LIVE-STOCK AND THE FARM.

Southland Times, Issue 19757, 3 February 1923, Page 10 (Supplement)

LIVE-STOCK AND THE FARM.

FARM ECONOMICS

Meat Board Commended

(By

“HARVESTER.”)

MEAT BOARD. REVIEW OF OPERATIONS. FARMERS VOICE CONFIDENCE. ■ FREIGHT REDUCTIONS APPRECIATED. A comprehensive survey of the operations ■ of the Meat Producers’ Board was submitted | to the Farmers’ Union conference in Wel- ; lington recently. I The report is as follows: “Grade marks have been standardised and graders appointed by the board, to superintend the grading of meat for export at the various freezing works. This most important reform should inspire confidence in the buyer at the other end, and also encourage producers to send along nothing but what is prime. FREIGHT REDUCTIONS. “As from April 10, 1922, 25 per cent, reduction in carriage of beef for export, and live cattle, for slaughter for export. “As from November 16, 1922, frozen mutton and lamb consigned for export to be charged class C plus 10 per cent., instead of class C plus 40 per cent. “As from April 10, 1922, most freezing companies made a reduction of Id. per lb. for slaughtering, freezing, and storing beef. “Inspectors under the control of the Meat Producers’ Board watch the loading in New Zealand and the discharge in London, and already substantial improvements have been made. These inspectors also watch the loading of butter and cheese. “In order to reduce the heavy costly- and deterioration incurred in handling a multitude of small parcels, the board fixed workable minimum size of parcels at 300 carcasses of mutton or lamb. “From April 3, 1922, a reduction of 225. 6d per ton on tallow and pelts shipped to the United Kingdom was made. “From September 25, 1922, a further reduction of 30s a ton on tallow and pelts was made. “From May 5, 1922, a reduction of Id per lb on beef to the United kingdom was made. The following reductions in freights for the J 022-23 seasons have been made:— Mutton, reduced from l§d, plus 2 J per cent., to lid net; lamb, Ijfd to Ijd; veal, lid to Ijd; pork, Igd to Id; beef quarters, Igd to lid; boned beef, cases, lid to lid; frozen sundries, cases ltd to id; bags Ifd to id; mutton, legs and pieces Ijd to 1 7-16 d, bags Ijd to 1 7-16 d. “These reductions were obtained only after lengthy negotiations with the shipping companies by the board and by its London office, and represent a gain to the producers of £575,000. “The reduction accepted by Australian producers for the present season was turned down by the local board, and a still further reduction was obtained. “Reductions in freight on frozen meat and other produce shipped to Vancouver and San Francisco have also been obtained. “Reductions obtained during the 1921-22 season represent 6s 2d per ton in handling charges and 6s 9d per ton in rent after 28 days. A further reduction of about 2s 4d in handling charges and Is lOd per ton in rent after 28 days operated as from January 1, 1923. REGULATION OF MEAT SUPPLY. “The whole question of the regulation of meat and its connection with the market position from time to time is being continually given very full consideration, and provision has been made in the freight agreement recently completed between the board and shipping companies for the constitution of an allotment committee on which the board is represented. “Arrangements have been made to supply particulars of weekly prices of fat stock for export to the Press each week. These prices will be of immense value to farmers throughout the Dominion in assisting them to market their stock to the best advantage. “The board has already gone very carefully into the question of insurance, but has not yet concluded its investigations. Meantime, the board’s supervising meat graders are inspecting the handling of meat during loading operations, etc., and this action must result in a smaller number of claims which should later be reflected in reduced insurance rates. “The board is taking action in the direction of extending the markets in the United Kingdom, and also opening up new markets on the Continent, in America, and elsewhere. “The big reduction in freight rates for frozen pork—from Ijd, plus 2j per cent., to Id net—has been obtained t-o specially develop this industry among dairy farmers. The board has instructed its London office to find markets for any surplus that will be available for export and to minimise the cost of marketing. “The board has in hand the extensive advertising of New Zealand produce through various channels, including a comprehensive display for the Empire Exhibition, London, in 1924. “Statistics are being collected relating to killings, shipments, and stocks in hand, which are promptly distributed, and are of great assistance to those who are engaged in marketing the meat to the best advantage. “A London office has been opened, and direct information regarding the value and condition of New Zealand produce in the United Kingdom and other markets will be available for all producers. KIDNEYS IN LAMB. “By a recent Order-in-Council the export of lambs without kidneys and kidney-fat is prohibited unless—“(l) The lambs were slaughtered prior to January 8, 1923, or “(2) The lambs are over the net freezing weight of 421 b. “The board tried to meet the freezing companies in this matter by allowing them to take out the kidneys and trim the kid-ney-fat in the case of heavy lambs and lambs containing too much kidney-fat, but certain freezing companies removed the kidneys and fat from all lambs. “The policy prompting the board in its decision is that of obtaining the highest price for the producer, based on the present prices. The difference in return to the farmer between kidneys left in lambs and kidneys taken out is equal to }d to 3-8 d per lb., or about lOd a lamb. Most of the works in the North Island have for years left the kidneys and kidney-fat in all lambs, irrespective of weights, and yet have paid the same price per lb. to the farmers as other companies who have taken the kidneys out and trimmed the kidney-fat. No complaints have been received by any company regarding taint, and it should here be remarked that Argentine and Patagonian lambs are shipped with the kidneys retained in the carceses, and that all Australian lambs, except heavy-weights from some factories, are also sent forward with the kidneys intact.” CONFIDENCE OF FARMERS. On the motion of the president, it was decided to thank the Meat Producers’ Board and to express the Farmers’ Union’s confidence in them as representatives of the meat zrowers of the country.

THE PUREBRED SIRE. There is a way, tried and proved by which the dairy farmer can provide himself with animals of quality and ability to return regular and substantial profits. That way is through the consistent and uninterrupted use of purebred registered sires of known productive ancestry. The science of animal breeding has abundantly proven that certain kinds and breeds of animals have fixed inherited tendencies to produce and reproduce certain qualities witn reasonable certainty, and that sires of these various pure breeds when mated with females of common ancestry will show in their offspring the dominant quality of their breeding, to the extent that they are vastly more efficient than their dams. Thus in the case of dairy cattle the offspring of registered purebred sires have shown increased production over that of their common dams up to as much as 100 per cent. The use of registered purebred bulls of the beef breeds has enabled the grower to market his cattle from six to eight months earlier, and carrying from 25 to 35 per cent, more weight than the offspring of scrub bulls, with no more expense. The, same principles have been proved in mutton and wool production, so that it is an accepted fact that the constant and uninterrupted use of high-class registered purebred sires results in a type of farm animals that will convert the grasses of any farm into vastly more money, and in a shorter time than will the offspring of the scrub sire of unknown breeding, who carries in his blood no fixed characteristics of profitable production to transmit to his offspring. Livestock farming, whether it be dairying, beef cattle breeding, or the production of wool, forms a large part of the productive capacity of our agricultural communities,, and the livestock farmer is essentially a manufacturer in that it is his business to convert the grasses of the earth into more readily available forms for human use and food, such as milk, butter, beef and wool, through the medium of farm animals. Thus the grasses including roots, fodder crops, etc., are his raw material and the animals are the machines of his factory. Granting that the skill of the livestock farmer must constantly be exercised towards the economical production of his raw materials and that his operations are successful in this respect, he still will fail if his livestock, or the machinery of his manufacturing plant cannot profitably convert his raw materials into marketable products. It is invariably proved that the efficient, profit-making farm animals are found in those herds where purebred registered sires have been most consistently used. The livestock farmer who persists in the use of poorly-bred sires, in the face of all the evidence against such use, is not an economical manufacturer, he is not doing his part in adding to his own profit and to the wealth of the community, and he should not be surprised if in the very near future when , he applies for credit from the stock or station agency or the bank, if the first and most important question and consideration in securing the loan is, “Do you use a purebred registered sire in your herd?” MANAGEMENT OF THE RAM. Only too often the rams are the most neglected of animals on a New Zealand farm. Some corner is usually fenced off when the farm is in the making and given the name of the “ram paddock.” Year after year the rams are turned into this enclosure and forgotten except at shearing time and when their services are required. The time will soon be round again for using the rams, and it is not reasonable to expect good results unless they are in strong, active condition. Footrot and scalds in the clefts of the hoof are often the cause of a ram’s failure to do well and serve satisfactorily. Animals noticed to be affected with either of these troubles should receive immediate attention. In the case of footrot, pare down to the bottom of the affected part and apply a suitable dressing, such as butyr-antimony. For scalds, clean out the cleft and apply a dressing of Stockholm tar and mutton fat in equal parts, to which has been added a sprinkling of powdered bluestone, and keep the sheep in the shed for a few hours after treatment. CAPPED HOCKS AND ELBOWS. I CAUSES AND SIMPLE REMEDIES These are chiefly objectionable as disfigurements, and many a good horse has descended in the scale on account of these tumefactions. A good hunter will retain his position despite them ; they are caused by bruising, whether by a single hard blow or the repeated pressure induced by the animal lying on bare, stony, or irregular floors. Nor must the blame always be laid at the door of the stableman, for there are some horses that will paw and scrape away their bedding so that no amount of care on the part of their custodians can provide against injury by this means. Capped hocks are of two kinds; the simpler one is a swelling caused by an effusion of serum, or the watery portion of the blood, immediately under the skin. The more serious are due to a synovial or bursal distension. The measure of success attending the use of simple remedies depends upon which kind of capped hock the horseman has to deal with. Hence the very different results obtained by various uses. Diagnosis, or differential diagnosis, is not always easy, for the less serious case commonly shows the most pain or sensibility to the touch. It is more superficial, and the result of a bruise or blow, and being distended and the skin stretched, is felt more readily than when the effusion is between the two tendons attached to what corresponds to the Achilles heel in the man. Early measures only promise success, because there is a disposition to rapid thickening of the fluid, which in an old case becomes incurable. TREATMENT. Fomentation with warm water first distends the blood vessels and thus facilitates carrying away of the morbid material; while cold effusion subsequently, or the use of evapaorating lotions reduce the inflammatory conditions. Many old stablemen have great faith in a paste made of prepared chalk of whiting and vinegar, plastering this on thickly and allowing it to set. An ounce of menthol in a pint of methylated spirit is a good lotion for frequent application, the cooling effects of which can be demonstrated by a spot or two on the back of one’s hand. A better method, in the simple variety, is that of aspirating. A veterinary surgeon with such an instrument as the large hypodermic syringe, rendered aseptic with great care, can withdraw the fluid without admitting atmospheric air. It is not an operation to be undertaken by amateurs, unless by the bold pioneers in the colonies, who undertake all sorts of jobs, and with an amount of success that surprises the professional. The use of strong oils, and of blisters, is much to be deprecated, and should only Ibe resorted to under expert advice, many capped hockfl and elbows being permanently

“set” by such means and then incurable. The synovial form may profit by a mercurial blister as the final treatment, but the object of all prior measures is to remove the inflammatory products and bring about normal secretion, and the bursal sacs, whose ordinary product of a lubricating fluid (synovia) has been perverted and resulted in a more or less irritating and congulated deposit. Oleate of mercury one part, and lard four parts, has proved a good remedy when this condition has been reached, as it is found to wake up the absorbents and promote healthy secretion by the burse. My space has ran out, but capped elbows will be considered on another occasion. NAURU PHOSPHATE ARE CHARGES EXCESSIVE? At each conference of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, the question of the price charged to farmers for Nauru Island phosphate is widely discussed. A strong body of agricultural opinion has latterly favoured the proposal adopted in Southland, to have phosphate rock ground locally, while strong support is also forthcoming to a scheme for co-operative buying, in order to cheapen the cost to the individual producer. Such a discussion took place at the recent quarterly conference of the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union. Mr E. Bowmar (Gore), in explaining the action taken by Southland farmers, said that they had established the fact that railage for 50 miles, grinding, bagging and ocher expenses, worked out at £2 per ton. If groups of farmers would take 500 to 1000 tons, they could handle it at a price that should not exceed £4 10s per ton. He was of opinion that the Government had made a mistake in fixing the shipments at 6000 tons. Mr R. S. Chadwicke (Southern Hawke’s Bay) urged the setting up of crushing plants at Wellington, New Plymouth and Napier, as providing the cheapest means of handling ground phosphate for the North Island, outside the Auckland province. Mr J. D. Hall, president of the Council of Agriculture, who was present by invitation, said that the bulk of the phosphate used in the North Island was on pasture grass. No chemist was able to advise them exacts ly what action took place in the soil in the use of it. It was a matter of discovering for themselves what its effect would be. Mr W. B. Matheson (Eketahuna) suggested that the assistance of the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, be secured, in advising the farmers in regard to the phosphate. Mr F. Mills (Taranaki) contended that the farmers were not getting a fair deal in regard to price, which was inflated by manufacturers, to make up past losses. Mr Chadwicke: The Government is doing everything possible for us. They have erected a cantilever wharf at the island, and railway trucks were being taken right to the ship’s side, to cheapen the cost of handling. Farmers should use the phosphate as largely as possible, in order to bring down the price. If they did not now establish cooperative crushing plants, they would still have the same complaints in five years’ time. Mr F. Mills (Taranaki) moved: “That the Dominion Executive be again asked to bring before the notice of the Government the excessive prices that are being charged on Nauru phosphate.” The resolution was agreed to. CATTLE TICK MENACE. REPORTED CASE IN TARANAKI. GOVERNMENT QUARANTINE OF CATTLE. The anxiety of Taranaki farmers at the reported appearance of cattle ticks in that district was the subject of a resolution tabled by the provincial delegate at the quarterly conference of the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union lyThe report before the executive was to the effect that ticks had been discovered in some cattle on a farm in the Oaonui district. The cattle had recently come from the Urenui district, through which mobs of cattle frequently pass from the Waikato, where the tick is known to exist. Anxiety was also expressed by the Marlborough provincial executive, owing to the report that 200 head of cattle had been purchased in the North Island by a local buyer. The director of the live stock division of the Department of Agriculture, Colonel Young visited the district immediately with three of his officers, and made a very close investigation. Unfortunately, no specimen of the supposed tick had been kept. The farm was immediately quarantined, and the stock inspected every alternate day. Representations were made on behalf of the district farmers, for a cattle dip to be established on the other side of the Mokau River, the northern boundary of Taranaki, making it compulsory that stock passing into the province should be dipped. A careful examination of all cattle at slaughterhouses failed to reveal the presence of any tick or infection in cattle. Mr F. Mills (Taranaki) moved at the conference:— “That this executive expresses its appreciation of the prompt action of the Government in regard to the recently-reported outbreak of the cattle tick, but it is by no means satisfied that sufficiently effective steps have been taken to keep the pest out of clean areas, and urges upon the Minister the necessity for the most drastic steps being taken to prevent,eif possible, its spread into all clean areas. Failing any more effective method, we suggest a quarantine area, with dips near the boundary, on the stock routes into clean areas, or the total prohibition of the importation of stock from infected areas.” The resolution was agreed to, after brief discussion. Seen by a Dominion reporter, Colonel Young, who had returned, said that, when he visited the farm, he could find nothing beyond a few lice. Subsequent reports, received at the Department, showed that no ticks had yet been discovered. He was convinced that, if any ticks had been seen, they were stray ticks from wild birds. The quarantine would be lifted next week, but no cattle would be allowed to move from the vicinity without rigorous examination by stock inspectors for some time to come.

SUPERPHOSPHATES. The use of plain superphosphate as a manure has increased to a remarkable extent in Southland during the last few years. Good returns have been secured from this manure and its popularity is gradually increasing. However, there is one aspect of using superphosphates alone which many farmers have overlooked, and that is they tend to increase the acidity of the soil. The direct result of the acidity is that it produces a soil which is suitable for yarr, sorrel, and many farmers blame the superior containing the seeds of those weeds. The reason why, under super manuring alone, those weeds flourish is because they find a soil congenial to them of which they quickly take advantage. With increased acidity comes increased risk of club root, that deadly menace to all root crops for which there is no known remedy. Clubroot spores flourish in an acid soil, and

many farmers are beginning to discover this when it is too late. Again supers have a bad effect on seed germination, especially in the case of root crops and should never be used solely as a manur: for this class of crop. What is the remedy? The only way that farmers can avoid the evil effects of acidity, caused by the use of supers alone, is to use lime as a corrective. With a mixture of lime and super (basic super) good results can be obtained without running any risks of souring the soil, and providing suitale conditions for these farming evils mentioned above. The use of basic super will also improve the germin ation and thus help to choke any objec tionable weeds that might spring up with the crops. Basic super has been used with good results on the Winton area and there is no reason to doubt that similar results cannot be obtained throughout Southland The club root menace is growing and the free use of superphosphates, without lime, is making an acid soil in which the club root thrives. For their own benefit Southland farmers should get away from the hapit of using super alone, and stick to basic super for all future crops. Then the yarr, sorrell and club root will have a harder fight to exist, and the returns per acre will be as good with less worry and work FARM ECONOMICS. NEED FOR INVESTIGATION. Great strides have been made in the industrial world during 'the last 50 years; new machinery and better methods of manufacture can be fpund everywhere. Every factory that is keeping in the fight is equipped with all the latest machinery, as the industrial capitalist cannot afford to lag behind. What about the farmer? On some farms to-day you find all the modern machinery, but, unlike the industrial world, you do not find them on every farm. Can the farmer afford to lag behind? I think not. But the farmer is handicapped in one way. He can repeat most of his operations operations annually only. If he lives long enough he can grow about fifty crops, but the industrial capitalist can repeat his experiments many times a year. This is a great disadvantage to the farmer. Again, in trying something new the farmer takes a

greater risk than the capitalist if he makes the experiment over his whole crop. But as compared with the industrialist he is in a superior position as an experimentalist, because he can, if he likes, make his experiment on a very small portion of his farm. So, though we allow that the farmer cannot make his experiments so •ften as the* industrialist, he can make far ■lore of them and he can make them cheaply. Many of »ur farmers are .as good, or ■early as good, technical cultivators as any, but outside a few districts they are pursuing a wrong system. Our problem is to grow’ more food and grow it profitably, how are we to set about a solution of that problem? What we want is knowledge and more knowledge; we want facts and more facts. We must know for example, what are the returns from different types and systems of farming. We want the returns per man under the different gystems, we must have the returns per £lOO of capital under different kiijds of farming. To take the common case of a man wfyo sows grain and grazes cattle, we want to know whether the grain pays best or the cattle. We want to know the production of a dairy herd and what it costs to feed it. We want to know the sheep that are most adapted for the various parts Of the country and what they return. Further we need to experiment with every kind of system and detail. When and to what extent the grain-drying shed is most profitable, and if it has come to stay. We want to know the economical size of paddocks and the most profitable size of a farm for each particular system, altitude and climate. Up to date we have devoted not too much, but nearly all of our insufficient time money and scientific staff to investigations of the science of the soil, the plant and the animal. Now we are faced by a great economic problem and we must devote more time and money to its solution. JOTTINGS. At the Smithfield Show; H.M. the King secured first prize for the best heifer not exceeding two years, with ‘Clairvoyant Jewel,” a Hereford heifer bred at Windsor. This heifer also secured the reserve cup for the best heifer at the show. A tumipy flavour in butter is a frequent trouble where the careful use of turnips is not observed. The chief causes of this trouble are:—(l) The milk absorbing the atmosphere in which the smell of turnips prevails: (2) feeding too many turnips to the cows, in which case the milk has a turnipy flavour immediately it is drawn from the cow.

A great deal of the dirt in milk comes from the cow’s udder, and the cleaning of the udder before milking facilitates the production of clean milk. Other conditions, such as the milkers hands, the state of the cow’s flanks, and dust in the byre at the time of milking, should also receive attention.

In the production of clotted cream, after the scalding is completed the cream still on the milk is cooled as quickly as possible by being stood in water, preferably running water. If running water is not available the cold water must be changed frequently, as it soon becomes warm. When cold tne cream is removed by means of an ordinary’ perforated skimmer. Certain kinds of bacteria assist in the manufacture and curing of dairy- products, except, of course, sterilised milk. The lactic acid produced by bacteria ripens the milk for cheese and cream for buttermaking. The acid-producing bacteria act on the milk sugar and convert it into lactic acid. All of the milk sugar does not get used up by the acidifying organisms. When a certain percentage of acidity is present in the milk or cream the bacteria producing the acidity cannot work unless some agent b added to neutralise the acid present. When cream is allowed to get sour certain kinds »f germs that can work in an acid medium become active and effect harmful results. The trouble of milk or cream turning slimy is often the result of a cow having a diseased or inflamed udder. In order to find which cow is the cause, a quantity of milk from each is kept in a vessel which just before milking has been thoroughly cleansed and scalded. It sometimes happens that slimy milk is caused by certain germs which have entered the milk after it has left the cow.

It is usual to estimate the quality of milk by the percentage of butter-fat itSiontains. With a high percentage of fat, there is usually an increased amount of casein also. The casein and fat of milk are chief constituents required for the production of chees*. In cheesemaking a certain proportion of the fat escapes in the whey , the amount thus lost varies with the skill of the cheesemaker. Butter for sale may contain as much as 16 per cent, of water, but the article of prime quality seldom has more than 12A per cent, of water. The flavour of butter is effected to some extent by the amount of water it contains. Wet bitter is generally soft and sticky, whilst if too dry the flavour and consistence are not of the best.

Always chum butter to small grains instead of a lump. Practically all the curdy matter may be washed from butter when in granular form; thus the flavour and keeping properties are improved. When butter is churned to a lump the casein gets imprisoned therein, and cannot be removed by any amount of washing.