SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3275, 20 December 1916, Page 11

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(Fnoai Oub Own Correspondent.) Tho climatic conditions prevailing during tlie past week have been ol

The Weather and the Farm. owir.tr +.O f.ho

a mixed description; but, speaking generally, there was little cause for complaint. Work has been interrupted iNflllthlniiri \ I <afvnrvr» lif ull Sshrmr

owing to the boutmand Metropolitan toiiow being held durmg the middle of the week; but labour is so scarce that agriculturists realised the necessity of having as brief an interruption as possible, and in most instances tiie cessation of activities—at all events as far as team work was concerned—was restricted to one day, and at most two. The principal horse work at present is the sowing of turnips and the preparation of the ground for same. The weather has favoured this important operation, so that good progress has been made, so much so that it may safely bo said that quite twothirds of the turnip crop has been sown. Dairy-farmers have get into their stride now, and the season promises to be a most successful one. The presence of substantial herds of calves (numerically) to bo seen at practically every farmsteading where dairying prevails shows that a halt has been called as far as the wholesale slaughter of calves is concerned. It will indeed be surprising if the statistics do not show a substantial increase so far as the herds of the Dominion are concerned. Dairymen have not been slow to realise that at the present price of stock every calf is well worth rearing. What effect it will have on the cattle market within the next year or two remains to be seen. Shearing is well advanced, and the wool stores are gradually filling up with the season’s clip. In the absence of the periodical wool sales, owing to the Government having commandeered the clip, there will be no rush time_ in the stores this season; but the receiving and despatching of the bales will be a gradual process on this occasion. The Southland Metropolitan A. and P. Association’s Jubilee Show

was held on Tuesday and Wednesday last, and in the master of climatic treatment

Southland Jubilee Show.

nothing better could have been desired. The grounds looked their best, and visitorsfrom the north who had not been to Southland during recent years made no secret of their delight in being, if only temporarily, in such an admirable environment. To the ordinary Southlauder, however, the show is regarded as something in the nature of a sacred festival, tp miss which would be to court excommunication or ostracism from the ranks of the agricultural and pastoral brotherhood. The quality of the exhibits left little to bo desired. Undoubtedly the show of sheep was from every point of view one of the strongest of a superior exhibition of purebred stock. The record entry of over 230 head of cattle gives a good indication of the advancement of the dairying industry in the province, the cattle exhibited being mostly of the dairy, and what is regarded as the dual-purpose, breeds. Friesians wore easily the largest section in the show, and the attention of the bulk of the cattlemen was focused on the allotting of the awards in this section. Mr W. I. Lovelock, of Palmerston North, who is regarded as ono of the foremost breeders and importers in the Dominion, was more than delighted with the improvement in the breed in this

part of the Dominion. The hor-ie classei were uniformly good; but thi«rapplies mora particularly to Clydesdales, which were particularly well represented on this occasion. From a financial point of view the exhibition could not have been other than a success, it being estimated that 13,000 people were present on the second day.

As tho rearing of calves is receiving increased attention from dairyRearing men, a noto as to their treatDairy Cows, ment generally will, I am sure, not be amiss. It maj be said at the outset that, although ther« is room for the best judgment as to what is consistent with health, all experience in tho rearing of animals as well is human beings goes to show that growth and assimilative power are dependent upon judicious crowding of food in the early period of life. Let us not bo led astray by tho popular dictum founded upon sound observation that it is well to keep calves hungry. Whatever truth there is in that observation is but a practical method, and not a principle. It* is simply a way of satisfying ourselves that the calf is not overfed, and does not at all mean that the purpose for which we are working would not have been better secured if the hungry calf had been fed more. It must consequently be regarded as a measure of safety, and not 13 a principle of action. With other domestic animals, tho rearing of which is attempted under different physical conditions, there is no suggestion that it is desirable to keep them hungry. In draught colts, f<»r example, the value of which is related to size, all experience goes to show that early feeding is indispensable. The question/which presents itself, and is prominent in the minds of many breeders, is: Does the heavy feeding and development of dairy calves have a tendency to transform them from the dairy type into the beeE type? Personally, I am of opinion that no such conflict need occur. All people agree that tna dairy cow. and particularly tho Fricsian cow, should be brought to its full size. All breeders know that it is only _to bo brought to its full size by forcing it dur- ; ing its first two years. It is sometimes said ; that forcing the growth will impair the milic = function; but so far as science throws any ! light upon the subject, there is nothing jto fear. If there is no such fear, then t-h* ! factor of size is secure.

An interesting demonstration on Romney Marsh sheep by Messrs E. Miscellaneous. Short and G. E. Allen waa given on the show grounds on Wednesday, when the remarks of those two noted sheepmen -were keenly listened to and high appreciated—The total gate takings at the show this year amounted to £615 "as against £593 last year. In this connection it has to be borne in mind than some £3O of last year’s total was .aken on the Tuesday evening, while on this occacion there was no entertainment on the ground on Tuesday evening.—The butter tax still causes indignation among some of those connected with the dairy industry in Southland, who continue to give vent to their feelings and opinions by newspaper correspondence and in letters to members of Parliament. WCHHj sales asp exports. Sales of wool in New Zealand during November, according to returns compiled bv Messrs Dalgety and Co., were:

includes private sales, 'which may bo cancelled owing- to the Government requisitioning the New Zealand clip. For the corresponding five months of List year 71,194 bales were offered and 68.67/0 bales sold. Exports of wool during November were:-*

BERKSHIRE I**GS FOR BACO\ In an article which Mr Edney Haytei contributed to the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society he said: To make the best bacon I like to start with pigs about four or five months old that have been running at largo and just kept growing. Such pigs will stand being shut up and. forced on at once. Nearly all barley meal can bo used at this ago, and quite all before they are fat. if necessary. Nothing makes such good bacon, especially if mixed with boiled potatoes and parsnips, and nothing can be cheaper. For porkers up to about five score the pigs must not be allowed to lose an ounce of flesh, for the quicker they can he fed off the more profit there is attached to them. Skim-milk here comes in as the quickest and b°°t feed. There are a few drawbacks

in the fattening of pigs, loss of appetite through over-feeding being very common, notably where the feeder is too eager to cram on weight at any risk, and thus causing surfeit. A dose of powdered sulphur, from one to two ounces, according to the size of the pigs, given in milk, fasting, will generally put things right again. Another very annoying complaint is cramp; this, I feel quite sure, is due to the situation of the sties, and not to the diet, as many affirm. I have known sties that invariably gave cramp to any pigs put in to them; yet when these same pigs were put into other places they speedily recovered. In fact, a certain row of piggeries always produced cramp, whilst those on the opposite side of the yard never did. This makes me rather inclined to the belief that it is the flooring that originates it; yet, strange to say, some apparently dry floors produce cramp, while others, which seem to be damper, do not. Consequently, cramp would appear to be due to something in the land upon which the sties are built.

Nov., , 1916. Total for 5 mths. Offered. Sold. Offered. Sold. Towns. Bales. Bales. Bales. Bales. Dunedin Timaru Christchurch Wellington Napier 675 438 379 335 138 12,609 67-5 438 379 395 138 12,600 4.002 788 2,988 10,350 2,343 18,600 3,873 783 2.688 8,690 2,012 18.600 816 Auckland 143 148 846 14,773 14,773 *39,922 *37,496

Nov., Total for 5 Corresponding 5 months 1916. months. 1915. Balea. Bales. Bales. Invercargill Dunedin Oamaru .. 708 10.684 4,005 .. 705 6.631 2,580 3,427 2,099 Timaru .' 855 6,349 4,069