LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM

Southland Times, Issue 20201, 11 June 1927, Page 14 (Supplement)

LIVE STOCK AND THE FARM

FORTHCOMING EVENTS. EVENTS OF THE WEEK. June 11: Southland A. and P. Association. June 14: McNab Stock Sale. June 15: Lumsden Stock Sale. June 16: Winton Stock Sale. June 17: Woodlands Stock Sale. FERTILISER PRICES. SUPPLIES TO FARMERS. DAIRY COMPANY REBATES. The question of preferential treatment of dairy companies in the supply of fertilisers was discussed at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Farmers’ Fertiliser Company , recently. Speakers raised strong objection to the practice of dairy companies in passing on fertilisers to their suppliers at wholesale rates, the opinion being expressed that retail prices should be charged and the profit added to the company’s funds for distribution at the end of each year. Mr J. H. Furness asked why negotiations had not been continued with the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company to supply fertilisers at wholesale rates. He understood the dairy company wanted to purchase fertilisers at current market rates and pass the advantage on to its suppliers. The chairman, Mr A. A. Ross, said it was not considered good policy to give dairy companies very much latitude. If the suggested course had been followed, it would have meant that uneven charges would have to be made to different people. If the dairy companies retailed the product at reduced rates to their suppliers the effect would be a general reduction in price, which the company could not afford. In addition, although the dairy companies would guarantee to take their fertilisers, they could not guarantee to speak for the suppliers as a whole. Mr F. Cullen said the trade in fertilisers would be stabilised considerably if dairy companies were placed on the same footing as merchants in connection with rebates. Mr J. Wilson, general manager, said dairy companies had abused privileges given them in the past. When they passed on manures to suppliers at cut rates, these immediately became ruling prices. It seemed that prices would have to be run on a sliding scale and that dairy companies would have to abide by the fixed prices of the manufacturer. Mr J. S. Connett said the merchant had to be recognised as an essential business medium. The company had found its stocks accumulating in the early days and had been forced to resort to the merchant, although it was intended to sell direct to the farmer. The chairman said it was impossible to reduce the cost of production, and the only way to keep the business on a sound footing was to maintain output by effective distribution. They would- not object to dairy’ companies retailing stocks at market prices. Mr R. D. Duxfield said many farmers had forgotten that when the company commenced operations they were in the hands of a monopoly in regard to fertilisers, and that the price had fallen by £2 11/a ton shortly afterwards. Any profit made by a dairy company on sales of fertilisers should be put into the company’s funds and divided pro rata among shareholders and not among individual buyers of manure. Mr Furness asked whether dairy companies* would remain on the company’s wholesale price-list when the price-cutting war was over. “It is difficult to say what is going to be done about maintaining dairy companies on the wholesale list,” Mr Wilson’s replied. “When the time comes for an adjustment of our differences the dairy companies must be recognised, but they will receive some wholesale profit on a sliding scale according to the quantity of fertiliser purchased. If these companies are going to get wholesale profits they must accept the same conditions as all other vendors. It would be grossly unjust if, for instance, sheep farmers were called upon to pay higher prices than dairy farmers.”

SMALL FARM SETTLEMENTS The history of the British Government’s efforts to encourage small farm settlements in England is dealt with in a report recently published. The British Government acquired 15 estates totalling 25,000 acres during the past four years, and have disposed of them in small holdings. Of the total of 3884 acres of the large holdings have been let to tenant farmers, 4630 acres are administered as profit-sharing farms and 4710 acres are managed as small holdings. Most of the men put on to these settlements have been without experience, and fewer still have had sufficient capital of their own, and in all cases the men have had to face some rather bad seasons and a considerable drop in the values of farm products. The report states, however, that a fair proportion of the settlers have been fairly successful, that they have largely increased the production of the land, that in nearly every case the areas dealt with have nearly doubled the population of rural workers.

HALF-BRED WOOL. Mr B. Rollings, a well-known authority on wool and sheep, urges New Zealanders to maintain the quality of their flocks. “For,” he says: “There can be no surplus production of good half-bred wool. It has been the contention of the writer for some years that Corriedale wool is going to fill the gap owing to the lack of pure half-breds, for it matters nothing to a woolbuyer whether he gets 56’s quality from the first cross of the Merino ewe with a Lincoln or Leicester sire or from a purebred Corriedale. Woolmen judge wool by its quality, that being the first consideration. Then condition, length, and soundness of staple all contribute something in determining market value. Good half-bred wool is a valuable commercial asset, and will continue to realise a paying price for the growers.”

STACKING HAY. Many tons of valuable hay are lost annually through defective roofing of hay stacks. Where the hay is not available, covering with corrugated galvanised iron is the most effective method, and, provided the stack is well built and the iron properly secured, no rain will penetrate. If reasonable care is taken the iron will last many years. In building hay stacks it is much better to lay a proper foundation, and one that will permit of a free current of air underneath. This will minimise the dampness that generally occurs. Having decided on the size to build the stack, place some stout pieces of wood on the outside—old posts, for instance—and fill the centre with any pieces that may be lying about, so arranging them as to allow of the air current already mentioned. With the foundation Laid, secure some solid pieces—such as old rails—and place them at intervals of about seven feet, allowing them to project one foot over the sides of the foundation, paving one close to each end. The whole secret of successful stack building is that the stack is always full in the centre and gradually increases in length and breadth as it becomes higher, the idea being that the water will at once drop off, instead of trickling down the sides of the stack. A steep roof is not necessary when covering with iron, and a fall of 2 ip 12 would meet

WOOL PURITY. AN EXPERT’S ADVICE. NECESSITY FOR CARE. In addressing a meeting of the Wairarapa Farmers’ Union on the question of pure wool, Mr W. Perry, the well-known sheep-breeder, said that when in Sydney recently attending the Royal Show he had addressed the Longwool Sheepbreeders’ Association. He found them very keen on the improvement of coarse wool. New Zealand also should be doing everything that was possible to educate the farmers in growing • pure wool. Much of the wool grown was not pure but had hair in it. There was a ' movement on foot to get the new agricul- ’ tural college at Palmerston North to take this matter up and employ a thoroughly up-to-date man to devote hie attention to wool research. The Wairarapa should support the proposal in every way. For in- ' stance, they should improve the exhibits of ' wool at the shows and make them still more educative. The judging should be done very thoroughly, and the public as ’ well as the exhibitors should have every ’ opportunity of examining the fleeces and seeing where the difference was between one and another. The main thing was to educate the far- ’ met to grow better wool. Mr Perry said that if stud breeders bred sheep with all ’ pure wool farmers would have no difficulty whatever. He was not going to let the j hill farmers down too lightly, because if , they knew their business thoroughly and . took pure wool sheep every time the stud breeder would quickly come into line. He would have to because he would not then ' be able to sell the “rough stuff.” It was a very difficult business to get everyone edu- , cated in the importance of pure wool. He . favoured the strong-woolled Romney, but had found that they did not sell. The strong fibred Romney wool was free of hairs, and these animals would give results ’ if run on ordinary country, but ou account of the poor demand for them he had actu- ’ ally had to sell his stud Romney flock. . Mr Perry then went on to say that where two kinds of sheep, each of them growing 1 a proportion of hair, were crossed, the de--1 feet was intensified. The only way to get ’ satisfactory results was to aim on scientific lines at the production of pure wool. Fifty 1 years ago, said Mr Perry, New Zealand ' had the reputation of producing the best . crossbred wool in the world. This reputalion was established with the Lincoln and the Merino. The Lincoln cross in this case ’ grew very pure wool, though the sheep 1 were sometimes lacking in constitution. The Romney cross on these sheep gave a ’ strong animal, growing bright elastic wool, ’ i and kept the flocks right for many years, I but the breed was extended too fast, with 5 1 very little culling, and the wool had gone ’ back through a want of knowledge on the part of breeders. He was satisfied of that, 2 and many of the older breeders who had 2 followed the thing through from the begin--1 | ning agreed with him. After investigation Mr Perry said he had s found that the wool on all long-woolled y breeds would deteriorate if not watched e very closely. In some sheep short hairs, about 14in. long, are found, but these are - not so serious a fault as hair which is the e same length as the wool. The hair being s straight stands out beyond the more curly I wool fibre, and all long-woolled sheep are 1 liable to have this fault. Wool on longwoolled sheep should be soft to the touch, - free from hair, with no cross or dead fibres, s and should open cleanly with the curl’from g the tips right on to the skin. A wool fibre of this nature w’ould generally be found to be elastic, and the yolk of an o attractive character.

ANIMALS AND SALT. The avidity of herbivorous animals for common salt is well established, but practical agriculturalists are of conflicting opinions as to the advantage of introducing it into the ration, many favouring the free choice method of allowing free access to a lump of rock salt. The addition of salt to feeding-stuffs does not increase the digestibility of the ration, but appears slightly to lessen protein decomposition, salt has a beneficial physiological action, increases the palatability of many cattle foods, stimulates the secretion of the digestive fluids, hastens the circulation of the body fluids, and hence prevents digestive disturbances, thus producing that beneficial laxative state which so materially assists in keeping the divestive tract in a good condition. Excess of salt, however, must be avoided, as it excessively increases the quantity of water excreted in the urine, hence impairing digestion and becoming the means of initiating and creating intestinal irritation troubles.

SHETLAND SHEEP. Shetland sheep, according to- a Scottish woollen manufacturer, are owned by the islanders in flocks of 25 to 50. Their food consists chiefly of the sea weed found round the island coasts, supplemented, with a few hardy local grasses. It is not the fashion to shear the sheep in the Shetland Islands; the wool is allowed to come off at the natural break as is the case with wild sheep but as reliance on this method means that the various parts of the fleece would tend to pull from the sheep at different times, the islanders overcome the difficulty by tying the wool on until the whole fleece is ready to be taken from the sheep. The result is that when the time of the year approaches which corresponds with our shearing, the sheep can be seen going about their grazing wrapped in all manner of bindings, from the woman’s petticoats and old stockings, to the shepherd’s singlet. When taken off, or rather plucked off the sheep, the wool is rolled in huge sheets somewhat resembling tarpaulins, and in these sent to the chief market at Edinburgh, where it frequently sells for as much as 7/- per lb. RUSSIAN WHEAT. Russia is the uncertain factor in the world’s wheat market. Before the revolution, the production of wheat in the whole of Russia was about 700,000,000 bushels. During recent years, there have been no exports from Russia, and the world’s production of wheat fairly evenly balanced with the world’s consumption. Although the United States, with its production of 800,000,000 bushels, Canada, 500,000,000, and Argentine 220,000,000, can unitedly control the local prices of wheat, and to some extent hold the export values, Russia is the key to the situation. During the extreme Soviet regime, when private ownership was not recognised, the peasants of Russia only grew sufficient wheat for their personal requirements. The recognition of industrial ownership has, it is reported caused the wheat lands of Russia to be put into cultivation again, and already exports from the Crimea and Danubian provinces have shaken the wheat market to a serious extent.

“No foot, no Hbrse,” is an old and true belief. During the last few years, farmers have certainly paid more attention to the 1 feet of their young stock, because more of | them are shown, the remarks of judges I and critics having taught them that a good top cannot atone for poor bottoms. They have to spend a good part of their lives on hard roads or paved streets, where contracted or tender feet quickly come to grief. Therefore those who want to produce saleable animals should select parents with the approved type of pedals and see that those of the offspring do not go wrong i through neglect or mismanagement

SHEEP DIPPING. CASUALTIES PREVALENT. ARSENICAL POISONING ALLEGED. NEED FOR CONSIDERATE TREATMENT Farmers in many parts of the province have lately been concerned at the large percentage of casualties in their flocks following on dipping operations and in most cases round condemnation has been meted out to the dip used. It was stated lately in one quarter that the deaths were due to one particular brand of dip as it was the only one in vogjie in the locality concerned, but the experience of the province as a whole goes to refute this contention. Deaths have occurred with equal persistency following the use of all brands and it cannot be claimed that one brand has affected the sheep more deleteriously than has another—that is if the dips have really been the cause of death. All dips are of an arsenical nature and the contention is that the sheep die as the result of the absorption of this poisonous property through their skins. The allegation is, however, open to doubt, and the farmers themselves should consider whether they are not altogether blameless. Dipping operations were considerably delayed this year as the result of the prevalence of unsuitable weather conditions and consequently the cold weather was well advanced when the majority of the flocks were put through. Dipping of course is common to all hours of the day on most farms, and so that the farmer can expedite the business sheep are invariably treated as long as daylight lasts. Thus in many instances flocks are sent from the chill of the dip races to the more penetrating cold of a winter’s night with little or no shelter from frost or wind. Under such circumstances the sheep are particularly susceptible to ailment, and are especially prone to such complaints as pneumonia. Dipping la|e in the day when the season is far advanced is a very unwise practice, and when operations are delayed as they were this season it would pay the farmer to dip only in the mornings, thus giving his flock a chance to recuperate under the more congenial conditions of the day. Local and Southland veterinary surgeons have lately carried out investigations in regard to the mortality which has followed dipping this year and in all cases they have agreed that death has been due not to arsenical poisoning but to pneumonia. Vital parts of the sheep have been forwarded to the Borough Analyst (Mr Mclndoe) for investigation, while lungs have been sent to the Southland Hospital for bacteriological examination so that the present diagnoses may be confirmed or rejected. In the case of arsenical poisoning, death does not follow so rapidly as in cases of ingestion, but most of the sheep that are going to die will do so within 24 hours of dipping. If the affected sheep survive for 48 hours they generally recover, although the fleece will be shed from the scalded areas and the animals may suffer from a severe set-back.

If a sheep has died from arsenical poisoning by absorption, evidence of the fact will invariably be found on the skin, even in a carcase many days old. In a recent case, the scalded skin exhibits a purple-red colour, and it is distinctly swollen. If it is stretched between the two thumbs of the observer, it, will be found to tear open very easily, and from the rent a reddish serum will be seen to exude. If the skin is then flayed and turned flesh side uppermost, the blood vessels in the parts corresponding to the scalded areas will be found to be engorged with dark-coloured blood, and the surrounding parts are often stained dusky red by blood that has perfused through the walls of the vessels (extravasated blood). The loose cellular tissues immediately beneath the skin are often found to be infiltrated with blood and with pale yellow gelatinous masses of clotted serum. If several days have elapsed before the examination can be made, the red may have assumed a green colour, due to the effect of putrefactive changes in the blood pigment (haemaglobin). If poisoning by absorption is suspected, the surviving sheep should also be examined. In recent cases, a similar purple-red colour of the scalded skin is apparent in the living animal. The skin is distinctly swollen and very tender. The sheep will flinch and shrink from handling. If the damaged skin is stretched between the thumbs it will tear open quite easily and blood-stained serum will exude from the rent. As the damaged skin heals, characteristic scabs are formed, and these are absolutely typical. They may vary in size from that of a sixpenny piece to several square inches. The larger scabs are often irregular in outline. They are dark-brown, almost black in colour, and very dense and hard in texture, somewhat resembling boiled leather. Such scabs can be found on the scalded sheep many weeks after dipping, and their absence from sheep alleged to have been scalded by an arsenical dip is practically conclusive evidence of the contrary. It should be remembered also, that a post-mortem examination of a sheep that has been poisoned by arsenical absorption often discloses symptoms of inflammation of the lungs, the stomach and the intestines. SELECTING PIGS. Just as there are low producing and high producing dairy cows, so there are low producing and high producing pigs, states Mr M. Scott, of Lincoln College, in Farm Economy. When the Danes started pig feeding they found that about 4001 b. of feed was necessary to produce 1001 b. of live weight. After twenty or thirty years they have reduced this figure to 3251 b. partly by a better understanding of feed requirements, but more particularly by selection and

breeding from thrifty pigs. Here at college our own pigs, which have been carefully selected for 10-20 years, produce 1001 b. of live weight for 320-3801 b. of feed. Pigs bought in the open market and at present under trial are wanting 400-4801 b. of feed to produce 1001 b. of live weight. Danish success has been achieved by establishing breeding and feeding stations conjointly and distributing from them for breeding purposes stock that feed economically. FARM JOTTINGS. The number of pigs in the Dominion at the 1926 enumeration (including boroughs) was 472,534, an increase of 32,419 on the preceding year. The total was made up as follows: Pigs under one year old, 364,962; breeding boars one year and over, 12,510; breeding sows one year and over, 63,702; other pigs 31,360. Sir Rowland Biffen, Professor of Agricultural Botany at Cambridge University, England, who has recently been investigating wheat-growing possibilities in Kenya Colony, believes that the country will before long be able to supply its own and neighbours’ needs. The main problem is to find varieties resistant to black stem and to yellow rust, the two most prevalent diseases. There is no part of a horse to which more attention should be paid than the feet, and it is safe to say that the foot of the present-day cart-horse is infinitely better than were those of his ancestors of 40, or even 20 years ago. The shape, as well as the size, has been improved, till the donkey-shaped hoof is rarely met with, at least in show animals. It is always advisable to keep the feet of foals, yearlings, and two-year-olds attended to, and if they have their feet quietly picked up, and the edges rasped, the heels being lowered a little when necessary, the hoof is prevented from breaking, and a better and more durable hoof will result.

The British Journal of Agriculture describes the successful growing of pyrethrum in various parts of England, and the manufacture of insecticides from the dried flower buds. This form of insecticide is so widely used and so extremely valuable that the growing of the plant might well be tried in New Zealand. The plant is quite hardy and flourishes in most. soPj, and the preparation of the powder is very simple. Experiments with alcoholic extracts corresponding to quarter, half, and lib. of dried flowers per 10 gallons of water have all proved destructive to various insect pests which attack fruit and vegetables and have he merit of being non-injurious to foliage. If the orchardist or the market gardener can prepare his own insecticide at a low cost it may encourage a more vigorous fight against destructive pests and thus save much damage yearly. “YOU’LL DO ME!” “I was travelling from Wellington to Dunedin recently,” a well-known commercial man relates, “and crossing in the ferry always upsets my stomach. Shortly after the train left Christchurch I couldn’t sit still for the pain, and I was resigning myself to a beastly journey. “Just about this time a fellow-traveller reached for his bag, and commenced to prepare a dose of Anti-Acido. I would have given a fiver for his tin. I felt so bad. Whether he read my thoughts or not, I can’t say, but, much to my surprise, he offered me some, and, though he was a stranger, I couldn’t help saying: ‘You’ll do me. It’s what I want more than anything else in the world just now.’ “And what glorious relief 1 In a few minutes I brought up a fearful lot of wind, and in a quarter of an hour or so I felt so comfortable I could have gone to sleep. You won’t catch me travelling without my anti-Acido again. Once is enough.”— (Advt.)