LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM.

Southland Times, Issue 18963, 9 June 1923, Page 10 (Supplement)

LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM.

PRODUCTIVE SOUTHLAND.

Otago Winter Show Comment.

(By

“HARVESTER.”)

PRODUCTIVE SOUTHLAND. VALUE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS. The output of the various provinces under the control of the South Island Dairy Association was mentioned at the annual conference of that body in Dunedin during the week. Mr D. Rutledge was the first to draw up a table of comparative values, and he said that in calculating cheese at £6 a crate and butter at £5 a box, the value of the output from the thiee provinces was as follows: — £ Southland 1,100,000 Canterbury 713,000 Otago 504,000 Later in the conference a Canterbury man eetimated the output in cheese as follows, Canterbury being credited with the produce shipped at Dunedin:— Crates. Southland 189,000 Canterbury 155,000 Otago 85,000 The final figures were supplied by the secretary, Mr Q. Lamb, from the department figures giving the output of each province in butter-fat. The butter-fat figures were as follows: lbs. Southland 11,645,072 Canterbury 8,050,418 Otago 5,368,610 By the figures given above it will be seen that Southland at present leads the way in the South Island in dairy produce, but Canterbury is steadily increasing its output. OTAGO WINTER SHOW. NOTES AND COMMENT. Judging by the increase in the bacon and hams section there has been an advance in this industry since last show, proving that the pig is coming into his own. The quality of the exhibits was far ahead of those of last year, and some of the individual exhibits secured the possible of 100 marks, the judge, Mr D. W. Johnston, being unable to fault the entries. The pig raising industry has been neglected in the Dominion to a great extent, but it promises a good field for any enterprising farmer who cares to take it up seriously, and give the pigs a fair chance.

One noticeable feature in the grain section was the absence of Sparrowbills, a seed that has been very popular throughout Otago and Southland. Those connected with the trade could not account for the absence of these hardy oats, except to offer the excuse that the damage caused by tho flood might have had some bearing upon the absence of Sparrowbills. Many of the most prominent growers of this seed were in the affected area and it is possible that their exhibits were damaged by water. The best class in the grain section was the display of Gartons. Ten entries were forwarded for the judge, Mr G. Bishop, Gore, and every sample went over 50 pounds to the bushel when weighed. The seeds were well formed and the dressing had improved them considerably. In this section Mr Duncan Malcolm, Heddon Bush, gained third prize which was a good performance in such a heavy class. Mr Malcolm’s seed was well shown and in such a hot class he has every reason to be pleased with the postion he secured. The open classes for seeds were competed for by the various firms and with one exception the awards were secured by Wright Stephenson and Company, Christchurch. 'The only class in which that firm failed was in alsyke clover and they did not have an entry.

The school exhibits were of exceptional quality and this section is rapidly becoming one of the features of the show. The school pupils have now taken up this work enthusiastically and the rivalry is keen. Every year the exhibits improve, and this year’s display was much ahead of previous years. It was an education to many farmers as to what can be produced on a small area of ground. In one or two instances the display could have been improved, but this did not detract from the worth of the exhibits. The collection of school exhibits reflects great credit upon Mr Green, the Agricultural Instructor of the Otago Education Board.

Size and quality were to be seen in the root exhibits. This section was the best the show has ever produced and it would be difficult to equal it anywhere in New Zealand. Although many of the exhibits were of cnorinous size, the quality was good, an exception where large roots are concerned. The display of purple top swedes was an exceptionally large one, there being 62 exhibitors. With all the exhibits of even quality the judge, Mr R. Lockhead, Balclutha, had great difficulty in arriving at a decision. He had eleven classes to judge and the difficulty he had in making the awards can be gauged from the fact that he did not finish his task until late in the afternoon.

The story concerning the exhibits of Mr A. Ericson, Otar a, is interesting. Mr Ericson had two fields of purple and green top soft turnips on his farm and, although the crops vzere good ones, he did not consider them out of the ordinary. However, a business man, who happened to be visiting the farm, assured him that he would have a good chance of securing an award at the show and advised him to enter them. The business man was authorised to make the entry, but upon his return to the nearest town found that the time for the entries had been passed. He telegraphed the secretary asking if the exhibits would be accepted and received a favourable reply. The specimens were selected and forwarded by Mr Ericson and they secured first in both classes. With the exception of Mr R. McDowall, Gore, who secured second in the purple top section, Mr Ericson was the only successful Southland exhibitor in roots.

The trend of the wool growers towards finer wools was evidenced in the entries of the wool section. The coarse classes only brought forth a few exhibitors while, there being double the entries in the finer classes. In the half-bred classes some exhibitors secured an advantage by showing pure corriedale wool, and the Society should not I allow wool of this class to compete against the ordinary halfbred. The present arrangement of the classes permits this, but it is wrong in principle. Messrs W. Ayson and G. P. Johnston, both of Waikaka, were the most successful Southland breeders and the former secured many firsts. In texture and length the wool showed an improvement and the number of ties proved that the judges had a difficult task. The display of fruit was from Central Otago and it was a particularly fine collection. The number of entries was larger than any previous year and this, together with an advance in quality, made an exhibit that was worth going a long way to see. When set out th® exhibition of fruit made a special appeal to the eye as the individual specimens were well shaped and carried plenty of bloom. After the success of Okains Bay at the Hamilton Show, where that factory won the South Island championship from Edendale, it was expected that it would figure largely in the prize list, but contraray to expectations it was well down. Edendale secured the bulk of the first prizes but was defeated fn* championship by Mos-

giel with the high percentage of 96 out of 100. Mosgiel was an outsider and the win was unexpected. The Waianiwa factory managed by Mr F. C. Milne secured first in the grading contest. This is the second occasion upon which Mr Milne has secured this prize, and he now has two wins in for the Harbour Board Shield which is to be won three times. Mr Milne secured first in the Dairy Association grading competition as well, and in this his grade was 93.203, while his show grade was 93.301. The evenness of the grading can be seen when the points are compared, the winning grade was 93.301 and the lowest in a class of 13 was 92.068. FRIESIANS. AN ENTERPRISING STOCK FEATURE PIONEERS A NEW SALE FEATURE. There is no better known breeder of purebred dairy cattle in either New Zealand or Australia than Mr John Donald, of Westmere, Wanganui. Throughout his career he has been noted for unusual enterprise. When but a lad he took his first; show team around New Zealand, and in his early twenties he had succeeded in both ■ breeding and exhibiting an International Show champion. He went abroad and studied the methods of America’s leading breeders and brought back with him one of their greatest bulls, a young sire specially bred to enter a millionaire establishment then the most famous herd in U.S.A. On his return to New Zealand, Mr Donald commenced to test his cattle. He created a I world’s record with a two-year-old heifer which produced 8051 b of butterfat in 365 days, and followed this up later by making a record of 9391bs with a full sister: Mr Donald has exported very largely to Australia and Tasmania, and some wonderful records have been made by his stock. Some of these wonderful production records by cows and heifers either bred by him or by females bred from his stock are:—B96lb of butterfat, 9391 b, 9331 b., 8661 b., 8311 b., 8051 b., 8001 b., 754.9 lb., 7541 b., 740.51 b., 7141 b., and a great list of heifers with records from 6001 b to 7001 b. At the present time too a young cow bred by Mr Donald is challenging the world’s record for all breeds, two cows bred by him will probably exceed 10001 b. of fat for the year (one gave 2401 b. of fat in the first eight weeks of her test) and another down in Southland promises to produce 9001 b. of fat under rather difficult conditions. It is therefore a matter for very general regret that Mr Donald has found it necessary to dispose of his great herd at Westmere as now advertised. The sale of the famous Westmere herd will be an event of most unusual interest. With his customary enterprise, Mr Donald, has resolved to conduct his sale under conditions which will give purchasers every protection. In the first place he is having every animal tested for tuberculosis. This practice is a reform which was bound to come and Mr Donald is to be congratulated on his decision to place his herd under this test. Only animals passed as free from the disease will be sold. The testing is now proceeding and so far there are no reactors to the test. This is a further tribute to Mr Donald’s methods. His aim has always been to keep his herd disease free. He has never had at Westmere either contagious mammitis or abortion. The blood test for abortion has been frequently applied but no member of his herd has reacted. In addition to taking every precaution to ensure that his clients purchase cattle which are as near, humanely possible, disease free, Mr Donald is also guaranteeing all females served to be in calf or he will refund the full purchase price. Unsoundness, if present in any of the animals' coming forward, will also be pointed out by the vendor. Mr Donald is to be congratulated on his decision to take visitors t® his sale into his confidence, and now that stud stock has become so valuable, his decision will meet witl} wide approval. The arrangements for the Westmere Sale, which will be held at the Homestead at Wanganui on Tuesday, June 26, have been entrusted to Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co.’s Stud Stock Department. This firm have already compiled and issued an elaborate hundred page illustrated catalogue, which gives a full and excellent description of the Westmere stud both past and present. MORE FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA. HIGH PRICES FOR UNREGISTERED COWS. A further shipment of Friesian cattle has just been made to South Australia and an interesting point in regard to this consignment is that amongst the cattle are a number of unregistered cows bred by Mr John Donald, of Westmere, Wanganui, which were sold in a line at 50 guineas per head. These cattle are purebred, but as it is not possible to register them in the New Zealand herd book now, they only rank as grades. They were born while Mr Donald was in camp and no record of the dams was kept. Mr Arthur CoMins, of Lucernedale, the purchaser, was unable to persuade Mr Donald to sell him registered cattle, as the latter has already advertised the sale at auction of his purebred herd, but was delighted to secure these six fine cows. It is interesting to note that these great cows are sired by Paul Pietertje, who is the sire also of King Pietertje, the bull given credit for siring the greater portion of the champion dairy herd in the Waikato, one hundred of which were expected to average 4001 b of butterfat. When in Canterbury he also persuaded Mr John Grigg to let him have the cow called Crimson Rambler—an unregistered cow also, but descended directly from the original imported stock from Holland. This cow was of exceptional type and Mr Collins paid £l7O for her. The Australian fancier said she was worth that just to look at. Mr Collins already has 140 head of New Zealand-bred Friesians at Lucernedale. The veteran and successful breeder, Mr Neil Carter, of Thornton, Bay of Plenty, also contributed ten head of purebreds to this shipment. It was a long and difficult task to get these cattle to Wellington for shipment, but they were finally landed in good order and safely passed the official inspection, all of them being prize winners, and several having good butterfat records. There were also five heifers by the noted bull King Segis of Friesland Park. This bull is particularly well bred, his own sire and dam being two of the most famous foundation animals of the breed, while he himself is an outstanding type—in fact, he is held to be the best show bull in the Dominion to-day. This shipment created very considerable interest among breeders, as it was possible for them to review the work accomplished as a breeder by Mr Carter who is certainly under a great disadvantage in being so far back from the railway. He undoubtedly has a very fine herd, and already one of the females bred by him has made a fine record in Australia. This cow produced 9411 b. of fat under test and her average test for the year was 4.2. This year she is expected to give 10001 b. of butterfat. POPULARITY IN UNITED STATES. Friesian cattle are the most numerous of any breed within the United States to-day by more than 100,000 over any other breed of cattle. The 1920 census gives 528,612

as the number of purebred Friesians, while the Shorthorns are next with only 416,995. Third in rank comes the Hereford breed with 450,580; purebreds, Jerseys number 231,834, Aberdeen-Angus 108,524, Guernseys 79,445, Polled Durham 61,55, Ayrshire 30, 494, Brown Swiss 8,130, Galloway 6920, Devon 1194; unspecified beef breeds 38, 079. The total number of purebred cattle is 1,981,514, of which 1,064,912 belong to the beef breeds, and 916,602 to the dairy breeds. AYRSHIRES. IMPORTATIONS OF STUD STOCK. CO-OPERATION WITH SCOTTISH SOCIETY URGED. Advice has been received by Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., that a purchase has been made in Scotland of a young stud Ayrshire bull for expert to New Zealand. This bull has been selected for Mr Thos. Thomson, the well-known Auckland breeder, and was bred in the famous Garclaugh herd which produced one of the most famous Ayrshire cows of all time in Garclaugh May Mischief. This famous cow was exported to the United States * and there produced 25,3281 b of milk and 8421 b of butterfat—a world’s record. She is widely famous as a most economical producer—a valuable trait of the Ayrshire breed. The bull selected for Mr Thomson claims as dam the cow, May Mischief 3rd, and her sire is by the famous show bull and producing sire, Grandee. The May Mischief strain is still the outstanding one for production in the Garclaugh herd, and it is interesting to note that a son of May Mischief now has five two-year-old daughters whose butter-fat records at that age average 4971 b. Mr Thomson is to be congratulated on his enterprise in securing this bull, and his advent will be awaited with interest.

Other Ayrshire breeders have also made arrangements to import from the Homeland, and Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., intimate that further selections for their clients are now being made. Beth high-class females, as well as male stock, are to be imported. During his presence in New Zealand, Sir Thomas Clement also unfolded a progressive scheme to the members of the New Zealand Ayrshire Breeders’ Association under which the co-opera-tion of the Home Society might be obtained. His proposal is that a fund of £lOOO be raised by New Zealand breeders and the selection of ten young milk-re-cord Ayrshire bulls be made on their behalf by the Home Society. On arrival in New Zealand the bulls will be offered at auction and only guarantors to the fund shall be eligible to bid. Any profit or loss on the sale may be divided among the guarantors, or the profits may be used for purposes of the Ayrshire Society as may be decided. The Home Society may be expected to secure bulls of outstanding quality at below market prices, and the opporunity is, from every point of view, quite unique. The whole proposal will be discussed at the forthcoming meeting of the New Zealand Ayrshire Association to be held at Palmerston North on the evening of Thursday, June 12. It is almost certain to receive strong support as at the present time, Aryshire breeders are showing a great deal of enterprise. At Palmerston North Winter Show on June 21, the first National Ayrshire Show and Sale is also being held. This event is unique in many ways and has quite captivated the interest of Ayrshire breeders and dairy farmers supporting this excellent breed. The leading breeders of the dominion are sending forth to this show and sale seme of the very best Ayrshire yet bred in New Zealand. These will compete in the various classes of the Show, and also for the Wright, Stevenson Cup for Grand Champion animal of either sex. The well-known Southland breeder, Mr A. M. Weir, will act as judge. Afterwards the stock will be sold at auction without reserve, the cnly protecting bid being a starting price already fixed. It will be a most interesting fixture and particularly educative as to how show standards and public values compare. Included in the entries will be the Champion Butter-fat C.O.R. Ayrshire cow of the Dominion, several other cows which have already given over 5001 b. of butter-fat, noted show animals, and the progeny cf noted producers. SHORTHORNS. NOTED CHAMPION BULL SOLD. PURCHASE FOR MARAEKAKAHO STUD. Shorthorn breeders throughout the wcrld have just been reading the life history of that greatest of all breeders, William Duthie, of “Collynie,” the “King of Shorthorn breeders” who recently passed to his long rest, leaving behind him a monument to his own skill and constructive ability in the wonderful type of Shorthorns he has sent out from Aberdeenshire to improve the breed, in all quarters of the globe. The extent of the master breeder’s contribution to the improvement of the world’s meet famous race of cattle is as yet far from realised. Many representatives of his wonderful herd have reached these shores and impressed their qualities to a marked degree on the herds of this Dominion.. Of all the imported sires carrying the Duthie blood none have been proved more prepotent than the great imported bull, Diamond Prince. Diamond Prince was imported to New Zealand through the enterprise of the late Hon. Robert McNab, a former Minister of Lands, for whom Mr Alex. Reid, by selections from New Zealand herds and importations from Scotland, built up a stud herd which quickly rose to first place in the South Island. Diamond Prince was not cnly twice in succession champion at the Canterbury Metropolitan Show, but he left a remarkable list of winners. He brought about wonderful improvement in the fleshing qualities of South Island Shorthorns, being particularly remarkable himself for his wonderful spring of rib and deep cover cf flesh. These qualities he imparted to his progeny. The most noted of the later is the three-year-old bull, Knapdale Diamond Conqueror. This, his most distinguished son, made as a yearling a record unique at least in the showyard annals of the South Island. As the property cf the Knapdale Estate at the Canterbury Metropolitan Show in 1920, he won first prize in a class of 42 Senior Yearling Bulls. He was not eligible at that show for champion honours, yearlings being excluded. That disqualification did not exist at Dunedin, Gore, Wyndham and Invercargill where he was exhibited the following month by his purchaser, Mr Angus Campbell, cf “The Crescent,” Wyndham. At all these shows he was both first prize yearling and champion male over all ages, thus winning three out of the four Challenge Shields donated by the Shorthorn Society of New Zealand for competition in the South Island. Knapdale Diamond Conqueror was admitted by many expert breeders to be the best yearling bull ever seen in New Zealand. As a two-year-

old he was not exhibited until the Southland Metropolitan Show when he was brought forward in beautiful form and again secured the leading honours of the day. Now, when just coming to his prime, he has secured for the famous Maraekakaho herd, and Mr R. D. Douglas McLean, than whom there has been no more enterprising breeder of stud stock in the Dominion, was pleased even in these times to pay the great price of 450 guineas for him. It is not surprising that Knapdale Diamond Conqueror has developed into such an outstanding animal for his breeding is exceptional. He is a strongly topped, low set, deep ribbed bull, with great heart girth, full rumps, is wide in his quarters, and beautifully smooth and level in his flesh. A perfect roan in colour, his deep mossy coat is a sight unrivalled. Knapdale Diamond Conqueror is full of character and that he is a true breeder, his crop cf bull and heifer calves to be seen at “The Crescent” bear ample testimony. Knapdale Diamond Conqueror is once again proof that it pays to breed the best. When laying the foundation of the Knapdale Shorthorn Herd in 1916, th<j highest priced female purchased by Mr Reid was Maraekakaho Plover’s Gem, bred by Mr R. D. Douglas McLean, and she has amply justified her purchase. Before leaving Hawke’s Bay, Plover’s Gem wen first prize in the three-year-old class at Hastings, and was the Reserve Champion Female. The following year she appeared both at Gore and Invercargill and was first and champion on each occasion against strong competition. Her heifer calf sold at Knapdale Dispersal Sale was also the highest priced heifer of her age, geing to Mr Arch. McNicoll, of Clevedon, Auckland. Mr McLean is to be congratulated on his enterprise in securing this great bull. No more approved method of introducing an outcross of blood to his own herd could be possible, for this bull is Maraekakaho bred on his dam’s side. In part his great merit is due to the constructive work of the past half century accomplished by Mr McLean. The late Mr Duthie was an ardent supporter of this system of bringing new blcod to his herd. He never hesitated to sell some of his best, but he kept in close touch with breeders using his stock and when a good animal came along, either sired by a Collynie bull or from a Collynie bred dam, then Mr Duthie would buy, and price never stopped him when the breeding and merit was there. Mr McLean has always acted similarly and that is why his herd stands out to-day. The beef market may not seem just new to some to justify high prices, but even so, anyone who knows the Maraekakaho herd will admit that it deserves to have at. its head the best sire that money can buy, and judgment select, and Mr McLean has now got such a sire. As for the beef market, Mr McLean, is not one of those who cannot see a good future ahead for New Zealand beef. He thinks, as do all other well-informed and observant people, that beef will again come into its own, and he has not wavered in his opinion during the period of depression. Already the market is giving signs of reviving and as we write word comes that a commission has arrived in this country and is now buying up prime five and six-year-old beef at 25/- per hundred on the hoof for shipment abroad. Knapdale Diamond Conqueror is now en route to his new destination, having been shipped this week from Bluff per the s.s. Wanaka. Prior to shipment, he successfully passed the tuberculin test and a veterinarian’s inspection, this being a condition of the sale.

LAND VALUES. At the annual meeting of the South Island Dairy Association, held in Dunedin on Thursday, the chairman, Mr H. J. Middleton, referred to the inflated land values at present ruling. He said that the Government was assisting to keep those values high through the work of its own valuers. The lending departments of the Government had little confidence in the values placed on the land by the valuers. “The lending departments would only advance up to 50 per cent, on the Government values,” he concluded, “a sure indication that the lending departments had no confidence in the valuers, and that the valuations were not good enough.” IMPROVING CONDITIONS. WHAT THE DAIRY FARMER CAN DO. “We are only now beginning to realise the importance of the dairy industry to the Dominion,” said Mr H. J. Middleton at the annual meeting of the Dairy Association at Dunedin. “We have been told during the past two years that the industry has saved the Dominion.” There had been evidence of a feeling of unrest, he continued, and all sorts of schemes were in the air while the advocates of each scheme had tried to convince the dairy farmers that their particular scheme was the best. The result was that the average farmer did not knew where he stood. They had the marketing scheme which was still in existence and was a lusty infant. The marketing scheme handled one-tenth of their produce—not a bad record. Next they had the dairy pool, which died still-born. The next was known as the auctioneering scheme. Then there was the Control Bill, which was killed easily. The dairy farmers themselves could do much to improve the industry on the farms. They cculd do this by building up better herds, eliminating the scrub bull, and controlling the contagious diseases which affect the herds. When they bought stock they should quarantine it on the farm before liberating it to contaminate stock already clean. Then they should buy nothing but young bulls. Then the herds should be tested and all culls speyed sc that they would not again be productive. If they did that and culled heavily, the herds would improve considerably. They should not put the cull cows on the market without being speyed so that they would not be bought by those farm ers who were jurt starting on h : gh-price lands. Those who were new taking ui land, were having a difficult task in mak ing good, and they had no chance what ever if they stocked up with cull cows No one now was selling good cows, an tho only chance the beginner had of a-' quiring good cows was to attend the fo odd clearing sales that were be'ng hel “The farmer,” he concluded, “can do muck on his own farm to improve conditions.” POTASH INDUSTRY. POSITION OF FRANCE AND GERMANY. The manufacture cf potash has bzen mentioned frequently of late in the cablegrams of the Ruhr situation. The effect of the division cf national interests in the potash trade cannot at present be adjudged very clearly. Completely in German hands and controlled, for all practical purposes, by one syndicate, the margin of profit I berne by the product was susceptible of being modified to suit the interests of producers. The Statist suggests that the introduction of a competitive regime may, particularly when the Alsace beds are in full working order, bring about important advantages for consumers. The fear of I French competition, and the consequent 1 desire to reduce costs of production and still further to centralise management, are probably root causes of endeavours now being made in Germany to bring about a still closer amalgamation of interests in the potash industry. Up to the present the control of the German industry has been vested in a board composed of thirty members, with an equivalent number of deputy members, representing the interests cf the producers merchants, Potash Syndicate, potash miners and officials, agriculturalists and the manufacturers of potash products. The representatives of the employers and workmen form a majority on the board. The Potash Law of 1900 regulates the minimum quantity to be produced for home

consumption, and the total amount to be exported, provides authorities for apportioning the quantities to be produced by each mine, and fixes the price per unit of potash for material exported. Exploration has shown that the Strassfurt deposits cover an area of 100 square miles, extending to Thuringia on the south, Hanover on the west, and Mecklenburg on the north. They are estimated to occupy a volume of 10,790 million cubic metres, containing 20,000 million tons of potash salts, a quanti y sufficient to supply the world for 2000 years at the present rate of consumption. The total cubic content of the two Alsace beds is said to amount to about 1.4 72,038,000 tons of Balts having a content of about 22 per cent, of potash (K2O), equivalent to 300,000,000 tons of actual potash, enough to supply the world fur over 200 years at the present rate of consumption. It is stated that the crude salts are considerably higher grade than those obtained from the Strassfurt district, and as the quantity of magnesium salts and other impurities present is low, the salts can be used for fertilising purposes without previous refining, the proparation of a high-grade potassium chloride is simple and cheap, as no potassium sulphate is present. The Alsatian potash works are equipped with modem plant, and some have installations for the manufacture of high-grade potassium chloride. The pitheads are all connected with the railway, and the mines and works are supplied with •Itcric power from Re ; nfelden. Particulars of potash production in 1913 and 1920 and consumption in prewar years are submitted in the following tables. They have been extracted from a monograph on potash issued by the Imperial Mineral Resources Bureau:— PRODUCTION OF POTASH. (In Metric Tons).

CONSUMPTION OF POTASH. (In Metric Tons). United

SOIL ACIDITY. LIME AND SUPERPHOSPHATE. There can be no doubt that one of the principal questions which confront farmers to-day is that of soil acidity. Nor is interest in this matter limited to New Zealand, for farmers in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the United States are occupied with the question. In the course of a lecture on fertility, given at Lafayette, U.S.A., last year, Professor Conner, of the Government Department of Soils and Crops, took soil acidity for his subject, and asserted that acidity of the soil may be of an organic or a mineral nature, and that his experience had demonstrated that the former was much less harmful than the latter. He had been unable to arrive at a method of determining the degree of acidity of a soil and its needs in lime. Soils do not contain acids in a pure state, but more often in the form of the salts of acid reaction, which have more effect on the plant than would the pure acids.

Professor Conner continued that the acid •oils contained acid compounds and soluble eorms of aluminium, which latter are toxic, and he had demonstrated that the toxicity might be completely neutralised by a dressing of superphosphate. His view was that some plants were more sensitive to acids in one form, which can be neutralised by lime, whilst others are more sensitive to others which are neutralised by superphosphate. But as all the salts of acid reaction contain some aluminium (more particularly those salta present in a very acid soil), and as. further superphosphate acta equally on toils needing lime and those containing aluminium bodies, one finally comes to a soil that needs lime and that contains more or less soluble toxic aluminium. Professor Conner said, in conclusion, that the best means to correct the faults of acid soils is to make applications of lime and superphosphate at the same time.

From the foregoing it is clear that, far from increasing the acidity of a soil to which it is applied, superphosphates assist in correcting the fam?, more especially in cases where the acidly is of a mineral nature. It is too often assumed that soil acidity arises from tiie use of fertilisers, in the manufacture of which sulphuric acid is used. Professor Conner’s investigations prove that such is not the case, but on the contrary superphosphates—that is to say, phosphate rendered water-soluble by dissolving in sulphuric acid—is an effective corrective for certain forms of soil acidity. FERTILISERS AND LIME. The modem system of applying artificials has a tendency, more or less marked, to deplete the soil of its natural stock of lime, and this is especially so when fertilisers of an acid character, such as sulphate of ammonia, superphosphate or compound fertilisers, are regularly applied. By increasing the bulk of the crop more lime is naturally required for its nourishment, but the chief cause is that the acids in the fertilisers act on the soil lime, rendering it soluble, and in this soluble condition it is lost by drainage. Analysis of drainage waters has proved this fact. On the Rothamsted wheat plots, to which sulphate of ammonia has been applied year after year, the gradual loss of lime brought about a condition approaching sterility. It is estimated that an acre of cultivated ■oil loses about the following quantities of lime per annum: Soil without manure, •001 b soil dressed with farmyard manure, 9001 b; soil dressed with ammonia salts, 8501 b; soil dressed with ammonia salts and Buper, 10001 b; soil dressed with ammonia aalts and sulphate of potash, 13001 b. The inference is clear that occasional dressings of lime are essential when soils are forced by fertilisers to increase production. WORMS IN HORSES. EFFECTIVE TREATMENT. No horse can be kept in good condition if it be infected with worms, and all horses are liable to be thus troubled at some time, both colts and older horses. The worms line the intestinal tract, and sap the energy liberated by the food eaten, so that no amount of good care and feeding will freshen a wormy horse. There are different remedies recommended for destroying worms. Many use turpentine in 2oz doses, administered in half a pint of linseed oil, the animal having been farted for ten to twelve hours or more. For horses that are running loose a mixture of equal parts of common salt, ground gentian, sulphur, and dried sulphate of iron is good. This can also be mixed in the feed at the rate of a table•poonful daily for ten days, then drop it for a similar period, and repeat. Pregnant mares should not be given this mixture. Indigestion also prevents the laying on of flesh. It is a common source of trouble, and one of the worse to deal with. When it is suspected shut off the feed, and give the horse a couple of tablespoonfuls of Glauber salts mixed in his feed. After this operates, feed lightly with a good mash •f ground grain. A VALUABLE BY-PRODUCT. A Melbourne man who has been experimenting with wool grease has come to the conclusion that by not looking after this by product of the scouring process. Aus tralia loses well over £300,000. and by send ing home nine-tenths of her wool unscoured,

she places in the hands of manufacturers in Europe and America a substance which “they put to a score of uses and they send back to Australia under a score of disguises for sale at fancy prices,” wool grease being made the basis of lanoline, some complexion creams, and so forth. At most wool-scouring establishments, it is pointed out, the only grease saved is that which floats on the surface of the water —about 1J to 3 per cent, of the grease extracted. The rest sinks into the mud at the bottom of the tank, and goes to waste. Recently the Melbourne experimenter treated 210 tons of greasy merino wool, and when scouring was completed found that the floating grease represented only 1 per cent. But, out of some 90 tons of residual mud, he secured, by a new process, 8 per cent, of grease. In times such as the present, the return represented by this quantity of valuable wool grease is not to be despised. RAILWAY CHARGES. DAIRY PRODUCERS’ PROTEST. A protest against the high rates of charges by the Railway Department was made at the annual conference of the South Island Dairy Association, which was held in Dunedin on Wednesday and Thursday. A remit bearing upon the question was brought forward, and Mr Herron, Pukerau, in seconding it, said that his factory had paid £350 in railway charges last year. It cost them £lO 17/6 to send a six-ton truck of cheese from Pukerau/ to the Bluff. The debate was carried on by Mr D. Rutledge, Invercargill, who gave the following interesting table on the comparative rates for farm produce:—

Dealing with the railage of cream, he said the Department delivered other goods to consignees free of charge, but if any cream had to be unloaded by the railway staff a charge of threepence a can was made against the factory. Again when a lorry delivered cream for consignment and loaded it all in one truck for the one factory, if their were forty different suppliers, forty consignment notes had to be made out, as the railway would not accept a general consignment note for the truck. The forty consignment notes meant that forty names had to be written on the waybill and forty signatures made for the cream when it arrived in Invercargill. The conference chairman, Mr H. J. Middleton, said that they had done everything possible to secure reductions in freight, but their efforts had been unsuccessful. They had received a lot of sympathy, but when he asked when that sympathy was going to take concrete form, he had received no reply All they could do was to keep up the fight. BLUFF SHIPMENTS. REPLY BY MR G. LAMB. In reply to the statement that appeared in the Southland Times that the shipping companies did not get sufficient notice of the space required for shipments, Mr Lamb gave the following dates on which he advised the companies of the space required for shipping at Bluff:— August 23.—Advice forwarded for the September and October shipments. September 5. —Advice forwarded of November shipments. September 25.—December shipments advised.

November B.—January shipments advised. December 4.—February shipments advised. January 6—March shipments advised. February 20.—April shipments advised. “In face of those figures, can the shipping companies still maintain that they did not receive adequate notice,” said Mr Lamb. “It was not our fault, as the advices were sent early enough. The shipping companies treated us badly." DEEP PLOUGHING. Deep ploughing, besides giving “body” to the soil and producing a sufficiently deep tilth for growing heavy crops, actually restores to the top soil some percentage of the lime and other artificial fertilisers which tend to'sink into the subsoil. The subsoil is not devoid of plant food, as some suppose, but it sometimes contains material that is harmful to the growing pk ts. When exposed to the action of frost a ,d rain, these harmful substances are wasovd away, and the soil works down to a finle, clean tilth in the spring-time. PIONEER BREEDERS. MEN WHO HAVE MADE STUDS. Those three great breeds—Shorthorns, Hereford and Aberdeen Angus—are largely the creations of men who had ideals and lived purposeful lives, with the thought and idea of creating cattle of the types that these three breeds came to be. Charles and Robert Colling, John and Richard Booth, Thomas Bates and Amos Cruickshank moulded and fashioned the Shorthorn breed as no other men have ever done. While Benjamin Tomkins the elder, and Benjamin Tomkins the younger, William Gainers and his sons John and William, jun., with John Price and John Hewer, were the men with the master minds that fashioned the colour, form and quality of the Hereford. Hugh Watson and William McCombie were two of the men who largely created Aberdeen-Angus, making it “black and all black,” and gave quality, substance and finish to the breed. Living busy lives of .purpose, striving for ideals, with minds fully employed, living in the open a great deal, leading simple lives, they all lived to bo hale, old men. With mind and body both at work, they lived the best lives, long and purposeful. Of the Shorthorn breeders, Charles Colling lived to be 86; Robert Colling lived the threescore and ten, with one added; John Booth lived just three score and ten ; Richard Booth lived to the age of 76, while Thomas Bates was 74 at the time of his death, and Amos Cruickshank reached the ripe age of 87. Hereford breeders, too, were long-lived; Benjamin Tomkins the elder lived to be 75 and his son Benjamin lived to the age of 66. John Galliers reached the age of 73, while William Galliers, jun., lived to the good age of 88. John Price attained the age ot 67, and John Hewer lived four-score and six years. Hugh Watson of Aberdeen-Angus fame was 76 at his death, and William McCombie 75. Anyone who is not acquainted with these men and their w’ork can make their acquaintance and learn of their purpose and ideals through the literature of the three breed*. A PROPHESY. Sir W. H. Beveridge—an eminent English scientist—prophesied that the year 1923 would bring bad weather and poor harvests in Europe (and probably other countries I, and that in consequence there will be a scarcity of wheat and high prices in 1924. His thorough statistical analysis of meteorological records and wheat prices established the fact that crises in supply of wheat have occurred with singular regularity in periods of 15.3 years. This 15.3 year cycle, as an influence upon the world’s wheat prices, has maintained itself for 350 years. The last crisis occurred in 1908, and according to Sir W. H. Beveridge, the next was due in 1923 or 1924. A NEW BREED. THE CORRIEDALE’S COUSIN. The success which has attended the breeding of the Corriedale sheep in the Dominion apears to have inspired a Canadian flockmaster to experiment on somewhat similar lines. The breeder in question is Mr R. C. Haney, of Lethbridge, in Alberta, and some years ago he began to evolve a half-bred sheen, which be has named the “Romnel-,

let.** As its name implies, this crossbred has been evolved by the mating of Romney rams with Merino ewes of the Rambouillet type, and the result —which apparently is being inbred with a view to fixing a stable type of sheep—must be very similar to New Zealand Corriedale in many of its characteristics. It is no surprise to learn that the Romnellet produces an extremely saleable and valuable fleece of a kind that is keenly competed for by Canadian woolbuyers. Its carcase also appears to have impressed very favourably the handlers of meat at the Toronto Union stockyards, and a big line of lambs of the breed topped the market at more than a dollar a head more than the next highest price offered. We are told that while other lambs were selling at about 13 to 14 dollars, the Romnellets brought 15 dollars, which is certainly a big premium, and proves fairly conclusively that the opinions of the buyers were very favourable indeed. Mr Harvey, during the last Canadian winter season, carried out an interesting experiment in feeding his sheep for the market, his idea being to utilise some of the immense quantities of refuse screenings which accumulate in the big grain elevators in the Canadian wheat growing districts. He fed this refuse, together with small quantities of better grade grain and some hay to his sheep, and they appeared to thrive upon the mixture. At anyrate they were got into marketable condition in from 60 to 90 days, and this, it must be noted, without housing or any shelter other than board fences surrounding the small enclosures in which they were trough fed. GRASS AND PASTURES. It is universally accepted that the grass of a carefully-managed pasture produces more meat or wool or milk than comes from any other source of food for the domestic animals of the farm. It is evident that the most profitable system of keeping stock is to maintain the pasture in the best and most productive condition that is possible. It must certainly appeal as good policy to consider the best method of increasing and conserving the efficiency of the grassland. Grass is the indispensable crop of the farm of New Zealand. It, above all others, provides handsome returns for generous treatment and careful management. It may well be questioned if this part of the farm does ever receive the liberal application of the fertilisers to which it could profitably respond, and if it is not usually stocked beyond Nil reason during the greater part of the year. RAISING HERD YIELD. The Waitemata Dhiry Company’s annual herd competitions have concluded. It is evident that the competition is having the desired effect, as the winning averages are considerably higher than those of last season, and the general average of the 21 competitors is 237.94, as against 214.71 b. of butter-fat per cow last year. The competition, which covered the period from August 1, 1922, to April 30, 1923, was divided into four classes and drew 21 competitors, as against 17 in the previous year. The winners in the various classes and their respective averages are:— Herds of 4 to 15 Cows.—A. E. Lambert, 328.751 b butter-fat per cow T .

Herds of 15 to 30 Cows.—Mrs E. E. Norton, 307.521 b fat per cow. Herds of 31 to 50 Cows.—Symes Bros. 259.021 b fat per cow. Herds of Over 50 Cows.—Braithwaite and Copeland, 216.531 b fat per cow. JOTTINGS. The Woodlands works are at present killing about 25 head of cattle a day and the works are fully occupied. In the sheep section of the Otago Winter Show fat stock sale, Mr James Stevenson’s three crossbred Down wethers brought £3 16/- each. In the long wool or crossbred long-wool wethers’ class (any age), Mr Stevenson’s two lots were sold for £3 16/- and £3 1/- respectively for each sheep. With the object of creating a fund to advertise New Zealand butter and cheese at the Empire Exhibition the South Island Dairy Association passed a remit to collect a levy of one shilling a ton on cheese and two shillings a ton on butter, based on the export of 1922-1923. It is expected that £lO,OOO will be collected by this, and the fund will be handed over to the Government who will handle the advertising. At the fat stock sale held in connection with the Otago Winter Show, the two bullocks entered by Mr James Stevenson (Wendon ) brought £47 and £32. Mr J. C. Renton’s second prize bullock (under four years) was sold for £23. Mrs W. Kirk's first prize bullock (under three years) changed hands at £26, and another animal in the same class was sold for £27. Mrs Kirk’s first prize steer (under two years) brought £l6 10/-. When speaking about the annual loss to the Dominion caused by the various contagious diseases that affected the dairy herds, Mr H. J. Middleton, at the annual dairy conference, said that it was time legislation was introduced for the control of these diseases, which were costing the Dominion thousands of pounds annually. “I hate asking for legation in any matter,” he concluded, this instance I am of opinion that it would be in the interests of the industry if we had legislation to control these diseases.” At the annual meeting of the South Island Dairy the delegates empowered the executive to purchase buildings in Vogel street, Dunedin, for offices and stores. The purchase will involve another £2OO expenditure per annum. When the buildings are taken over by the Association there will be a certain space to let, and the revenue from this will reduce the £2OO referred to above. The new buildings are in a good position and were not affected by the recent floods. The cheese grading competition for the Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company’s silver cup, donated for the factory manager whose grading card is nearest to the points allocated by the Government graders, was competed for on Thursday. Fifteen managers entered, and the following is the result, the possible number of points being 100:—R. Lyall (Milford) and G. McMillan (Tuturau), 96J points (equal), 1; A. Harper (Woodlands), T. J. Hislop (Kelso), and W. J. Weir (Omimi), 96 points (equal), 3. lhe committee decided that the first prize be equally divided, and that both names be inscribed on the cup as equal. It was also decided to provide another gold medal for first prize. During the Dairy Association dinner in Dunedin on Wednesday,Mr A. Morton, of the National Dairy Association referred tG the fact that during the Hon. R. J. Seddon s term of office a certain sum had been allotted for the establishment of a dairy laboratory, but the money had never been spent. “We want a laboratory badly,” said Mr Morton, and he particularly stressed the fact, addressing his remarks to the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. W. Nosworthy, who was present at the gathering. Referring to the average return from the cows of the Dominion. Mr W. Singleton, at the annual dinner of the South Island Dairy Association, said that the average was arrived at from the number of cows in the Dominion, whether they were producing or not. If the non-productive cows were eliminated the average return would be about 189 pounds of butter-fat from each cow. He had tried to obtain definite information from London as to the output of the Danish cows and, as far as he could ascertain, it was a little over 2001bs a cow. “So we are not so far behind after all,” he concluded.

Mr John Smith, Oware, who was elected to the executive of the Dairy Association, has been a prominent worker in the interests of dairying for many years. He was one of the original members who launched the Oware factory, near Wyndham, and still makes his living from his cows. Mr Hamilton, Awarua, is a younger member of the industry, but has performed valuable work for his company since its inception. Besides his Awarua property he possesses a farm in Central Otago, which supplies the Lake County factory with milk. The two new members should prove valuable acquisitions to the executive.

• 1913. 1920. 355 341 1 110 000 Germany (a, .... 1,110,274 924,168 United States (bl 43,615 Abvssinia 1.087 Poland (Galicia) 17,200 5,000 Russia 6.953 (b) Australia 2.271 a non (a) Sales, (b) Fi £ ares not obtainable.

England. F 'rar.ce, < States, Germany. 1910 .. 18,258 22.149 244.010 359,335 1911 .. 20,£02 26,168 237,442 422,340 1912 .. 23,414 31.691 215.965 63,383 1913 .. 23,410 33,115 231,689 536,102

15 miles. 30 miles. Wool 5/7 10/10 Oats 4/3 7/Chaff 3/6 5/10 Cheese 10/6 17/5 Cream 10/4 15/Butter 10/6 17/5