NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2914, 19 January 1910, Page 7

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

The instructor for wool-classing at the Christchurch Technical Col- i lege, who is also chief wool grader for one of the largest wool buyers in Australasia, and recently judged - the woolclassing competition's at the Ashburton A. and P. Association’s show, has submitted notes' which are of considerable interest. He states that in the past farmers have , not -given the attention to wool-classing | which it lias deserved, but the reason for ■ that is, no doubt, that they have not j thoroughly understood wha.t ie meant by .■ the term “wool-classing.” If wool-classing , ie done in a proper manner, it should' be done scientifically; honestly, and carefully. , By scientific classing is meant that the clip should be put up, or classed into such lots as will meet the requirements of the diif-

Woolclassing.

ferent buyers, so as to enable them to judge its proper value. If the different qualities and different-conditioned wools are all bundled in the bale together, it is impossible for the buyer to ascertain the correct value, and the grower loses in every case. All the farmer needs to do is to make, say, four top sorts — fine halfbrcd, halfbred, three-quarterbred, and crossbred, and keep out any matted, earthy, dingy, or seedy fleeces; for the American buyers will not look at any wool that : 6 matted, dingy, tender, or heavyconditioned. American competition makes from Id to 2d per lb difference in price. An honest get-up means putting up the wool in such a way as will give the buyers confidence, so that they may fed assured that no attempt has been made to deceive by false packing. One secs some glaring- instances every season of false packing. 1 have opened bales (states the same authority) that have had very good wool on top and bottom, while in the centre there' has bean wool of very inferiorquality. Such cases as these make the buyer very chary. Careful classing means giving proper attention to all fleeces, pieces, bellies, and locks. The fleeces should be evenly skirted, and not too' deeply. One sometimes finds growers getting as much for the pieces as they do for the fleece portion of the clip, and that is easily understood when they tear most of the shoulder wool off, which is the best / part of the fleece. The belly pieces should be kept separate from the other pieces, and ail stains removed from the wether bellies. The locks -should be shaken over the table, and all dags picked out. Before the wool pack is put into the press it should be taken out of the shod and turned inside out, so that ail foreign matter, such as pieces o, jute and twine, are removed. It cost manufacturers .thousands of pounds every year, owing to the carelessness of leaving bits of string, binder twine, and other foreign matter lying about the floor. The first impression is an important matter in wool, and farmers should endeavour to make their wool look as attractive as possible. Some make the bales too heavy. The best weights arc: —Hylfbred, 3cwt; three-quarterbred, scwt Iqr; crossbred, 3cwt 2qrs to 3cwt 3qr. I have (says the writer) seen several different clips this year, and I do not think I have ever seen the wool in better condition —well-grown, plenty of lustre, and sound of staple, and splendid in every way, and should the farmers class- it properly, they will get -a good market.”

Useful SiiL'frestlOHS Offered.

A Canadian breeder gives the following suggestions regarding some of the points to be noted in judging swine:—Head —A short, broad head, especially wide between the eyes and the ears, is usually associated with width and compactness of body throughout, and is an indication of an aptitude to fatten rapidly. A snout of medium length is desirable. Eyes —The eyes should be cleai;, large, wide apart, and free from wrinkles or folds of fat which often cause blindness. Ears —A small, tine ear indicates refinement throughout. This is desirable. The carriage of the ear will depend upon the parentage of the hog, being erect in the Berkshires, half-(drooping 'in the Poland-China, and almost wholly drooping in the Duroo Jersey and most of the large white hogs. Jowl—A broad, near, smooth, firm jowl is desirable. Flabbiness of jowl due to excess of fat in this region is very objectionable. Nock—The neck, should be short, thick and dieep. It should blend smoothly into the shoulder vein and shoulder without any depression. Shoulder and Shoulder Vein—The shoulder vein is th,at portion, just in front of the shoulder where the neck joins the shoulder. Fulness in this part is very desirable, as it usually results in a smoothly-covered wide shoulder. The shoulder should be deep and compact on top. Prominent shoulder blades and a slackness between the same are very objectionable. i

Points in Judging Pigs.

According- to one of Maniotoba’s successful farmers, if cows arc proProfifable perly handled, and if the Dairying-. proper strain for milk production is kept, there is more money in dairying than in any other branch of farming. Labour, of course, is the chief difficulty. The average hired man does not want to engage with a dairyfarmer, no matter how well arranged the buildings are, or what ds offered as regards easy hours. On tire whole, it pays to ship the cream to a large' creamery, or to a town or city creamery. The objection to local creameries in Canada is that they run only in summer months. If butter is made on the farm, it entails a lot of work. By shipping the cream the farmer has all the by-products for feeding his stock. Besides, he gets the cash returns regularly. The same writer states that the shorthorn grade .cows suit him well, for several years he has exercised strict care, in selecting milkers, and has practised weighing his milk. Some years ago the same Canadian farmer realised that one shorthorn grade gave 80001 b of milk in a year, so he decided that she would be a good one to use as a foundation on which to build his herd. . Heifer calves from her

were kept, as well as some other promising females. Jlis latest figures show ©ix cows averaging between 7000 and 80001 b of milk in a year. The same authority says that many farmers have first-class cows, but they don’t feed or milk properly, or regularly. - Suitable feed at regular houx-s and skilful milking, always at the same tixxx© night and morning, are two essentials in getting maximum results from cows. Good milkers, whether men or women, are those who have been trained from youth. Some object to feeding tux-nips to the dairy herd, but he used them twice a day, pulping on© meal ahead, and feeding directly after milking, and he never found any reason to complain of tainted milk.

Owing to the great variety of vehicles met with on almost every road 1 , horses have of necessity become more used to unusual sights than was the case a fe w years backbut all the same one occasionally meets with timid and shying horses in various parts of the- country. Shying is generally admitted to be caused either by timidity on the part of the horse or defective eyesight, and the most dangerous shy to all concerned, whether rider, driver, trap, traffic, or the animal itself, is when the _ horse flies of® to the side without warning when proceeding at a smart pace. Fortunately, however, horses of this description are not very often met with, which is due largely to the more careful methods now adopted in breaking in young animals. At the same time one frequently notices a horse which, to a great extent from timidity, displays considerable inclination to “shy” when passing any unusual object, and the driver of such a hic-Tse too often makes the mistake of using the whip, instead of allowing the animal to- take its own time and inspect the terrifying object. In cases of timidity or, nervousness in horses, the best course to adopt is to train the jniraal to understand the harml-eesn-ass of the objects of which he is afraid, because if an upturned wheelbarrow or a passing motor-car were such an infernal machine, or any unusual object on the roadside such a terrifying' spectre as the horse no doubt supposes, his subsequent proceedings would be quite in order. As before stated, however, the main point to teach a horse is the hjirmlessness of the objects he meets with on the road, arid it is a great mistake to regard a horse as courageous or intelligent, because he is neither one nor the other, but a creature o f instinct and habit, and his .habits are either g-o-cd or bad. and comparatively easily trained, and difficult afterwards te alter. There is not a question of doubt that drivers of horses are very often more frightened themselves of an approaching object than is the home, and this timidity on the part of a driver is quickly transmitted to the horse by the- medium of the reins. The whip is no remedy for a shying horse. It is worse than useless, because the animal soon learns to associate the object of its fear and aversion with punishment. AGRICOLA.

Sliyiuff Horses.