FARM AND STATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16498, 2 August 1924, Page 9

FARM AND STATION.

STATION' WORK FOR THE COMING WEEK.

Earners'who are expect ing early lambs have been riding round their ewes for some weeks past, but the lime has now arrived when the ewes on all stations require daily attention. Owing to the nature of much of the hill country in this district; it is impossible for farmers to get round the farm twice daily, but where this can be done it would be found exceedingly beneficial. To get a badlv-cast ewe up on her feet again requires a considerable amount of patience on the part of the shepherd. The legs should lie worked backwards and forwards for a time until the circulation is got back again, and then by holding the ewe on her feet for a time she can usually be got up and thus saved. A shepherd who saves but one ewe a day is more than earning his wages, and in the hill country on large stations it is quite usual to find four or live ,cast, sliced daily during the height of the lahibing season.

MEAT CONTROL BOARD,

IN INTERESTING REVIEW

The second annual report of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board is a document that should Ire in the hands of every farmer. It contains not only information relative to the work accomplished by the Board, but an interesting summary of the position of our meat in the world to-day. The enormous advantages accruing to the works in the Argentine by reason of their closeness to tlie English market are commented upon. The General Manager Visited youth America during the year and he found that the works in Argentine and Uruguay had many advantages over the New Zealand works. They were situated at a shorter distance from the markets and there were fewer works. This meant that there were continual killings, a bigger turnover, and ability to utilise all the by-products. The Argentine works employed cheap labor, got their supplies cheaply, and were in close proximity to loading ports. The works are only three weeks’ steam away from the markets and the linns were .thus enabled to place cither chilled or frozen meat on the market quickly. Another factor in their economical working was that they worked •all the year round. The manager found that the chain system of killing was in force in all Argentine works. His observations there led him to believe that New Zealand works will have to make earnest endeavours to improve the. general quality of their output. He advocates the improvement of the dressing and general preparation of our meat, and keeping up. the quality and the grading. Another point suggested was that the costs between producer and consumer must be reduced. 'He further advocated advertising our products freely. *Therc is no doubt that, several of the recommendations made by the manager are urgently required and will be in the best interests of the producers'. Another point of interest in Mr, Fraser’s observations is that relating to dehorning. He said that he was particularly struck with the splendid results following dehornipg in South America.

Another section in the report deals with the multiplicity of marks in existence when the Board assumed office. They have introduced a rule to the effect that no shipment of less than 250 carcases of mutton should be made.

This rule has had a very beneficial effect so far and will undoubtedly be productive of good results in the future.. One of the biggest problems facing the industry prior to the setting up of the Board was that ocaling with the multiplicity of marks, and the congestion and deterioration resulting from the increased handling necessary at the other end.

There will be many who disagree with many of the Board’s actions, but that should not prevent them making a careful study of the report, the: result of which will be that they will admit the useful purpose it serves. With the increased competition that; is being experienced in the frozen meat field it is necessary that the farmers’ interests should be protected, and this the Board aims at doing.. One of the most novel ideas inaugurated by the Board was that whereby people in England could purchase a carcase of New Zealand lamb, delivered to their door, for £1 13s. This one idea must have introduced New Zealand lamb into thousands of homes that never heard of. it before, and once they have sampled the best the consumers will want more. It is to be hoped that the Board will continue its progressive policy and advertise our products on every possible occasion. RASP ALU At GRASS. SUITABLE FOR LOCAL CONDITIONS. There are some farmers in Poverty Bay who swear by paspaluni grass, and there are others who swear at it. One fact is certain, however, and that is that paspaluni has come ta stay, and that it serves a useful purpose under some conditions. During summer and early autumn paspiduin provides an abundance of succulent feed, and so rapid is its growth that it produces a quantity of feed vastly in excess of. the requirements of the stock. During a dry season it proves invaluable, and fanners who have a good deal of light country on their farms are very glad to take advantage of the feed that this grass offers. It lias recently been discovered that paspaluni, if handled correctly, provides excellent ensilage. •The practice is to cut the grass when the stalks have developed. A good stack of ensilage call thus lie obtained, while a short thick growth is left on the field for the cattle to graze. A few farmers who have fed their cows on lucerne and on paspaluni during n dry summer state that the results obtained from tlm paspaluni are equal to those given by the lucerne. The grass retains its succulence and what would become indigestible Iced in the winter becomes, in the ensilage stack, the best of winter fodder for dairy cows.

A purely paspalum pasture would not he very useful, but in combination with ryegrass and timothy it is a good fodder. The other grasses provide feed in the spring, and the paspalunp coming to life later in the season, provides feed during the summer mouths, I’aspalum does better in low country than on higher ground. There is no doubt that when handled in the proper manner pnspalum can lie a very useful fodder, and farmers should take full advantage of this grass, which provides useful feed during'the period when other grasses are scorched and dormant.

MEAT GRADING

SOUTH AMERICAN COMPETITION

There is no more interesting subject dealt with in the annual report of the N.Z. Meat Producers’ Board than that of meat grading. Farmers in this district have been only too well aware of the fact that some of the meat going through the freezing works was

not of a. sufficiently high standard, and all who had the interests of the Dominion at heart, welcomed the supervision exorcised by the Meat Producers’ Board over the grading o( meat.

The reputation of our meat in Great Britain is one of the greatest assets our Dominion possesses, and we must aim to give our unchallengeable guarantee that the whole of our frozen meat exported is strictly according to the grade specified. When this confidence becomes fully inspired it will mean thousands of pounds to New Zealand producers.

It is often contended, and there is a certain amount of truth in the contention, that England holds a market for every class of meat which we can produce. The fact, remains, however, that our prime quality lamb stands unrivalled, but our second quality lamb and mutton meets with competition from other countries more favourably situated for rushing their products on to the English market. A section of the Meat Producers’ Board report says that Patagonian lambs n'ow appearing on the Smithlicld market show a big improvement in quality and breeding on the earlier shipments. This demonstates what a dangerous rival we have in Patagonia, for, in parts of Punta Arenas, the country is very similar to our own. Because of this increase in competition the Board has realised the necessity for better grading, and has appointed supervisors who go round the Various works and see that the grading is kept up to the required standard. These supervisors have this year rejected a considerable number of poor quality lambs, and this has had the desired effect of causing greater care to be exercised in drafting. There is not the slightest doubt that laxity in our grading in the past has been responsible for much of the success of our competitors, and it is to be hoped that the Board will continue the work it lias commenced, and gradually raise the standard of grading until New Zealand firmly commands an unchallenged position iu the frozen meat field. There is always a tendency when seasons are bad to rush unfinished stock into the freezing works, and Poverty Bay farmers have at times adopted this short-sighted policy, forgetting that every second quality carcase is helping to blight the outstanding 1 reputation of New Zealand on the English market. It is to bo hoped that all producers in this district will loyally co-operate with Board in their endeavour to improve the standard of grading, and incidentally the reputation of our meat on the Home market', SHEEP DOG NOTES. The local A. and P. Association has been fortunate enough to secure the services of Mr. Paul Hunter, of Porangaliuu, to judge the dog classes at this year’s show. Mr. Hunter has long been regarded as one of the leading dog men in the Dominion, and hrs, selection as judge should meet with universal approval, “Dog trainers, like poets, are born, not made.” That was the striking statement made by Air. Adam Tclfer, the v noted Northumbrian prize-winner, in addressing the members of Matfcn Horticultural Society on “Sheep Dogs.” The trainer, he said, required to have patience, and yet at the same time know when to strike. He required to have endurance, both physical and mental, and command over himself and the animal; Alan was helpless without the sheep clog, and the sheep clog was helpless without the man. That statement was proved when one saw a highly trained sheep dog in the hands of a feeble trainer. The dog could accomplish nothing, and hardly ever got into the prize list. In discussing breeding Air. Tclfer said the correct strain and long pedigree wero very important. It was, hbwover, a remarkable fact that a brilliant bitch hardly ever bred anything equal to herself. The hall mark of breeding iu a dog was a very high forehead between the eyes, so high as to be unsightly. For trial purposes puppies had to be trained from the very commencement. Sheep dog trials were the most difficult tilings on earth to judge, because each trial was a moving pic-' ture. The qualities necessary were judgment, education, strength of character, and impartiality. HOW DAIRYING EXHAUSTS THE LAND. A large quantity of the more valuable ingredients taken from the soil by dairy cows in'the production of milk is never returned by them, and in order that pastures should not become exhaustpd it is of much importance that dairymen should understand how to manure their pastures, and especially the kind of fertiliser to apply to make up for the process of exhaustion which is continually taking j place when the lands are heavily • stocked with milch cows. An authority ,on this subject points out that in the [ formation of milk in the, mammary ; glands of a cow a considerable quanI titv of mineral matter is secreted from I the blood. Of these minerals the most ; valuable is phosphate of lime, as well as salt of potash. These minerals are extracted from the, soil by the pastiire 'plants consumed ! by. the cattle. Auoth- | or, valuable soil 1 constituent (nitrate) l is taken up by the plants , to form | protein. This plant, protein is trails--1 ferret! into casein in the process letul- ' ing up to milk secretion. The amount [ of these valuable earth salts removed '•from the soil in milk making will be j better understood in terms of connnor- | cial manures. In 100 gallons of milk the amount of phosphate present j equals that contained in }-cwt. of superphosphate, while the potash is equivalent' to that in 51b. of potassium phosphate. The nitrogen present in

the casein is equivalent to that in j cwt. of sulphate of ammonia.

£7B L’KOAI ONE TREE,

A BIG At A CROC ARP A

The following particulars, from N.Z. Life and Forest Magazine, relate to a big macrocarpn tree grown near Ota tie, H.B. The tree, which was about 70 years old, and had reached a height of HO feet, was not, grown under scientific forestry conditions. The particulars are as follows: 38 strainers, Din. to JOin. square (average) £33 us.; 200 posts, from Gin. through and up, aurl some split, at £0 per 100, £18; 250 rails, -fin. to Gin. thick, 10 to 12 feet, at Is., £l2 10s.; 6 cords firewood, at £2 10s., £ls; total £7B 15s. A Shannon farmer has shown a Levin Chronicle representative a fence containing inacrocarpa posts which he put in 15 years ago, and .although some matai and totara posts had rotted off, the inacrocarpa posts were almost as good now as the day they were put in. It was probable that many settlers do not realise the value of this timber for fencing.

HERE AND THERE.

POINTS FOR FARMERS.

Serious attempts are being made in Yorkshire to manufacture wool packs of woollen material owing to the serious damage caused by jute packs by the admixture of jute fibre with wool, which defies complete eradication. Every stage of the manufacture entails heavy cost in burling the cloth, various woollen materials being made up into packs. An attempt was made to reach a bag weighing below III)., which would stand hooks and not stretch unduly. A committee representing various sections of the Bradford trade is, supervising the experiments. The suggestion is that me wool buyers should pay half the extra costs. The used bags would be rcsliippcd to Australia for use again, and it was'expceted that ultimately this method would not increase the present cost of the jute pack to the grower. All brands and marks would be placed on a detachable square of linen sewu ou to the bale. * # • « Milking should be done in a quiet, clean, and thorough manuer, and at the same hours daily. Alilkcrs should avoid handling the cows more than necessary. If the milk is bloody, stringy, or thick, or if it has an unnatural appearance, or if manure gets into it, it should lie discarded. * * * * A commission to purchase in America, at his ow n discretion, a selection of the very best Jersey bulls obtainable, lias been given to Air. C. E Robertson, of Alessrs. Wright, Stephenson and Co., of New Zealand, who is making an extensive tour this year in the interests of his firm. The breeders concerned are Afessrs. John Hale, 11. Solway and 11. B. Leppcr. # # * * A “Better Live Stock Train” is now touring Canada, with the object of emphasising the advantages of using better sires. It carries typical beef bulls, representative co\\s of Canada’s leading dairy breeds, different grades of fat cattle to suit the home and British requirements, cows demonstrating that herd improvement, though the use of a better sire, is within the reach of every dairy farmer, pigs showing the type required, for export. Lecturers and Government experts accompany the train. * * * * When you have been handling sick stock of any kind, be sure to clean your hands well afterwards. Wash them well and then rinse them in a. solution of peroxide and water. Glanders and many other diseases arc very infectious. * * * * It is well known that the presence of iron iu soils intensifies the color of both the flowers and the foliage of plants. A complete chemical fertiliser for horticultural purposes usually contains a small part of iron in its composition.