LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM

Southland Times, Issue 20002, 16 October 1926, Page 14 (Supplement)

LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM

GRIPES IN HORSES,

A horse comes home from a long, hard day’s work, both tired and hungry, and is given a huge quantity of cut food, which he bolts as quickly as he can without proper mastication. He quickly fills his small stomach, and then indigestion occurs, and the food begins to ferment, producing large volumes of gas, which distend the already over-laden stomach. Nothing can escape from the stomach under these conditions, and the distension may increase until the pressure causes a tear in the coats of the organ. Never give a tired and hungry horse large quantities of cut food.' It is safer to give lojvg hay in the rack, to be followed by a moderate feed of com, and, on a long journey, to take a nosebag with a feed for midday. The horse, after greedily bolting his evening meal, begins to show signs of pain. He stops eating, scrapes at the floor with his forefeet, kicks at his belly with his hind feet, lies down and rolls about; in fact, he exhibits all these signs of pain which are known to the stableman as gripes, colac, or bellyache. As far as these symptoms go they are not to be distinguished from those of other forms of abdominal pain. But if the animal is kept under close observation two small signs may be noticed; he will make slight efforts to vomit, shown by contractions of the muscles of the neck, and he will produce a sound which seems to come from the throat, and which can be compared with the sound know in man as “hiccough.” These two symptoms are characteristic of impaction of the stomach, and when seen and heard point to the animal’s dangerous condition. In some cases vomiting does occur sooner or later, and is a sign that the coats of the stomach are giving way under the pressure. It is rare for the horse to vomit except in these circumstances. FARM JOTTINGS Weather conditions have rarely been so unpleasant for the Wallacetown Sale as they were on Tuesday. True there was no rain but the prevailing easterly, besides rendering progress around the top walks of the stock pens a particularly hazardous business, was so bitterly bleak that even rain would have been preferable. Basic superphosphate is a useful manure and has come very much into favour of late. It is prepared by adding slaked lime to ordinary superphosphate until the mixture is distinctly alkaline. A co-operative association is not operated to make a profit on invested capital above the usual rate of interest, but to profitably market the products of its members at the lowest possible cost. —Exchange. Waliacetown sale of Tuesday will be remembered because of two predominating features—the intensely cold easterly which prevailed and the particularly heavy yarding in the fat cattle races. Between 370 and 380 fat cattle were penned which, according to a saleyard official, was second only to the yard record of 440 fats. Garlic is stated to have such a very powerful flavour that milk has to be thrown away for at least three days even although a cow may have picked up only two or three mouthfuls 'of the-plant when grazing. Bullock beef had very little on cow beef at Waliacetown on Tuesday. With the best of the former only breaking £l5 a head a price of over £l2 per head for cows caused much comment around the cattle pens. The animals bringing this price, two very prime specimens, were vended by Mr James Young, of Waianiwa. New Zealand holds pride of place among other countries in the manufacture of milking machines. No other country in the world has been able to compete against the machines designed and constructed by New Zealanders. Our farm animals to-day are merely machines to convert vegetable matter into food that can be used by man, and they must use all the food fed them if they are to make you the most profit for the money you have invested in them and the feed. It was stated to a Times reporter at Waliacetown on Tuesday that a suggestion to hold a weekly sale had not found favour with the agents. The informant expressed the opinion, however, that weekly sales at certain seasons must come sooner or later if certain improvements at the yards were desired. The Saleyards Company, he suggested, would certainlv prefer to try weekly sales before deciding on any extensions or improvements in the interests of better display. So far the committee set up by the Farmers’ Union executive to confer with representatives of the Saleyards Company has taken no action. Stress of farm work, so pronounced at this season, has made it inconvenient for the members of the committee to give the necessary time to the matter. SHEARING. HINTS ON HANDLING. ROLLING, SORTING, PACKING. The removal of the fleece evenly, without second cuts, and keeping it whole does not complete the work associated with shearing. In preparing wool for market it is essential that there should be good light at the table used for rolling and sorting the fleeces. The tabic should be 9ft to 10ft long, 4ft to sft wide, and 3ft high, with inch by halfinch bars rounded on the top side and sufficiently wide to allow second cuts, locks and other small pieces of wool to fall through. Some receptacles to put skirtings and pieces in are also necessary. Throwing the fleece out properly greatly assists the work of skirting, etc. Any novice, with a little practice, and provided the shearer has not allowed the fleece to be broken or torn, can soon learn to spread the fleece on the table satisfactorily. To take up the fleece correctly, the picker-up should place his feet together at the neck end, and gather the fleece in until the rump end is- reached. Take hold of the breech part with both hands apart, and press the fleece together. Then carry it to the wool table. Stand at the right hand end of the table, and throw the neck end of the fleece to the far end, and at the same time as the fleece is settling down expand the arms and spread the ruijip end across the table. When this is done properly, the different parts lie on the table in the same relative positions as thny occupied before shearing. When sheep are shorn correctly, the belly wool is taken off separately, picked up, and put with the other belly wool into its proper receptacle. The fleece, after having been spread on the table, should be carefully shaken, so as to dislodge any small pieces adhering to it. x SKIRTING AND ROLLING. The skirting is a matter of importance. If not done properly the value of the fleece wool is considerably reduced in some cases, j First remove any stained parts and the brisket ends. Then take off all those por- ; tions around the skirt which are burry, for no matter how good the wool may be the I presence of burrs is detrimental. If there are no burrs skirt the fleece lightly, taking off the worst edges and black j fribs under the fnrearms and flanks. If any j

portion is skirted deeper it should be the lower end of the breech, where the coarsest and worst wool is grown. The neck pieces and finer parts of the skirting should be kept separate from those taken from the breech, and put into their proper receptacles. It is a mistake to let the skirtings fall on the floor, and be then broomed up into a heap to be sorted over afterwards. ’ When fleeces are heavily infested with burr, extending (as it does sometimes) right on to the back, skirt very lightly, as it would be impossible to remove all the burrs. The proper way to roll a fleece is to turn the neck end over about 12in, then the side next to the roller, and then the opposite side. Double over again, and roll lightly from the breech to the neck. The farmer (says a West Australian instructor) should arrange to place the fleeces in bins free from dust, straw, or other foreign material. When rolled the fleeces should be carefully stacked in the bins in order that the presser can lift two or four at a time to place them in the press. In putting the wool into the bale, it is important to pack and tread the fleeces down evenly. No special skill is required to do this, and the wool opens up so much better than when just dumped in and pressed anyhow. CLASSING THE PRESSING. The fleeces of wool should go into the bales for pressing two at a time. Start at one corner, and go round the bale. The man in the bale should stand on each two fleeces as they are placed. By doing this tier after tier, the bale is made even, and the fleeces are easily separated. Should there not be enough of one class of wool, put a sheet of paper in, and place the next class on top until the bale is fifled. Under the bulk classing system, which relieves the small flockowners of the worry of classing their clips, brokers ask their clients to press the bales lightly, so as to facilitate the division of the fleeces later. Prior to the war it was possible for three profits to be made before the wool finally passed into the manufacturers’ hands, as the “star” lots of bags, fadges, and small bales were too small to attract overseas buyers, and were purchased by speculators, properly classed, repacked and sold in big lines. Under the system of bulk classing and interlotting, several growers’ odd bales of one type of wool are put up together; the speculator is eliminated, and the grower is assured of the maximum return for his wool. FARM CHEESE. PRODUCTION METHODS. WENSLEYDALE AND STILTON. Mixed milk is used in the production of Wensleydale cheese. During hot weather the evening’s milk is cooled to- 65deg. F. and the following morning the cream is skimmed off, warmed to 90deg. F., and returned to the vat with the fresh morning’s milk. Starter up to 1 per cent, is used in cold weather, but is often unnecessary on a hot day. The milk is considered ripe when it contains 0.2 per cent, of acidity, and is ren- | neted at a temperature of 82deg. to 84deg. j F. The proportion of rennet extract is one ' dram to four gallons of milk. After diluting the rennet it is stirred deeply in the milk i for five minutes and the surface is then | gently agitated until the milk shows signs I of coagulating. An hour after adding the rennet the curd ' should be firm enough for cutting. It is cut lengthways and crossways, with the vertical knife, and five minutes later cut both ways with the horizontal knife. The curd is stirred gently for 30 minutes, toward the end of which period the temperature may be raised gradually to 85deg. to 88deg. F.

When the whey contains 9.2 per cent, of acidity it is drawn off and the curd cut into 3in. or 4in. cubes, then placed on a cloth-covered rack in the vat. The curd is turned and repiled every 30 minutes until the acidity has increased to 0.4 per cent., then broken into small pieces. Salt is added at the rate of loz. to 31b. curd. When the temperature falls to 70 deg. F. the moulds, lined with a thin cloth, are filled. The cheese must be turned at night, and next morning put under a pressure of l-2cwt for about eight hours. After pasting a bandage on the cheese it should be left to ripen in a cool room. For Stilton cheese, fresh, sweet milk is regulated to 80—86 deg. F., the former in hot weather, and one dram of rennet is used for every five gallons of milk. The rennet is diluted and stirred in the milk for six minutes, then the surface is kept moving slightly until coagulation commences. About 90 minutes after renneting the curd is ladled out into coolers lined with coarse cheese-cloth 36in. to 40in. square, which are held in position by strips of wood placed square across the cooler.

The curd must be taken out of the vat or tub in fairly thin slices and about threequarters of a gallon of curd placed in each cloth. At this stage the acidity of the whey is usually 0.11 to 0.12 per cent. The ends of the cloth are folded over the curd and 90 minutes later tied across to draw the curd together. The method of tying the cloth is to take three corners and bind round with the fourth. The whey is let off from the cooler, then the plug replaced. Ninety minutes later the second lot of whey is run off, the plug left out and the cloth I tightened. At intervals of one and a-half hours the cloths are tightened the total number of tightenings being, siv or seven I and the curd is turned out on the cooler when the acidity of the whey is 0.18 per j cent.

[ The curd is cut into cubes of about 3in., ' which are turned every 30 minutes by : means of a broad-bladed knife. When the acidity has increased to 0.4 to 0.5 per cent., the curd is broken into small pieces and ! salted, using an ounce of salt to every 41b. : curd. The curd, having been placed in ■ the hoop or mould standing on a small board covered with a piece of calico, it i i must be left in a cool, airy room to drain. 1 It has to be turned twice during the first ’ two hours and again about nine hours later, then once daily for seven days, when the I cheese should have shrunk sufficiently to | leave the mould. The cheese is scraped with | a knife moistened in warm water and the I cracks filled in with the pasty material obtained. A piece of calico is tightly stretched round the cheese and pinned on, then the mould is replaced. This process is repeated , j on the following day, the hoop and bandage ; • being kept on until the cheese is firm enough to retain its shape. On the day fol- ! lowing the second scraping the cheese is taken to the drying-room, which should i have a temperature of 60deg. F. ‘

but it. had by no means attained perfection. That ideal had still to be striven for, and nothing should be left undone on the part of the manufacturers to attain it. Mr Thornton emphasised the importance of grading each churning and of attending thoroughly to the packing and finish of the butter intended for export. RIMLESS CHEESE QUESTION. The value of rimless cheese for the overseas trade was strongly emphasised by Mr Thornton. It was, he said, one of the notable improvements that had been adopted largely by Auckland factories, and was welcomed by retailers in Britain. Last season about 75 per cent, of the cheese exported from Auckland was of the rimless variety and it was hoped that the rim on cheese would disappear entirely. An indication of the manner in which the rimless cheese was regarded in Britain, said Mr Thornton, was afforded by remarks expressed in a letter he had received from Mr A. Ross, an expert who had been sent to England in connection with the operations of the Control Board. The letter stated that the trade was well pleased with the quality of New Zealand cheese this season, but the openness that was apparent was a drawback in marketing. Weak bodied cheeses were not wanted. They generally shrank, and the bandage left the rind, allowing it to crack, and then the mould started to grow into the cheese. Severe comment was also made on badly finished cheeses, said Mr Thornton. Some, had too large lips, with the bandages overlapping, allowing the mould to penetrate into the cheese. In such cases, when the retailer started to strip the cheese the whole lip broke away, and this meant a distinct loss to the seller. Instances such as this generally resulted in the retailer complaining to the merchant and condemning New Zealand cheese in immeasured terms. THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY. These were details that would require to be remedied regarding the cheese, said Mr Thornton. By obtaining such opinions and advice at the selling end of the industry the manufacturers and packers could establish a standard on the London market that would be unrivalled. He desired to impress the conference with the fact that the matter rested with the cheese makers at the producing end of the industry. Other matters mentioned by Mr Ross referred to the packing and hooping of cheese and the necessity for branding conspicuously the coloured cheese sent overseas. The outstanding feature of the advice contained in the letter, said Mr Thornton, was that factories should specialise in sending rimless cheese. That was just what was wanted, and the crating of the cheese was excellent.

“There is only one thing I desire to impress on you people who actually manufacture the products upon which this country depends so largely for its prosperity,” said Mr Thornton. “Go for quality all the time. In the raw material, in manufacture, and in preparing for the market, your product should measure up to the highest standards, and no detail should be overlooked in placing your goods on the market. This is of the highest importance, not only to those engaged in the industry, but to the whole Dominion in a national sense.” Mr Thornton also urged those engaged in the industry to encourage dairy farmers to develop pig-raising. He remarked that the production of butter in Denmark was now subsidiary to the pork and bacon industry of the country, and emphasised that the dairying activities of the Dominion could be profitably employed in developing the pigraising resources of the Dominion. GROWING LUCERNE. The first matter to be considered by the farmer proposing to grow lucerne is the question of weeds. Young lucerne plants grow comparatively slowly, and are apt to be killed by weeds during their earlier stage of growth. For this reason it is generally preferable to sow lucerne in autumn, when the growth of weeds is not so great; but even then, in some districts, the problem is a difficult one. If the ground be ploughed several months before sowing, aud the weeds, which then spring up, destroyed by frequent cultivation, a large proportion of the weed seeds will have germinated and will be effectively disposed of. This method, however, will not be sufficient in districts or on soils wihch are specially subject to the growth of weeds, and cleaning crops such as barley, millet, cow peas, etc., to suit the district, can be grow® to profitable advantage, the land being thoroughly cultivated and kept clear of weeds and couch grass; which is a great enemy of lucerne, while they occupy the soil. Lucerne is a deep-rooting plant, and although its roots have great, penetrating power, the plants will thrive better, and a better stand will be obtained, by opening up stiff subsoil as deeply as possible. Plough Bin. deep, if the nature of the soil will permit, and follow in the furrow with a subsoil plough from 12in. to 14in. This depth of loose soil will enable the young plants to root well, after which they will be strong enough to pierce even a very stiff subsoil; though, of course, the deeper the friable soil goes the better.