NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 12

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Farm 'Work for March.

The harvest is late this year. Once the

stubbles are cleaned up of all weedy growth by sheep they should be ploughed, and the earlier

the better. Discing the stubbles in some seasons is often effective in springing the weed seeds, and these can be fed off or ploughed under. The sowing of rye corn, Cape barley, or oats this month will ensure useful stock feed ere winter sets in, and will in early spring afford some valuable feeding before the grass gets away. Land intended for luncerne, if ploughed now and limed and alllowed to lie fallow during the winter, will permit of ready’ cleaning next spring for seeding in Otago some time in November. The covering of grain stacks left over the winter is making for safety, while the hard raking down of straw stacks and weighting will ensure some sort of fodder later on. Once the grass commences to go off, it is well to provide young stuck with some extra feeding, as weathered grass is no fattener and but a moderate apology as food to a self-respecting dairy cow. The provision of a ‘ lick ’ of salt will aid digestion and tone up stock. All dairy cows in’milk should be fed some succulent foodstuff, as woody herbage is not conducive to milk production. The pigs should be warmly housed and fed regularly. All lambs on good feed are better crutched and dipped. Why indirectly feed vermin? Wean all lambs in time in order to permit the ewes securing eight weeks’ rest from nursing, and retain some of the best of the ewe lambs to replace the culls. Select your rams with care—clad with the style of wool fancied and built as like a Down sheep as possible. These are the mothers which produce .the shapely lambs for London. See that the ram’s feet are sound. A lame ram is of no use. Feed the rams some concentrated food. Give them legumes, and thus brisk them up for their work to come. If they are to do a good season, it is but common sense to feed occasionally sope crushed oats, peas, beans, with chaff and a little linseed —in fact, anything of a protein nature, in order to make them extend themselves. Also “flush” the ewes two or three weeks ere tupping time. Why not secure 100 per cent, lambs? It is easy, but there must’be good shepherding. Dip all sheep and tidy up generally for the winter period.

Handling Colts, ■

Opinions in regard to handling y’oung

draught colts may vary considerably, but it will be generally admitted

that it is. necessary in order to make a successful job that a man should be kind, have patience, a strong will, and, above all, no fear, for a colt could tell in a moment if a man was nervous, and then it became nervous also. At a recent meeting of farmers Mr Mackereth stressed the importance of keeping one’s temper. He advised driving the colt with a quiet liorse into a small yard or loosebox and allowing theformer to settle down and become used to the surroundings. Catching the colt, he considered, was a one man’s job. The hatler rope should be about 9ft long. A loose halter was recommended. The speaker thought that walking straight up to a Colt and putting the hand firmly on the shoulder Was the best way to approach a colt, and to speak quietly to inspire confidence. It was a good plan to tie ' the colt to an old horse'with a

short rope and to have a loose bag tied around the old horse’s neck. They should be allowed to run together for a couple of days in the paddock. After the colt had been taught to lead and the legs handled, it was then necessary to drive it to the implement. One should only use “ Whoa ” when required. For the first workings care should be taken not to overtire the colt, and when it was taken out of the team at night the shoulders should be washed with cold water. Good feed, confidence, patience, and the avoid? ance of a whip were essentials. Dis? cussing the observations which had been made, Mr Pimlott, sen., said he favoured a strap from the fetlock to a strap around the girth for handling the hind feet, Mr T. Day said the simplest and best way was to catch the colt and put it straight into the body of the wagon team. Mr A. Wilson, a blacksmith, did not ap? prove of the methods suggested by Mr Day, because afterwards, when the colt came in to be shod the blacksmith had tp break it in so far as its legs were concerned. Mr D. Roberts’s plan was to choke down the colt, and while it was on the ground put on the collar, hanies, and winkers. Mr F. Wait favoured hand? ling the legs while breaking in. While standing in the team in the paddock the colt frequently got its legs over he chains, which often resulted in damage that could be avoided if the legs were handled first. *

Reducing Costs.

The problem of reducing the costs of

“ living ” is one that confronts every one of us who has not too much

cash to come and go upon. It is easy to give advice, but if it is good, surely it is nearly as valuable as ready cash. We have repeatedly urged the Culling of low-producing cows as a means of effecting economies in the production of milk. The time to get evidene concerning a cow’s right to remain in the herd or be sent to the fat stock market is when she is producing milk. It is hard to get evidence from a dry cow; there is nothing to weigh and test. The time to weigh the evidence is now when the cows have for the most part done their best work for the season out of the foodstuffs available. It is not enough to measure producing ability -with the eye—by the pailful or gallon. The milk scale and Babcock tester are the instruments to use. If a dairyman can make a profit when he refuses to make use of an accurate means of reducing costs —in this case removing the low producer from the herd—it is probable that he does not seriously consider building up a competence for his old ilge: but, even so, it is surely more interesting to milk a few good cows than a lot of duffers.

Functions of Phosphate.

Phosphorus is acknowledged to be a vital

constituent of plant life. No herbage or seed capable of affording nourish-

ment for man or beast can be produced without the presence and co-operation of what is not infrequently referred to as phosphate. It may • 3] oted that the much-vaunted and rightly-vaunted farmyard manure (usually regarded as a complete manure), is deficient in this valuable constituent and this shortage has to be made good by applications of . phosphate from other sources. In this circumstance the discovery of deposits of phosphate rock and how the hard rock could be utilised has been a signal blessing to the world. Research work by scientists has shown that the action of phosphate, applied to the soil an; appropriate form and quantity, is manifold. It helps the early growth of the young plants, stimulates development of root formation, strengthens stem structure, hastens the ripening process while improving the quality of the crop, and especially adds to the nourishing character of grass and fodder crops. It is not surprising that the use of phosphatic fertilisers has extended to all quarters of the globe. AGRICOLA.