NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3413, 13 August 1919, Page 10

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

We shall have another wool season with us before long, and the need of Wool—Wool, avoiding waste and exercising a wise oversight of the •flock, etc., is clamant. Wool is the most beneficial manufacturing fibre at the disposal of mankind. It is the free product of one of the domesticated farm animals, and yet its growth is regarded as a matter-of-course natural process, though it is in truth a cause for wonder. The, fibres of wool on the back of a sheep are Bimply outgrowths from the skin; each single fibre springs from a follicle or tiny depression in the upper surface, and is purely the formative result of wasto tissue seeking to discharge itself. This comes off in a succession of scales which, though obtruded from the skin, cling to each other in chain-like fashion, and so give to each fibre strand a rough jagged surface, which causes the material to felt so satisfactorily, and to form a combined material in the process of manufacture. Wool contains two kinds of grease—one external and one internal. The external grease if plentiful can bo easily seen by the tight pressure of a staple, and is known as yolk, and is largely removed by the washing usually given to sheep at Home some weeks before shearing, and any which remains is got rid of in the scouring to which the manufacturers subject the shorn fleece. The aim of this, the first process in manufacturing, is to remove aTI superfluous grease on the outside of the wool without injuring the internal fat which exists in each fibre. The desirable features looked for in good wool are strength of staple, colour, elasticity, fineness, softness, felting propertv, and facility of absorbing dyestuffs. It "has been observed that the quality of the wool produced is influenced by the mialitv or character of the soil on which the sheep aro fed. and the resulting herbage, as it is this which affects the strength of staple. It should be apparent that the flockmaster can do a lot in keeping the fleeces clean and free of stains, and all extraneous matter, such as dirt, vegetable growths, etc., and admit of nothing likely to make a valuer grade _ the lot a "O" grade, when a little care in details and evenness of classing might result in a considerable number of fleeces being classes "B," and possibly soma A" grads.

Sheop-raising in South Africa is a different proposition from the same Sheep-Raistn<j industry in this part of the In South Africa, world. % A South African pastoralist, writing to a friend in Australia (says an exchange), gives some interesting information regarding lose 3 met with. Last summer we had about 50in of rain, most of it. falling' between November and February. This

denuded the country of practically all the younff sheep, especially lambs. Scouring was set up, which no veterinarian or anybody else could fathom. I think it was due to the stagnant waters, and to the gras3 standing in the water. We lost 59 per cent. of our iambs, and our clip suffered very much. On the other hand, we had a splendid sale of our rams, establishing a record in selling every flock ram in 13 days —about 400 head in all; also the majority of our stud rams. This year we have sold about 100 flock rams, and must have lost 200 head. In October we experienced a torrible time with the influenza—worse than the Boer war. All farming operations ceased for about six weeks. Our sheep were only just back from the veldt, arriving with difficulty, owing to all the natives collapsing. Wo lost about 100 head—lost or eaten up with fly." At present we are having a splendid sheep and agricultural season. The lambing percentage was not too good owing to last season's rains, but all the lambs are big. Given a good winter, we will have record crops of produce, wool, and lambs. The demand for rams is very keen, both for studs and flocks—better than ever before. The wool market is very good, but without the fancy prices of last year. . Wo got round about 22d, although the wool was much shorter in the staple than usual. The Tasmanian rams at the sale are having a great fight against the Wanganellas." In an address recently given by Professor 'R. Walker in EdinBeeJ burgh to a special animal Production In a husbandry class of overNew Country. SGas students stress was laid upon the importance of the foundation stock. Perhaps the most important asset was the constitution of common, slow-maturity, native females acclimatised to local ; conditions, and consequently possessed of the inestimable merit of _ being able to live and multiply, and resist the overpowering: influences of numerous diseases and blood-sucking parasites to which well-bred, early-matured, unacclimatiflod cattle were extremely prone to suoJiumb. The humped, black-skinned zebu or bovine negroes) of India and other tropical and semi-tropical regions nicked successfully with the pale-skinned, superiorfleshed, early-matured cattle of Europe, that have had a hard fight for existence in equatorial climes. Yet, in defiance of all sound world-wide experience, soft, carefullynurtured heifers of the non-pedigree milking strain of Shorthorns from the North of England, to be followed by Ayrshires and other home-bred cattle, all equally unsuitable, were being sent as foundation stock at great expense to the Balkans—a f ough mountainous tract of country infected with cattle tick, where the majority of them were most likely to die without breeding. The mistake was regrettable, as the finest two-year-old foundation stock for the purpose, m practically unlimited numbers, almost certain to liye even in Balkan conditions, were available at about one-tenth of the price (exclusive of carriage) from Mexico. Such animals, landed during the summer months and bulled with ped;gree British bulls before distribution to the small people, would have calved during the time of plenty in 1920. as against a starvation mid-winter calving time for the animals then on the way out from Great Britain. The writer has yet to., learn that there is any reasonable justification Prevention of why herds of dairy cows Horns. should be allowed to grow up with horns. Only in purebreds, when the appearance may be considered important from a show or sale point of view is there any necessity for allowing horns to grow. Of course, the horns can be removed from the mature cow, but' it is easier in a general way rather to prevent their growth. It is quite possible to feel the points of the horns, like small buttons, embeded in the skin. Prevention is secured if the treatment is applied, say, . between the third and seventfi days—no later. The hair should be removed from the horn buttons. A' stick of caustic potash or soda (wrapped in paper to protect the hands of the operator) is then moistened with water and rubbed on .each horn button two' or three times, allowing the caustic to dry after each application. Great care should be taken - to apply the caustic to the buttons alone, and not have the stick too wet, or it will run to the' surrounding skin," and cause quit© unnecessary pain. Once the applications have been done, see that the calf is kept protected from -rain, in order to prevent the caustic from spreading. The writer has treated many calves, and successfully checked all growth. If the operation is done carelessly, small horn . growths may appear, but this is only indicative that insufficient care was displayed. AGRICOLA. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. By Agricola. "Gardiner," Queenstown. —The name of plant sent in for identification is Czathodes aoerosa. 0. W. S., South.—The custom, varies, but, generally speaking, docking of lambs is best done any ■ time from three days to three weeks, and beforo tails get meaty. The writer has had success with knife and searing iron, and is adverse to neither. If using a knife on a few lambs at odd times ■, In doubtful yards it is as well to use disinfectant. Yes, even tar, heated, applied to •tump is better than nothing. AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS. Writing to a Home paper recently, a North of England correspondent says:— "People who have not yet finished turnip •owing—and there are many farmers in that position—are praying for a continuance of the fine weather of the last week; whereas those who are more forward in their work are wanting rain to help germination. The last few fine days have helped on turnip sowing immensely, and practically all swedes are now "put-in," but there remains a considerable area of white turnips a* yet unsown. Another four or five fine days will remedy this. Where earlier sown turnips are already in evidence, the "braird is fairly good, and so far, there have been no serious fly attacks. We see some grounds to believe that, with the rise in labour, and the success of silage, the turnip crop will gradually decrease in area. With the exception, perhaps, of potatoes, it is the most expensive crop on the farm, end with labour prices as they are, it is almost prohibitive. We believe that in fifty years' time, even if the labour problem becomes les3 acute, the turnip orop, now one of the most important, will then occupy lesu than one-tenth of its present area. Where silage has been recently tried, under modem conditions, it has been

in every way successful, and exceedingly economical of labour. I heard one of the largesfc* farmers in the North remark that his silo, which cost £SOO, had paid for itself the first season." Short by £IOO of making £IOOO from six acres of his farm was the experience of a very fortunate farmer, as, in the first place, it was only a chance that he decided to grow potatoes, and the bumper crop that resulted was lifted in time to catch a record market, thus producing the splendid return of £l5O per acre. Pukekohe Hill is ideal for the intense cultivation practised there. The Waikato Winter Show Association made a profit of £SOO this year, being £IOO in exoess of last year's profits.