NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3380, 25 December 1918, Page 8

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Constantly queries come to hand asking-

Why Cream Tests Vary.

the reasons why variations in the test of cream should occur, even when the cream screw on the separator has

not been changed. Some possible reasons have been put together by H. A. Ruehe, of the Illinois Experimental Station, -which are well worth perusal: " The speed at wbioh the separator bowl revolves. is very important. Unless the bowl travels at the proper rate of speed it will not skim 1 efficiently, and too much fat will be left in the skim-milk. A decrease in the speed of the teparator will also cause a decrease- in the fat test of the cream,' while overspeeding the- bowl will cause an increase. The separator should be run at a speed designated by the manufacturer. In order that one may be certain that' the separator is being operated at the correct speed the revolutions of the crank should be timed by a reliable indicator or a watch. A variation in the percentage of fat in the milk of various milkings will also_ cause a variation in the cream test.- With the separator set the same, a low-testing milk will skim a thinner icream than a rich milk. The addition of fresh cows may change the test of the milk from the herd. A dry season, when the cows are on pasture, will cause a decrease in the milk flow and an increase in the test of the milk, while the reverse is true of a wet season. The temperature of the milk when being skimmed will affect she test of the cream. Lowering the temperature of the milk will cause a thinner cream than would be skimmed if the milk were warmer. Never attempt to skim milk that, is not at least 75deg Fahr. in temperature. The rate at which milk is fed into the separator is also important. The float should always be used to regulate the amount of milk entering the bowl. The underfeeding of milk into the" separator will cause an increase in the test of the cream. The amount of skim-milk or warm water that is used to flush the bowl and allowed to run into the cream can will also affect the test of the cream. The separator bowl should be cleaned thoroughly each time it is used. If this is not done properly the < pa ssages for the skim-milk and cream within the bowl may become clogged. This will cause inefficient skimming, and -is also likely to cause a varia tion in the test of the cream. Keep the separator bowl clean; this will not only males the separator do more effective skimming, but the cream will also be of better quality. The above conditions are likely to_ vary from time to time when separating milk; therefore a cream shipper might well expect to have a variation in his cream test. If there is a slight variation in the testa of various deliveries of cream, do not condemn the cream-buyer, for he may not be at fault. Examine your_ cream statement and see if there is a variation hi the total pounds of butter-fat which you are being paid for. If your cream tests a little lower than it did at the previous delivery, you may hare a few more pounds of cream to your credit; so that, after all, you may be

getting- paid for the same amount of butterfat,"

In regard to feeding ensilage to sheep it

Ensilage for Sheep.

may interest readers to learn that the writer some years ago, fed ensilage to sheep with first-rate effects in the

early spring of the year—just when the swedes had-about run out. It was ensilage made by the pit system, and comprised oats and grasses, etc. The use of ensilage is strongly recommended by American, European, and Australian j authorities at part of the feed for breeding stock of all kind ; but it must be properly made. As the New South Wales Government Agrostologist says in this connection: "In making ensilage the principal features to be guarded against are as follow: —In grain o» cereal crops the plants should not be ensiled before they are mature. In the case of our western herbage, such as trefoil, thistles, etc., the plants should be at least flowering before they are ensiled. As little air as possible should be allowed to enter the silage; dry plants, such as many of our western grasses in seeding stage, are susceptible to the entrance of air in the silage unless water is added in the packing. Sufficient water should be added to make it firm enough to pack under one's foot. [This is hardly necesary in our clismate with its luxuriant growth.—Ac Ed.] Mouldiness will result if much air is allowed to enter. As regards the value of our grasses and herbage for silage, Mr Potts, of Hawkesbury Agricultural College, reports that three tons of grass ensilage is, worth a ton of oaten hay; and that after. 10 years the silage was good. Mr Fetherstonhaugh reports that he ensiled 800 ton's of variegated thistles with very satisfactory results. Plants such as crowfoot, burr, and other trefoils, barley grass, variegated thistles, and such succulent native grasses as Queensland blue grass, Danthonia grasses, and kangaroo grass should make first-class ensilage." ' .

Butter not infrequently during a hot summer becomes so soft as to

Soft Butter.

become quite unmanage-

able, this being partly due to the high atmospheric temperature and partly to the different composition of the butter. Probably but few people realise that butter is a mixture of many different kinds of fats. Some of them are quite firm like paraffin and some quite soft at ordinary temperatures. In summer one j finds a larger percentage of the soft fats than in the winter, and ifr is due in great part to this that the butter made in summer is so soft. It is an interesting fact that some of the foods fed to dairy cattle have the power to produce a greater percentage of these soft fats in the butter—e.g., brewer's grains and linseed cake: Other cakes arid feeding give rise to firmer butter, and would prove more suitable feeding in the hotter period of summer. Cream ripened at too high a temperature never produces such firm butter as it would otherwise do; 60deg to 65deg Fahr. is the best temperature for ripening. Churning at high temperatures also spoils the texture of the butter, and a cold brine can never fully compensate for the damage done. For thfl brine to act it must always be put upon the butter while the latter is in the granular form. Overchurned butter can never be thoroughly hardened. Plenty of cold water is invaluable on hot summer days.

On account of the large number of experts

Concerning Milk-making Processes.

and chemists who still believe that it. is ,possibleito water the milk &y giving large quantities of water to the cow, and the danger of

injustice to dairy farmers attaching to that belief, M. Porcher, Professor at the Veterinary School at Lyons, in a recent article recalls the physiology of lactation, insisting on the fact that milk is secreted, not' excreted. The researches, experiments, and conclusions of several investigators (chiefly Frenchmen) are quoted. The art Vile concludes that watering the milk through the cow does not exist, that it is nonsense, and that it could not be used as the basis for any reasonable judicial decision. AGRICOLA.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. By Agbicola. Jdfin Macdonald, Otautau, writes: " I see, in last week's Witness ' Agricola' has something to say about the Argentine money values. lam one of those unfortunate New Zealand farmers 'who is still in the mjre ' on.-this question. To further.. enlighten me I would be obliged if Agricola' or any of ' your readers will . answer the following questions:—(l) Suppose Armour ships 10 bulls to the them for 10©,000dol in gold to a cattleman. Armour exchanges his gold dollars for the paper dollars, worth only 42 cents. (2) What number of "steers, dressing 6001 b, could he buy with this paper money? From figures given by Mr Begg, I should think ho would get them for about 50dol in paper money, delivered at Armour's freezing works. (3). If Armour sells on the hooks to the Imperial Government this class of beef at £5 per IOOIb, including sale of hides extra, what will be his profit on the transaction? I may add that the offal and fat will pay the expense ins connection with slaughtering." (1) If Armour and Co. sold 10 bulls to Argentine buyers for 100,000dol gold, and elected to be' paid in paper or exchanged the {rold for paper dollars, they would receive 2,272,700d01, a little more or less, as the paper dollar fluctuates slightly in value. (2) Impossible to say how many steers he' could buy with this sum—all depends on the market price; but all internal trade in the Argentine is carried on by paper money, and the_ quotations for cattle, etc., shown from time' to time represent paper. (3) Have no idea what profit Armour and Co. make on their meat contracts with the Imperial Government; but, judging by the profits said to be made by their business as a whole, it is considerably more than 2£ per cent.(4) As a Christmas box I make my correspondent a present of a list of the latest Argentine live stock prices. They are not so desperately different to our own prices after all:

"Doubtful," Woodlands writes: "I havo a paddock which has been very bad with grasi grub the last two seasons. It wM

ploughed out of stubble and sown down in English grasses two years ago. Last season was a splendid take of grass and clovms; this year nothing grew owing- to the grubs. I: was thinking of ploughing up the paddock and nutting in autumn oats, with as much carbonate of lime as the drill will put on. The last crop was a splendid crop of Duns; had to be cut all.the one way. Would you advise my course, or would you suggest different treatment, "and what manure and kind of crop to sow? —-r "Agricola" replies: "Just the best treatment to advise ia a most difficult matter indeed. If not too extensive an area something might be done by grazing store pigs which have been ringed. These would confine themselves more or less to infected patches, eating the grubs with the help of birds; and when cleaned the patches might be raked well, resown with grasses, rolled, etc. Again, just small patches might be treated with bisulnhide of carbon or Vaporite; but the cost may be prohibitive. So we come to continued cultivation, and a drastic change of crop for a period would seem advisable; but it is late in the season, and down your way you could hardly expect now to get a rape or root crop or potatoes. Either of these would have been worth a trial earlier. I am loathe to advise the adoption of your proposed scheme, and yet considerable autumn cultivation no doubt would affect severely the grub. No; I am inclined to favour, if early suggestions are not feasible, to plough up the land to weather during winter. Cross plough when possible in the early spring, and make ready for either roots or, preferably, rape, so as to have some benefit from trampling by stock during the early egg stage and early development of the insect. The liming on the ploughed land in autumn or early winter, too, is well worth doing. , Should you discard these suggestions and adopt your own method, I would advise you to lime heavily, and sow your Dun oats with some superphosphate; but, as I say, you require to be lucky if you effect a olearance of grubs in this manner."

Buenos Aires, August 23, 1918. Cattle:' £ a. d. £ S. a. Bullocks—Special . . 21 17 6 to 2% 5 0 Good 19 18 9 to 21^8 9 Cows —Special . 15 15 0 to 18 7 G Good .. . . 12 13 9 to 14 17 6 Sheep: Wethere —Special ., 2 12 6 to 3 1 0 Good 2 0 8 to 2 4 7 Ewes—Spegial 2 9 0 to 2 19 6 Good .... 2 2 0 to 2 4. 7 I/ambs—Special-fc .. 1 11 6 Good tv 18 0 to to 1 15 1 11 3