NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3395, 9 April 1919, Page 8

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

The Otago ram and ewe fair was held

under fine weather condi

Otago Ram tions at Burnside on Tuesand Ewe Sale, day of last week. It was

fortunate for all concerned that it was so, as it is conceivable that under adverse climatic conditions it would be quite impossible to get _ through the work in the one day. It is time a change was made and selling commenced an hour earlier than has been the case in the past. It is worth while considering, too, whether two selling- rings should not be kept going at once. AH the stud sheep of the various breeds might be sold first, as usual, in one ring, and then commence with the flock rams, and keep two auctioneers busy. At present a likely buyer might have to wait all day long trusting that the breed of sheep he fancied would be reached before his train left, and then not manage it. A buyer of, say, Gorriedales or Down sheep take* but little interest in Romhey or Border sheep. It should not be impossible to sell the' long-wool sheep in one ring and the halfbreds, Downs, etc., in No. 2 ring. If some arrangement on the lines was effected the sale, instead of being a kind of nightmare, might develop into quite a popular fixture. It is worth thinking about at any rate, and the suggestion is presented to those concerned—gratis.

The following paragraph in " Farm and . Home" appeared in the Queenslander. We, too, endorse the opinion expressed that publicity is mainly required to effect remedial changes. An Australian soldier, writing from England, makes the following complaint:—"Whilst staying in a town in the north-west counties of England I saw in a shop some small brown earthenware jars labelled ' Pure Australian Honey.' Anxious to test its Duality, and being keenly interested in Ausralian goods in England and other countries, I went in and inquired the price. Two shillings and ninepence a pound jar I was told. I bought one, and took it to where' I ;was staying. Judge of my surprise when on emptying the jar it seemed to be of unusual weight, so I took it and weighed it, and found it weighed half a pound—to be precise, B£oz. No- one objects to the price, as California is 2s 6d a .lb. What is objected to is the selling of a weighted jar as honey; people need to be had only once; they never buy again. Thus is our trade being ruined, as a fraud once discovered in one produce advertised as Australian is looked for in every other produot of our country." _ Most of the honey, it is understood, is_ shipped to Great Britain in bulk, and put into jars there for sale. The Australian Beekeepers' Association has taken the' matter up, and the fraternity in New Zealand might follow suit, and see how they are faring.

A Honey Note.

Possibly the Americans Know more about silage and its great value as cowfeed than any other people. Hoard's Dairyman has no shadow of doubt in the matter. Milk is, of course, very susceptible to odours, and where strong-smelling silage is fed shortly before milking- the milk may absorb a part of the strong odour all about thfl shed. It is best in such case to feed after milking, and no silage flavours will bo taken up by the milfi. Perhaps the best argument we can give (says our authority) for the use of silage on the dairy farm, and that it has no injurious effect upon the milk, is the fact that the producers of the highestquality milk feed silage. The producers of milk for consumption in the cities where they are under rather Btrict supervision by city health authorities, almost _ universally feed silage. Indeed, wo incline to trj© opinion tnat no dairy farmer can afford to prodirpo milk unles he has silage' and

Feed Silage to Cows.

legume hay; at least those two roughage* are essential to the most economical production of milk and the farmer who has them ia in a position to disregard, to * large degree, the rising feed prices. They are the oasis of an economical ration, andj are most t easily supplemented with other feeds. Silage has no detrimental effect either upon the health of the animal or the quality of her product. It is a splendid feed, and the only regret is that, though there are large numbers of silos ir» the United States, there are not more men who are convinced of their value ana economy.

Poultry manure is rich in plant food, and if properly dried and storeq, it is a great deal mor* valuable than farmyar<J manure. Where there ara a number of fowls kept it forms a considerable item in their yield. Since tho advent of the motor, car, stable manure is becoming scarcer every year, and it behoyes all who keep fowls to save the manure. It should always be methodically saved by the small poultry-keper as well, for a little concentrated manure for special uses is a very handy thing to have about a garden. ' It should < never be used fresh, owing _to its burning tendency, and its value is about double when it has been allowed to dry in the air._ Once dry ( it is best stored ma barrel, mixing in a little soot and dry soil as the barrel fills up, and if not wanted for immediate use a covering of dry soil should be placed on top and the mixture kept dry. An excellent liquid manure can be made by mixing some of the contents of the barrel with an equal quantity of. soot, _ putting it in a piece of sacking and soaking it in water for a few days. About loz of dry manure and loa of spot are usually sufficient for a gallon of water; but experiments should be made by each man for himself as to the suitable strength for the plants in question, starting with a weak solution, and strengthening it if it seems advisable in later applications. AGRICOLA. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. By Aghicola. ''J. 8.," Matakanui asks for address of writer of letter in respect to a new method for dipping sheep.——R. C. D——n, Spring Plains, Mia-Mia, "Victoria.

Poultry Manure.

" Timaru South." —The specimen sent jrt was muqh bruised, and I cannot identify ii at the mompnt. It would help if you could* send some seed or a better specimen. Will name it, I hope, in the course of a few days.

"Sheep Parmer," Waiwera South, writes; "Cotdd you let. me know the quantity of turpentine to use in dosing lambs for lungworm, and the best way to administer itr* ——Mix linseed oil three parts and turpentine one part. One dose of a tablespoonful of the mixture on not too full a stomach may be administered either with a drenching flask made for this kind of worlf of tin, like a longi-necked bottle., or use a syringe just holding a dose. The head of the sheep when drenching should be kept straight in line with the body, and tha head not tilted too much. Milk might ba used in lieu of oil- —say, 4 milk, 1 turp3.

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

The schedule of prizes and programme o| the Otago A. and P. Society's Winter ShoV? is now being- circulated to members and intending exhibitors. Special, attention has been given to encouraging competition in the various sections. The wool exhibit will be a very interesting one, and the grain and seed classes have been revised and special prizes added, while the popular domesfcio classes of bread, scones, cakes,, etp., have been carefully gone through with ths assistance of cooking experts. The fruit section will be a feature in itself. Now that the war is over it is expected that the society's winter carnival will be an exceptionally popular one. * A well-attended meeting of the Musterers, ' Drovers, Shepherds, and Station Hands' Union of Workers was held at Lowburn Ferry on Thursday last. Mr J. E MacManus (vicepresident) presided, and Mr Steve Boreham (secretary) was also present. After addresses by Mr MacManus and Mr Boreham the statement of claims, as drawn up by the union and already published, was approved, with the additions that head shepherds'

wages shall not be less than £2OO per annum, that musterers engaged in eye-clipping or mouthing sheep should receive' not less than £1 per day; that extra should be paid for Sunday work; and that dogs should be insured against poison at the expense of the employer. The secretary was instructed -to forward the statement of claims to. the employers, and it . was agreed that, failing acceptance of them, the demands should be placed before a Council of Conciliation. Thirty-five imported Guernsey calves, states an American paper, were distributed among the members of the Boon CountyGuernsey Calf Club, at Lebanon, Ind. Mr C. L. Hill imported the calves from Guernsey. The boys of this calf <elub have had little or no experience with dairy stock, and purchasing a calf with a pedigree was an entirely new innovation to them. Most of the boys borrowed the money to pay for their calves; only a few paid' cash. These . borrowers were financed by the Farmerr | State Bank. Each boy gave his note for one year, and to be renewed at the end of that time for two years more if desired. The father or guardian of the boy signed the note with him. Mr Hill gave the boys some good advice regarding the feed and care of their calves. It was a great day for the boys, but a greater day for the older people of Lebanon, Ind. Dr E. V. M'Collum, professor of biologi--' cal chemistry in the John Hopkins University, is said to have proved beyond dispute that ther is some substance, at present unknown, contained in butter-fat, which is absolutely necessary in the human diet if the raco is to survive and progress. Dr M'Collum's discovery, coming at a time when th* dairy industry is facing a crisis, has laid bare the folly of a decreased consumption of milk. His Writing and lectures have won for him in America the appellation of "the saviour of the dairy indusJ •» An Australian record was estabished for comeback fleece wool at Daljrety's wool appraisement at Geelopg on March 21 (says the Australasian), when a line from Gooqwood Station, in the Warrnambool district, brought 30|d per lb. Springwood merino fleece was valued at Sljd, also a record

price, but one that was equalled last year by two clipa. "Glad to get back on the old farm? inquired Postmaster Jim Hadley, of the overseas Doughboy, on his return. "You hetoha,". was the reply. "France is fine, but going over the top is mighty tame business after yon have been used to caring for bulls."