, and over. One fcefe almost inclined to pray for j the poor buyers. I would rather be a ' seller than a buyer this year. No South Island factory has, I believe, consign*^ this year. -It seems -to jne it would be almost tempting- Providence to do ep. >Ir Turner, of Weller and Riley, told factories to consign if they did riot • get 6£d, b-.it our southern, factory men did 1 not take- his advice, and they were right Even if tiro buyers do make a little, they deserve <t for tho risk of. carrying -such a. burden as November 1o May shipments on thenbacks. The following is "an extract from the leaflet fof erred to: — Weighing. — Begin when ihe cow *is fresli, and weigh her milk for three consecutive days in each month, preferably about the middle, and record the weight on ruled paper. Blank forms for keeping complete monthly records may be had at dairy supply houses. The sum of the amount produced for three days multiplied by ten gives- the amount produced for the month. The amount of milk produced in a portion of a month may be estimated by weighing the milk for one or two days and multiplying by the proper number. Continue the weighing for one year, p and fiom year to year if you would know the whole truth Preserve the 7«arly summary in the permanent record book. The Balance — Any spring balance or seile ■will do, but the ChatiHon balance, with the scale graduated into pounds and tenths, and with a movable pointer so that when the pmnty pail 19 .suspended the pointer may be made to indicate zero, is. to be preferred. The scales cost three dollars at any dairy supply hou=e. "When to Sample. — Sample the milk of each; cow in the second, fourth, and seventh month after calving; any tima during the month will do, but the middle of the month ia to be preferred. The average of the three testk will be a. fair index of the Quality of the milk during the milking period. Thus, if the milk tests 3.8, 4.2, and l& per -cent. fat, the average would be 4.27 per cent. for the entire period. Utensils Needed in Sampling.— A. pint jßr" for each cow; a smalt-toffee cup or longhandled dipper for-- taking 4he sample-; a box., of bichromate of potash, or B. and W. corrosive sublimate tablets for preserving the sample, to be procured of any dairy supply house at a cost of Idol to 1.25d0l per box. A solution of formalin may be used in place of the tablets; it can be procured of any druggist. Add five dro^e with a medicine dropper.

Hew to Sample. — Powder fine with a knifa one-half of a. tablet and put in each jar. Milk the cow dry, and p:ur the milk as carefully as possible from one pail to another three times in order to mix it. T&o not allowmore frothing, air bubbles, than possible. Dip out a cupful of milk at .on,ce. and pcur into the jar. Mix the milk with the preservative by a careful rotary motion. D»i not shake, or turn -fie jar upside down. Proceed in this manner for four consecutive milkings, two full day«. Be sure to mix tbe milk by the rotary motion each time * sample i 1 added to the jai, and keep the jar tightly covered. The jar. should *be marked with the name and number of " the cow. Testing the Sample. — The sample may be tested by the owner of the cow, if be has a Babcock machine, glassware and acid, o_i it may b»' taken to the creamery, or, in exceptional cases, sent' to th, experiment station. Testing outfits may be had of any dairy supply house, ""who furnish catalogues on application. Illustration of the year's milk product.—

>Total 5750 pounds of milk multiplied by 4.27, the average per cent, fat, equals 245.3 pounds of butter-fat. ' Converting Butter-fal intc Butter.—lncrease the pounds of butter-fat by one-sixth, 40.9 pounds. Then 40.9. pounds plus 245.5 equals 256.4 pounds of buttei produced during the year. ' The one-9ixtK represents the water, s^sh and curd. Tfce above method as described is not strictly acpurate, but sufficiently so to enable the farmer \o form a. fair -estimate of the productive capacity of his cows What is a Profitable Cow?— l. Fox market milk. In order to, be considered profitable, a cow should produce 6000 pounds (2800 quarts) of 3.5 to 4 per cent, milk yearly.

njithout being forced. 2. For butter. A cow ought to produce at least 300 poun&s •f butter yearly; if she does not do it, she is not helping you.

Month. yield, lbs. yield, lbs. January . c ■*♦ -.. ..90 xlO 900 February ... ...... 78 xlO 780 March .. 72 x 10 720 April .. .., .... 66 xlO 660 May .., t. .. * 60 "x 10 60fci June .. »>» > „ . . 54 x lfr 540 , July .. t.-t i. m 48 xlO 480 - 'August .„ £ i. U 42 xlO '42G Septemler «j t . •?. 80 xlO 300 October , " « ; 20 xIC 200 November .. 8f ,•• 15 xlt ISO December /.. ti " .. (dry) — — Total : .. 5750