NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3803, 1 February 1927, Page 12

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Farm Work tor February.

This is a busy month on the farm, being brimful of jobs connected

with the saving, etc., of foodstuff foi’ stock during

the coming winter. On both arable and pastoral country the suppression of weeds should now engage attention. It is important to keep the horse-hoe moving among drilled turnips, and so conserve soil moisture and prevent the formation of a crusty surface. If cereals are cut on the green side, oats especially, we get a better straw for stock, and do no harm to the oats, which ripen very considerably in the stock. These stooks should be kept well set up, and all stacks of sheaves are better if built upon a bottom of gorse or scrub. Save all the hay possible, and so cut out a lot of the usual expensive turnip crop. The salting of the hay in the making helps its feeding value. Green feed in early spring and winter deserves consideration, and some Cape barley, rye, Italian rye grass, Western Wolths, etc., are worth noting in this connection. Liming and top-dressing are matters which cannot be ignored. The weaning of foals, etc., will now engage attention. All these youngsters should be fed something extra of a more or less succulent and concentrated nature. Supply all cattle with a salt ‘Tick,” and see that the pigs are kept free of lice by, occasional applications of kerosene emulsion or sulphur-lard mixture. Retain a few of the most suitable ewe lambs to replace the old rejected ewes in the ewe flock. Fatten off as oportunity permits all wethers and Down lambs, and see that all fattening lambs are free of vermin and erutched if on succulent feed, and, finally, breed what the consumer demands, if possible, as he is the one who puts up the money.

Football and Milk.

This caption should arrest readers, one

would imagine, and suggest surely that our “Ail Blacks’’ were keen advo-

cates of the "Drink More Milk Campaign/' No doubt they do in the main, know more about the advantages of drinking milk than in the production of this valuable lacteal fluid. '■That milk is accredited with the making of football records is undoubted. "Brown College,” says Hoard’s Dairyman, "has attained an all-American record in playing two games of football without using a „ SI ,? gl ? T substitute—due to drinking milk. H. J. Flint, of New Jersey, writing in connection with this football feat, says: "The Brown football team is being coached by Mr D. O. M'Laughry. Part of Mr M’Laughry's system is a niilk diet, and we have had the pleasure of furnishing Guernsey milk to the Brown squad. Lach member of the squad drinks at least a pint of milk a day. Brown has had a most successful season so far, winning every one of its games. This st . rl PB of victories includes the defeat ale by a Bcore of 7to the defeat of Dartmouth by a score of 10 to 0, and the defeat of Harvard by 21 to 0. This is the first time in four years that Dartniouth has been held scoreless. You know that a football game requires a number of substitute men. Players are taken out on account of injuries or replaced when fatigued by fresh players. Brown played both the xale and Dartmouth games without the use of a single substitute, the same 11 men continuing entirely through both games. this is an all-American record.

Paspalum (Paspalum dilatatum.)

lii the Island, over the major por* f z->4-* A »».1-1 „

tion oi the Auckland province (writes Mr Bruce Levy, the Department of Agriculture’s agrostolo-

— l «*£ x vn Wiu.' gist, in the Journal of Agriculture), paspaluin occupies a position among the permanent pasture species corresponding somewhat to that held by cocksfoot farther south. Paspaluin, however, so far as soil types are concerned, has a much wider range than cocksfoot. It will thrive on extremely wet soils, such as in a waterlogged, undrained swamp or on areas subject to periodical inundation even of brackish water; on dry sands and light, open, volcanic soils; on loose, unconsolidated soils, such as peat swamps; and on heavy, consolidated clays—even the heaviest of the northern gumland type. It tolerates shady conditions well, but also persists on exposed, sunny knolls. It has a very wide range of adaptability so far as the quality of a soil is concerned. Normally it is a demander of a high state of soil fertility, ranking in this respect even above cocksfoot; but in the ease of paspaluin a reduction in fertility does not lead to an opening up of the pasture sward. The turf remains closed even though the production of herbage may fall away almost to nothing. Paspalum is one of the greatest pioneering grasses for many of the rougher soil types, where in the ordinary course of events it would take years of preparation of the land to bring about conditions favourable for the persistence and thriving of the better-class English grasses.

A Gallon of Disinfectant.

A successful farmer ouce stated to the

writer (states Hoard’s Dairyman) that he always kept a gallon of

disinfectant on hand, and to that fact he attributed much of hie success in preventing and avoiding many serious ills and ailments of his farm animals. It would be fine could that gallon can be like unto the widow’s eruse in the Bible story, which always contained some oil, no matter how much and how often its contents, were depleted. There certainly is urgent need of a gallon of disinfectant on every farm, and it is therefore an important item of good management to see that the supply is maintained so that it will be on hand when an emergency occurs. Many times we have been asked to “ do something ” for a wounded animal when visiting some farm, and have at once inquired if there is a supply of disinfectant on hand. The answer usually has been, “I guess so,” and then a search has started for that “ gallon can ” or “ bottle ” of disinfectant. The nooks and crannies of the horse stable, cowshed, or implement shed have forthwith been hunted, high and low, but only empty containers have been found, or there haa been too little disinfectant in one of them to serve the purpose of the case to be treated. That means a. trip to town or

Bending away to some mail orderhouse in a city, and meanwhile the ailing or suffering animal is neglected, and, possibly, with dire results. Instant application of a reliable disinfectant may vent a wounded animal from blood poisoning, or lockjaw, or. serious formation of deep burrowing pus.- It is necessary, too, ,in the first aid treatment of human wounds that so commonly occur in doing the many odds and ends of farm mending -and tinkering with implements and machinery of all sorts. The iodine tincture bottle has to be kept filled, or the newer bottle containing a. solution of mercuro- . chrome, which does not smart when applied, may be substituted and kept where it: can be found without difficulty. There should be a given place for the disinfectants . and remedies commonly used on the farm —never in the kitchen pantry or where children can get at them —and the .various drugs should, invariably, be returned to that.place after use. .The “ gallon of disinfectant ” has to be tapped when fluids from an animal that lias just given birth to young fouls the stable floor or ground; when blood has fallen on the floor or ground; when a .cow has aborted or retained her afterbirth; when a death has occurred; when any. contagious disease has broken out in the hog house, yard, lot, or field; when a carcase has to be buried, and when vermin vex the animals. Hundreds of uses might be quoted for the home supply of reliable disinfectant; but we merely desire, here to draw attention to the supreme importance of keeping a supply of disinfectant on hand that it may never be lacking when urgent need for its application occurs. AGRICOLA.

AGRICULTURAL SHOW PRIZES.

The Dunedin Stock Agents and WoolBrokers’ Association offered to present to the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society four trophies, each valued at. £10 10s, for competition in the Border Leicester, Romney Marsh, Corriedale, and merino sheep sections at the Summer Show. T-he competition extended over a period of three years, and the trophies were awarded to the exhibitors gaining the highest aggregate number of points over that period. If the committee under the ■ society’s regulations ’was unable to declare the absolute winner of the trophy, then only those exhibitors who were declared equal would have been eligible-to compete for the fourth year, '■A' complete record was kept each year of the points awarded in each section, and the ; following were the successful competitors: —Merino, Mr E. H. Smith, Albury; Border ■ Leicester, Mr T. S. Little, Windsor; Romney Marsh, Messrs Murray Bros., Clydevale; Corriedale, Mr J. A. Johnstone; 'Bushey Park. 'The Dunedin stock agents decided not to follow the usual practice of awarding cups or shields, but selected four pewter, i tea sets with trays, which they considered would be much more appreciated by the successful competitors; ' Each tray has been engraved • with the name of the successful competitor and particulars of the 'competition.

TOO MANY RAM LAMBS.

>. MAINTAINING THE GRADES. CHRISTCHURCH, January 26. “The number of ram lambs now being /received. for- slaughter .. has . Increased to such an extent that the standard of South Island grading is liable to be seriously affected. ' Notice is therefore given that the Canterbury, Otago, and Southland freezing Companies have decided that all ram lambs sent in for slaughter will be rejected alive.” - This notice was published this morning on behalf of the. South Island freezing Companies’ Association, by the secretary (Mr C. G. Wilkin). . • “The companies are compelled to take the step,” said Mr Wilkin, “on account of the . imperative necessity of maintaining strictly the South Island lamb grades.” PRICE OF WHEAT. A REDUCTION PROBABLE. AUCKLAND, January 24. The -flour shortage reported at Wellington as the result of the delay in harvesting the grain crops in the South Island has ■not extended to Auckland. Mr W. S. Pratt, manager of Northern Roller Milling Co., stated that his company had imported jwheat from Australia, and had established ’ a stock to meet any possible shortage in Nei> Zealand crop, or any delay in aUrvesting. In any case he did not think the : delay, in threshing would have very serious ! consequences The wheat crops in the ■south :were not usually- harv.sted until the ;middle of February, and the operations this ■year would not be delayed more than two or--- three weeks. The market would require to be very bare and stocks much below the normal quantity to create an acute ■shortage. • ■ : •“ The suggestion that some reduction in •wheat prices might be looked for this season,- he said, appeared to be borne out by the present state of the market, and growers would probably have 'to be satis.fied'with less than 6s a bushel on trucks. . i PRICES OF FERTILISERS. ‘ • EXTENSION OF REDUCTION. WELLINGTON, January 24. In connection with the recent: reductions Jh the prices of fertilisers announced from '• Auckland, it is understood from inquiries in .Wellington that farmers in other parts of. the North Island and also probably , those in the South Island, will benefit, although the latter reduction may not take ’ place immediately. Meantime the lower prices operate throughout the North Island "railage will be charged the farmer as '.from the nearest works at Auckland, 'lWariganui, or New Plymouth. The new S rices are 44 to 46 per cent. super; £4 7s 6d; basic 'Super, £4 10s, and Nauru "phosphate £4 15s —all not cash on trucks. The lower prices are’ the' result of the Tfecent merger ■by the New Zealand' Cooperative Dairy Co. (Ltd.) and Messrs “ Wright/ 'Stephenson,- and Co.' (Ltd.) for “thia> afcqilisitio'n of the'' latter corhpany’s worka. <