FARM and STATION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16376, 25 June 1927, Page 10

FARM and STATION

The first lambs of the season are reported from Whitford (Auckland), Kairanga (Manawatu), and St. Andrew's (South Canterbury).

An important development in connection with the dairying industry lias boon the formation of a herdtesting federation, comprising the Southland, Canterbury, Wairarapa, Southern Hawko's Bay, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, anct Northern Wairoa associations. Only three small associations in the Dominion have not affiliated.

Several properties in North Otago have recently changed hands at satisfactory figures, and negotiations are in progress in respect to others. The price of land in the district has not heefi seriously inflated as in .some parts of the Dominion, though in some cases speculative instead of productive values have been paid.

"I have received a sheaf of tele-i-'raias from various agents in New Zealand representing Tooley street firms," said a daily company secretary i)i conversation with a Taranaki News reporter recently, "and the prices offered show a big increase on the present market." Telegrams were shown offering up to 1/4J per Ih f.o.b. for May and June butter. This is snid to lie the experience of practically every dairy company in South Taranaki.

"There is no better way to improve a farmer's finance than by herd-test-ing," declared Mr. ,T. Linklater, M.P.. for Manawatu. at the annual meeting of the Manawatu lTord-1 f sting Association. "I realise the great import amy of testing, run] I agree that testing pays. Each member is carrying on! his share of tho work, however, and it is not necessary for mo to elaborate on rite advantages tp be derived from testing at the present time. There are fur too many robber cows eating away the profits of the land."

The New Zealand Jersey Cattle Breeders' Association numbers several women in its membership. Prominent among them is Mrs I. W". Spiers, of Ratavale, Levin, who, although a comparatively new breeder, has already met with appreciable success. Indeed,, her record takes a lot of beating when it is considered that the Ratavale herd was founded only three years ago. and was exhibited for the first time last season, when it had the distinction of winning six cups, one rose bowl, and no fewer, than 80 prizo tickets —the majority in the face of strong competition 'at leading North Island shows.

The whole problem of horses versus motors is an economic one. Men who have work to be done, in cities or on farms, view horses primarily as machines with which work may be done. From this standpoint they consider their initial cost, length of useful life, cost of repairs, operating expense, and the work that can be done with these respective types of power units. Equally important,, though often "overlooked, is the effect which the use of one or the other of these kinds of power exerts upon tho prices paid for farm products. The average farm work horse in the United States consumes annually 125.3 bushels of maize, iJ7.B bushels of oats, 1.7 tons of hay, and LOG acres of pasture, or, approximately, the erop production of four acres of fertile land. The use of this grain, hay, and pasture for horse feed withholds that much from the market, as it would otherwise be sold either directly or through meat animals. Prom an economic basis, therefore,, horses at farms act as stabilising factors enabling farmers to secure much higher prices for farm products than if the land now growing horse feed were diverted to food production. * » * * The Opunake Times says: "A very good illustration of what our land is capable of with tho aid of intelligent work and improved farming methods is to be had in the small property of a") acres owned by Mr. B. P. Bowman, of Opunake. When Mr. Bowman bought this property about four years ago it was covered with a forest of gorse, and its carrying capacity could safely be put down at .something like five head. Mr. Bowman set about systematically to make a farm of it, grubbing the' gorse, ploughing, cropping, >and laying down in grass each paddock as 'he went. Well fenced and drained, with young boxthorn hedges thriving and the beautiful green paddocks reflecting liberal topdressing, the property to-day is a credit to any locality and one of which the industrious owner might well feel proud. This season Mr. Bowman milked i'l cows, from -which he took over 7-100 lbs of buttcrfat, an average of over oOOlbs per cow and over 2001bs per acre. Truly a great record for a property which,, only a few years ago, could little more than sustain a house cow! It is a great advertisement for the soil here if it be intensely cultivated and reasonably top-dressed."