LIVE STOCK, AND THE FARM

Southland Times, Issue 20172, 7 May 1927, Page 14 (Supplement)

LIVE STOCK, AND THE FARM

FOBTHCOMING FIXTUBES. EVENTS FOR THE WEEK. May 7 (To-day)—Southland Champion Ploughing Match Association (11 a.m.) ; Southland A. and P. Association (1.30 p.m.). May 9—Dipton Stock Sale. May 10—Wallacetown Sale. Gore Stock Sale. May 11—Orepuki Steck Sale. Winton Dog Trials. May 12—Wyndham Stock Sale. Winton Dog Trials. May 13 —Otautau Steck Sale. OAT DISEASE. CONTROL OF SMUT. SURVEY OF EXPERIMENTAL WORK. A survey of experimental work in respect to the control of oat-smut for the 1926-27 season is contributed to the Journal of Agriculture by Mr J. C. Neill, Field Mycologist, Biological Laboratory, Wellington, and his remarks should prove of great interest to all engaged in agricultural pursuits. “Farmers in the South Island have lost this season approximately half a million , bushels of oats—or, at 3/- per bushel, £75,000 —solely through failure to disinfect their seed for smut. Statistics collected during January and February of this year, show that in Canterbury oat-smut has caused much greater losses than last year, while in Otago and Southland the amount of smut has been greatly reduced. These results may be in part due to seasonal variations in the severity of attack of the disease, but are certainly mainly due to the care or want of care respectively of farmers in the treatment of their seed oats. Certain districts in Otago and Southland which last year suffered very heavy losses show this year a mere trace of smut in the crops, due to the general adoption by the growers of proper methods of seed-disin-fection. “In the Wairau Valley, Marlborough, an interesting position in regard to this disease was disclosed by the survey. Last year no smut was detected in the oat crops in this valley, and it is not the custom for growers there to disinfect their seed. Two crops of Algerian oats were, however, examined in the neighbouring Awatere Valley and found to contain a good trace of smutted heads. The seed for these crops had been specially imported from Canterbury to bring into the district a new strain, and, as is customary in Marlborough, had been sown without disinfection. This year twenty-four crops of oats scattered all over the district were found to contain oat-smut, and wherever the seed origin could be traced it was found to have been the product of the infected crops examined in the Awatere Valley the year before, or to have been directly imported from Canterbury. PREVENTIVE TREATMENT. “There is only one way to prevent the occurrence of smut in oats, and that is to sow seed free from infection. Naturally smut-free seed is rare, but almost complete disinfection may be obtained with any line, however smutty, by steeping the seed in formalin prior to sowing. This method is cheap—costing about a penny per bushel of seed—simple to apply, and, if properly carried out, will not lower the percentage germination or vigour of the stand. Many farmers still use the bluestone pickle, but this method, while it reduces the smut to small proportions, most certainly lowers the germinative energy of the seed., An examination of the detailed results of this season’s experiments with both methods, which are given, shows this clearly; but still more striking was the difference in vigour seen when the plants were growing side by side. “The method of treatment recommended is as follows—ln a tin bath, wooden, iron, or concrete trough, or other receptacle, mix the formalin as purchased with water in the proportion of 1 pint of formalin to 30 gallons of water. Do not guess, but measure the quantities accurately, for on their correctness largely depends the success of the treatment. Put half of each sackful of seed oats into another sack, so that the sacks for treatment are not more than half full. Immerse the sacks and grain below the surface of the formalin solution for exactly ten minutes, moving the grain about several times while under. At the end of ten minutes remove the sack from the solution. A good method for this is by means of a block and tackle rigged over the trough, by which the sack can be lifted and left for a while suspended over and draining back into the trough. The sack is then thrown on the ground and the grain flattened out to an even layer within the sack. If the operation is performed in the evening the grain will be fit for sowing the next morning. Do not empty the grain into other sacks unless these have been previously disinfected. SUMMARY OF RESULTS.

“The experiments on the control of oatsmut were this year confined to the hot water, bluestone, and formalin methods, last year’s work having shown these to be the most effective. Six varieties of oats were used, five of which showed heavy smut infection in the untreated controls, the sixth (Algerian) remaining clean throughout. A series of samples dipped for ten minutes in water held at temperatures from 121 deg. F. to 141 deg. F. showed that the germinative vigour of the seed was not impaired up to 137 deg., and that only with the Sparrowbill sample was there a serious drop in germination at 141 deg. With the Garton seed (Abundance), which gave 47 per cent, of smut in the controls, no smut appeared at temperatures above 123 deg. The Sparrowbill, Black Supreme, and Providence varieties showed no smut above 125 deg., while the Duns gave one smutted plant at 127 deg. and 129 deg. F., but none above that temperature. A gradual increase in tallness of the plants at harvest was apparent in all varieties, as compared with the control rows, through 121 deg. to 133 deg., this being maintained to 137 deg., and dropping off to control level again at 141 deg. “Bluestone (copper sulphate) showed satisfactory results only with the variety Providence, in which it controlled the smut, with a slight improvement in germination over controls. With the other varieties bluestone failed to control the smut, and it impaired the vigour of the seed, so that not only was the total germination less but it was delayed with many of the seeds for several weeks. In the tabular results it will be seen that bluestone alone showed a higher percentage count of mature plants than at the first count, when the majority of the plants were 3in to 4in high. In addition the bluestone rows looked sickly and yellow compared with the healthy green of the control and formalin rows alongside. ‘Three strengths of formalin solution were used: 1-240 (1 pint to 30 gallons), 1-320 (1 pint to 40 gallons), and 1-480 (1 pint to 60 gallons), in each of which the seed was dipped for ted minutes and drained, kept moist and covered overnight, and sown on the following day. No significant difference could be detected between the three treatments in regard to germinative vigour, and all three were in general better than the untreated controls. In regard to smut-control, the 1-240 strength completely controlled the smut, except in the Gartons, where one seed escaped disinfection. The 1-320 strength controlled the smut with Duns and Providence, but failed to do so in the other varieties, though the amount was reduced to less than 1 per cent. The 1-480 strength failed to control the smut in any of the varieties.”

MORTALITY IN LAMBS. INVESTIGATIONS IN CENTRAL OTAGO. REPORT OF DEPARTMENTAL OFFICIALS. The report of officials of the Department of Agriculture on investigations carried out in respect to lamb mortality in Central Otago is published in the current issue of the Journal of Agriculture, and in view of the great interest attaching to the subject throughout Southland it should be read with avidity by all farmers. The review contains much information of a tabulated nature which cannot be reproduced conveniently in this page, but the subject matter deals lucidly with these tables and the report as compiled by Mr B. C. Aston (F.N.Z. Inst.), will provide a good indication of the investigations carried out. “The soils of Central Otago, which are derived from the mica-schist rocks, have so far upon chemical analysis yielded a high amount of ‘available’ phosphoric acid soluble in a 1 per cent, solution of citric acid, as in the Dyer method for determining available plant-food. The fertility of the Otago Central soil is proverbial, and is probably due to the high amount of available phosphate present. “Mechanical analyses of soils upon which mortality among lambs occurred last spring compared with one on which there were no deaths from ‘pulpy kidney’ show that there is no perceptible difference in the physical composition of the soils. Chemical analyses, however, show that the available and total phosphate in the soil of the property upon which no mortality occurred is much lower than in those analysed from farms upon which the losses were heavy. From this one may infer that, other factors being equal, the land where the lambs enjoyed immunity from this trouble would not grow' such a rich pasture as that upon which the trouble was rife. “The question arose whether the composition of the milk which the mother ewes gave—the milk being the largest portion of the diet of the lambs which died at the age of between four and five weeks —was in any way abnormal. The reply the writer gave to this was that, the ewes being healthy and on natural pasture, it was unlikely that there would be any change in the composition of the milk; that improved condition of diet or climatic environment would be reflected more in a change of volume of milk yielded than in change of composition. To test the matter fully, arrangements had to be made for the transport of the milk some hundreds of miles to the Laboratory at Wellington. This was effected by the use of thermos flasks. The ewes’ milk, being much thicker than cows’ milk, did not churn in the flasks. The samples were placed in the flasks after thorough cooling, and arrived at the Laboratory in good condition for analysis, without the use of preservatives. “A much more extensive series of analyses of ewes’ milk is required before expressing any positive opinion, but the results go to show that there is no great abnormality, and that the constituent that changes at all is, as in cows’ milk, the fat. That the flow or yield is exceptionally high there is some evidence, but further experiments are necessary’ to give accurate figures. “The fact that the mortality begins and ends so suddenly seems to be evidence of some seasonal change in the chemical composition of the pasture concomitant with early spring growth. Very early lambs do not fall victims, neither do late lambs, the period of maximum intensity of the mortality being from October 20 to November 8. The fact that twin lambs do not suffer seems to be evidence that the milk is not poisonous but may be present in excessive amounts, and therefore more than the single lamb can assimilate without suffering in health. Either of these two hypotheses may be correct, or they may be operating jointly to produce the result. The pasture samples were analysed for total nitrogen, and the result shows that nitrogen is not present in abnormally high amounts, except perhaps in one Wedderburn pasture. Godden gives the analysis of a highly manured horse-paddock at Taplow’ as 3.562 per cent, nitrogen in dry matter, compared with average of cultivated pastures, 2.830 per cent.

“There is the question whether the nitrogenous matter is present in the form most suited as food for the young lamb, and this is an aspect which will engage the attention of the Department’s chemists during the coming spring. The few samples received were examined to determine if there was any radical difference between the chemical composition and the nitrogenous constituents of the Otago pastures with those of normal pastures elsewhere. The number of samples received is too small to warrant drawing any definite conclusions from the results, but the figures suggest lines for future work. The crude protein

and true protein may be found to increase with the increase in mortality. There are wide variations in the figures ‘amides’ and far ratio protein/amides, which may be due to inadequate sampling. “It appears desirable to continue the investigation, taking more adequate samples from a number of ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy* farms over a period of years. SUMMARY OF ANALYSES.

In a summary of the analysis of pasture samples and soils the following comment is made:—(l) Compared with figures obtained from Ryegrass grown and examined at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station, the Central Otago pastures—in which ryegrass is the dominant grass— are higher in true protein and also in the ratio of true protein to amides. (2) Compared with composite pasture samples grown and examined at Cambridge, England, the Central Otago pastures are low in protein, but considerably higher in the ratio of true protein to amides. (3) The healthier pastures in Central Otago have possibly a lower true protein/amide ratio than those where mortality occurs. (4) The mechanical analyses of soils show no differentiation. (5) The chemical analyses show these soils to be high in total lime and total potash. They are also high in available potash and available phosphoric acid. The soil taken from the healthy land, however, contained about half the amount of available and also total phosphoric acid that was present in soils from affected farms. Otherwise the three soils were similar. GENERAL REMARKS. “It is questionable to what extent a rich proteid diet would affect lambs or other ruminants, but physiologists have observed that an excess of protein in the diet of mother rats causes mortality in the young during the lactation period. There is further the possibility that at a certain early stage in the growth of the pasture in the rich Central Otago soils there may be an abnormally high percentage of non-proteid nitrogenous constituents such as amides and amodo-acid compounds, which would exert a further strain on the already over-taxed digestive organs of young lambs over-fed with excessive milk diet. A familiar example of the effects of such bodies is that of asparagus, which contains asparagine in quantity. Asparagus is eaten by man when the plant is in an exceedingly young state and when it contains its nitrogen largely in the form of asparagine, a crystalline body which becomes changed in the more mature plant into insoluble protein. Such compounds as aspjaragine are usually abundant in the young growth of spring, especially in leguminosae, whether those growths spring from rootstock or from seed. In the case of the Central Otago spring pastures, an abundant element coming from seed is the as it is an annual. Ifc is quite pusfiible that the grazing

i FOOT-ROT IN SHEEP. PREDISPOSING CONDITIONS PREVAIL. NEED FOR CONSTANT CARE. The dangers of footrot, an ever-present trouble to sheep-farmers on heavy flat country and lately with constant rains rendering lands continually sodden and cold the likelihood of sheep suffering in this respect has been increased a hundred fold. The need for sustained care cannot therefore be too strongly emphasised.

To many, doubtless various preventive and curative measures are well-known as an essential part of the “mental equipment” necessary for successful sheep-farm-ing, but a rei tension of precautions and remedies should not be out of place in view of frequent evidence of the trouble throughout the province. Where large numbers of sheep are to be treated either as a preventive or a curative measure, a convenient solution enabling the animals to be run through an ordinary drafting race possesses the advantage of saving time and labour and in some respects is preferable to ointments, as a solution penetrates more deeply into the diseased parts.

A convenient footbath can be made in the shape of a stout wooden box 12 feet long, 18 inches wide and six inches high with railed sides and crossed battens upon the floor so as to prevent the sheep from falling. This bath should be filled up sufficiently to cover the feet only, about three inches being deep enough. The animals should be allowed one minute in the bath, care being taken that they splash as little as possible as such solutions would be harmfully strong were the eyes or mouth to be splashed. It is a sound scheme to have an inclined run-off so as to ensure that much of the solution carried on the feet of the sheep as they pass out of the bath will run back. The sheep should then be placed in a dripping pen until their feet are dry—this with a view to preventing poisonous pollution of the grass. The Stock Division of the Department of Agriculture gives the following details concerning successful dips:— (1) Arsenic etc.: Take 21bs white arsenic and 21b carbonate of soda and boil in half a gallon of water over a slow fire until the arsenic dissolves; then add 21bs ground sulphur and five gallons water or the same proportion. Before the race is again used for this purpose, if the time exceeds 50 days its contents should be removed and a fresh supply put in as all arsenical dips rapidly oxidise and become useless if left exposed to the atmosphere for a long period. (2) Bluestone: Some of the advocates of this treatment place it before, that of arsenic in efficiency. It certainly has its advantages as one part of powdered bluestone is soluble in 34 parts of water without further trouble, and it is less dangerous in its composition. The strength to use is from 2oz to 3oz per gallon of water as a preventive, and up to 41b per gallon in bad cases.

(3) Formalin: A 5 per cent, solution of formalin has been found very successful. Of late years this treatment has been used in America and Australia with results which are stated to be generally satisfactory. THE BUTTER PUZZLE. BRITISH IMPORTERS’ VIEWS. Housewives were puzzled yesterday by a sudden increase in the price of butter, says the Daily Mail of February 24. In some districts it went up by as much as 2d per lb. while inquiries showed that the wholesale price has been reduced. A large importer suggested that the New Zealand Butter Control Board was largely to blame. “Last week,” he said, “they raised the price by 2/- per cwt, wholesale, and this week have dropped it 8/-. That is what they call ‘Colonial policy,’ but it is very confusing and difficult to the retailer. He must cover himself on the butter he bouerht at the higher figure last week, even although he is paying less for the butter he is now buying.” Another large importer said that retailers should be able just to pay their expenses by charging the consumer 3d per lb. more than they pay wholesale. He suggested that the following were current fair values: — Wholsesale Retail.

animal would obtain a sample of food differing from that picked by hand by the most careful sampler, and that hence samples sent to the analyst may not reveal the true richness of the sheep’s diet in nitrogen. “The evidence seems to indicate that in years past the rabbits which overran the country mitigated the mortality by grazing off the very youngest and tenderest growth, but that now the rabbits are kept severely in check this growth is consumed by the sheep and lambs. ‘"Hie whole question is a most interesting one, and requires close investigation by a chemist on the spot. Samples must be taken with great care through a whole season on different types of soil.

Next week the comments of Mr D. A. Gill, D.V.S.M., Veterinary Laboratory, Wallace ville, on the same matter will be given.

FABM JOTTINGS. “The members of the New Zealand Control Board, in their arrogance, attempted a thing which the Germans with their U-boats could not do—starve out John Bull so that he would be forced to buy New Zealand butter,” said Mr. J. Hine, at Palmerston North the other day. A hoe, which is estimated to be 6000 years old, has been discovered at Marton-cum-Grafton, near Harrogate. The implement is made of hard sandstone and apparently measured originally about sin by 3in by liin. Mr R. G. Dewes, who found the tool, presented it to the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, and it is now in the museum at York.

“It has always been my opinion that the executive does not give the branches enough to do,” said Mr D. Marshall at the meeting of the Invercargill branch of the Farmers’ Union on Saturday when the question of meagre support for branches was being discussed. “The executive takes too much on its own shoulders, and they can’t expect to sustain interest in the branches if they continue such a policy.”

A study made by the United States Department of Agriculture of the cost of living among 3000 widely scattered farm families indicates that the average total value of goods and services used per family in one year is £3OO. Of this value £127 was furnished by the farm in food, fuel and housing. Although some wide variations in family living costs were found among different groups in the same States, the average living cost per family by States did not vary much.

In the course of an article on the Animal Breeding Research Department of Edinburgh University appearing in the Wool Record, Bradford, it is mentioned that, in addition to Corriedales from New Zealand, Merinos from South Africa have lately been introduced into Britain by private breeders. These experimenters are allowing observations to be made on the imported animals and on their pure and crossbred offspring, and the effects of the new environment are being watched.

The thirteenth International Congress of Agriculture will be held at Rome from 23rd to 28th May this year. The programme of the congress is divided into six sections, as follows: (1) International Conference of Agricultural Associations; (2) Agricultural Cultivation and Industry; (3) Zootechnics; (4) Training and Co-operation in the Agricultural Industry; (5) Agricultural Geology and Climatology; (6) Women’s Section, dealing with women’s organisations in rural districts, domestic economy, and the development of rural life. The main topic for discussion in Section 3 will be the problem of the world production of meat and milk from an economic and social standpoint; and that in Section 2 the cultivation of cereals from a similar point of view.

The budget for the United States Department of Agriculture for the 1927-28 fiscal year proposes to make the solid sum of £27,900,000 available. This, however, includes grants for Federal highways and roads of £15,500,000. The Bureau of Animal Industry is being voted over £2,000,000, more than half being for the eradication of tuberculosis and £142,000 for fighting ticks. The appropriation for the Bureau of Entomology is £600,000 and for the Bureau of Agricultural Economics nearly £1,000,000. The first session of training at the Australian Farms Training College, Lynford Hall, Norfolk, England, where Mr H. W. Potts is principal, has been completed and 11 students had already left for Australia by the middle of January. Each comes out under the care and guidance of Dalgety and Company, Limited, and will have the benefit of the firm’s advice on arrival. It is not intended the students shall take up land immediately on arrival. It is probable they will be found employment in the country so as to enable them to obtain local experience before investing their capital.

The Kidderminster Corporation Farms Committee reports that a profit of £7BB was realised on 41 acres of sugar beet during the past year. The cost of manual labour on six plots of land, varying from one acre to 14 acres, and totalling 41, was £250; horse labour cost £259, manures £179, seeds £lB, rent £5l, rates £2O, wear and tear of implements £22. The total expense, including all charges, was £Bl9 2/5, less £lOl 11/7 for unexhausted manure values. On the other side, the total value of clean beets raised was £1505 17/2, or well over £4O per acre, giving a nett profit of £7BB 6/4. It is desirable that a grower should be clear in his mind at the commencement whether his pigs are to be sold in the pork market or as bacon. If the former, there is greater freedom in regard to breed, size and feeding, though the market is not without its high standard of requirements as to suitable carcases. If for the bacon factory, they should be of a breed and age which will give the best sides when cured; and it is no use whatever sending to a bacon factory pigs unsuitable for their purpose. For both markets, bad feeding certainly results in loss. It has often been said that the only pig to pay its way is the good pig, well-fed, and that the best pig badly fed will turn out a bad pig.

PIG PRODUCTS. The modern pig is a pork-producing machine of the highest order, converting all classes of farm produce into highly appetising, delicious, nourishing, edible foods. When we come to think of it, too, it is produced in quite a remarkable way. The young pig when born weighs on an average about 21b, and if he be a “good doer” and has a decent chance he improves in weight and value very rapidly, at the rate of about half-a pound daily in weight for the first two months, then at the rate of up to one and a-half or even two pounds daily for the next three or four months, so that when 180 days old he should weigh about 1801 b. (live weight), which, under our system of marketing, would mean about 1261 b (dressed weight).—Farmer and Settler, Australia. CURDLING MILK. Curdling is one of the commonest of milk faults. It usually appears very soon afl«' the milk is drawn from the udder, and in a few hours, the milk is curdled into a cheesy mass. The condition is due to a preponderance of lactic ferments, and these may be present in the udder itself, in the vessel into which the milk was received, or in the air. There is also reason to believe that disorders of the digestive tract, caused by soured foods, bad ventilation, or a thunderstorm, may account for the condition. Milk that is about to clot, always gives a poor return in butter. Faults that are suspected in the utensils or ventilation should be rectified. Disordered digestion or udder, demand special treatment ; and with the object of producing an alkaline state of the milk, one-ounce doses of baking soda should be given twice daily, two hours before milking.

s d s d New Zealand .. .. 1 7 1 10 Australian . 1 7 1 10 Danish . 1 9 2 0 Dairy (Argentine) . 1 5 1 0