NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3594, 30 January 1923, Page 10

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

In view of the attention being given in New Zealand to the quesion of pig production for mrposes of export, interest s attached to the New oouth Wales Trades Commissioner in London (Mr R. M. K. Lewis! report to the New South Wales Department of Agriculture. He writes in connection with the recent dairy show in England. The object underlying one of the classes open to societies was to determine the most suitable breed of pigs for bacon purposes, and the first prize was awarded to the Large Black Big Society, in competition with the Essex, Wessex, and British Berkshire Societies. Mr Lewis remarks that exhibits of the Large Black breed also took the award at the previous year’s show, which he regards as clearly demonstrating its suitability in every way for bacon purposes as far as the United Kingdom is concerned. In another bacon class, in which two pigs were entered by individual breeders, the first award went to Tarnworths, with Berkshires second, and Large Black commended. The New Zealand Meat Packing Company won in the class for exhibits from the Dominions, but in the opinion of Mr Lewis the quality of the bacon could not bo compared with the English, Irish, and Danish productions. “The trade,” he writes, “are of the opinion that whilst New Zealand has made great strides in the betterment of her bacon' yet at the same time she has a lot to learn in the matter of selection and curing. This particular entry was handled by our butter agents, and I was given a small piece for trial. My view', formed after having had the bacon cooked, was that it was too lean, too hard in texture of meat, and slightly too salt. Our agents distributed small samples to representative people in the trade, and the consensus of opinion from them practically coincided with my own views. Following on this show exhibit our agents had a consignment of bacon from the same people for sale, and I understand it realised 125 s per cwt. Their report on the shipment handled from the Atlienic was as follow's: —Package: Specially well-made crates, could riot be improved upon. Colour: Good. Sides: Fine shapely sides, and lean selection. Quality: Good generally, but meat trifle hard. Salt: Just a trifle too salt for English market. Butchering : Good generally, but too _ much of the neck left on. This fequires more careful trimming. The gammon shanks are also too long. Tire blade bone has been extracted, which is a specially good point, and will be appreciated by buyers. One or two sides were quite fishy.” Goitre is causing serious losses to flock ow’ners in the prairie provinces of Canada. In New Zealand w r e have heard of cases showing symptoms typical of the disease. In some instances the disease is easily diagnosed from the swelling at the throat or patchy wool. There are many cases where the only symptoms are weakness and lack of vigour generally. Losses from goitre have occurred in a number of years on the Scott Station, Canada, but in the spring of 1921 the losses from this cause were unusually heavy. This was attributed to feeding a ration of threshed oats and oat straw. In order to determine if such was the case a flock of 89 ewes was divided (says an Ottawa bulletin) in the autumn of 1921 into four lots. One lot was fed the same ration as the previous winter, a second lot was given the same ration, but was fed the threshed grain a distance from the shed in order to compel exercise, a third lot was fed th<f same ration, but was supplied with a two per cent, solution of iodide of potassium. This was poured over their salt supply. The fourth lot was given a variety of feeds, including hay, straw, silage, oats, bran, and oil cake. The following table gives the information obtained from the experiment. While only one year's results are available, and it is planned to carry the experiment another year, the particulars are published in order that stockmen may test out the feeding of the iodide, particularly since the cost is not high. One half pound of the iodide is sufficient for the 22 ewes for a five-months’ period, and costs only 2.50d0L

Pork for * the English I Market. <

Prevention of Goitre in Lambs.

i 1 4 11 O W t 3 cn« Number o£ ewes in lot 23 22 22 22 Average weight of lambs at birth .. 7.41 b 6.81 b 8.21 b 7.71 b Percentage of lambs affected with goitre 38 % to % None 38% Percentage of lambs born in proportion to number of ewes 147% 140% 15-4% 154% The lambs from the ewes fed .on the iodide were not only larger, but were more vigorous and required little attention, while the lambs from all the other losses were generally weak. In mixing powder dips, time and care will be amply repaid. The best method, says Sheen, Farm, and Station Management, is to procure about eight or ten kerosense tins or 5-gallon drums. Beat packets of dip smartly before breaking the paper wrap, and empty one packet of powder into each tin or drum. Then pour very little water on to the powder, and stir thoroughly, gradually adding water until the mixture is of the consistency of porridge. Rain water or soft water should be used if obtainable. The best results are obtained if this preliminary mixture is done two or even three days before the dip is required, as the mixture is then in a soft creamy state, which blends readily with the water in the bath. Give the mixture a stir occasionally, and while this is going on carefully measure the water into the bath, permanently marking the level of each 100 gallons on the side of the bath, and also on a measuring stick. It is foolish to merely guess the contents of a bath. On the morning of dipping add more water gradually to the creamy mixture in the drums, until they are three parts full, and stir vigorously. Then pour the contents of the drums into the bath through a strainer to prevent undissolved lumps going in. Stir the bath thoroughly, and if the number of sheep to be dipped will necessitate replenishing the bath, at once put a packet of powder in each drum and repeat the process above described, allowing the powder to soak until required. This, says a recent issue of The Australasian, is not an uncommon ailment among stock in the Commonwealth, sheep being particularly liable. In New Zealand the writer understands the trouble i 3 not infrequent among sheep which have been shifted from Central Otago to lands along the coast, south, say, of Dunedin, but has had no experience himself in connection thereto with sheep that have been moved. Ophthalmia may be caused from obstruction with eyes from grass seeds, but may be caused by congestion duo to sudden changes of temperature, or to feeding on harmful weeds. Ophthalmia soon spreads, so ’tis said, and sheep affected should be isolated. Then the inflammation should be reduced by rational measures. The Victorian Stock Department recommends bathing the eyes with a clear, lukewarm solution of boracic acid, then dropping a drops of a mixture of 40 grains zinc sulphate, 3 drams tincture of opium, Boz distilled water into the eyes once or twice daily. A proper glass dropper should be employed. For chronic cases is recommended a mixture of 4 grains silver nityate, and 4oz distilled water, instead of the previous mixture. The Stock Department of New South Wales recommends keeping patients in a cool, dark place, and giving an active purgative (lj pints raw linseed oil for a horse, lib Epsom salts fo a cow, 6oz Epsom salts for a sheep). When the purgative has acted, give night and morning a dose of loz hyposulph. of soda, ioz nitre for a horse, 2oz hyposulph. of soda, ioz of nitre for a cow, hyposulph. soda, 1 dram nitre for a sheep, dissolved in drinking water. Then bathe the eyes with lukewarm boracic acid solution; smear the lids with vaseline when glued together; and drop into the eyes a mixture of 1 grain chloride of mercury, 5 grains salicylio acid, 20 grains sulphate of zinc, lOoz distilled water. If an ulcer forms the inflammation should first be reduced as above un-

Mixing Sheep Dip.

Ophthalmia.

til the discharge ceases, then an ointment made cf 16 grains yellow oxide of mercury, 1 dram boracic acid, 2oz vaseline should be applied just inside the eyelid until the film has almost disappeared. Afterwards the eye should be bathed with the boracic solution daily, and a little of the following solution applied with a brush:—6 grains nitrate of silver, 2 grains sulphate of morphia. 2oz distilled water. To remove obstructions from the eye the safest instrument is the hand-made wooden forceps with tapering, flat, blunt jaws without any sharp edges. Other eye lotions recommended by various authorities are:—(l) 4 grains boracic acid, 20 minims tincture opium, 1 grain sulphate of zinc, loz water. (2) loz laudanum, 3 drams sulphate of zinc, in li pints of water. (3) Five drams sulphate of zinc, 1 dram cocaine in li pints of water. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENT. By Agricola. ‘■'lnquirer,” Mount Cargill. questions whether prickly comfrey would do for dairy cows, he having in his garden some plants which hare been yielding good crops for over 20 years. He suggests that this crop should suit dairymen and displace green oats, seeing that up to 80 tons per acre is no uncommon yield, etc. The average yield per acre is more likely to be 40 to 50 tons of forage in, say, three or four cuttings after the first year. Comfrey is a perennial, and requires to be kept clean and well manured. It requires a fairly deep rich soil to do well. Useful for growing in out of the way corners. Usually propagated by sets or cuttings planted from the divided root stalks which are planted at regular distances. Some trouble to establish, no doubt (by seeding 61b along with oats in spring, if desired), but makes good green soiling that is for cutting and feeding to cattle in green, state. It is a crop which is practically unknowh here, and whether it would taint the milk is more than the writer can say. The species usually cultivated for farm uses has very pricklv leaves and stalks, is solid stemmed, and has blue flowers. It must be withered before eaten, but otherwise used fresh. FARMING INTERESTS. A COMBINED CONFERENCE. WELLINGTON, January 25. A combined conference of bodies representing farming interests opened this morning under the chairmanship of Mr J. D. Hall (president of the Council of Agriculture). Mr Hall explained that the council had taken the onus of calling the conference which, however, was informal. Mr W. d! Hunt had prepared an address on but, personally, the speaker thought it inadvisable to have it published until it had been thoroughly discussed. Mr Hunt said that he did not want to be the spearhead for an attack on the present method of taxation, but wanted the farmers to discuss the aspect he had taken up, and if they agreed they could take the responsibility of publication, which he would share. It was decided that the matter be discussed in committee. QUESTION OF TAXATION. WELLINGTON, January 26. A further conference of farmers’ organisations is to be held in Wellington to discuss the taxation questions. An opinion prepared by Mr W. D. Hunt has been referred to the organisations concerned, and after these bodies have considered the subject, the conference will again assemble and the whole question of the amount and incidence of taxation will be gone into, particularly as it affects the companies in their business of financing farmers.