NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3899, 4 December 1928, Page 12

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

It has been pointed out before now that danger of stacks firing “ Firing ” from internal combustion in is often greater in fine Haystacks. weather than in a wet season. Strange though this may seem, the fact is easily explained when one remembers that heat in stacks is often more rapidly produced by the sap left in the grass through insufficient “ haying ” than by the damp resulting from rainfall while the hay' is lying about. In a wet season extra care is taken to dry hay that has been wetted by rain, while in fine weather there is the temptation to suppose'that because no rain has actually fallen during the making process the hay cannot want much making, and can be quickly put in the stack—the sooner the better, in fact, in case rain should come and spoil it. Undue haste therefore in a fine season may result in the hay being worse made than it would have been had it been wetted once or twice while lying on the ground. A stack having a strong odour, even though it may never take fire at all, is a sure indication of possible danger. For this reason it is a good plan to build the stack so that whatever happens there shall be no risk of fire from internal cause. One of the simplest methods of providing ventilation is to make one or more shafts, according to the size of the stack, while the latter is being built, by means of what is known as the “ bag ” method. As soon as the stack is begun a bag is tightly filled with hay. and set upright so that the hay is built round it. As the stack rises the bag is pulled up by degrees so that jt is never buried, and this process goes on until the rick is topped up, the result being a hollow shaft from the bottom of the stack to the ridge.

In view of the recent growth of vegetation the saving of hay Farm Work or making of silage, will for engage attention, and no December. care should be omitted, as the more hay saved the less area in roots is required. The first cut of lucerne having been “saved,” this area may often with advantage be closed up for seed purposes. If oats, Cape barley, or Italian ryegrass are sown

without delay, they may provide the dairy cows with feed during a dry spell in the autumn. If potatoes are sprayed when well in leaf the growing period will possibly be prolonged and the blight warded off. All swedes and rape should be sown this month. Fill up all gaps in the mangels with cabbage plants or soft turnips. See that all land ploughed is worked well up to the fence, and make war on all weeds. Shearing is making good progress despite the broken weather, but every care should be ciken to see that all shorn sheep are given the best available shelter on the holding during the first few days. Attend to all calves and dehorn whenever feasible, for both comfort and economy’s sake. The tailing of lambs will now be general. Make free use of disinfectants when operating. See that both testicles are removed, as unaltered lambs are a menace and always a nuisance. Lambs unaltered should be left with long tails. Examine all lame sheep for footrot. Mark all ewes with faulty udders, and fatten them off. Note all ewes over four-tooth which have failed to breed, and ascertain the reason why. See that the wool clip is baled and marketed in the manner approved by the buyers and stock brokers. It is important that the wool be classed as to qualities before buyers commence to overhaul consignments and value. The provision of salt licks for sheep is a matter well worth considering, while rational stock feeding is a matter which is daily commanding more and more attention, and is more or less a guarantee against untoward deaths among stock. See that the pigs are kept warm and are fed a variety of foodstuffs.

Care should be exercised in feeding stock on too succulent Use of food if they have been Green Fodders, on “ short commons ” for some time previously. It is an alarming experience to find a number of animals unduly swollen up. Cattle are peculiarly subject to flatulence (hoven), because, in the first place, their food if once brought to a state of fermentation, lends itself to the formation of gases, and, in the second place, remarkably sudden changes occur in the character of the nourishment which they are able to obtain. Bloat, or hoven, is due to succulent foods eaten under certain conditions which cause the formation of large quantities of gas in the rumen or paunch, and in consquence a swelling of the left flank. It is most often seen among cattle which are turned hungry on to such succulent green food as lucerne, clover, etc.; or when cattle used to dry feed are suddenly changed on to green soft food, gorging on wet grasses or herbage, and under certain conditions, the feeding of roots or potatoes also will bring about the trouble. Some animals appear to be more subject to hoven than others. If feeding mcerne and clover, and if the animals are not used to it, they should be put on gradually until they become accustomed to the fodders. If lucerne is fed in a wet state or after heavy rain—when soft and juicy—it will almost always produce trouble. Cattle should, therefore, be kept off until it is drier. Keeping the mouth open with a gag or a piece of wood until the beast has belched most of the gas by mouth will be found beneficial in mild cases. The internal administration of loz of bicarbonate of soda and loz of ginger is sometimes useful, and it may be repeated in a few hours if necessary. In a bad case the most effective treatment is the puncture of the paunch. This is done on the left side in the flank —at a point equidistant from the last rib—the edge of the loin bones, and the angle of the haunch. The correct instrument for this purpose is the trocar and cannula. The cannula is a tube through which passes a sharp-pointed instrument, the trocar. This instrument is thrust into the-riunen, and the trocar is withdrawn,' leaving the cannula in place, and through this the gas escapes. In case of emergency a knife may be used in the same way, the gas escaping through the cut, but complications may set in and cause death if this is not done expertly. After the gas has escaped the animal mighf be given a dose of linseed oil (1| pints) and turpentine (one tablespoonful). This mixture should be well shaken up while being given.

The woolgrower cannot be too careful in the “ get-up ” of his wool Rolling the clip. It does happen at Fleece. times that the careless

sheep owner will obtain for his indifferently got-up clip as much, sometimes more, for his wool as the man who puts up a clean parcel, but it rarely happens a second time, and ultimately the chances are that buyers will have their revenge. Rolling the fleece in a workmanlike manner in the long run benefits the grower. Only by rolling, says an exchange, is it possible to make certain that the fleece is baled in as clean a state as possible. If the fleece is not rolled, in getting it from the wool table to. the bin and then to the press, dust and dirt are likely to be picked up. The wool rolling table should not be placed

against the wall. The operation of skirting preparatory to rolling cannot be satisfactorily carried out if it is nc? cessary to reach right across the table. If, on the other hand, you pull the sidb of the fleece towards you in order to skirt, in many cases yolk, locks, 'etc., are covered up, and are later rolled in with the fleece. Have the wool table placed so as to have plenty of room all round it. and, if two men-—one on each side of the table —can be spared to do the skirting and rolling, much time will be saved in the course of a day. Then, while cue. is putting the fleece into its class, the other can be picking the “ pieces,” etc’. When skirting, give the fleece an occur sional shake or dislodge any loose yolk locks or second cuts that may be attached to it, and which if left would find their way into the bale with the fleece lines. Always adopt a regular method of rolling the fleece. It is the usual thing to roll so as to show the best portion of the fleece on the outside. This is a recognised practice, and it is of great assistance to the classer to know that the same po’ tioi) of every fleece is showing. It has been mentioned that the shoulder wool is the best on the fleece; the breech is stronger (coarser), perhaps a good deal stronger, and usually poorer in character; while the back wool is lighter, dryer, more dusty, usually finer, and often slightly tender, on account of climatic conditions. If the rolling is done in a slipshod manner she classer may waste a lot of time in hi? work or be led astray in his classes. For instance, a fleece comes before him with the shoulder exposed—a good type of wool —and he puts it into a certain class-; the next one has the breech showing—a rougher and stronger type altogether. The classer does not bother to open the fleece, not expecting the irregular rolling, and so puts the fleece in a lower class. Another fleece arrives with the back ex? posed, and on account of its wasty appear? ance must be put out of the top lines. Thus can be seen the need for a regular ■way of rolling the fleece. The simplest way to expose the shoulder is to skirt from the breech towards the head, turn in the neck wool, fold the edge only of one side over, bring the other right across to meet it, and then fold the same side over again. The back wool is nowon ton. and by rolling from the breech encl this back wool, which may’ show a slight wastiness or tenderness, is put inside, and the shoulder wool is shown. AGRICOLA.